An argument about cables/cords

[krc2]

Im a communications major and while sitting in lecture yesterday I was pondering the claims that different cables change the sound. Long post, sorry!

The very core of communication theory suggests/asserts that all information communicated must travel through media to a reciever. The media itself will always represent a bias, changing the message slightly or drastically depending on the media used. The famous Canadian Marshal McLuhan coined the phrase "the medium is the message" to articulate the fact that wihtout the medium, no message is sent, and it is within this medium that the message exists- despite the medium's bias.

In the case of audio, the message sent comes straight from the artist. The next down the chain for us listeners is the mix-down and mastering studio, then onto a CD or similar. It can be encoded as digital, where bitrate will get as close to the curves of sound as possible.

Now despite what I have mentioned above, digital sound will not change as it travels through mediums. You'd have to have the most coloured medium ever to change a 0 to a 1 or vice versa. They are the building blocks, the simplest information packets.

The first step to returning the signal to music is through the DAC, the first medium of change. Depending on the DAC itself the sound will change as the DAC changes it back to analog.

The next stage is through the amplifier. I am arguing that the actual physical makeup of the parts will alter the state of the electricity carrying the information of analog music slightly- that by traveling through a metal of varying purity the electricity itself is 'coloured' or 'bent' slightly.

After the amplifiers numerous pathways, its off through the cable. In the same way, I think the material in the cable and its purity will GREATLY affect the signal.

Finally, the most part of the system with the most bias - the headphone driver itself, which changes the analog input back into sound vibration for the ears. The makeup of the driver, its materials, location, etc all make up the sound. Even other variables like the location you listen can change the sound slightly.

Therefore I think that those who argue that digital signal is not affected by cable change are probably right. I am on the fence about power cords but I'd suggest that their effect on the sound in the amp might be a lot less than anticipated but could be a lot more, i havent pondered that. But I most definitely think that when an analog signal is present, ALL media it travels through will colour it. For the most part to us head-fiers, that includes the amplifier, cables, and headphones themselves.

>>END LONG POST<<

[Leporello]

Originally Posted by krc2

But I most definitely think that when an analog signal is present, ALL media it travels through will colour it. For the most part to us head-fiers, that includes the amplifier, cables, and headphones themselves.

>>END LONG POST<<

You are probably right. However: which alterations are audible? How can the audibility of these alterations be proven?


Regards,

L.

[krc2]

Double Blind Test?

Im kidding

I stress now that I'm going to purely shoot some ideas, so I do not claim this to be conclusively true at all, just food for thought:

As far as proving the difference in the signal, i dont think that electricty can be measured for purity. I know, however, that metals can.
I'd venture the hypothesis that electricty is similar to a putty that holds in shape in a medium - when pressed through a mold with varying texture that texture will come off on the putty. For major alterations, it would be like pressing the putty through a square hole, then pressing it through a circular one- the shape would change from a rectangle to a cylinder. how can we even get close to an approximation of this idea in real life? I could only suggest that we can easily hear the difference between a square and sine wave - maybe those differences noticed in a simple wave come off in the nuances of music in slight variations.

Without the ability to measure the putty (electricity), we could only measure the media, and then begin a/b-ing the results. I would guess though that we'd find that the media will colour it in either the saw, sine, or square type. Saw being sharpening, sine softening, and square im not sure yet.

The only ways to measure the differences are through comparative listening (and we are going to avoid that hear) and measurement of media purity/material on sound. THD ratings perhaps might help here? But THD doesnt measure colouration, only pure distortion. Meaning that it may sound like a sine, square, or saw difference, but distortion would only measure that it was perhaps any of the 3, not specific.

Maybe we should run an analog signal through very coloured cables - through pure copper, then pure silver, or something and measure the results. Perhaps thinking of it in the three different ways instead of just distortion would be an interesting way of doing it.

There are two possibilities here- either im on to something, or completely incoherent. Hope you get something out of it regardless.

Thanks Leporello, good point.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by krc2

But THD doesnt measure colouration, only pure distortion.

Coloration is measured by frequency response.

There's more than one thing to measure...

Signal to Noise
Distortion
Frequency Response
Dynamics
Wow and Flutter
Channel Separation and Phase

See ya
Steve