2. cables
  3. 1396907124

Magic Cables and Tubes

I've read here infinitim how one cable sounds better than another or one kind of old tube sounds better than some kind of new tube. I thought this test of great violinists blind testing "great" violins against new ones would be very instructive.

"In blind test, soloists like new violins over old"
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten world-class soloists put prized Stradivarius violins and new, cheaper instruments to a blind scientific test to determine which has the better sound. The results may seem off-key to musicians and collectors: The new violins won handily.
eddaytona
czarivey
4,494 posts
 
Which color of car do you like the most kid? "NEW".
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
4,163 posts
 
Just because something is highly prized or valued doesn't mean it's the highest performing object in it's class. They can overlap, but as a rule collectors collect and players play.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
So which new, cheaper tubes and cables did they use in this test?
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
4,382 posts
 
Newer, high tech cars can outperform older ones but why do collectors covet and care for older cars, especially high performance cars? There's more involvement required with the requisite skills necessary not to launch it into the weeds, or around a telephone poll.

Just about anyone can drive a new, high performance car up to it's limits, but it takes a skilled driver to bring it back once you exceed the limits. It takes that same level of skill to bring out the best of what was once considered the best.

All the best,
Nonoise
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
I'm not sure what a musical instrument has in common with cables or tubes, but you are correct, the whole affair does call into question the efficacy of blind testing.

If you read the summary of the test, the unsighted violin players certainly heard differences and were able to differentiate the sounds of the violins. Their preferences are simply a matter of taste, much as one prefers one tube, or cable, over another. Perhaps it is the new violins that are magic, or the original poster, and not the tubes or cables.
More to discover