I'm one of those irritating moderates who firmly belieives that the truth almost always lies between extremes of thought. There are those, usually engineering tech types, (hey, Frank) who believe that "Radio Shack cables and lamp cord speaker wire is good enough" and won't apparently trust their ears but insist on measurements to tell them that it's ok to for them hear a difference. (Or very possibly are unable to hear differences. Not everyone has 20-20 hearing, although I don't believe that of Frank, and I also know that he has auditioned some interconnects and speaker wire in the past). There is also the self-fullfilling prophesy argument. " You hear differences because you want/expect too". That works both ways, though. You can not hear something if you don't want to as well. There are some people that deeply entrenched.
Then there are those who will spend $1000.00 (or more) on a pair of interconnects. That does tend to fall into the "more money than brains category" and the makers of some of those cables are probably truly pushing snake oil. At the very least, the rule of diminishing returns applies most heavily to the subject in question, and that if there is an improvent in sound between a $100.00/pair interconnect and $1000.00/pair it's not a ten fold improvement, however that could be determined. There are also salesmen in some highend salons who will coach you as far as what you should expect to hear when auditioning cable/wires because it is true we are susceptible to suggestion. And that is a problem. The only cables I have personally "listened" to have been fairly modestly priced (that's relative, I know) and all have sounded different. I settled on one that sounded better different and can only say that it is not because I expected them to but simply because they did. I've got good hearing and I trust my ears. That is why I didn't send back the Omegastar amp(s) I purchased from AVA on a 30 -day trial. It sounded way better than my B&K. Not because Frank said it would but, simply, because it did. I trusted my ears, not Franks opinion. He tends to be a little biased toward his stuff anyway, for some reason. Now there are guys like Pete Aczel of the Audio Critic who would say I'm delusional because he feels that all properly designed and functioning amps, preamps, cd players, etc., should all sound the same and anyone who tells you otherwise is pushing snake oil, and if you can tell the difference in sound than it's because you want to, or the equipment is not operating properly. No ifs, ands, or buts. Therefore, in Pete's mind, Frank would be a snake oil salesman because of the claims he makes about the superior sound of his products compared to the competition. Sound familiar?
It's a shame to have such a mindset. I feel saddened to think that anyone could believe that their $800.00 cd player connected to their $1700.00 preamp connected to their $2000.00 amplifier, connected to their $2500.00 a pair speaker system with Radio Shack interconnects and lamp cord speaker wire is coming even close to the potential that is there. That there are people who own some of Franks beautifully designed equipment and will never realize how truly extraordinary they can sound because, as good as they may sound with lamp cord, they are amazing with "magic wires".
By the way, I can also recommend Blue Jeans Cables for video. I haven't tried the audio stuff as I am happy with what I have but their component video cable is a heck of a buy. Well built and modestly priced.
