Cable vs. Electronics: biggest bang for the buck

Hshapiro - GREAT! I think we have come to a meeting of the minds. Thanks for your objectivity! Hey.... Not to stir things up again but regarding your last statement:

Yes. If a "low rez" cable helps make a "low rez" system sound better, then the result is positive. I have heard some "high rez" cables that did not interact synergistically with other "high rez" equipment, so it can go either way. It seems like we have come to a meeting of the minds and I feel a whole lot better.

Usually - on the high(er) end - low(er) rez cables make high(er) resolution systems sound better. There are some VERY, VERY GOOD cables out there which may be perceived as low rez by some. Most cables deemed high-rez do not work well with high-rez systems. High-rez cables are great for low(er) rez systems.

On the lower end - lower rez cables will make harsh sounding systems sound better - easier on the ears - and high rez cables make muddy systems sound more transparent.

On the highest end - when a synergy has been formed - lean toward the most neutral cable for the system. Its impossible to fine a 100% purely neutral cable and unlikely to hear a 100% purely neutral component. At this level, one really wants to listen to the music and not the cables or components. Given that the quality of sound reproduced by such components is typically superior but not absolutely perfect, it becomes a delicate balancing act to add the RIGHT cable into the mix which has the most neutral presentation possible without leaning the wrong direction.
Even at this level (20 or 22) its possible to be too sterile or too rich with the components. At this level, high-rez is just as bad as low-rez.

Bwhite wrote:

If a cable conceals a weakness that is a good thing. The system will sound better... if a cable highlights a weakness whos to say that the real weakness didn't come from the cable?

Usually, when a cable conceals a weakness in a system it does this by corrupting the sound in some way or adding coloration. I dont see how this is an improvement.

Audioengr wrote:

Usually, when a cable conceals a weakness in a system it does this by corrupting the sound in some way or adding coloration. I dont see how this is an improvement.

Ya... but if a system has a weakness... the sound is already corrupted! So who the hell cares!!??!!

If the cable makes the system more listenable - THAT IS A GOOD THING!

I guess I would have to lower my standards in order to not care. This is analogous to owning a Mercedes for 20 years and then replacing it with a Yugo when it wears out. A hard pill to swallow at best.....

I recently did a project with focus groups that involved digital audio playback. I found that I could not stomach what MP3 did to the music. I had to use .wav files ultimately.

Bwhite said:
On the lower end - lower rez cables will make harsh sounding systems sound better - easier on the ears - and high rez cables make muddy systems sound more transparent.

I would say the high rez cables I have heard in lower end systems created an illusion of transparency. I think that it's because they have wider bandwidth, the highs and lows they create make them sound more see-through.

Bwhite said:
On the highest end - when a synergy has been formed - lean toward the most neutral cable for the system. Its impossible to fine a 100% purely neutral cable and unlikely to hear a 100% purely neutral component. At this level, one really wants to listen to the music and not the cables or components. Given that the quality of sound reproduced by such components is typically superior but not absolutely perfect, it becomes a delicate balancing act to add the RIGHT cable into the mix which has the most neutral presentation possible without leaning the wrong direction.

Speaking of adding the RIGHT cable into the mix in a high-end system, please tell us why you didn't like the VD cables in your system. Did you try their top of the line Nite cable? Finally, what components were you using while trying them?

Bwhite:
Even at this level (20 or 22) its possible to be too sterile or too rich with the components. At this level, high-rez is just as bad as low-rez.

That's what I thought you meant. For whatever reason, I was lucky the VD cables locked into my system without my going bust.