2. cables
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Hearing is believing?........power cables.......

For anyone who is skeptical about the difference a high quality power cord can make in your high quality audio system........try it.......hearing is believing. About 10 years ago when I bought my first "entry level" hifi system (B&K amp/preamp, Canton speakers) my audio advisor dropped off a Tara Labs Prism power cord. He said just try it for a week and if you don't think it makes a difference just return it. I, like most unfamiliar with high quality cables, was skeptical.......how could a cable 1 meter long from the wall to my equipment make a difference? I put it on the power amp and yes I could definitely tell there was a more defined bass and overall clearer soundscape. I'm a musicians, so I figured maybe the "non audiophile" can't hear the difference. So my brother-in-law who is a bricklayer came over and we did a blind listening test. I randomly switched the Tara, sometimes trying to fool him......told him I switched but didn't........he could tell every time I used the Tara! So I was convinced that it was "wishful thinking on my part or particularly sensitive ears. If you don't think a great power cable can make a difference........take the challenge. Try one for a week and see (hear) for yourself!
mikeelzeysguitarstudio
knghifi
1,667 posts
 
I'll go through it for you slowly so hopefully you can comprehend. My response was to dynaquest4's asking why manufacturer's don't supply upmarket cables with equipment? As I've explained it would be uneconomical and commercial suicide for a manufacturer to do this.
Manufacturers realize end users will roll cables or tubes so just supply inexpensive for stock.   No matter what they supply for stock, it will be changed.    IMO, nothing to do with economical and commercial suicide.

Probably with exceptions for Shindo, KR Audio 1610 base amps ...

I then gave an example as I'd recently done an A/B with 2 of a manufacturer's CD Players. The initial XLR cable I chose to use sounded really nice on the CD-S8 but not so great on the CD-S7DAC. Now if you bought the CD-S7DAC and had to fork out an extra $500 or so because the cable was included would you be happy? This was a perfect example of why manufacturer's (that I know of) don't supply upmarket cables.
Is it not possible another customer prefers the INITIAL XLR over the $500 cable?  Eye of the beholder!
clearthink
672 posts
 
"...Max. I've spent is $350 on one cable, all are a step-up over stock Power Cables. So my point was you don't have to spend mega dollars to get an improvement. "

You seem to be a bit confused on the fundamental nature of consumer economics so I hope you will see my further detailed explanation here as it is quite apparent you either did not read or did not understand my earlier response to you on this matter.

For some users of Music Reproduction Systems spending $350 on a cable is what you previously referred to as a "kings ransom." It is a months rent for them perhaps or a few weeks worth of food. It is a price that they cannot even remotely consider when they could by an other functionally similar cable for $10 that would work satisfactorily in their  Music Reproduction System. I understand that for you this $350 is a relatively modest or at least justifiable expense that your consumer budget can presumably support without sacrificing any of lifes essential costs such as rent or food.

Yet for others the same $350 is a trivial expense and one not even necessary to account for in the financial planning because it is the equivalent of "pocket change" to them. In fact there are some users of Music Reproduction Systems for who even many thousands of US dollars spent on a cable is a minor expense that has no bearing on their monthly budget because it represents just a tiny small insignifcant portion of their monthly income.  

What you are doing is applying your value system to others decisions and then making a value judgement about the other person. Of course this type of judgement is used erroneously all of the time but it is in error never the less because you don't know what their budget/financial status is. You're statement "you don't have to spend mega dollars" doesn't make sense because in the one example you have already spent what some consider megadollars  and in another example you have purchased the equivalent of a "budget" item that would not satisfy a consumer with perhaps substantially greater financial resources than yourself and frankly I am a little surprised that you seem to struggle to accept this very simple economic concept but you seem intelligent so if you consider it carefully I am quite confident you will understand the error in judgement you are repeatedley making in this thread. 

jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
1,962 posts
 
Schubert  I agreeee....
Post removed 
cleeds
2,065 posts
 
toddverrone05-10-2017 9:48am
...  I know enough wealthy people who still watch what they spend ...  but, in the end it’s all relative, so everyone should make their own decisions and practice contentment ...
+1. Indeed, frugality is the path many follow to achieve wealth, as explained by the researcher Thomas J. Stanley decades ago.

But it is all relative. Many people think it's insane to spend on audio what some here would call a "modest" system.
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