[disastermouse]

Sorry if this is the wrong thread for this, but can someone explain to me WHY 'good cables' are better?  I know there are cable believers and cable agnostics and I'd like a decent understanding on both sides of the debate.

 

[disastermouse]

I got a PM that has started to clear things up for me and I shot an email to the purveyor of Norse cables, but I'd really like some input into just what the heck this cable upgrade path stuff is all about.  At this point, I think anything's gotta be better than the stock HE-500 'speaker twine' I'm using now.

 

[Lenni]

what's wrong with the he-500's cable?
 
the path is the same for upgrading any other component... the system is as strong as its weakest link, period. good cables will allow to extract the best from the other carefully chosen components. however, the few really good cables are expensive, and often is better to put money toward other components, as you can spend $500 on a pair of ICs that will have little to no effect. but depending on the system a really good cable is an upgrade as major as any other good components.
 
I think headphone cables are still way behind to the design,built quality, and performance of some speaker cables. the majority of headphone cable's builders are ex-diy'ers turned mot, and now fancy themselves charging us $1500 for a headphone cable. I'd definitely avoid these builders.
 
if your question is more about the controversy of cables properties, then it's more complicated.

 

[obobskivich]

I think Roger Russell does a good job of summarizing the debate:
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm (this isn't meant to incite an ABX/DBT debate - he covers a lot of history and back and forth from at least the early 1980s; he does have his own bent, but I can't find a more concise article on the topic)

The only thing I'd really worry about in considering boutique wire is causing your amplifier to oscillate, otherwise you're probably looking at a fairly sedate kind of tweak (in that it's unlikely to actually damage anything, whether or not you actually "like" or even notice any sort of changes is more up to you than anything else). I would agree with Lenni regarding system design, in general - if you even want to consider "high end" cables, it should be pretty near the end of the list. Spend the most time/energy/money/etc on the transducers (speakers, subwoofers, headphones, whatever), matching them to a suitable amplifier (both in terms of "it can properly and stably drive them" and, if you're so inclined, "synergy"), appropriate source (and source material), and so on. Then worry about tweaks (if any) - which are basically going to be something you'll have to make your own mind up on, and that includes cables (among other things).

 

[goraman]

There are a couple very good reasons to change to a better cable.
Example : If you have a tube  headphone amp with no global feedback and a some what low dampaning factor a factory cable of maybe 28awg. may sound grainy and not do a very good job controling bass. I like Canare star quad cable 21awg for cables up to 20ft.
 
One more good reason is cable extentions should be avoided if possable, it is better to have one long fat cable of for example 20 ft. than one or two very good extenions in line.
There is loss at each conection so I have my dedicated home cans with long fat cords and portable cans with 3 ft. cords of smaller size even those should not fall under 26 awg. for full size cans with large drivers 30mm. to 50mm .for even short runs. 
 
I got a 7 meter Vandame cable from an ebay seller, it was advertized as cable made just for headphones it turned out to be 34 awg. conducors with a 28 awg drain wire.
It was horrable grainy and bright with little bass and what there was sounded loose and hollow.
Not to mention collapsed sound stage.
 
So cables can have a huge impact.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

I can say this, from blue jeans cable you can diy for approx 50-75% of their cost and it can get time consuming so you pay a little for their time.

I think there are benefits if the existing cable is of poor construction or as goraman puts it too thin for a longer run (unlikely in most cases).

Value in cables? This debate is the core of it all heh.