[Vitaly2017]

You're paying aesthetics first.

For me at least, 4 wire 24 AWG Litz and 8 wire 26 AWG Litz are too thicc for me. As long as they keep up those kind of specs, my wallet is safe.

24 awg and 4wires is perfect balance to the sound and best performance. 26 gets to bright in the highs but I know you love that
8 wires isn't a necessity in my opinion. It becomes just a small difference in sonic properties

 

[toaster]

mid fi.

it is a bargain vs. some other cables out there.

to its credit, the centurion is forged from perfection.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Soon 5 figure IEMs and Cables for us to purchase imagine how great they will sound just because of the $$,$$$.$$ prices.

Anyone remember Brewster’s Millions

You know in china they say the more you brain power it the more its performant. So the cost value here definitely will bring brain powers to a new level

 

[bluestorm1992]

You know in china they say the more you brain power it the more its performant. So the cost value here definitely will bring brain powers to a new level

Oh yeah, we say it is the “brain amplifier”, which is as important as the actual amplifier.

 

[RTodd]

Oh yeah, we say it is the “brain amplifier”, which is as important as the actual amplifier.

I think my brain amplifier is using tubes.

 

[ZachPtheDude]

You're paying aesthetics first.

For me at least, 4 wire 24 AWG Litz and 8 wire 26 AWG Litz are too thicc for me. As long as they keep up those kind of specs, my wallet is safe.

for me, it’s the use of alloys with most TOTL cables. Alloys are created in part because the resulting metal is *always* less conductive than whichever pure metals make up the combination. Still haven’t been given a reasonable explanation for how less conductive metals improve sound, just seems like a way to increase cost.

 

[mvvRAZ]

for me, it’s the use of alloys with most TOTL cables. Alloys are created in part because the resulting metal is *always* less conductive than whichever pure metals make up the combination. Still haven’t been given a reasonable explanation for how less conductive metals improve sound, just seems like a way to increase cost.

If you are a purist along the lines of “if it measures better it sounds better” there’s no reason to look past something like the D90/A90 with a headphone of your choice

A lot of the super high end stuff is about putting just the right amount of harmonic distortion in just the right places, there’s an article on a headphone amp builder who mimicked a super high end tube amp for a few hundred dollars by adding a bunch of distortion in a bunch of places. I’ll try to find it, I think @doctorjuggles can help us with that

As to high end cables, I do agree that there’s a lot of funny business going around, but I do have to give it to the cable manufacturers for putting together some genuinely gorgeous stuff

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

24 awg and 4wires is perfect balance to the sound and best performance. 26 gets to bright in the highs but I know you love that
8 wires isn't a necessity in my opinion. It becomes just a small difference in sonic properties

Yeah, but I like how 8 wire feels in my hand.

 

[ZachPtheDude]

A lot of the super high end stuff is about putting just the right amount of harmonic distortion in just the right places, there’s an article on a headphone amp builder who mimicked a super high end tube amp for a few hundred dollars by adding a bunch of distortion in a bunch of places. I’ll try to find it, I think @doctorjuggles can help us with that

As to high end cables, I do agree that there’s a lot of funny business going around, but I do have to give it to the cable manufacturers for putting together some genuinely gorgeous stuff

Im not a distortion measurement purist by any means, and I used to DIY a lotta less than ideally measuring stuff. I quite enjoy my inefficient, (barely) audibly distorted all discrete solid state class A designs and parafeed tube amp designs myself

but we aren’t talking about changes to the harmonic distortion profile which can be measured easily enough. We’re talking something much simpler: the electrical conductivity of a metal. Alloys are always lower. They aren’t more rich in euphoric even order harmonic distortions or canceling those harmonics out, it’s conducting electricity, or in this case transferring the music signal, less effectively.

gorgeous examples of craftsmanship? Heck yeah. But that use of the word perfection just seems so off when you realize that the core job of the cable, the conduction of electricity, is the one aspect that inarguably isn’t perfect.

and fwiw I love the looks of aftermarket cables I really do, and there’s something absolutely gorgeous about a true all-silver based system http://vinylsavor.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-silver-differential-46-mono.html?m=1
I just hate this alloy trend

 

[gLer]

Im not a distortion measurement purist by any means, and I used to DIY a lotta less than ideally measuring stuff. I quite enjoy my inefficient, (barely) audibly distorted all discrete solid state class A designs and parafeed tube amp designs myself

but we aren’t talking about changes to the harmonic distortion profile which can be measured easily enough. We’re talking something much simpler: the electrical conductivity of a metal. Alloys are always lower. They aren’t more rich in euphoric even order harmonic distortions or canceling those harmonics out, it’s conducting electricity, or in this case transferring the music signal, less effectively.

gorgeous examples of craftsmanship? Heck yeah. But that use of the word perfection just seems so off when you realize that the core job of the cable, the conduction of electricity, is the one aspect that inarguably isn’t perfect.

I suspect most (not all) of the guys buying multi kilobuck cables are buying them for 1. looks/bling 2. ergonomics 3. prestige 4. brand loyalty............5. sound quality. In that order.

 

[ZachPtheDude]

I suspect most (not all) of the guys buying multi kilobuck cables are buying them for 1. looks/bling 2. ergonomics 3. prestige 4. brand loyalty............5. sound quality. In that order.

fair enough, but then I see something like the 1950/1960s series doing so well and I wonder how much ergonomics, bling, or the prestige of the cutting edge really does matter, and how much of it is just the price tag.

 

[tawmizzzz]

I suspect most (not all) of the guys buying multi kilobuck cables are buying them for 1. looks/bling 2. ergonomics 3. prestige 4. brand loyalty............5. sound quality. In that order.

@aaf evo @Damz87 @toaster

You guys definitely bought Orphy cause Peter Wong is bestie right? And cause the 8-wire microphonic cable exudes ergonomics right? Thick, heavy black with some blue for the bling?

Edit: I know you said not all, just teasing @gLer ! I, for one, am afraid to listen to Orphy as I hear very similarly to these fellas and refuse to fall deeper into the rabbit hole.

 

[toaster]

I suspect most (not all) of the guys buying multi kilobuck cables are buying them for 1. looks/bling 2. ergonomics 3. prestige 4. brand loyalty............5. sound quality. In that order.

only sound, for me.

legit aren't any other positives I can think of besides that, although the blue is pretty cool.

ergonomics are far worse than stock 60, and microphonics are worse as well.

the sound though...

 

[aaf evo]

@aaf evo @Damz87

You guys definitely bought Orphy cause Peter Wong is bestie right? And cause the 8-wire microphonic cable exudes ergonomics right? Thick, heavy black with some blue for the bling?

Your levels of immaturity are on full display.

Yeah Orpheus has no bling, no ergonomics. I like the look, love PW cables, and I guess it is prestigious? Couldn’t care less about that though. The sound is fantastic though

 

[ZachPtheDude]

is it sound you couldn’t attain with a decent enough EQ/DSP? It’s a sincere question.