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Why the cable myth won't go away
Jan 9, 2014 at 9:14 PM Post #47 of 72
pbui44 said:
Wow, sorry I have tinnitus and you don't. I figured that the sound science section would be more welcoming, but adding salt to a wound never helped an argument, short-term or long-term.
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Pro-tip: In the science section, telling a personal experience doesn't cut it. You need to find a way to prove any claim. Otherwise you'll get the kind of response you got.
 
Sorry about the tinnitus, i have a mild case of it myself and it's annoying enough.
 
Jan 9, 2014 at 9:23 PM Post #48 of 72
No intent to make fun of your hearing loss. Just wondering why your cables would be the solution. I know frequency spikes can aggravate and even cause hearing damage. Could a change in the response be the real reason why it doesn't aggravate you any more? If so, it isn't the cables that did it.
 
Jan 9, 2014 at 9:59 PM Post #49 of 72
pbui44 said:
To the OP, the cable myth is not a myth to me, my ears, and my hearing.

I have tinnitus from a car accident and irresponsible brother (year before he became a felon) when I was 13 and it comes and goes, but has become much less severe from using higher-end audio.

When I received my hd580 high performance cable, the clarity improvement was marginal.

When I received my Ultrasone Pro 2900s it came with 2 stock cables and a toxic cables viper silver-lined copper cable. The stock cables would eventually create tinnitus after listening sessions and the toxic cable made the signal smoother and more resolute, leaving no tinnitus after a listening session. The Ultrasone Pro 2900s are notorious for being too bright, so I am glad that someone bought the toxic cable to go with the cans.
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Maybe your tinnitus is psychosomatic? You say the toxic cable made the signal 'smoother and more resolute'. What does that mean?
If your headphones are bright, and the cables reduced that harshness somewhat, maybe an EQ would've done the same thing?
 
Jan 9, 2014 at 10:17 PM Post #50 of 72
proton007 said:
Maybe your tinnitus is psychosomatic? You say the toxic cable made the signal 'smoother and more resolute'. What does that mean?
If your headphones are bright, and the cables reduced that harshness somewhat, maybe an EQ would've done the same thing?
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When it causes you physical pain, it is not psychosomatic. When it comes to the cables, it was the presentation because I used the same equipment. There is a point when people can spend too much on cables, but there is a point when it is worth the price. As for open-backed cans, I will withhold use in general to sensitivity to my ears, but man do they sound great.
 
Jan 9, 2014 at 10:26 PM Post #51 of 72
There are other factors that are much more likely to be the cause than the cables... volume levels, the recordings you were listening to, the general condition of your ears on the days you compared, etc.
 
Jan 9, 2014 at 10:58 PM Post #52 of 72
"Fancy" wire always kinda cracks me up. Many years ago I went to a demo at a local audio shop. NHT was showcasing their newest top of the line speaker and they had an open house to introduce them to local audiophiles. In addition they offered anyone 10,000 dollars if they could differentiate high end speaker wire from common lamp cord 9 out of 10 times during a listening demo. All kinds of people showed up, even some guys with these little cardboard ear extender things (for lack of a better term). Long story short, NHT left with their 10 grand. Never forgot that demo to this day no matter how much I'm tempted by all the hype surrounding those admittedly very pretty wires.
 
Jan 9, 2014 at 11:35 PM Post #53 of 72
Cardboard ear extenders are the audiophile equivalent of the beanie with the propeller on top
 
Jan 10, 2014 at 8:17 AM Post #54 of 72
shockdoc said:
  "Fancy" wire always kinda cracks me up. Many years ago I went to a demo at a local audio shop. NHT was showcasing their newest top of the line speaker and they had an open house to introduce them to local audiophiles. In addition they offered anyone 10,000 dollars if they could differentiate high end speaker wire from common lamp cord 9 out of 10 times during a listening demo. All kinds of people showed up, even some guys with these little cardboard ear extender things (for lack of a better term). Long story short, NHT left with their 10 grand. Never forgot that demo to this day no matter how much I'm tempted by all the hype surrounding those admittedly very pretty wires.
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Heh, great story, but I'm a little confused about the ear extenders.  Big Shot's explanation doesn't really do much to help 
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Honestly though, is that actually a 'thing'?  Doing an image search for them returned nothing promising.
 
I think I just want to see some goofball with a big set of cardboard ears.
 
If it's really compellingly dorky, maybe year I'll dress like an audiophile for halloween.
 
Jan 10, 2014 at 9:37 AM Post #55 of 72

 
... that's the beginner's model.
 
 
 
... that's the pro model.
 
Jan 10, 2014 at 11:02 AM Post #57 of 72
gignac said:
Heh - Brilliant!

I'll take 6 sets.

Glad the pro comes with it's own stand.  That would be a cumbersome load on the shoulders.
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Yeah. Good to see they thought it through. I remember reading about leather pads to do the same job...
 
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