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A/B test of interconnects - Will this work???

I have some spare time on my hands over the next couple of weeks and thought I'd sit down and try to figure out whether I can "really" hear differences between interconnects that I have accumulated. My thought was to put a Y-adapter on my cd player output and run one set of interconnects to the cd input on my integrated amp and another set of interconnects to another input. Then I can sit in one place and use the remote to flip between the two inputs while playing a cd.

I don't think this should blow anything up (let me know if you know otherwise) but will it work for what I intend? Or will the mere existence of another interconnect hanging off the Y taint whatever results I get?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Bill
wstritt
alliedtvandsound
74 posts
 
That is a an excellent method to evaluate cables. It is absolutely safe to connect 2 sets of interconnect to two different inputs. Ensure that the two inputs you use are high-level inputs --not a tape loop. Anytime you move cables and reconnect wait about 20 minutes or so until the cables re-settle in --then begin to compare. Do the test several times over some hours and jot down your listening observations. As a final test, use the IC's individually and listen again. That will confirm (or not) your listening tests with the Y conectors and determine if it had any sonic degradation upon the individual cables sound.
Have fun. It really is amazing the impact such so-called passive components make.

peter jasz
ljgj
955 posts
 
Go to innersound.net and check on Rogers Sanders way of comparing interconnects.
mgottlieb
334 posts
 
Unfortunately, the better your system, the more the presence of the Y-connector will affect the sound of both pairs of interconnects, and not necessarily precisely in the same way. Why not?--the cable differences can be heard, can't they?
bomarc
501 posts
 
Well, it'll work in the sense that you'll be able to compare the two, but why not take it a step further? Give the remote to a friend, so that you don't know which I/C is being used. Then try to guess which I/C it is. (Do this after you've listened to both enough that you think you know the "sound" of each.) Be warned: it is very, very hard unless you've got a really terrible I/C or some rather unconventional components.
hotrod
60 posts
 
a better test is to leave one in your system for aw hile then take it out and try another youll either notice a loss or an improvement. ive tried the switching deal and logically you think if you cant choose one over the other their is no difference, but for whatever reason it is difficult like that but when you take out a better component etc you will notice it.
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