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Do Cable Makers Know Their Own Products?

Like most of you, I have owned cables from many different manufacturers. How many of these cables are truly distinct from similar products put out by competing manufacturers? In my experience, there are some truly distinct cables out there but most fall into a gray area when they meet my system.

I was wondering if manufacturers would be able to recognize their own cables if they were put in a room with a high end system with someone conducting true A/B testing. For the sake of argument, let's say we put 5 top manufacturers in a room to test their top interconnects, speaker cables and power cords -- and their next-to-top interconnects, speaker cables and power cords. That means 5 manufacturers listening to 10 models of each cable. Before the testing begins we give them an hour to get used to the sound of this system. Would they be able to pick out their own cables?
sabai
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
Mt10425,
You state "how each cable sounds on given system might be completely different than the factory reference system." Absolutely correct. Which is why I say "we give them an hour to get used to the sound of this system".

You state "For this to work, it would take a level of honesty I don't think exists with cables." Absolutely correct, in most cases, IMHO. Can you imagine one cable sounding fantastic and only one manufacturer wanting to claim its theirs? Or can you imagine one cable sounding really bad and even one manufacturer stepping up to the plate admitting its theirs?

So, my point is "how honest do you think cable makers are?"
jadem6's avatar
jadem6
1,071 posts
 
What a great question. I suspect many could not.

Rrog, cables can provide distinct characteristics besides tonal value. There is speed, tempo, dynamics, focus, leading edge definition, soundstage, imaging... it goes on well beyond coloration.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Jadem6, Thank you, I did not know that. And what do you think creates those effects you mentioned? Could it be tonal balance? Please don't tell us it is magic or materials developed by NASA because we have heard all of that crap already. We have enough hokus pokus and snake oil dumped on us already. In reality it is all about just the right tonal balance to suite an individual's taste, nothing more.
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
Furthermore, if it is true that they cannot identify their own products how can they make their perpetual claims that their cables will improve the sound in everyone's system to everyone's liking?
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
How is it that their new cable has a black background, the next version has a blacker background, the next version has an ink black background, the next version has a jet back background, the next version has an ultra black background -- and the next version will have a (fill in the blank) black background.

How much blackness can a person take? Does it ever end or does the blackness just keep on getting blacker and blacker? And how can you tell the difference between black, blacker, blackest -- and blacker yet -- in these 10 different cables from 5 different cable makers?
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