John Dunlavy On "Cable Nonsense"

Here's my 2 cents worth...
First off let me say that I am a believer in that cables do make a difference (not always for the good) and that bi-wiring also makes a difference (also not always to the plus side of things).
This past weekend I spent some time with a pair of cable designers who I have come to know over the last 5 months. These guys make cables that have separate cables for transmit and returns as opposed to all cables being in the same jacket - typical stereo cables are 2 cables per channel and bi-wires are 4 cables per channel. We tested a prototype cable (bi-wire version) that was constructed in a different configuration in that the return wires were made slightly different in terms of the internal wrapping of the materials. The transmit wires were configured exactly the same. Using the same system (older but high end Sony cdp, Copeland preamp and amp) but using three different pairs of speakers (Duntech, B&W 803 S2 and a pair of DIY (vifa & seas drivers) I was able to tell each and every time when the return wires had been changed. I found what can best be described as an "aggressive" verus a "laid-back" sound when the cables were swapped. There were about 6 listeners there and we all were able to distinguish the differences although personal tastes lent to a discussion on which way sounded best. Some times I preferred the "laid-back" version while others preferred the other.

In a nutshell it can be said that I am a believer in cable differences but respect the right of those who believe that they don't make difference from a purely scientific standpoint or have tried but have noticed no difference. I am no electrical engineer but do have a background in ultrasonics (so I have some knowledge on how sound and electrical signals move through time and space) but it was my experience that there was a significant difference each time, audible to a number of people - I can't explain it scientifically but I know what I heard and the only thing our group of testers could not definatively agree on was which version sounded the best.

I am glad for the differences expressed in these forums as it allows for one's own experiences to be be heard (read) and it would truly be a boring world (audio and otherwise) if we all were of the same opinion...

Rgd - Could you explain the "return" and "transmit" part of your post? I don't understand.

I have no way of verifying this rather astounding claim, but perhaps someone else does:

Virtually no high end cable company makes its own cables. Some don't even design their cables. Most of the cables come from the same factories; they choose among the factory's options of colors, materials, designs, termination styles and length. They are quoted a price and that's it. Some may do custom terminations, but that's all the "manufacturing" they do.

See http://www.high-endaudio.com/magaz.html#Cab

This is a question of fact, not subjectivity. Saying "But I can hear the difference" is irrelevant. Can anyone convincingly verify or debunk this claim?

Uh-oh Plasma, you're up to it again :-)

Steve - maybe my explanation was not specific - there are 2 cables per side in a NON-biwire version. One for the positive speaker/amp terminal and another separate cable for the negative speaker/amp terminal. Totally separating the cables negates any cross-talk between the signals or so it it my understanding. In a bi-wire version there would be a total of 4 cables between the amp and a speaker - two positives cables attached to the positive HF and LF binding posts and both being attached to the positive terminal on the amp. This is also done for the negative side as well. Hence the need for 4 cables per speaker in a bi-wire version. E-mail me privately if I have still not provided you with a clear understanding of the cable configuration.

Plasma - these guys do everything by hand but do not extrude (hopefully the correct term) the copper themselves. They take solid core copper wire provided by a supplier and they wrap a number of them in a proprietary design with specific type(s) of insulation. They are what I consider all built by hand. The only thing they purchase "pre-made" is the copper - the rest is all performed manually.... So to disagree in this particular instance - terminating the cables by hand is NOT the only manual labor involved in the construction of these particular cables. As far as debunking my claim of hearing the difference you cannot for you were not thereto witness whether there was an audible difference or not - I stand by what I heard but truly wish I could offer a scientific reason for the difference.