[Davesrose]

OH yes, I wish you'd see, I'm more in yalls side here.

Now... A thing I truly wonder... Do power cables matter?

But you do say you hear an audible difference between a "cheap" USB cable vs "$150" one (so in this context, what is "cheap"?....and you are claiming that certain digital cables produce a "cleaner" sound). Audio sound is considered pretty low band compared to current multimedia standards. With AV, there is various hype about getting a cable rated for speeds that are HDMI 1.4 vs 2.0 vs 2.1.....which allow for now up to 8K resolutions, 60hz, deep color HDR, lossless audio for (as I remember) 32 lossless audio channels. The highest spec is pretty overkill for now or years to come....as movie sources are still made in 4K (usually 24fps), 10bit HDR, 7.1 core Dolby Atmos. Getting some of these higher "claimed" specked cables seem more important for long cable runs. A digital source can accept more noise in the chain, as it just needs the threshold for adequate on vs off pulse (vs analogue which would need larger bandwidth). For my audio journey, I have heard some differences with sources (what I chalk up to different EQ/DSP), but have yet to hear a difference in a given digital cable when plugged in the same devices. The only main limitations I have found with digital cables is HDMI: which when I did upgrade to OLED TV and Dolby Atmos receiver, did have some old HDMI cables that couldn't carry the wider color range with higher resolution (so it's an apparent issue with handshake between devices).

 

[KeithPhantom]

OH yes, I wish you'd see, I'm more in yalls side here.

Now... A thing I truly wonder... Do power cables matter?

They don't matter. What matters is if the filtering stage of the power supply is competent enough and it is isolated from the audio circuit. Now we're not talking about the cable, is the power supply itself. No cable can filter a faulty power supply.

 

[Speedskater]

Because a power cord can act as an interference antenna (either transmitting or receiving) it's possible that power cords can make a difference. But it's very rare and takes almost Perfect Storm conditions to happen. Also it's not the power cord that causes the problem, the cord is just the antenna. Also (number two) it's very situation specific, just rearranging your equipment on a different rack in a different room can change the situation.
(ref: Jim Brown & Bob Cordell)

 

[gregorio]

[1] I find a difference in sound quality when using a cheap USB a to usb b to external dac vs a nicer 150$ cable.
[2] I'm not gonna bother testing or investing,
[2a] but I did hear a difference and it wasn't better or worse just seemed cleaner
[3] Why.. After all... Wouldn't material added in a chain not change something... It's simple to the core.

1. How did you find a difference in sound quality?

2. Again, if you didn't bother testing, how did you find a difference in sound quality?
2a. How do you know the difference you heard was a difference sound quality rather than just a difference in your perception?

3. Almost certainly it would change something; visual appearance for starters and very possibly perception biases but whether it would change the data or audible sound quality, almost certainly not, except maybe in some extreme circumstances (an extremely poorly designed DAC for example).

If you can't answer questions 1, 2 and 2a, how can you state that you "find a difference in sound quality"?

G

 

[KeithPhantom]

Because a power cord can act as an interference antenna (either transmitting or receiving) it's possible that power cords can make a difference. But it's very rare and takes almost Perfect Storm conditions to happen. Also it's not the power cord that causes the problem, the cord is just the antenna. Also (number two) it's very situation specific, just rearranging your equipment on a different rack in a different room can change the situation.
(ref: Jim Brown & Bob Cordell)

I was aware that the cable can work as an RF antenna in some situations, but my question is if you can make a power supply with a circuit that filters those parasitic signals in an unexpected event.

 

[InstantSilence]

1. How did you find a difference in sound quality?

2. Again, if you didn't bother testing, how did you find a difference in sound quality?
2a. How do you know the difference you heard was a difference sound quality rather than just a difference in your perception?

3. Almost certainly it would change something; visual appearance for starters and very possibly perception biases but whether it would change the data or audible sound quality, almost certainly not, except maybe in some extreme circumstances (an extremely poorly designed DAC for example).

If you can't answer questions 1, 2 and 2a, how can you state that you "find a difference in sound quality"?

G

Because I hear it.

 

[bigshot]

Because I hear it.

You don't just hear it though... you perceive it. And perception is flawed. If you want to know what you actually hear, you have to account for perceptual error and bias. That is all a controlled test is doing. It's eliminating bias and perceptual error. If you are clearly hearing a difference, you should be able to clearly hear a difference when the two sources are level matched, when you can switch between them quickly and cleanly, and when you can't tell which is which by just looking at it... Right?

If all we are asking is for you to just apply some simple controls, why wouldn't you just do that to prove that you actually can hear a difference? If it's that easy, why would you refuse to do that? (I'm actually interested in the answers to these last two questions.)

 

[InstantSilence]

You don't just hear it though... you perceive it. And perception is flawed. If you want to know what you actually hear, you have to account for perceptual error and bias. That is all a controlled test is doing. It's eliminating bias and perceptual error. If you are clearly hearing a difference, you should be able to clearly hear a difference when the two sources are level matched, when you can switch between them quickly and cleanly, and when you can't tell which is which by just looking at it... Right?

If all we are asking is for you to just apply some simple controls, why wouldn't you just do that to prove that you actually can hear a difference? If it's that easy, why would you refuse to do that? (I'm actually interested in the answers to these last two questions.)

Because I'm not as emotional about it as you. I heard it, liked it. And then didn't buy the cable because it wasn't that large of a difference. I also believe you hear small changes in the chain the higher rez the cans are.
LCD 4z and Tia fourte showed small distinct changes.
Then I tried with an outdated se846 and lcd2 and no difference was apperant, then tried with mid tier poop from noble audio and again nothing.

I do believe the transducers are responsible for showing miniscule changes, again, not enough to warrant spending big money on cable.
I do however appreciate build quality so spending more Than 10$ is worth it for a well insulated quality cable.

To conclude, no matter how much you beg me to do your tests (didn't finish reading your post), I still believe cables do add a small difference in the chain. There are also elite cables out there In the thousands that I won't try, even if they would promise the world.
All the best

 

[sander99]

Because I'm not as emotional about it as you.

That doesn't eliminate bias and other factors influencing your perception. Hearing perception is influenced by many things besides the actual sound. These influences create differences in perception orders of magnitude larger than the smallest purely audible differences. You can not switch those influences off by "being not emotional" or by "deciding not to be influenced by them". This holds for everybody. That is why a sighted test is worthless for determining small differences.

 

[InstantSilence]

That doesn't eliminate bias and other factors influencing your perception. Hearing perception is influenced by many things besides the actual sound. These influences create differences in perception orders of magnitude larger than the smallest purely audible differences. You can not switch those influences off by "being not emotional" or by "deciding not to be influenced by them". This holds for everybody. That is why a sighted test is worthless for determining small differences.

What would you like me to do? To further comfirm. I'll do it if it's not too much bother... For you

 

[sander99]

What would you like me to do? To further comfirm. I'll do it if it's not too much bother... For you

You don't have to do it for me. Do it for your self if you want. I just wanted to point out why sighted impressions don't prove anything about small differences (not to yourself either).
I never did a real blind test myself because I am not interested enough in very small differences to take the trouble (yet). But maybe I will some day. And I have enough trust in science to tell me about a few cases in which I don't need to worry at all about any possible differences, and a few cases in which I don't have to worry about "night and day" differences.

 

[InstantSilence]

You don't have to do it for me. Do it for your self if you want. I just wanted to point out why sighted impressions don't prove anything about small differences (not to yourself either).
I never did a real blind test myself because I am not interested enough in very small differences to take the trouble (yet). But maybe I will some day. And I have enough trust in science to tell me about a few cases in which I don't need to worry at all about any possible differences, and a few cases in which I don't have to worry about "night and day" differences.

Idk what a blind test is in audio
.. But what I did is. I got my gf to tie my eyes up and for her to plug and unplug the cables in and out of order over a course of 3 tracks (she got bored quick) that I am very familiar with.

I noticed a difference each time.
But again... Not all that much. And just a diff.. Not necessarily enjoyable or *better *
But I swear I did hear it. I head it for sure. Mid 20s here... I suppose my hearing is in decent condition

 

[bigshot]

Because I'm not as emotional about it as you.

I think you used the wrong word. I'm not at all emotional about sound fidelity. I reserve that for music. I *care* about sound fidelity. Perhaps you don't. If you did, you might not be so lazy and slack about how you go about achieving it.

What would you like me to do?

Talk about something you know about?

No, if you don't care, don't bother doing a test. I'm not here to force you to think. That might be an impossible task anyway. I'm going to cheerfully give up on you.
Joined the first of May. A whole bunch of blather in Sound Science about nothing. You guys can have him.

 

[InstantSilence]

I think you used the wrong word. I'm not at all emotional about sound fidelity. I reserve that for music. I *care* about sound fidelity. Perhaps you don't. If you did, you might not be so lazy and slack about how you go about achieving it.



Talk about something you know about?

No, if you don't care, don't bother doing a test. I'm not here to force you to think. That might be an impossible task anyway. I'm going to cheerfully give up on you.
Joined the first of May. A whole bunch of blather in Sound Science about nothing. You guys can have him.

No problem big shot. I got the $ to go wild and meet my tastes, without your boring tests.
Good riddance

 

[max1236]

hearing a difference isn't really the goal, the goal is to be able to pick one out. You're going to here a difference because your brain is telling you something has changed so you will try and here the difference. Why did you come here if you don't want to find the truth. your just getting defensive for no reason, the established science isn't going to change because you do a test, it's entirely for your self. Everyone's just trying to help you make your own discovery and ff you were so happy without "boring tests" you wouldn't have felt the need to come here and claim that or even try a simple blind test (which is a good start), obviously some part of you doubts you're hearing the change.