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Cable Survey

The idea for this thread came from @sautan 904 op titled “Who thinks $ Speaker cable really better than generic 14awg cable?

My reply:

From op:

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?

Some are, some are definitely not. It really is a matter of discovering what brands out there (and there a lot) offer the best performance for your money. Some are really worth the money and clearly they offer a big increase in sound quality. It seems the dealers you used were not very discriminating about what brands they carry. This does not surprise me since I have found many are not well informed. You really need to seek out somebody who has compared different makes of cable and really believes in what they are selling.

So I thought it a good idea to pool knowledge on this subject and make a list of what people are using and why. This is my current preferences:

Speaker: Hi Diamond 7

IC XLR: Hi Diamond XLR 3

USB: Vovox

Ethernet: AQVOX, Vovox

Power: Belden

The Hi Diamond speaker cable was so much better than other cables I have tried to date. The increase in musicality, depth and detail in bass, increased sound stage and cleaner more detailed top where some of the benefits I had with this cable. The same can be said of their XLR interconnect.

The Vovox I have only been able to compare with some generic cables, and it is much clearer than those. I intend trying some other brands in the near future and I will post my findings.

Ethernet cables I find make a difference and I am currently using both Vovox and AQVOX, compared to various generic makes and the blue Meicord these are both much preferred, opening the sound stage and lowering the noise floor.

Power cables I haven’t so far experimented with a great deal, I’m using heavy Belden cables that are part of a dedicated mains spur arrangement, so that each individual piece of equipment has its own spur. In order to test cable types I will need to introduce a mains block (Shunyata?).

toetapaudio
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
As for my response to the question..

I don't have buckets of cash to throw at audio gear and potential snake oil. Consequently, I build and work on things. I pondered the matter of cables for a good while leaning towards snake oil more than truth. I happened to have a heap of fairly new 16g OFC laying about so I decided to experiment. 132 feet of cable was used to construct 2 11' cables, wrapped in cloth, round braided, terminated in gold, soldered with silver. Comparing one completed cable with the OFC 12g I was using revealed an immediate and obvious difference. So I swapped channels. Same difference. 
Don't ask me how or why it makes a difference. All I've got are theories along the lines of optimized skin effect. I have no way of measuring. The theory would explain the better defined highs and depth though. 
I'm not sure that level of improvement is worth more than the time and money I put into the effort. At some point I intend to research and build another pair and see how those work. I never see myself spending the kind of money some folks do. 
toddverrone's avatar
toddverrone
838 posts
 
@kosst_amojan - I couldn’t agree more that DIY is the way to go for cables if you are even remotely handy and don’t have a super busy, lucrative career.

Plus, then you can experiment with materials, geometries and conductors. I find it fun and fascinating. The cables you described above.. speaker cables? Otherwise, that sounds like overkill for a pair of interconnects. 😁

I made a couple of pairs of speaker cables from braided CAT 6 cable.. they sounded incredible, but man, pulling all the wire out was a pain. I’d definitely buy some OCC solid copper instead of harvesting it from CAT 6 if I were to do it again. But I won’t, as I’m currently using a counter rotating helix design that sounds even better.

One geometry I never tried that seemed interesting would be a single, large diameter signal with a neutral made from multiple small solid conductors, braided around the signal conductor. One for the future..
toetapaudio OP
200 posts
 
Updates: Sablon USB getting even better with use. Never had a cable that made so much difference.

Furutech NCF IEC plug improves sound quality, fitted to one of the five Spurs I have, which are in effect flying leads all the way from the consumer unit. So no plugs or sockets in the way. Just got one to try and so now intend replacing all of them. First plugged into fidata NAS and the top was smoother and more natural. Bigger change when plugged into Mola pre/dac, better everywhere.

As soon as I’ve finished making the silk thread suspension isolation furniture prototype (to be available commercially) I’m going to try one of Marks Sablon Reserva Elite power cables. He’s only selling direct at this time. I’ve heard really good things about them, they are pricey, although apparently comparable to cables that are ridiculously expensive. We will see.
david_ten
2,509 posts
 
@toetapaudio  Which other USB cables did you compare the Sablon to? Findings? Thanks.
toetapaudio OP
200 posts
 
@david_ten ,the Swiss Vovox Textura USB which was better than several generic cables I tried. The difference between the Vovox and Sablon is quite substantial. More open, better transparency, greater musicality, better separation and the top doesn’t have the digital glare that appears on some testing complex recordings. I have not compared it with even more expensive cables but have read that it stands up well against even more pricey options.

I have the powered version, there is also a signal only version. Length is 1.2m, good flexibility, and twin cables, one signal the other for power. Absolutely no money wasted on fancy packaging, it comes in a padded envelope.

I will lend the cable if you are near. I’m in Gloucestershire, UK.
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