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Interconnects and non-believers

For anyone who denies there are differences in cables, I have news for you.
There are vast differences.  I just switched interconnects between my CD transport (Cyrus) and DAC (Schiit Gumby), and the result was transformational.  Every possible parameter was improved: better definition, better soundstaging,  better bass, better depth etc.
I can’t understand how any audiophile with ears can deny the differences.  Is it delusion or dogma?
128x128rvpiano
prof
1,741 posts
 
Something to ponder:

No matter how good the cable is that you use, you are never hearing anything "better" than the performance of the cables used in the recording.

And virtually none of the cables, especially for many of the most heralded audiophile classics, were "boutique" cables of the sort we see now. No cryogenic freezing, no cable risers, no specialized proprietary extruding techniques, no 99.99 percent oxygen free copper, no science-fiction-levels low electrical reactance...and all the other marketing. You are hearing the quality of the most basic cable the musical signals ever passed through on the way to being recorded (and mixed, and mastered, etc).

So think about it: every time you hear an advance in quality when you upgrade your cables, all the way up to the very best available in the world right now, every new revelation - those finger tips on the strings, that guy coughing in the 18th row, that incredible nuance in the natural reverb of the hall - all of that is a revelation about what those old non-boutique, non-audiophile, normally-priced cables used in recordings were able to pass along.  The most basic ones in the whole chain.

And then ask yourself if boutique audiophile cables are necessary for passing along extremely high fidelity signals.


jafreeman's avatar
jafreeman
448 posts
 
A problem with accepting that cords and cables improve sound are the exorbitant costs of the major brands.  The benefit/cost ratio is very suspicious for what you are holding in your hands--the cost of the materials and the construction costs are not that much compared to the components you have, yet the retail price can easily exceed your components--a bad good situation that invites a lot of pushback, and it should, but if you ignore costs and consider just the better cables, you would be impressed with the differences in clarity, etc.  
jetter
1,035 posts
 
prof and teo, can’t help but notice that you turn most threads into a debate style forum. Were you "debatetateers" in your prior life?
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
prof wrote,

“Something to ponder:

No matter how good the cable is that you use, you are never hearing anything "better" than the performance of the cables used in the recording.

And virtually none of the cables, especially for many of the most heralded audiophile classics, were "boutique" cables of the sort we see now. No cryogenic freezing, no cable risers, no specialized proprietary extruding techniques, no 99.99 percent oxygen free copper, no science-fiction-levels low electrical reactance...and all the other marketing. You are hearing the quality of the most basic cable the musical signals ever passed through on the way to being recorded (and mixed, and mastered, etc).”

>>>>>Wow! Thanks for the huge Strawman argument, professor! Nobody said you can do better than the sound of the original recording. The entire problem for the audiophile is to maximize the home playback system. Obviously nobody can go back in time (except for Marty McFly and Superman) and change something that already happened. You can’t go back in time and get better engineers, better microphones, a better venue, better cables, apply less compression during mastering, etc. But the whole point of the audio hobby is to improve what you can. Fortunately there’s lots that need improving.

amg56's avatar
amg56
666 posts
 

IMHO after a certain point the effect of the next best cable on the market may give you a 0.1% improvement in apparent sound, which may be a change in the sound perceived, or an actual improvement. There is only so much that can be done that will withstand the cost/benefit equation.

Not all new wiz bang components or cable will give the improvement for the cost. I can only opine that enthusiasts may change for changes sake, components and circuitry become obsolete or die, or there is the look at me value.

Once a level of equipment has been reached, it falls back to what you can do with the room up to a certain point where you are happy.

I have a nice system that has served me well in between my work and family. I am in a fortunate position that, not only we are building our new (and hopefully last) home with a dedicated music room that I have had designed (within a budget) but will enable me to tune it.

This has also triggered a complete new system (sanctioned by my most important person) and I have quietly been accumulating valuable knowledge on this and other forums. I have all the experience of others to use, and that makes my decisions easier in that I have a solid benchmark available.

So a big thank you to all forum contributors who have spent time to write of their experiences and at times jousting of opinion. It's a very healthy community.

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