^^
Thanks for the effort, Kamakahah.
However, we ignore a large part of customer psychology. Although the same scientific principles are working in all the cables in the same way, something very different is going on in the customer's head.
The snob effect of owning an expensive cable may enhance the pleasure, although physically there may not be any difference at all in the signal transmission.
Kamakahah ^ great effort, very well explained.... but read his post again, I think you are preaching at the wrong person buddy.
Thanks.
My post is more of a response to the idea that the USB cables and headphone cables are the same. They function differently. It was more of a clarification so others might not be confused about the difference. I believe there is value in buying a custom headphone cable. That value changes depending on the person. However, the USB cables are a different story. If you want to pay $200 because you like the look, then I'm behind you all the way. If you are paying $200 because you think it'll offer sonic benefits that a $10 cannot, then I will speak up to the current scientific understanding of why that is probably a waste of your hard earned money.
If there were peer reviewed papers in scientific journals or any testable evidence at all to the claims that those companies make, they would have a link to them for proof; They don't.
I can completely understand the appeal of buying a custom headphone cable. In fact, I have bought from many of the well known companies. Many of their products are used in my DIY cables for myself, friends, and other head-fi members.
When I build cables for people and offer them options in sleeving, I find that ~95% of those people will choose the same options. Aesthetics is a large reason for custom cables and I'm all for that aspect. But people need to realize that when they pay $0.50/ft for some Canare copper vs $9.50/ft for some 7N OCC pure silver + gold, they are not paying for a better sounding cable. They are paying for a more expensive material that has different values for conductance/impedance. Those values can affect the transfer of electrons and result in a change in sound. How one perceive that sound is 100% based on their subjective tastes and expectation bias of what they think/want to hear. Furthermore, there is no material that "does it all right". You will not increase low frequency response without affecting the high frequency response, etc. There are trade offs in these equations, inverse relationships.
What bothers me is the social aspect of customer psychology that is all over these threads. Just because a member might have the means to buy a lot of gear doesn't mean that their opinion on the product is anymore valid than the next person. Many of those members have good intentions but at times offer up suggestions that simply don't make sense. Like the discussion in the DX50 thread about different microsd cards affecting SQ. Are you kidding me? If you have two hard drives, take a moment to put some of the same music on both drives. Listen to them both off the different drives. As long as they are function properly, there is no difference. It's like me saying "you should only play your HD tracks off of Solid-State drives because it will increase clarity and bass impact." Hopefully if I said something like that your first response would be "What?."
This way of thinking is not new, it's very old. Social perception causes people to make choices or view things in a way that they otherwise wouldn't. One story comes to mind and I think it fits the situation perfectly:
http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html
Here is the point: Don't just take the word of people/businesses/the majority just because they tell you it is so. Think for yourself, ask questions, do research and form your own opinion.
