Another Pair of Skeptics Converted


This past weekend I had the pleasure of showing in a straightforward manner two "cable skeptics" who came to hear my system how cables change the sound. In this instance I was unaware that they were so set against the efficacy of cables. During our listening session I simply commented that if they wanted a change to the sound, I would swap a set of interconnects, which took about 1 minute.

I did the swap, and they were amazed. Both started discussing how they would never have believed changing cables could alter the sound. The change was quite evident, and we discussed at length the effect on the sound holistically. I didn't have to prompt them in any of this. I began to educate them that a person can do this with all the cables in a system to tailor the sound.

One of these men spent many years in the studio and both were musicians in bands. One had some hearing damage from playing live music, but still hear the result from switching just one pair of interconnects. They admitted they knew little about home audio and had a lot to learn. They had not heard that many high end systems, yet had formed opinions about cables. They needed a real life demonstration, an education in what's possible, and the result was a changed opinion.

This is a regular occurrence in my room, where people who hold strongly skeptical opinions regarding the ability of cables to alter the sound change their opinion in one day, in one listening session. In fact, the only person who ever remained somewhat skeptical after such a demonstration was a man who admitted he had significant hearing loss due to playing in a rock band for many years. I presume his hearing loss was profound to the point that it was impairing him from enjoying the differences.

I share this in the hopes that if someone has simply formed an opinion about cables and has not attended a demonstration, they would likely find it interesting and perhaps enlightening to do so. Merely being in the orbit of music, sound, pro gear, the studio, etc. does not assure you are correct when it comes to discussion of the efficacy of cables. :)
douglas_schroeder
The difference between relatively inexpensive AQ King Cobra
(formerly Python) and Acoustic Zen Absolute in my system
wasn't very pronounced. Both had same neutral sound but AZ
was more refined/cleaner, faster, more vivid, blacker
background etc. How much is it worth? To me, as much as I
can afford, since it is non-perishable item.

Your guests were just skeptics but many become activists
against cables, posting on cable forums and often praising
lamp cords as the best there is. When people believe
strongly that cables cannot make any difference - then all
cables will sound the same to them - negative placebo
effect. Such people often start forum threads intended to
shame people who believe in cables. The reason for it is
the fact that they cannot stand when others hear something
they can not. I was just a skeptic, but kept my ears open.
I've learned not to question other people findings. There
are people with better hearing than mine, people who are
trained musicians, audio engineers etc, not to mention
people with much better systems.
It seems that cable difference deniers adhere to some type of conventional wisdom, which describes a wide belief held by public and experts. How many have bothered to try and just listen as Douglas recommends? All of my cables tell a difference musical story, and my cables are not expensive compared to what's out there.

As Kijanki points out, folk become polarized in their belief systems, more so nowadays than past times with just about everything that matters to them: politics, religion, the weather, you name it and a very strong and nasty reaction seems to accompany the belief held.

Whatever happened to middle ground? Nothing in life is black and white what with all the shades of grey in between and that's where the differences lie, especially when it comes to cables, yet some stand firmly on the extremes shouting down all who stand in and see, feel and hear the reality of the middle ground.

All the best,
Nonoise