[Drag0n]

I have a Tara Labs cable here, and if you cant hear a difference between that and my Audioquest cable,then you can save your money on expensive audio equipment.
Im not saying at all which is better or worse, but the difference is so obvious.
Ive been thinking about getting the Signal Cable also.
I havent heard it myself, but ive heard alot about it, and it seems like a good buy.
I did purchase the AC digital power cord that they make,and its going on a Woo2 when i get it.
I believe cables make a difference in sound, but i dont believe you need to spend alot to get good quality cables,and some inexpensive cables can beat out high end esoteric cables in the right systems. I think its all system matching, so no reason to spend $3000 on a 3 foot rca cable. Good cables can be found under $100, or maybe even $50. Make your own for cheap.

 

[kpeezy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great choice! I would go with silver bullets (hence my $140 price quote), to have a cable with silver all the way in the signal path. But you and your wallet have to decide.

Old post, I know.

I've been wondering about this though. Does it even matter if you're plugging into copper jacks and going through internal wiring?

If silver cable is, indeed, better, what does it matter if it goes back into copper wiring before you even hear it?

 

[pataburd]

MAC silver-braided.

 

[1117]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kpeezy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Old post, I know. I've been wondering about this though. Does it even matter if you're plugging into copper jacks and going through internal wiring? If silver cable is, indeed, better, what does it matter if it goes back into copper wiring before you even hear it?

I'd like to hear opinions to this as well.

 

[MatsudaMan]

There are those unfortunate audio systems that do not respond to quality interconnects. Usually, the unfortunate people who own such systems are the very ones who swear that cables don't matter. If you have crappy electronics, a great cable will actually just make it sound even crappier. It's kind of funny how it just reinforces their argument - 'cause it's kind of true for those unfortunate souls.

 

[ethebull]

Call me a heretic or a fool, but I’ve been a long time fan of Monster Cable’s M1000i at $200/ 1M pr. A really well balanced cable in every respect.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatsudaMan /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are those unfortunate audio systems that do not respond to quality interconnects. Usually, the unfortunate people who own such systems are the very ones who swear that cables don't matter. If you have crappy electronics, a great cable will actually just make it sound even crappier. It's kind of funny how it just reinforces their argument - 'cause it's kind of true for those unfortunate souls.

And there are also those unfortunate audiophile ears that beleive they can hear a difference in every change they made in their system, even while there are none, (or even while they believe the cables have been changed, in a DBT, and indeed they have been listening the same cables all the time) and even while can never prove it...

A very poor argument, all the DBT that we have heard off, have been done with top notch gear, and all that I know off, even with the gear they are familiar with, and all of them have ended with the same results, miserable failures...

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif A very poor argument, all the DBT that we have heard off, have been done with top notch gear, and all that I know off...

What gear is that?

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover /img/forum/go_quote.gif What gear is that?

Here is one of them. This is not the most remarkable one, I was trying to find the link, and honestly I was not able to find it. But this one has the list of the gear, and offer some statistiscal data as well of the results. The result was around 49%, what means in other words that the results were totally random...This one was about power cords, the one I was looking for, and was not able to find was about speaker cables, and it was funny as the guys even wrote the results, and they were all the time listening to a zip cord, the cables were indeed never changed...

In other tests done by one friend, a couple of them IIRC, the tests had never gotten to the second step (in the first state they tried to determine if the people could indentify always while listening the same setup, and same cables) but on that same first stage, the people began to listen differences while listening all the time the same cables, so why bother to continue...On this ones unfortunatelly I'm not authorized to post the gear used, nor more details unless my friend authorized me (which I doubt)...but all I can add is that the gear used was at the level of any of the bests you cna find here in head-fi...

 

[jrosenth]

"Default Do not discuss DBT in this or other forums
Since we've seemingly been inundated lately with these discussions, I find it necessary to spell it out clearly and explicitly:

We do not engage in the discussion of double-blind testing (DBT) of cables on this site.

We do this not because DBT is or is not an legitimate means for decision-making. Rather, in our experience we find that these discussions repeatedly break down rather quickly into nasty circular arguments by competing camps of true believers. We've come to the conclusion that there's no particularly worthwhile end to be served by this line of discussion, and as such we're asking that the membership not engage in it.

Thanks..."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif IPodPJ, don't be so sure you will hear the differences, I have seen guys, audiophiles and not, fail miserably in front of me, while trying to indentify gear, and cables, OK? Even claim to hear difference while they should not hear any, trust me that placebo is stronger of what you believe, not saying that they can not make an small difference, just that if they are, are so subtle, that is not so easy to indentify them... I would like to see a couple of Golden Ears that are posting all the time about those claimed differences in one of those "forbiden word" tests to see how they will handle it... Here you have a few articles for your entertainment... Read especially this one, I have seen this happen several times in my life, the latest was the million dollar challenge, in while the moment comes, the cable manufacturer back up...afraid of the truth?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif The conclusion of that test showed for the majority of the participants, a completely random result, and if it is true they were asked for the materials of the cable, but regardless of what they believe the sound should be, the silver one definitelly should sound better than the RS, according to the audiophile standards, that consider that the RS as one of the worst cables on earth as well. Silver is a better conductor, and it was manufactured decently by Edwood, and as you said, it may sound wrong in a given setup due to the synergy, but in all of them? They believed, and they conclude, in the majority of the cases, that the silver one was the RS, in other words, the silver cable in all the setups but one, sounded worst than the other two...Does that ring any bell to you???

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL...You are very smart, now you are changing the terms, nope, I do not need the material, all I want is you to indentify your cables in your system.. (we never discussed to select which is better or worst after a week...who cares about that?) You said that you can identify your cables in your system, right? "...I can tell the difference in MY system because I've spent countless hours with it. I've switched my cables back and forth so many times that I know exactly what MY cables sound like in MY system..." So all I want from you is to do what you are claiming, nothing else, in a trully double blind test using your system, you should be able to indentify your cables, as you stated... I will be at the FL meeting, for a whole week in the hotel, you are welcome anyday if you go there... Again is a real shame I could not meet you, to go for the test...Becasue trust me, that you, as anybody else, will fail miserably...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif DBT that we have heard off, have been done with top notch gear, and all that I know off, even with the gear they are familiar with, and all of them have ended with the same results, miserable failures...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here is one of them. This is not the most remarkable one, I was trying to find the link, and honestly I was not able to find it. But this one has the list of the gear, and offer some statistiscal data as well of the results. The result was around 49%, what means in other words that the results were totally random...This one was about power cords, the one I was looking for, and was not able to find was about speaker cables, and it was funny as the guys even wrote the results, and they were all the time listening to a zip cord, the cables were indeed never changed... In other tests done by one friend, a couple of them IIRC, the tests had never gotten to the second step (in the first state they tried to determine if the people could indentify always while listening the same setup, and same cables) but on that same first stage, the people began to listen differences while listening all the time the same cables, so why bother to continue...On this ones unfortunatelly I'm not authorized to post the gear used, nor more details unless my friend authorized me (which I doubt)...but all I can add is that the gear used was at the level of any of the bests you cna find here in head-fi...

Um... I know that you're a member of the trade so maybe the sticky quoted at the top of this post (and repeatedly referenced throughout this thread) doesn't apply?

 

[MatsudaMan]

I know that an Antonio Stradivari violin sounds very different than and a Pietro Guarneri violin played by the same person in the same environment. I'm sure that someone who can't hear the difference between cables also can't hear the difference between those violins. I'm also sure that it must not feel good to be lacking in such discernment and fine tuned ears. To all who can't hear a difference, I'm sorry that there is no scientific reason for you unfortunate situation.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatsudaMan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know that an Antonio Stradivari violin sounds very different than and a Pietro Guarneri violin played by the same person in the same environment. I'm sure that someone who can't hear the difference between cables also can't hear the difference between those violins. I'm also sure that it must not feel good to be lacking in such discernment and fine tuned ears. To all who can't hear a difference, I'm sorry that there is no scientific reason for you unfortunate situation.

You are wrong on that, I know a few musicians (my borther is guitarrist) and one violinist as well, that could indentify the instruments in a heartbeat, and do not believe in cables differences, simply the differences between intruments are easily discernible, and the one between cables are not (if any) Indeed what happen is the opposite, mainly all professionals of the recording industry and audio, and musicians, do not belive in cables differences, otherwise instead of Mogami, Canare and Belden, all the studios, mikes, and intrument cables, were done by Cardas, Nordost and the like...for an studio, or for a loaded musician, that is a one time investment and cheap in comparison to others...

Now let's assume that the limitation is actually in the ears, as you are trying to point out (evne while we could also say that the differences you hear are in your brain, as what is good for goose is for the gander) what can you do about it? Not much, that is the only part of the system you can not upgrade, sorry...

I do not see how you need to necesarily feel bad about that, while the enjoyment of the music, is a very personal experience, and most of the times has nothing to do with the quality of the recording or the sound, but the quality of the performance itself.

 

[MatsudaMan]

The only reason studio recordings don't use companies like Nordost is because they don't want to change the sound - they just want it neutral. That makes sense. Audiophiles like euphonic not neutral.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I don't care what anyone says, I've witnessed burn-in with my amps and headphones. I have not noticed a change in cables with burn-in. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that my ears are not good enough.

Disregarding burn-in, I can also tell a difference between headphone cables. I can listen to several headphone cables on my own equipment, and tell what is different between them most of the time, up to the limits of my equipment or ears. Sometimes this takes intense concentration and over-focusing, and other times the differences are fairly evident to the whole world.

However, I cannot always tell the difference between interconnects. I just have a harder time hearing a difference in my interconnects than with headphone cables. Cheap interconnects ($10) sound good, expensive ones ($60) sometimes sound the same as the cheap ones, and sometimes I get an interconnect that just stands out as superior (ALO Jumbo Cryo Silver X stands out to me). It's not the cost that makes the difference, in my case one of mine didn't cost anything, and I had no expectations till I listened and it was like, "What is this I hear? Wow!"

Lastly, I can't seem to tell a difference between speaker cables or power cables. Lamp cord and a generic computer power cord have always been good enough for me.

I can understand how there can be differences when a cap has formed, or when a driver is mechanically broken in. And, my ears support that. My ears and brain are not burning-in, it IS definitely the amp or headphones that have changed with use.

Believing in burn-in doesn't require the same kind of Faith as believing in Jesus, because I can witness burn-in for myself - but with my Faith, I have to trust in the witnesses that came before me.

 

[Gaara]

OP if you are still reading this the best bang for your buck are the cables that come in the box. By definition nothing will beat them in the price/performance ratio as they are free. In this same line of thought the best aftermarket ones would probably be something like monoprice. You can get a pair of 3ft analog audio cables with gold plated connectors and 22 gauge wire for $2.37. I am sure your BJC will be better but 10x better, I doubt it.

Personally I like cables that utilize Belden 89259. BJC will make some for you, Signal Cable makes them and badges them as Analog 2s, my personal favorite vendor Heartlandcables also sells them. A 1m pair from heartland with standard canare rcas should run you $35, $55 for bullet plugs.