DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?
Short answer, no they don't. Long answer. There is such a small differnce that the average person would not be able to pick up. Thos golden ears that will be able to do so will not experience an enlightenment of their musical enjoyment. Just a slight difference. There's PLENTY of blind / double blind test on the net that prove that. Here's a page with a lot of links: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/ But just do your searches and you will come up with a lot of links. Bottom line of all those tests is cables make little if any difference. Same for electronics from a minimum quality level up. According to that here's how you should spend your hifi budget: 90% speakers 9% electronics 1% cables |
Reasons why blind Cable tests should not be taken seriously 1. Test system was not be verified as having no errors, i.e., Absolute Polarity, out of phase, poor speaker placement, etc. Many if not most systems mask subtle differences. This produces what is known as a “rush to judgement.” Who came up with the expression, Audiophile Myth, anyway? Uh, a Pseudo Skeptic. Hel-loo! 2. Too many things can go wrong with any test to be able to say this test proves such and such. If someone was determined to prove that differences between two cables DO EXIST he would ALWAYS DO THE TESTS LATE AT NIGHT OR EARLY MORNING. How many of these “impartial” tests are self fulfilling prophecies? You decide. 3. Speaking of subtle differences what’s wring with them? Many characteristics of sound ARE subtle. That’s what we advanced audiophiles are looking for, we want subtle but powerful. Like subtle improvements to the human voice. You have to know it when you hear it. Nobody is demanding “night and day differences.” If you are unable to hear subtle differences that would be your problem. Wake up and smell the roses! 🌹🌹🌹 4. Test participants cannot be verified to actually possess keen hearing skills. It should be noted almost all audiophiles consider themselves excellent listeners. Cough, cough 5. Cables under test cannot be verified as being competent broken in. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, well get an idea of the differences without going to all that trouble. 😀 6. Cables under test when disconnected break the delicate mechanical/electrical interface which takes at least several days to reestablish. 7. Directionality can be be ascertained for cables under test. Cables in the incorrect direction just don’t sound very good. When many if not most of the blind tests were performed directionality was not even a gleam in most audiophiles’ eye.👁 8. Results of a single test cannot be generalized, especially if results are negative or inconclusive. If a test is repeated by the same personnel in the same system that has merit. If the test can be repeated by different personnel in different systems that would have even more merit. 9. A single test is only one data point. It takes more than two points to make a curve. In order to draw a conclusion about cables or anything under test there must be a number of data points, the more the better, so one can draw a smooth curve through them. |
<@marklings Short answer, no they don't. Long answer. There is such a small differnce that the average person would not be able to pick up. Thos golden ears that will be able to do so will not experience an enlightenment of their musical enjoyment. Just a slight difference. There's PLENTY of blind / double blind test on the net that prove that. Here's a page with a lot of links: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/ But just do your searches and you will come up with a lot of links. Bottom line of all those tests is cables make little if any difference. Same for electronics from a minimum quality level up. According to that here's how you should spend your hifi budget: 90% speakers 9% electronics 1% cables> Finally someone takes as Occam's Razor to the whole tangled thread. We even get a practical formula to use a guide! Brilliant. |
