[badmonkey]

Actually that was a rhetorical question intended just to get you to click.

Which you did.

So the real raison d'etre of this thread is to link to this article which you may find interesting.

Comments welcome but please don't start arguing about what you can hear blah blah blah.

 

[nuhi]

Placebo exists, and in that case it fooled that person with the zip-cord.
But give someone a zip-cord to listen for a week, then switch and ask him after another week was there a difference. If the cable was a lot better there won't be any doubt. If it was the same it can go either way.
If you playback the same system twice you will always hear something different. At least IME. But after some casual listening when you get in tune with it any change will be heard. Even the power cables.

Of course if you put a person in some kind of a lab-rat blind test, or even fooling him, what did you expect.

It is told that we can't hear differences between the amplifiers in a blind test. Doesn't that tell you that there is something weird with that "controlled test".

Cables are overpriced, that's for sure, but this kind of anti-propaganda is what's raising their price in the first place. Now people who can hear the difference feel even more special and they feel like they have to exploit that advantage and buy even better cables

 

[jcn3]

i will agree that the advertising by cable companies is absurd.

 

[AC1]

The understading of placebo and how it works is as much BS (not that is doesn't exist but peoples claims on what it proves) as what cable manufacturers claim to how their cables work.

 

[PhilS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by badmonkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually that was a rhetorical question intended just to get you to click. Which you did. So the real raison d'etre of this thread is to link to this article which you may find interesting. Comments welcome but please don't start arguing about what you can hear blah blah blah.

It's rather obvious that you're just trying to start an argument. This topic has been discussed many, many times before on this sub-forum, and nothing new is offered in the article you link to, which you link to solely to present your particular point of view.

This thread will now reduce itself to three types of comments: (1) arguments by those who agree with you that all cables are "snake oil," (2) arguments from those who disagreee with you, primarily based on what they hear, and (3) arguments from both sides about whether a particular response is off-topic or responsive to the initial post.

Have at it.

 

[vcoheda]

bottom line. buy cables that are comparable to the rest of your system and at a price that you are comfortable with. the rest is just pointless debate/argument.

 

[drarthurwells]

My headphone system is high resolution and very revealing - any change I make in that sytem is obvious.

The HD600 with the HD650 cable has some glare to the tone and some glaze over the soundstage - but is a top headphone in spite of these faults. However, if I change to the Cardas cable (with genuine Cardas connectors, not DIY that uses Caradas cable with other connectors) for the HD600, it transforms to a natural sweetness and utterly transparent headphone - the best in my experience.

The HD650 may be better with the Equinox than the Cardas - the opposite of the HD600 which may be better with the Cardas than the Equinox - from what others have said.


Changes in my ICs from what I usually use always degrades the sound, however slightly this might be in some cases.

Any tube change in my system makes a big difference in the sound.

 

[drarthurwells]

Quote:

Originally Posted by badmonkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually that was a rhetorical question intended just to get you to click. Which you did. So the real raison d'etre of this thread is to link to this article which you may find interesting. Comments welcome but please don't start arguing about what you can hear blah blah blah.

Anyone who can't readily hear the difference between a 100% silver and 100% copper IC, in a really good headphone system, should stick to an Ipod and its supplied earphone.

 

[Zorander]

I can easily hear differences between cables, especially if one is silver and the other is copper (I haven't heard any other metals though). BUT I do not believe in the esoteric prices some cables fetch and find it hard to even spend more than $100 on a cable. That extra amount will only likely become someone else's profit, not so much to your sound.

Regards.

 

[Spareribs]

From my limited experience, RCA cables were very subtle but it could also be my amp not being too revealing. Headphone cables were more noticable as if a veil being lifted when hearing a better cable like the Cardas Sennheiser cable for example.

In my amateur opinion, cables are not really important because they are too subtle. However, in some systems, they may give a desirable subtle tone or extra clarity that will be complimentary.

That said, stock cables are great. Perhaps I'm embarrassed to say that I like them but after market cables sound great too even if it *may* sound identical to the stock cable. Perhaps it may be best to just buy high quality cables that are well reviewed but cheap like the Blue Jeans cables for example or Volex. Or even Signal Cable company. You could also buy a used high quality brand name cable and pay less and get away with a bargain. This way, you will have peace of mind if there is a shadow of a doubt that stock cables are inferior. Plus, those cables can look decorative too. You can also think of them as personal ornaments for your system that you are proud of. A symbol perhaps?

 

[gotchaforce]

Quote:

Speaking as a competent professional engineer, designer and manufacturer, nothing would please me and my company's staff more than being able to design a cable which consistently yielded a positive score during blind listening comparisons against other cables.

wow its clear this guy doesnt know anything. another "talks about cables without listening to them" sort of guy!!! gosh what an idiot!

 

[dura]

Some people 'know' cables don't make a difference, they studied long and hard for it.
These are the same people that back there in the 70th 'knew' cheap japanese amps sounded better then tube amps, because you could measure it. CD was better then vinyl, they could measure that too.
And if someone dared to hear different, it was simple selfdelusion.

Others just take the time to sit back and listen, not short AB-burst but just relax and enjoy the music, and they hear cables can make a difference, sometimes small, sometimes not so small, sometimes related to price, sometimes not.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can easily hear differences between cables, especially if one is silver and the other is copper (I haven't heard any other metals though). BUT I do not believe in the esoteric prices some cables fetch and find it hard to even spend more than $100 on a cable. That extra amount will only likely become someone else's profit, not so much to your sound. Regards.

I agree, i have allready refernece series of IC's but come on 18.000 euro's for a meter of IC is quite insane, no matter how much i like my cables and the brand. I am however curious about the differences.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drarthurwells /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone who can't readily hear the difference between a 100% silver and 100% copper IC, in a really good headphone system, should stick to an Ipod and its supplied earphone.

Agree.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drarthurwells /img/forum/go_quote.gif My headphone system is high resolution and very revealing - any change I make in that sytem is obvious. The HD600 with the HD650 cable has some glare to the tone and some glaze over the soundstage - but is a top headphone in spite of these faults. If I change to the Cardas cable (with genuine Cardas connectors, not DIY that uses Caradas cable with other connectors) for the HD600, it transforms to a natural sweetness and utterly transparent headphone - the best in my experience. The HD650/Cardas is not as good though. Changes in my ICs from what I usually use always degrades the sound, however slightly this might be in some cases. Any tube change in my system makes a big difference in the sound.

Yep, there's no going back with my current IC's. Tubes make a hell of a lot of difference. I just changed some combo's and you bet the changes are far from suttle, ranging from nice, to unbalanced to balanced, dark sounding, fresh and airy sounding, you name it, the tubes do it.

I don't agree with you about the 650 and 600. I also used the 600 with the original cardas cable and while it has better stage , it looses quite a bit in the tonal correctness department. The notes are light and less bodied compared to the hd650.