2. cables
  3. 1058894209

Which cables go with what?????

I never fails to amaze me, the questions people ask on this forum, always trying to find some synergy between cables and their components/speakers.

The fact is: there are two classes of cables:
1) Those that are neutral
2) Those that impose a sonic signature (tone controls of a sort)

If the average audiophile spent his time trying to weed-out the tone control cables and get some neutral cables, then all that would be left is to determine the right synergy between his or her components. This may mean elimination of an offensive component, as painful as that sounds.

Component synergy is real. Amps and speaker combinations definitely need to be selected carefully. In some cases also preamp-amp synergies are important. If you are using tubes, then there are even more compatibility issues. But cables, forget it. If you are trying to compensate for a poor component or speaker design by using tone control cables, you will probably never be happy and likely compromise the sound of the other components in the process. You will certainly never approach a live or "master-tape" sound. There, that's my editorial. Hopefully some will learn from it.
audioengr
audioengr OP
3,282 posts
 
"Based on their posts here; maybe they don't have enough customers to keep them busy."

I actually wish it were true. This has been my busiest summer yet. I don't even get to go flyfishing much - and the lake is only a half mile away.
audioengr OP
3,282 posts
 
Sean wrote:

"do you think that your gear / system is representative of the majority of components / systems in use today ?"

Probably not, but the interfaces are similar. The difference is that everything I have is heavily modded. You can get the same mods if you want from me.

"How many parts are in the crossover network of your speakers ? You probably don't have enough fingers and toes to count them all."

There are about 20 capacitors. I know because I am in the process of modding them. This is an exception because it is a complex crossover used in the KEF 104/2.
audioengr OP
3,282 posts
 
Corona wrote:
"Maybe this will help; it took us three years to build a ported dynamic speaker with no x-over."

My hats off to you. I had though about doing this myself, but I don't have a lot of speaker design experience. But I thought it would certainly be possible. I imagine it took a lot of messing around with speaker efficiencies etc..
audioengr OP
3,282 posts
 
Flex wrote:
"Audioengr's original argument is that IF you match components well enough, including with tubed systems, that it is at least possible to get the cable influence out of the equation. Obviously cables need to be as well designed as possible (re S23chang) but the HUGE dependency of system sound on cable parameters can be avoided"

Precisely, you've got it!

Then we can focus on creating a database of which components and speakers synergise well together. Every once in a while, you read a review where this component synergy happens by chance. I'm sure everyone has read one of these reviews at one time or another. Cable swapping just further muddies the problem by adding too many variables.
audioengr OP
3,282 posts
 
Unsound wrote:
"System synergy is dung? What about impedance matching between pre and power amp, between power amps and speakers, between speakers and rooms, etc.."

I agree with you 100%. Synergy between amps and speakers is critical. Sometimes between preamps and amps as well. However, it goes beyond impedance. However, published impedances, for inputs anyway, just amounts to whatever resistor that the manufacturer decided to solder across the inputs for the most part. There are more important parameters, such as input capacitance and drive required to get good dynamics etc... These have a bigger impact on the sound and the synergy.
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