I don't care WHO the guy is, who he works for, how many tests he's done, etc... If you can't tell the difference between some very specific speaker cables in a system, something is VERY wrong. I am not talking about "stupid" test conditions where people are substituting 30 gauge wire for 12 gauge wire in 25' runs either.
Keep in mind that ALL of the testing that Gordon Gow, Larry Greenhill, Edgar Villchur, etc.. did, they compared ZIP CORD to ZIP CORD. All they changed was the actual gauge used, not any major electrical or geometrical characteristics.
I found this "excerpt" EXTREMELY interesting. "Journal of the Audio Engineering Society by Lipshitz and Vanderkooy titled "The Great Debate: Subjective Evaluation" Volume 29, No. 7/8 July/August. They estimated that when level differences occurred over a wide band, they were detectable down to 0.2 dB." Roger then tries to "discredit" these findings by saying that the authors / conductors of the tests somewhat "negated" their findings via a PHONE CONVERSATION !!!! Why weren't their findings directly challenged in a rebuttal JAES paper or "amended" by the authors if this were true ??? What kind of CRAP is that ?????
Keep in mind that, EVEN if Lipshitz and Vanderkooy DID state this, they specifically mentioned that the differences at extreme high frequencies might be negated due to hearing loss as one ages or their hearing deteriorates. They did not state that the differences would not be noticeable in the midrange, where our ears are most sensitive.
The differences in speakers / speaker cables / amplifiers respond as a WHOLE. That means that some systems will be more sensitive to changes than others. I do agree that gauge WILL affect sonics, but not only in low frequency response that requires greater current. High frequency response and overall tonal balance IS affected. In some severely reactive cases, different wires can literally "make" or "break" a system due to "buffering" or adding reactance to the load that the amplifier sees.
Nelson Pass documents the various levels of loading that occur when ONLY speaker cables are changed within a specific system. There are VERY obvious differences in rise times, overshoot, ringing, etc... amongst all of the cables tested. Now mate some of those cables with various types of loads ( big impedance swings, very low impedance loads, highly reactive loads, loads that vary reactance with frequency, etc ), with different amplifier output designs, and you can see how EACH system could produce enough variables to make ANY "set in stone" claims about audibility / lack of audibility completely "assinine". Anybody that thinks that they know all of the answers for every situation known ( or not known ) to man is pretty narrow-minded and just flat out "dumb".
Keep in mind that i am NOT a proponent of "MEGA dollar wires" nor am i affiliated with any wire / cable manufacturer. I do feel that wires can and do make a difference though. I base this on testing that i and others have shared with common responses.
As someone else stated, buy what makes the biggest difference to YOUR ears. Then have your cables "burned in" for best results : ) Sean
>
