[proteuskim]

i found an audio technica OCC OFHC dvd audio cable rca to miniplug. 15 bux for 1.3 meters. i wonder if this is comparable to the cables that cost hundreds of dollars. it takes a little DIYing to cut n solder but wouldnt be difficult. i replaced my AKG K518 cable with a FUJI 99.9996% OFC rca to miniplug cable that ran me 10 bux and it was an improvement over the stock. i was contemplatng dropping $600 on new cables for my D7000s but if the materials are really that cheap then it doesnt seem worth it.

 

[sacd lover]

It seems that you have already answered your question.

 

[moogoob]

If you can solder, make your own. It'll be fun.

 

[krmathis]

To some they are, while to others not.
It depends on a lot of factors. Like the units it hooks up, the quality of the cable and the one you compare it against, your wallet ($100 is not a lot to all people), and last but not least your ability to hear an audible difference.

 

[El_Doug]

when you factor in the price of virgin tears, the prices start making more sense

 

[scootermafia]

The wire and parts are rarely expensive (unless it's silver wire and Bocchino connectors you're after). It's the labor and R&D and other stuff that makes cables cost what they do. This is why you DIY.

 

[proteuskim]

scootermafia: yeah, im eyeing some silver wire and silver coated OFC wire. You think that may be better than the OCC OFHC? probably no noticeable difference eh. thanks for the tip on the bocchino connectors. I want to use them just for the sake of having them now. lol.

EDIT:never mind... BAXLR connectors are $400??!! The pure silver cables he is selling are $4,000?! i guess they are meant to be used with hi-fi stereo systems not really headphones but still...

El Doug: lol. yeah, thats why i de-virginized myself with cheaper headphones first. still dont have the balls to recable any expensive ones..yet. i've read some horror stories. but i'm not going into it blindly. i did my share of homework before purchasing my soldering iron. still not perfect at soldering but good enough for now.

 

[Uncle Erik]

There is no R&D on cables, scootermafia. By all accounts, it is impossible to use standard test equipment to measure cables. Ipso facto, there is no way to develop one in the first place. Every design is a shot in the dark. Assuming, of course, that there is anything to them.

So, no, cables are not worth hundreds. They're worth the cost of the materials they're made from plus labor. Nothing else.

If you have a few hundred to burn, try another pair of headphones, a new amp, a new source, more music, or just put the money into savings.

 

[Joelby]

Cables are worth about tree fiddy.

 

[Donald North]

There are a few legitimate factors to cable design: capacitance, inductance, to shield or not.

 

[scootermafia]

Well yeah, R&D may involve buying mass amounts of materials, and spending mass amounts of time, to figure out whether it sounds good or not based on semi-scientific trial and error (some physics principles, but also recognizing that some things might just sound right and you don't know why). You can always buy an Agilent LCR and figure out capacitance and inductance and resistance, although that may or may not tell you the whole story. For lots of companies this is the last word on which cable is highest performing, and indeed tweaking the geometry can improve the numbers among other things.

 

[crapback]

Why aren't any of these fancy cables used in music production? How is a fancy cable supposed to improve the sound of my music that was made using run of the mill cables you can buy in radio shack? If said pricey cables perform so much better wouldn't they just reveal all the inadequacies of the el cheapo cables and such used in producing the music?

 

[Punnisher]

No they are not.

 

[h.rav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is no R&D on cables, scootermafia. By all accounts, it is impossible to use standard test equipment to measure cables. Ipso facto, there is no way to develop one in the first place. Every design is a shot in the dark. Assuming, of course, that there is anything to them. So, no, cables are not worth hundreds. They're worth the cost of the materials they're made from plus labor. Nothing else. If you have a few hundred to burn, try another pair of headphones, a new amp, a new source, more music, or just put the money into savings.

X 1

 

[CrazyRay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crapback /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why aren't any of these fancy cables used in music production?

Here is one place that does.

Mapleshade is a label by - and for - people who love fine jazz and blues and who appreciate excellence in recorded sound.

Our recording technology is equally radical.
We design and build, or custom-modify, all of our electronics from microphones to tape recorders to wires.

Mapleshade Records - About Us