The differences in cables, sonically, are definitely heard - and real. The function of the human ear does not relate in a liner fashion to what is used in transmission line modeling and what shows up on a scope in linear measurements. I need to create a 'hotkey' or file that has my standard response which I now use to show the cable naysayers the science behind the ear and how it relates to linear measurements and how these two do not fit each other exactly. This is what leads to the debate about "is it live, or is it Memorex?" Is the whole cable debate bogus, or not? I'll go and grab my post on such at the DIYAudio forum that shut that particular debate down in it's tracks. It makes perfect sense, when you consider what it says. It validates the cable junkies and shows the detractors where the whole arguement falls down. There are no winners or losers in the equation, just clarification for all.
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Take a piece of paper.
Draw a triangle on it.
The three points represent the listener with respect to the two speakers.
Make the speakers 10 ft apart, with the listener 10 ft back.
Now.....audiophiles have been shown to be easily able to differentiate between signals..in that 'stereoscopic sound stage' , which is strung between the speakers..where the 'image point' seems to be over, from left to right, by approximately 1 inch, and less. Now, take that 'timing' information, and then apply it to extremely rich signals, in terms of the entire note structure. Harmonics count.
Take that information,and you add it to the fact that the ear hears, for the larger part, via the leading edge of the given transient, and it's timing differentials from harmonic transients, and the level of each.
If you go through the rather simple math..you end up with a minimal requirement to satisfy the better trained audiophiles (and I POWERFULLY stress that is is BELOW the capacity of the human ear!!! ..it is merely as well as audiophiles have managed to train themselves-nothing more)..of..get this:
500Khz sampling rate with a 20 bit word length. This as a MINIMUM. This specification is only taking into account one single aspect of the human human hearing function. One we ALL express, every single day.
As for cables, this means they must be capable of not altering a signal in any way, whatsoever..from actual DC...out to approx. 1mhz, with a +10db to -70db range of loading ..this..with ZERO phase distortion or alteration of the signal..in any way, shape or form. PERIOD. I'm not talking about a clean -3db down at 500khz, but 0db down. NO phase or complex LCR issues, at ANY point in that range. Harmonics and complex note structuring take these minimums up into the low mhz range!!!!!
This is not due to the single ear's function but as a stereoscopic pair, concerning timing issues.
Which is why tube amps and turntables work. Both have extremely low inter-channel phasing issues. Totally analog. Taken to another point of analysis, it shows why digital amps are generally considered...to the more learned ear...to 'suck'.
Digital falls flat on it's face.
But the ear-brain combo can pull 'intelligence' out of a 3.5 bit deep digital signal. This does not mean that it equals hearing function, but the exact opposite. We are incredibly good at figuring out complex and dirty aural issues, but we can also 'relax' into a perfectly represented signal, as well.
This is why we can hear differences in audio equipment and wires.
I've known this simple point since 1992. Ive tired to educate the industry many times. But to no avail.
Yet..the logic and the math sit there in plain sight...like a 9000lb gorilla in the middle of the room...and are ignored.
If you go through the effort of understanding this simple point, the whole entire audiophile argument makes 110% perfect sense.
There is more to it than this simple diagram and such, and one can attack me, or the point that is attempted to relate. Suffice it to say, the basics are there if one attempts to add reason and intellect to the proffered point.
