My cable test enterprise - Page 17

I've noticed two things when I've changed or tried new gear: The first is my initial impressions, if I use the wide variety of music on my test playlist, are usually correct. However, it's easy to be amazed or disheartened by something because it sounds different on the first listen.

How do you figure that?

USG

Hey Nick, you about done with those Zu cables? Mind tossing them back my way whatever is cheapest shipping option. No rush

I've moved so let me pm you my new address.

Olblueyez, just wanted to thank you for the link you posted: 10 tips to improve your system.

As I read it, I found out that my perception of sound degradation when running a long interconnect is real:

"If you measure the frequency characteristics of certain RCA cable, you will be
surprised by the result. In one meter of RCA cable, the 100Khz frequency
degrades about 3 to 4 db. This is due to the stray capacitance on the
cable. So if you run an audio signal through a two meter or even three meter
cable, the sound picture and dynamics will be darkened by at least 5%
compared to a shorter cable."

That is exactly what I've experienced. My hearing is perfectly fine, after all.

By the way, I just discovered the thread, there are so many interesting posts to read!

Great idea Mr Charles

Maybe I should re-run some tests. I never cared for cabling as I always thought differences were so minimal I had a hard time hearing them. I probably comfirmed my hypothesis as that was what I wanted to hear.

While I never really perceived any huge kind of volume attenuation, my long and cheap cable running has been about 40 feet long, (imagine a 40 feet long, all over the place, cheap extension to the headphones, now that is some nasty cabling...) and mostly included stock cables, that ship with various electronic products, I thought I heard a clear difference in dynamics. Vs removing that cable, and running it straight from a headphone jack. Again, 5% seems to be an opinion. I don't really agree with that quantification either.

Maybe I desperately wanted to prove myself right. That's the main bias in the debate: After all, we change the cabling, then we hear the difference. Measuring the sound as you do is very scientific. If someday, there was a study involving both double-blind testing and such measures, it would gather enough evidence to prove that cables are relatively unimportant. After all, everyone here want to justify their purchases.

My experience wasn't scientific at all, after all. But still, I still never bought a "head-fi" approved interconnect. I never say, or heard, evidence of cables changing much. I never felt like I needed to recable anything.

I always enjoyed reading miraculous claims about interconnects and recabling, well, about cabling in general.

Very entertaining. Sounds like a debate about the existence of God.

If you can't prove it, that's because there is none.

And God is a concept. Created by men. How can you prove such an idea? How can you prove something that was made-up? I can't believe in Santa Claus.

I hope you can prove wrong most claims about audible differences in cabling, I really hope you can do. To many people care too much about interconnects and recabling, about cabling in general. Often looks neat though, that's all I can say.

Keep up the good work!

Samuel

Of course . A little extreme, but again, our houses are full of cheap cabling running everywhere. I had to convince myself a difference, a true degradation was possible. I think I did.

But I had to use lots of cheap, and probably quite "lossy" cables, to convince me of an important difference, to me, at least. I'm the one I am trying to convince here.

If you are running a 40' extension from the headphone out on your amp, the chances are that you will get some interference due to the low level of the headphone signal and the length of the cable. To be honest I would be surprised if you didn't hear a difference between plugging straight into the amp or having a 40' extension. An unbalanced signal of this type should not be passed down a cable longer than about 15'.

G

Well, it shows, with some objectivity, that the differences between cables are minor. That being said, every single person has an opinion on cables, as well as a budget. That being said, such comparisons really helps identifying the priorities.

A cable gets a signal from A to B. That is the only thing it can do. A better cable has less signal loss, or deterioration. A shorter cable transmits a signal better than a longer cable of the same make.

If a cable dramatically change the sound of a system, from which lenght does it perceivably alter the sound?

Doesn't make much sense to me. The best interconnect would be no interconnect at all. Then again, the best circuit would be the shortest possible. I'm pretty sure everyone would agree on that.

Then again, the best case scenario would be that almost any cheap cable does transmit the signal about just as good as the most expensive ones. It would mean more money in our pockets, and less companies selling over-expensive, and totally worthless cables. Why bother with very expensive ones then?

That is the best case scenario.

But then again, it wouldn't do so good for the more expensive cable manufacturers and sellers in the market, which isn't necessarily good for all of us.

Now in practice, if I had to run 50 feet of speaker cables in my house. I'd like it to be the best it can be. Why would I spend more money for more expensive cables that are exactly as good as less expensive ones?

That's why audible, and measurable differences are important.

I love your thread, I understand your objectives. I just wanted to share my opinion. While I am no expert, I must build my audio knowledge somewhere.

Your thread is a wonderfull opportunity, for "audiophiles", to confirm/infirm their hypothesis on the question, with some evidence.

This has truly been one of my fave threads of all time. This is what I like to read: NO BULLS***.

A big thank you to Nick_Charles. This data is invaluable.

USG

Thanks for this thread, both sides.