[GrooveControl]

Check out this video from Amirm. He compares $4,000 cables to $7 cables.

https://youtu.be/QjvgL9_zL80

If you enjoy videos about audio, Amirm and Kevin at Skylabs make excellent ones. 

[WGH]

It's nice to see that the $7 Amazon cable measures exactly the same as the Kimber Kable, if I was setting up electronics to measure audio equipment then I would pick the Amazon cable. Other than that the review does not relate to how the two cables sound compared to each other.

I have never heard the Kimber interconnects but I do have Kimber Kable 4VS speaker wire and have compared it to other brands, some are better but unfortunately unaffordable, some are worse like the original Monster Cable.

I use the same $7 Amazon interconnects in my home theater for the surround, rear and Atmos speakers where they work just fine, it's nice to know they measure perfectly too.


I have trouble comparing audio in an A-B test environment, like Amir the best I can do is a 50/50 split. When I do a long term listening test taking a week or more listening to one component then switching to the other for a week then switching back, I can pick out which is which 100% of the time. Currently I'm comparing an older Magnum Dynalab FT-101A FM tuner to the FM section in an Anthem AVM60 Surround Processor, after a week I like the Magnum Dynalab better.


Comparing anything audio is always system dependent and if you can afford it. A $4000 interconnect is definitely a rip off if you can't afford it. Frank Van Alstine always used lamp cord speaker wire at audio shows and all the professional reviewers raved about his room. I used to run lamp cord, I like the Kimber 4VS better.

[mick wolfe]

  That's a good assessment. I use a similar method when comparing cables. Swap between cables after roughly a week of listening to each. I've never accomplished anything by a quick AB comparison unless one cable is clearly defective. And for what it's worth, I don't have $4K total invested in all cabling in both my systems let alone a single IC. But that's just me and as always YMMV.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I don't care what measurements say.  When I swapped in 12g Duelund speaker wire to replace my 10g Belden Blue Jeans cables, they added warmth and tone.  Same when I swapped in Duelund 16g RCA and XLRS.  They added warmth and tone.  I love them.  I bought my son some of the Duelund RCA's and it did the same for his system.

Cables are system dependent.  Sometimes you will hear a difference and sometimes not.  You certainly need a revealing system that has good detail and resolution to hear differences.

Even usb cables can make a difference.  And there is a big emphasis on can with most types of HiFi cables. I found the usb cables at least in my, my son's and a friends system do sound different.

It is not expectation bias because I always expect to hear no differences and I am very pleasantly surprised when they do.

To quote Jack Palance, "Believe it or not".

[GSDaudio]

I still use RCA cables from the 80's for phono and ADC setup.   Never heard any difference between sets.

I use canare XLR connects for BDA-3 to BP-26 to 3B SST.   My audio dealer built them for me when I bought my Bryston gear and they are good quality and never had the chance to compare to other manufacturers.

I use a USB printer cable from the late 1990s to connect BDP-3 to BDA-3 and it sounded exactly like the $200 loaner cable from my dealer when I was auditioning my BDP-3 at home.

My opinion....law of diminishing returns for analog; digital doesn't need fancy cable only a reasonable quality cable.

Cheers

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I still use RCA cables from the 80's for phono and ADC setup.   Never heard any difference between sets.

I use canare XLR connects for BDA-3 to BP-26 to 3B SST.   My audio dealer built them for me when I bought my Bryston gear and they are good quality and never had the chance to compare to other manufacturers.

I use a USB printer cable from the late 1990s to connect BDP-3 to BDA-3 and it sounded exactly like the $200 loaner cable from my dealer when I was auditioning my BDP-3 at home.

My opinion....law of diminishing returns for analog; digital doesn't need fancy cable only a reasonable quality cable.

Cheers

It is great that you haven't heard a difference but when you do, you go down the rabbit hole.  I was a cable non believer years ago and never heard any differences but with my last 2 systems cables make a nice difference.   My Wire World Platinum 7 usb cable is so smooth, liquid and natural sounding with no fatigue or loss of detail.  It has great synergy with my Luxman DAC. It is pretty amazing how different it is from the 4 other usb cables that I own.  My son uses a Ghent Audio silver plated canare usb cable that was $40 and it really improved the sound of his Chord Qutest DAC.  It also did a nice job with my friends Holo May DAC but not as good as the Litespeed usb cable he was using which is a $600 cable.

The Duelund RCA and Speaker wire really have a warmer more lush tone in mine and my sons system. 

And again, I can't stress this enough, cables are system dependent and usb cables are certainly DAC dependent.  So you may or may not hear a difference.

I take anything Amir or ASR say about gear with a grain of salt.  I bought 2 Topping E50 dacs, 1 for TV and 1 for a bedroom system based on the fact that Amir rated the E50 near the top of measurements and he gave it a glowing endorsement.  It is mediocre at best and when placed in my reference system it was exposed with audible distortion and shallow sound stage.  It sounded veiled.  In my midfi bedroom system it is ok and a little better than a Schiit Modi 3 when paired with a LPS.

[AllanS]

I gave up on A/B comparisons a while back.  I learned that I lack both patience and ability (system/ears) to quickly or reliably discern differences or the budget to fiddle around. Any more I’ll drop something into the system for a while and leave it in place if my overall sense is that the system sounds “better”. 
I rely mainly on BJC IC and stock power cords.  The only relatively high end exception is a PS Audio power cable that came with a used piece of gear I parted ways with long ago.  I was planning to sell it but felt like the system sounded better with it plugged into my DMP A8. I couldn’t tell you why or what was better.  It was just easier on the ears.

[knotscott]

Measurements are a very poor indicator of how a cable will sound.  Long term listening is the best way for me to identify the subtle differences between cables. 

[brooklyn]

I've been using Cardas Cables for more than 20 years.. They have a slightly laidback sound quality compared to other cables that I've tried in my system which I like. I also like the chunky gold plated RCA connectors, they make it easy for my clumsy fingers to grab ahold of them.. I purchased most of them on the used market to keep the cost down.. Most of the cables I purchased are at the lower end of the line and feel they sound excellent..

As I.Greyhound Fan said, "cables are system dependent".. I would suppose the more detailed and refined your system is the more an expensive cable may come into play..

[mjosef]

Amir...'listening via measurements'. While I value measurements in electronics, without comparative listening sessions, what's the use in this audio hobby?
 Amir recently did a 'test' of different OpAmps, all measured within acceptable parameters, with a few of the fancy discrete OpAmps measured 'worst' in some areas. And it fed the 'snake oil' conclusion. I asked his if he even listened to hear if there were differences, he responded defensively that I would then 'attack' his audio impressions with...his system not being resolving enough, etc...which killed any further dialog. 
He provides a valuable service to the community.

[AllanS]

Amir...
He provides a valuable service to the community.

Agreed but the all or nothing attitude from some adherents and the pissing contests sure are tiresome.
I was introduced to ASR when researching my first set of big boys speakers.  I found the speaker data to be exceptionally informative and helpful and the discovery kicked off a REW / data obsession that I soon learned to temper.  The only time I visit the site now is when Google links to a cover off shot of something I’m poking around at.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Amir is very defensive and will ban you if you try and question his findings.
A lot of his recommended gear does not sound good.  I bought a few of his highly recommended dacs and they were mediocre at best despite measuring in the top 5 dacs.   What a joke that site is.

I stumbled upon some posts there and they were ridiculing a piece of gear that was about to make it to market soon and already bad mouthing it.  What a bunch of losers on ASR.

[Craig Young]

Cardas Clear USB is what CoPilot recommended. I have used CoPilot a lot and it knows all of my audio components except it keeps thinking I upgraded my DAC. I indicated that I am using Synergistic Research USB and it described what I am hearing:•    extremely clean
•    fast
•    neutral‑leaning
•    very low noise
•    and the Tambaqui USB input is hyper‑revealing
This combination can easily drift into:
•    lean
•    clinical
•    too precise
•    not enough body

While I am at it , I also asked about using sorbothane under my DAC and it advised me of the properties that would occur and use 3 different products. Then I asked about my preamp and it advised that the benefit would be a small amount of I used Sorbothane and recommened against what I have under my DAC.

[skunark]

 I've been reading about Equatorial Audio's research on cable measurements and latitude — the paper about how AP analyzers can't distinguish cables because of geomagnetic noise floors is pretty convincing honestly. Has anyone here tried their Tropic line? It's their entry level but still manufactured at 0.0000° latitude. Wondering if the $120/m Tropic interconnect would actually outperform my $400 Kimber because of the grain orientation thing. Their calculator says I'm losing 4.8 dB of hemispheric bias at my latitude (43°N).

  https://equatorialaudio.com/blog/latitude-agnostic-measurement/

[AllanS]

I've been reading about Equatorial Audio's research on cable measurements and latitude — the paper about how AP analyzers can't distinguish cables because of geomagnetic noise floors is pretty convincing honestly. Has anyone here tried their Tropic line? It's their entry level but still manufactured at 0.0000° latitude. Wondering if the $120/m Tropic interconnect would actually outperform my $400 Kimber because of the grain orientation thing. Their calculator says I'm losing 4.8 dB of hemispheric bias at my latitude (43°N).

  https://equatorialaudio.com/blog/latitude-agnostic-measurement/

If you’re into cable related white papers check go down the rabbit hole from Galen Gareis @ Iconoclast
https://www.iconoclastcable.com/techpapers/index.htm

[GrooveControl]

AllanS, you have a private message. 

[whell]

If you beleive you can hear the difference and have the money to spend, by all means buy expensive cables.  If you can't hear the difference, then save the money or spending it on something else.

Another perspective, if you are in an audio store and the sales person presents either of the following as fact, walk out of the store immediately:

1) "Whatever audio components you chose to buy, you need to spend an additional 20% (or 10%, or 15%, or whatever) on the cables that connect those components."
2) "If you can't hear the difference that better cables make, its becasue your audio system is incapable of resolving that difference."

[WGH]

Another perspective, if you are in an audio store and the sales person presents either of the following as fact, walk out of the store immediately:

1) "Whatever audio components you chose to buy, you need to spend an additional 20% (or 10%, or 15%, or whatever) on the cables that connect those components."
2) "If you can't hear the difference that better cables make, its becasue your audio system is incapable of resolving that difference."

Sounds reasonable to me

1) Spending an extra $100 on cables in a $1000 system would be a positive improvement from the Radio Shack cables and 24 gauge speaker wire I used to use (and still have).

2) I've had systems like that. Many years ago a friend paired a cheap receiver with Paradigm speakers, no brand of cable either cheap or expensive, would make that stereo listenable.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

If you beleive you can hear the difference and have the money to spend, by all means buy expensive cables.  If you can't hear the difference, then save the money or spending it on something else.

Another perspective, if you are in an audio store and the sales person presents either of the following as fact, walk out of the store immediately:

1) "Whatever audio components you chose to buy, you need to spend an additional 20% (or 10%, or 15%, or whatever) on the cables that connect those components."
2) "If you can't hear the difference that better cables make, its becasue your audio system is incapable of resolving that difference."

I could not agree more.  Cables can make a difference.  But you need to have a system that is resolving enough.  Same for dacs.  So many people claim that all dacs sound the same which is total BS. Now cheap dacs can sound the same but even then, I suspect there are subtle differences.

[skunark]

 Equatorial Audio just published a deep dive on how the Nyquist-Shannon theorem breaks down at non-equatorial latitudes — turns out your DAC's reconstruction filter may have 0.003 dB of hemispheric bias baked in. https://equatorialaudio.com/blog/nyquist-shannon/