Any cable is about 90% of the performance of top cables. That last 10% is what you PAY for in a top tier cable. Actually more like each additional 1% of that final 10% is gonna cost you more and more.
Two wires made from coat hangers is gonna be 90%.LOL
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Geoff, Do you have a favorite cable brand? Mine is Kimber, with a helping of Cardas. (I tend to dislike AQ due to some failures of insulation on some Midnight years back, and then a AQ record mat that became a goo record killer if any LP was left on it for more than an hour..) the rest I know nothing.. nothing.. So you see I have a slight hold back on anything AQ.. Hurricane included.
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Science is not faith based. It is the opposite of faith based. However some folks may make 'scientific' assertions based on faith they can be proven. that is not 'science'.. that is speculation.
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I have made cables, bought cables, all sorts. The better brand (higher priced than home made) cables are definitely superior to any home made cables. Where the low cost manufacturers cables are about on the same level. So I am saying "You get what you pay for" across the board in cables for audio equipment. The slope is non-linear. So that $1000 cable pair is only a little better than that $400 cable pair... And a $10,000 pair is only a little better than the $1000 pair. But knowing audiophiles, those small differences add up to big hearing claims. There are trade offs, and different brands seem to have slightly different flavors.So making your own cables can save a little money. but those cables are NOT ’giant killers’. And everyone knows that. *some schmuck would just be making those and everyone would buy them since even the Golden Eared could hear how great they are? NOT. HAPPENING.
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I find this quote from John C. Lilly to be useful:
"" In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true is true or becomes true, (*For you) within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. ""The *(for you) I found included in other versions of this quote.And it applies. What you believe in, you look for things to confirm it is true. So if you believe in it, you find it to be true through reinforcement in things you experience.Remembering this statement has made me a much better skeptic. LOL
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gosta asks: "
Is it true that cables can sense the difference between classical and rock signals?
"
The answer is yes. My cables know when I am playing Bach vs Stravinsky vs Shostakovitch! The difference between Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Benny Goodman and Sun Ra. Even the differences between Miles Davis various groups!
The difference between the Beatles. Chuck Berry, The Clash, Radiohead, and Joni Mitchell.My cables talk to me about what they think of every performer.... all the time. But they never refuse to pass the signal. At least so far.
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geoff sez: "
When classical music is played electrons in cables not only drift, they also drift off to dreamland.
"
Is that true for you even when playing Bartok? Stravinsky? (Mahler fer; sure!)
When I was a teen, I would listen via my Koss PRo4a phones in the bedroom where my stereo was.. and sometimes could follow just one instrument in the orchestral piece, or listening so intently I would like fall into a trance. Not asleep, but not awake either. And snap out when the tonearm lifted.. Back in 1965 66 LP or radio was all there was. Never happened with the radio though..
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I have to agree one of the signs of a resolving system is the massed strings are individuals playing together, instead of just an odd lump of noise. Same for choral works. particularly (for me) Carmina Burana (Karl Orff) When the chorus of individuals singing together, and you can hear them each and all. (I remember auditioning back in 1983, Infinty RSIIa in a Chicago store, and that was the first time with speakers I could hear the individual voices of the Carmina Burana chorus just spread out in front of me..)
Recently I noticed in a Jazz recording the striking of the cymbal was a strike where the sounds of the metal of the brush as it touched the cymbal, and then the ringing as separate sounds.
The breaths of the singer..
Lots of tells in a really resolving system.
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The orchestra is playing together. But you would like to hear them each and wholly together.When you hear a choral group live, you hear distinct people’s voices, together. Not just some vague noise ’over there’ where those people are. I would say if you don’t care about distinct voices, or instruments, that is fine, good and OK. But plenty of folks do like to hear stuff on recordings like they can in real life.
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One thing becomes clear reading this thread...Everyone has their own favorite cable, and they recommend it wholeheartedly. It kind of helps one realize cables are a kind of doppelganger of People. takes all kinds..
One other (random) thing I would say is KCAG, once a pride of Kimber is totally outdated. I sold off any I had ten years ago. Plenty of mid priced cables kill KCAG. Someone several posts prior mentioned they got some KCAG and were wowed... yeah how long ago, twenty years? Twenty five? thirty?
Another way to see what cables have the 'it' power, to be worth keeping. If not, they end up for sale. So if you read the for sale ads for cables. all those odd names... One person companies making 'giant killer' IC. If they are so giant, why would anyone sell them? OR are they the 'flavor of the month' and get bought and sold by the folks craving a new fix. Just a few thoughts.
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I used to have a variety of cables. Some home made with old Mark Levinson wire ($2ft) Kimber Hero, some Radio Shack OFC 8mm wire with Vampire Tiffany style RCA. Nordost Blue Heaven. . I bought a pile of Cardas Parsec when they came out. (I still use some) but the big fail for the Parsec was my need for a 7 meter XLR. Just not good. I made some homemade 7m and used that for a few years. (because I FOOLISHLY SOLD the Kimber Hero 7m I had used) Finally I jumped and bought a $3,200 pair of seven meter XLR (Kimber KS1116) I liked that so much I bought four more (shorter!) pairs. I have to say that pile of IC has moved me from sorta midfi to high end all by themselves. I do not think any of my recent purchases would have any value without the IC cables I now have.Oddly I still use the same Kimber 8TC speaker cables. Just fluffed up with a one inch cotton rope in the middle.
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Geoff sez': ""It’s open ended. There is no absolute sound. One day you’re flying high,
thinking you’re on the top of Everest. The next day you realize you
haven’t even arrived at Base Camp yet.
""I have to agree! It is a never ending quest... I have been fiddling around with duplex outlets, and discovered whole new territories to explore.
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analogluvr. Good luck with your dogma based on outdated notions. I have no problem being happy with the actual changes to the clarity and performance of my system due to the Furutech duplex. Please keep telling yourself it is all in my head.
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inna, The GTX D Gold is on sale for $108 at VH Audio. That is half price! Free shipping (and they ship the same day). The gold has a slightly warmer sound. fuller midrange. The Rhodium is more linear. But the Rhodium takes longer to break in. and can sound not so great while breaking in.exaggerated highs is the main issue when breaking in the Rhodium.
The Cable Company would match the price, but they are out of stock on both. (this was recently, I do not know ’today’) I would add the Furutech are made from scratch by Furutech. They have unique parts and are typical Japanese attention to the smallest detail finely crafted. Nearly all other non Japanese) outlets are previously manufactured brands with things done ’to them’. Just sayin’.
As for analogluvr, Hah hah hah ... etc..
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I have to agree analogluvr, that you are behaving like a troll. So do you have anything useful to say? or are you just fishing for any sort of response? You have already made it clear you do not ’believe’ wires, cables, outlets can sound different. YOU used to, but now ’see the light’. have you made any converts here? Do you think you will? I bet you don’t think so either. You just want to make some noise due to the "foolish nonsense" other are spreading... and just cannot help yourself?
But please feel free to carry on. The endless parade of guys just like you never does stop. And the fact is no one cares about your efforts to enlighten us either. Your wasting your time dude. But feel free to do so. IF it makes you happier.
Added. You know analogluvr I was just thinking abut the apparent contradiction in just your name. You say "analogluvr’ I would take that to mean you do not like digital? But why??? All the engineers say it is perfect sound forever. all you ever need. So why not? do you actually admit you think records sound better? but why? No electrical engineer says so. In fact most of them would scoff at the idea that records can sound better. So what is the excuse? |
Boxer12, you are welcome.
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I don’t consider my system high end. I would still call it pretty good mid-fi. To me, high end would be having a pair of MBL Radialstrahler 101E mk II speakers in my apartment...That would be high end...
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dave_b wrote: "
Why can’t we follow our muse wherever it takes us and not judge each other.
" my take on that problem is fear. Some folks need the psychological herd to feel safe. Anyone not just like them creates fear, since the person really does not know, but is relying on the herd to know, 'for sure'. So attacking anyone not 'just like themselves' is a part of that herd confidence. Folks who actually know, and have the confidence of it, have no need to get assurances from others. (It might be nice, bit not required, as it is for folks who are insecure) This makes it much easier to weather attacks, Knowing the person attacking is just afraid of you, of you ability to know, and not be dependent on the herd for support.
My take on it anyway.
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Everyone has known the value vs cost is a curve. Known it for many many years, even in HiFi.Back in my youth, I knew that $1000 equipment might seem ’twice as good’ as $500 item of equipment, but that it was in fact not really ’twice’. Today a $1000 preamp is nearly as good as one costing $5000. and the $10000 one is only a little better than the $5K one, but might be just in some areas.. And there certainly $12,000 preamps that are as good to many folks as some $100,000 preamp.
Same thing with cables. I wrote before 90% is gonna be had with $29 a pop cables. It is the 95% that might cost $200 a pop. 96% 97% 99% that prices starts to jump. and if you want the 99,.9% WHOA...
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I am happy with Pangea power cords. Just got another one. yippee!
Sure a $2,500 two meter one might be a little better.I paid $250. for a nice two meter 7 gauge AC9SE mk2 Signature... one TENTH the price of the high priced stuff. Is it one tenth as good? no it sure is way more than 90% of what that 2,500 powercord can add.And it the 2,500 was just twice as good .. it would be worth it. Problem is, that 2,500 cord is only a portion of a percent better. at TEN TIMES the cost. Just call me a Pangea Fangrrl
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