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Cables differences

post #1 of 21
12/2/02 at 4:57am
Thread Starter 
Here's an article that may interest some folks concerning cables.

http://home.austin.rr.com/tnulla/duncable.htm
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post #2 of 21
12/2/02 at 5:10am
Thread Starter 
http://home.austin.rr.com/tnulla/dunlavy1.htm

and here's what John Dunlavy (DAL) has to say about "light speed". Very interesting.

here's an excerpt:

"Among competent electrical engineers and physicists, it is well known that electrical "signals" propagate along conductors (wires and cables) at nearly light speed (approx. 186,000 miles per second). If the conductors are completely surrounded by an insulating material (dielectric) other than air, the signal velocity will be slowed by a relatively small amount. For example, an electrical signal will propagate along the wires of a cable using polyethylene insulation at about 66 percent of "light speed".

The misperception regarding the velocity of propagation along wires probably originated because electrons do travely at relatively slow speeds along conductors. But they do not directly "carry" the signal. When an electron is set in motion by a potential difference along a conductor, it creates an electro-magnetic field that surrounds the wire. It is this electro-magnetic field that actually propagates the electrical signal along a wire or cable - at nearly light speed. "
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post #3 of 21
12/2/02 at 4:54pm
My comments resulting from some very superficial tests of cables and amps are available here: http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=20954
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post #4 of 21
12/2/02 at 9:44pm

Wow!

According to John Dunlevy, I don't have to save my money to buy the VD Nites series cables. I can just stick with my Outlaw interconnects and MIT speaker cables. Seriously, do you guys buy what he is saying? Do you guys really hear differences in cables?
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post #5 of 21
12/2/02 at 10:02pm
Thread Starter 
I have trouble discerning the audio signature of different cables. Hence I do not spend alot on cables, not to say that I don't buy into them at times.

Maybe John Dunlavy is right, or maybe I just don't have the "golden ears". Although what Mr. Dunlavy has to say seems to make alot of sense to me.
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post #6 of 21
12/3/02 at 8:08pm
Quote:
Originally posted by darkclouds
I Maybe John Dunlavy is right, or maybe I just don't have the "golden ears". Although what Mr. Dunlavy has to say seems to make alot of sense to me.

I think that if more audiophiles were truly honest with themselves they would admit that this whole cable thing is exagerated.

I am not saying that there are NO differences only that they are much less than the hype suggests.

I am willing to go on record as one who cannot CONSISTENTLY tell the difference between different cables.

In my opinion, total cable expenditures of more than 10% of the total system value are a waste of resources which can be put to better use elsewhere in the system or in purchasing more CD's/ Records or whatever.



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post #7 of 21
12/4/02 at 1:47am
In my opinion, putting a percentage on any component in a system just doesn't work. Find something that works for you and make it happen. If you can afford it, who cares whether the cost of one component is disproportionate to another. The amp I like best with the Sony F1 is the EAR HP4. Perhaps this means I've overspent on amplification, but if it sounds good to me, that's my business. Same with cables. If you're happy with Radio Shack Golds, great! If you find something else you like better, that's great too.

Personally, I think the whole cable thing has been underestimated, simply because there are no simple explanations for it. IMO cables can make or break a system. But that's me.
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post #8 of 21
12/4/02 at 7:38am
Hirsch,
I agree. Look at what peeps hear changing out the HD600 cables. They aren't imagining things.
Live in your own world: give cables a chance, or don't.
Changing my speaker cables changed everything.
just my thoughts,
md

(edit) by the way darkclouds, when you get your pi speakers, try some different cables. I think you'll be impressed.
I just put some Loth x on hold and will upgrade my speaker cables.
md
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post #9 of 21
12/4/02 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally posted by darkclouds
I have trouble discerning the audio signature of different cables.
Exactly which cables have you compared with each other?
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post #10 of 21
12/4/02 at 7:14pm
Thread Starter 
I have not put alot of money into cables.

I have some audioquest type 4 and MIT terminator 2, MIT MH-750 speaker cables, MIT terminator 2, Outlaw, Tara Labs interconnects, and VD Power 3.

I may try a few more just to see. But so far, if there was any difference, I haven't heard it.

On the other hand, changing preamps (from integrated to sha-1, ae-3, via direct switch on AQ1005DTI) resulted in very apparent audible differences.
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post #11 of 21
12/5/02 at 12:47am
Maybe those ICs are all pretty close is sound signature. My experience is that there is a world of difference with the silver and copper cables I have tried, as well as with the Cardas Neutral Ref. and Acoustic Zen Satori speaker wires.

The switch from an EL34 based PP tube amp to a 2A3 SET was the most dramatic change I've experienced, other than with different speakers.
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post #12 of 21
12/5/02 at 1:19am
Thread Starter 
The thought of dropping several hundred dollars into a meter or two of cables just makes me crinch. For now, I'd rather put that money on some other components. Of course, unless I am find that I can actually hear an absolute improvement with certain cables before actually putting out the money for them first.
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post #13 of 21
12/5/02 at 2:02am
There are a lot of these articles online, here is another, and I begin to believe that is true....

http://sound.westhost.com/cables-p3.htm#interconnects

I agree with that, get what you think is good for you and that's it (or what you hear is good enough for you) the rest is placebo effect, if you can't hear the difference between two cables stop there and don't waste more money in vane, maybe you can't hear the difference (or maybe nobody can because there is no difference) and don't forget that all has to go together a really good cable will not make a bad system sound good, of course a bad one will make it sounds even worst, on the other side an extremelly bad cable will make a good system sounds bad. IMO, I will not pay more than the Outlaws (unfortunatelly I found them too late) unless a got a much better system, the difference in price don't worth the improvements I will hear (if any), I prefer to upgrade the rest of the gear first, and then try the cables later, but this is my opinion.
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post #14 of 21
12/5/02 at 2:05am

Go with your ears

There is no need to buy expensive cables if your ears find what you like!!

My brother had some highly reviewed monster cable speaker wires that, in his mine and my other brother's opinion were properly trounced by a set of cables, the dnm reson, that probably cost less than half that of the monster cables; better bass in every respect, fuller sound, no loss of detail, a sweeter and smoother top end.

There is a difference in cables, but if your ears tell you that a $40 interconnect beats a $400 interconnect then go with that and be happy.

D
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post #15 of 21
12/5/02 at 3:00am
I think this cable thing has a lot more to do with the equipment you are using then the cables themselves. In some systems I can easily tell differences with cable changes, in other systems the differences are not nearly as apparent.
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