[Maxvla]

olblueyez,

This comes back to my system stabilizing. Right as of this moment I don't have the V3 cable yet so I can't even listen to my MKVI amp so I'm still using my MKIII. But even still when I do get the V3 I'll be plugging it into an entirely different amp and the plug won't work in the MKIII so I won't be able to directly compare the V3 to the stock. Until I get another 4 pin Sennheiser cable (I doubt I will) I will never be able to answer your question.

 

[Maxvla]

Btw, the comment about pooling the money into 1 higher end cable makes no sense.

"Hey I ran all these cool tests on the 1 cable I bought. Too bad I have nothing else to compare it against."

 

[olblueyez]

olblueyez:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f44/fs...1/#post4997613

This is a very good deal on a really nice cable.

olblueyes:
Choose the best Audioquest cable you can afford and then compare to the cheapest Radio-shack cable they sell.

Nick Charles:
I have ordered a pair of Sidewinder and a pair of G-Snake. Plus a pair of BJC cable , all 1m. It may be some time before I report back on this

olblueyes:
As for cable choices I think you have enough, I would have combined my money for a single higher end cable but what you have should work nicer than the Rat-Shack cable pictured. I was looking at the cables you picked out and apparently people who bought them from Amazon and wrote in to review the cables seemed to like them and hear a difference.

Nick Charles:
I considered some higher end Audoquests I found on eBay, but I know that there are a lot of Audioquest knock-offs on eBay and the prices were so much lower than retail that I did not want to risk it.

olblueyes:
Its ok, you have shielded solid core copper cables as apposed to the non shielded stranded copper Rat-shack, I think that should work.

 

[nick_charles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you can do it with insurance what is the risk? (Though I don't know if insurance is available internationally)

Yes but if you use national postal services if something goes astray each end will tend to blame the other and they demand very strict proof of value i.e original receipts. Claiming on a $250 IC would be treated with a certain degree of skepticism.

 

[olblueyez]

Nick, do you have AQ dealers over there? If you do then you should find out who the sales rep for your area is and see if you can contact him and get some high end copper and some simular cables in silver.

 

[nick_charles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nick, do you have AQ dealers over there? If you do then you should find out who the sales rep for your area is and see if you can contact him and get some high end copper and some similar cables in silver.

Where does this end $200, $300 , $400 , I have stumped up $147 on this exercise and most of this on a brand of cable that you explicitly told me would be audibly different from stock cables.

 

[Maxvla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick_charles /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where does this end

It can only end with them getting their cables tested themselves, or lending them to you for the test. They just haven't figured that out yet.

 

[KevM2]

It's already been suggested over and over that there are cable manufacturers out there that will essentially allow you a 30 day trial, meaning you can get a full refund.

Why does any of us have to send our own cables for testing when you can test a high end cable by taking advantage of the trial period?

Anyhow, good luck on your cable test endeavors.

 

[Maxvla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevM2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's already been suggested over and over that there are cable manufacturers out there that will essentially allow you a 30 day trial, meaning you can get a full refund. Why does any of us have to send our own cables for testing when you can test a high end cable by taking advantage of the trial period? Anyhow, good luck on your cable test endeavors.

I do not condone taking advantage of trial periods for any reason but true dislike of a product purchased to use and enjoy.

When you send something back to a dealer they can't sell it as new and end up getting less money for the same item. It would be dishonest to order cables intending to return them after you have tested them. If they ever found out what they were used for you'd likely be banned from the store.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do not condone taking advantage of trial periods for any reason but true dislike of a product purchased to use and enjoy. When you send something back to a dealer they can't sell it as new and end up getting less money for the same item. It would be dishonest to order cables intending to return them after you have tested them. If they ever found out what they were used for you'd likely be banned from the store.

Or he may like one and keep it and return the one he doesnt like. This is why I mentioned contacting a cable Rep because they will have samples for just this reason. Must be some cable reps in the UK somewhere right? Also, the test is not over as Nick hasnt spent time listening to each of the cables.

 

[KevM2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do not condone taking advantage of trial periods for any reason but true dislike of a product purchased to use and enjoy. When you send something back to a dealer they can't sell it as new and end up getting less money for the same item. It would be dishonest to order cables intending to return them after you have tested them. If they ever found out what they were used for you'd likely be banned from the store.

Occasionally cable manufacturers have an extra cable on hand that they allow people to audition. By having a discussion with one of these guys and letting them know that he is doing a cable test for head-fi, they may be willing to send him one to audition and send back. He just has to make an effort to communicate to them.

 

[Maxvla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Or he may like one and keep it and return the one he doesnt like. This is why I mentioned contacting a cable Rep because they will have samples for just this reason. Must be some cable reps in the UK somewhere right? Also, the test is not over as Nick hasnt spent time listening to each of the cables.

That is very fuzzy logic. The original intent of getting the cables is to test them and return them. Whether he ends up liking and keeping one is immaterial to the morality of this questionable practice.

 

[Maxvla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevM2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Occasionally cable manufacturers have an extra cable on hand that they allow people to audition. By having a discussion with one of these guys and letting them know that he is doing a cable test for head-fi, they may be willing to send him one to audition and send back. He just has to make an effort to communicate to them.

This wouldn't be an audition. The dealer would have to be informed the cables have been purchased simply to test and return without the option of keeping them. I doubt you'll find many dealers that would happily let you do this with a new product. If it is already a returned cable that may be a different result, but still it isn't in the interest of the business to let you take possession of an item without the intent to buy it at any point. That cable could have been sold to another customer who actually wanted it.

If this were for a Stereophile review or something the situation changes once again because the manufacturer gets 'free' advertising from it. Loaning a cable to nick charles gives advertising to maybe 100 people, perhaps many more if the results are ground breaking, but at this point nobody would bet on high volume viewing.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif This wouldn't be an audition. The dealer would have to be informed the cables have been purchased simply to test and return without the option of keeping them. I doubt you'll find many dealers that would happily let you do this with a new product. If it is already a returned cable that may be a different result, but still it isn't in the interest of the business to let you take possession of an item without the intent to buy it at any point. That cable could have been sold to another customer who actually wanted it. If this were for a Stereophile review or something the situation changes once again because the manufacturer gets 'free' advertising from it. Loaning a cable to nick charles gives advertising to maybe 100 people, perhaps many more if the results are ground breaking, but at this point nobody would bet on high volume viewing.

Maybe this is new to you but "Sales Reps" usually have "Samples" that are "not new" and "not for sale" for just this type of situation. Tell him you want to try out 2 cables, you dont have to spill your guts to the guy.

 

[Maxvla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe this is new to you but "Sales Reps" usually have "Samples" that are "not new" and "not for sale" for just this type of situation. Tell him you want to try out 2 cables, you dont have to spill your guts to the guy.

He ISN'T trying them out. He is USING the dealer to prove a scientific point, not to further the sales of the dealer.