[kingu]

I have tried bad cables, they sound very bad, is very obvious
 
so if there is bad cables, there are good cables
 
a normal copper cable can sound 99.9% good but a Oxygen Free Copper Cable can sound 99.99%, OFC 5N Copper Cable can sound 99.999% , etc...
 
it gets better, but difference is not great and the cost is not in ratio

 

[Welly Wu]

Please take a look at my detailed Head-Fi user profile to see my list of high fidelity components. I published a review comparing my Cardas Golden Reference interconnects versus Blue Jeans Cables Stereo RCA interconnects years ago; please do a search.
 
I would fail a double blind test comparing cables. So, let me state that upfront.
 
I have the good fortune of owning cheap RCA and power cords, Blue Jeans Cables products, High Fidelity branded products, and custom cabling for specific components such as DNM Reson for my Resolution Audio Opus 21 and Balanced Power Technologies power cord. I can tell you that I can hear slight differences between the cheap stuff and Blue Jeans Cables products. I cannot hear any differences when comparing Blue Jeans Cables products to my Cardas and custom cables. However, I will not sell these exotic and expensive cables.
 
I would recommend that you purchase Blue Jeans Cables products and stick with your stock power cords for your components. Save your money to buy higher quality components or more music or both.
 
If you read high fidelity reviews about exotic high fidelity branded cables, then you should be very cautious before accepting the conclusion of the article. They get paid to review products and the various high end audio companies pay for advertising for their products including their cables.
 
I cannot recommend other brands that I have not tried in my audio system.
 
I stopped buying exotic cables years ago and I focused on building up my music collection. This decision has greatly increased my enjoyment of music and my high fidelity audio system more than any other purchase.

 

[yliu]

Quote:

So yilu, what cable did you decide to get? Are you convinced by the advice here?

I'm still deciding... I might just old my old cable.

 

[scottiebabie]

well i scored a set of Aural Thrills IC cables which came in lastweek. compared to my $10 Accoustic Research RCAs, my jaws dropped when i heard them. to me, the difference is as much as a DAC upgrade. all the harshness vaporized & are replaced by clarity, definition, dynamics & extension. 
 
i bought a used set of DIY pure solid core silver mini-RCA from a fellow forumer from a across the pond & the same thing happened again when i heard after comparing it with a cheap $3 mini-RCA i've been using,
 
i was in the cable kafir crowd for the longest before foraying into the dark side. now im totally flabbergasted by the results & mesmerized by cable voodoo. the force is strong in em good cables. i scored both those cables for btwn $50-60 so perhaps one dont need to spend ya entire fortune on snake oil but man them be gooood oil. my recco is buy a decent set of cables at the very least. buy used & sell or trade upwards when u can justify it financially & sonically. but u wont gain a single thing if u dont try it 1st. Just my 2cents ofcos. YMMV

 

[naike]

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by sokolov91 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Would be pretty cool to see brain scans of people during sighted tests vs the "he who should not be named" tests. Might be revealing.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if in the sighted one sectors related to things other than sound were lit up much more so than in the "test who should not be named" in which the auditory part of the brain would be lit up more.
 

There was some research done some years back with regard to Coke and Pepsi.
 
Blind, there was no particular preference for either Coke or Pepsi.
 
Sighted, there was a distinct preference for Coke and brain scans showed increased activity in the part of the brain thought to relate to fond memories.
 
se
 

I don't agree, I can taste the difference and it's pretty major in my opinion. Yes I have blind tested pepsi and coke with a friend.

 

[sokolov91]

 
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by sokolov91 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Would be pretty cool to see brain scans of people during sighted tests vs the "he who should not be named" tests. Might be revealing.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if in the sighted one sectors related to things other than sound were lit up much more so than in the "test who should not be named" in which the auditory part of the brain would be lit up more.
 

There was some research done some years back with regard to Coke and Pepsi.
 
Blind, there was no particular preference for either Coke or Pepsi.
 
Sighted, there was a distinct preference for Coke and brain scans showed increased activity in the part of the brain thought to relate to fond memories.
 
se
 

I don't agree, I can taste the difference and it's pretty major in my opinion. Yes I have blind tested pepsi and coke with a friend.

Well this example is not perfect because there is a discernible difference -Coke and Pepsi do indeed taste different. Depending on when the experiment was done, you have to factor in social stuff too like Coke being viewed as superior, cooler, etc.
 
They probably mentioned in their discussion that the brain measurements were a little biased because most people liked coke the best, so the sighted tests might have had a higher influence than normal.
 
Like if you get 24 peeps and 12 love pepsi, 12 love coke you would still draw the same conclusions - that preference makes a difference in a sighted environment.
 
Blind you are using only your tongue and nose to make judgment. Sighted you are also using preconceived notions and thus regions of the brain not associated with purely taste are lit up.
 
Your opinion vs a scientific experiment isn't much either. Not to mention you are completely missing the point of the reference to this study.
 
This has more to do than just with you can tell them apart. It has to do how biased sighted tests are and how they are self fulfilling prophecies in my ways.

 

[BlackbeardBen]

I've asked for Coke in a restaurant before, been brought a cola drink in a glass labeled "Coke", and unhappily recognized it (correctly as confirmed by the wait staff) as Pepsi.
 
I've heard that some say the sweeter taste of Pepsi is the reason why it does so well in blind tests, where the aftertaste takes a back seat to the initial taste.  But then again, that's just hearsay.
 
Anyway, I see or hear no evidence that better cables make any difference when you can't see them.

 

[imademymark]

actually in that blind test in small quantities most people preferred pepsi (might be because it is sweeter), but sighted, most people preferred coke

 

[Dogbandit]

As a marketing professional, I would pay for good marketing! (Which is basically what I'm paying for with my Diet Coke anyway...)

More objectively (I use that word loosely), if a disease like upgraditis can only be cured via paying more for something with more perceived (vs actual) value, then why not, no? Mmmm... those shiny cables...

Upgraditis - that's what I have, for sure. I just cannot stop upgrading each element in rotation. Will it ever end??

 

[Henley2]

I'm using Belden 8402 based on recommendations online. Very nice inexpensive cable (lot of Ebay vendors)

 

[Speedskater]

I'm using Belden 8402 based on recommendations online. Very nice inexpensive cable (lot of Ebay vendors)

Belden makes many very nice cables. #8402 would make a good balanced XLR portable microphone cable. Not so much for a RCA cable. For a RCA cable chose a Belden coax with a heavy braided shield.