[Xenophon]

Well, my opinion is worth what you pay for it and I totally respect that you're free to do whatever you like with your money so don't take the following in a negative way because it's not intended so:
 
I.m.o. what you're trying to do is to turn a donkey into a race horse by investing in extra training, feeding it class A vegetables in stead of hay, putting platinum horse shoes on it and coating it in teflon spray to reduce the drag coefficient.  All very nice tweaks.  But the fact of the matter is that it remains a donkey, not an arab stallion.  Only, by the time you're done you'll have sunk so much into it that you could have purchased a zero frills arab in the first place.
 
Long story but professionally I see this all the time.  It's the type of thing that typically makes any infrastructure project cost 2.1 times the initial budget.  Safe to say that I'm not an incrementalist I guess.

 

[mcandmar]

Even if Toxic can do it cheap enough there's dilemma number two. The ethos behind the O2 and (to a lesser extent) the ODAC is transparency and neutrality. To this end I can hardly use an overtly coloured cable which is what I believe silver brings to the party (Toxic like silver).

Am I mad? Discuss.

 
Sheez, here goes nothing.  If you can pick up a silver cable for pocket money (i.e. second hand on eBay) go for it as they do make a difference, but dont spend any real money on it.
 
As for silver bringing coloration to the party, i would argue to the complete opposite, its what your not hearing with cheapy cables that makes them sound smoother. Silver cables dont add anything so if your music sounds harsh and sibilant with them, then the recording is just harsh and sibilant, end of story.
 
/flame suit on.

 

[miceblue]

Silver is a better conductor than copper. From this, for all we know copper is the one colouring the music, not silver. XD

I'm planning to make my own copper-based cable for a balanced headphone cable.




And from personal experience, the hand-made silver interconnect cable that a local Head-Fier made seemed more transparent than my copper-based FiiO one.

 

[headwhacker]

the 5% difference in conductivity I doubt makes up for a difference between Cu and Ag if there is any at all. Before you beat each others head debating cables I would worry first on the plugs on each ends, the solder joints and the insulating material. Also most plugs are gold plated which are way less conductive than Cu.

the signal has already been degraded before it even travel along the length of the cable. Now give that a thought first.

EDIT: Also just to add, the length and the gauge of the cable has more impact on conductivity/resistance than the chemistry. 1 meter silver 35 gauge vs. 1 inch 22 gauge copper. Place you bets.

 

[adydula]

Don't you think that short, stiff cables that are bent severely to your portable stuff has an adverse effect?
 
Imagine how the electrons flowing and hitting the 180 degree twist or turn in the cable??
 
OMG, that bend area must get really warm on high volume loud passages?
 
Maybe someone can come up with a cable cooler to help reduce the heat....??
 
Hope you smiling...
 
A.
 

 

 

[Solrighal]

So...

I knew that was a tricky question. I mean, will I even hear any difference on such a short run?

Anyway, silver is good then and anything it adds is more likely just something to copper masks. That's interesting. I wish I could find a short cable on eBay but I've never seen anything with RCA plugs that's shorter than 0.5m.

If anyone does come across anything let me now.

 

[Solrighal]

I did some research on my cables and found that the general consensus of the Linn Black interconnects I've been using between the ODAC & O2 are generally considered to be rather bright & edgy. That hasn't been my experience in their previous role (Bluray to amp) but I thought I'd rummage around and find something else to switch with. I chose a pair of pretty old QED Silver Anniversary cables. At least they're shorter at 0.5m as opposed to the Linn's 1.0m.

It's been a very long time since I actually sat down with the specific intention of listening to cables. I reckon they'll sound different but I'm not sure they'll be any better. Definitely better looking though.

 

[r010159]

   
Sheez, here goes nothing.  If you can pick up a silver cable for pocket money (i.e. second hand on eBay) go for it as they do make a difference, but dont spend any real money on it.
 
As for silver bringing coloration to the party, i would argue to the complete opposite, its what your not hearing with cheapy cables that makes them sound smoother. Silver cables dont add anything so if your music sounds harsh and sibilant with them, then the recording is just harsh and sibilant, end of story.
 
/flame suit on.

 
Kinda like how the tube amp alters the signal? Definitely not accurate, but in this case pleasant?

 

[syphen606]

  Don't you think that short, stiff cables that are bent severely to your portable stuff has an adverse effect?
 
Imagine how the electrons flowing and hitting the 180 degree twist or turn in the cable??
 
OMG, that bend area must get really warm on high volume loud passages?
 
Maybe someone can come up with a cable cooler to help reduce the heat....??
 
Hope you smiling...
 
A.
 

 

 
Uhm.... Yes..  darn 180 degree bends slowing down my electrons!

 

[krismusic]

How on earth have cables ended up being discussed on a thread dedicated to the ultimate rationalist amp???

 

[JacobLee89]

  How on earth have cables ended up being discussed on a thread dedicated to the ultimate rationalist amp???

+1 and seconded. I believe folk tales have creeped in.

 

[anthk]

  +1 and seconded. I believe folk tales have creeped in.

that's why i use superconductor cables @ 4k, such pure sound.

 

[krismusic]

that's why i use superconductor cables @ 4k, such pure sound.

Grrrr!

 

[Solrighal]

How on earth have cables ended up being discussed on a thread dedicated to the ultimate rationalist amp???

It was me who introduced cables and I think it's valid. As I said earlier, since the ethos of the ODAC/O2 is transparency it would seem essential to use a cable between the two units which added as little colouration as possible. How is that not relevant?

 

[JacobLee89]

It was me who introduced cables and I think it's valid. As I said earlier, since the ethos of the ODAC/O2 is transparency it would seem essential to use a cable between the two units which added as little colouration as possible. How is that not relevant?

 
The consensus between cable material/quality bringing out any sonic improvements/transparency is tied, and is questionable at best. Several well documented double blind tests on cables have been inconclusive, and the O2 ethos focuses more on minimising costs through careful design choices.
 
I'm not saying that cables do not do anything, but for me it's borderline negligible. 
 
And now I am starting to sound like O2 designer guy. Time to push the play button and ignore words for now.