Originally Posted by
Uncle Erik 
It depends on whether your eyes are open or closed.
People only hear differences when they can see what cable they're listening to. Take that away and no one can tell the difference.
Electronic test equipment agrees, as well.
Here's another way to look at it: some cables claim to improve bass. Say you have a pair of headphones that measures -6dB down at 40Hz. You add the "bassy" cable and the headphone still measures -6dB down. How much improvement is there, really? If you can hear more bass, why doesn't it show up in a measurement? And then why does the improvement go away when you don't know what you're listening to?
Something else to consider is that cables are typically argued as a yes/no proposition as to whether they "work." Either that all cables work or that none of them do.
But that doesn't square with reality. It is possible that none of them make a difference with audio frequencies. However, when you look at individual cable types and the claims the manufacturers make, you notice that the construction qualities vary immensely, subscribe to different build philosophies and, often, make identical claims.
Let's say that manufacturer A uses red cable insulation and manufacturer B uses blue insulation. Both A and B claim that red and blue insulation, respectively, improve bass due to the way they are colored. Clearly, both cannot be correct. There are three possibilities: A is right and B is wrong, B is right and A is wrong, or both A and B are wrong.
Meanwhile, you find purchasers of both cables claiming improved bass. That gives you a couple of possibilities. It means that at least half of those owners are experiencing placebo/suggestion or, possibly, all of them are.
Looking at the big picture, not every cable can "work" as advertised. There are simply too many variations out there. Some who own cables are imagining the supposed benefits. There is a possibility that some cables work, of course. But you cannot say that because a red cable improves bass, therefore, blue cables do the same. Someone has to be experiencing placebo. And it is possible that all of them are under the influence of placebo.
Before anyone discounts placebo, consider that it is very much real. Placebo can heal the sick and make pain disappear. That it might also cause you to think your equipment sounds better is a very real possibility. Not a certainty, of course, but also something that has never been ruled out.
So think it over and be sure to read all of the claims from the various manufacturer. When you come across conflicting claims - and you absolutely will - sit and think about it. Can both of them be right? If so, how could that be possible? Is one right and the other wrong? Or are both of them wrong?
