[Big Red Machine]

I don't know anybody who WANTS to spend any significant dough on cables, but gosh-darn-it, there are plenty of differences in designs and some sound better than others!!!  I'm in a pissin' match with some folks on another forum now about how we (audiophiles) are delusional that we hear differences in cables.  I hear what I hear, not what I want to hear (or what I have psyched myself into hearing).  I've booted out plenty of more expensive cables for lower cost cables that I preferred.  At the end of the day, if I am happy, then how do others have the gaul to insult me for enjoying the betterment I achieve?

There, I feel better.

[JLM]

More than any part of the audio reproduction chain, wiring should provide no sonic impact.  To flavor the sound by swapping cables is to hide a shortcoming elsewhere.  I believe most audiophiles would agree with this adage. 

From my experience most folks that want their amp to impart a sound of it's own are typically tube lovers.  Similarly most who want their source to have a audible signature listen to vinyl.  OTOH most audiophiles admit that their speakers (the major or only transducer in the playback system) have colorations, some even wanting them.

Does changing power cords, interconnects, and/or speaker cable make noticable sonic differences?  Yes, I've heard a difference in each in my own system.  Can I explain it?  No and I don't like not being able to explain it.  I'm old school, from back when we'd use zip cord for speaker wire in SOTA systems (to use a phrase from that day).  But throwing money at the problem isn't the answer (true of many things in life).  I've heard $1000 speaker cables back to back.  I still can't invest heavily into wiring, so $1000 is way beyond what I'd spend.  They sounded different, but both had shortcomings.

[Tweaker]

If "you hear things because you want to", then you also won't hear things if you don't want to. It works both ways, I'm sorry to say to all of you Audio Critic disciples, although I'm sure you'll never admit it. Of course not admitting it is part of the self deception. So where does that leave us? Perhaps we should be then be better off not continually trying to convert "the other side" especially not knowing if you are also engaging in self deception. I've been able to maintain my illusion that cables, etc., make a difference for 20 plus years and and I'm happier for it. I am rather sad though, about those who maintain the illusion that cables don't make a difference.

[Vapor Audio]

There's a reason why I call AudioCircle my home, because we don't have to deal with these types of discussions.  There's a higher level of acceptance here for whatever sound you like, and however you achieve it. 

This topic is what I'd expect on one of the other forums.  The whole "you just think you're hearing an improvement" argument to me is just stupid ... because if I think I'm hearing an improvement, that's all that matters, even if I'm delusional.  The way my brain interprets what I'm hearing, and in turn the level of enjoyment it gives is the whole point. 

Application of good science often leads to a better listening experience, but it's not the only way to get there.  As we know, not everything can be measured, and many measurements we don't know how to translate into a real-world listening experience.  That's why we experiment and make up our own minds, and an open mind shows maturity

[Big Red Machine]

More than any part of the audio reproduction chain, wiring should provide no sonic impact.  To flavor the sound by swapping cables is to hide a shortcoming elsewhere.  I believe most audiophiles would agree with this adage. 

I don't buy that.  If we have the "best" components in the world, then that logic implies lampcord is all that is needed.  I believe that the proper cables unleash all that the components can produce, not color it.

[JLM]

Big Red,

I apparently didn't make myself clear with that first sentence.  I know wiring does make a difference, but that the goal of most audiophiles would be not to color the sound with use of wiring and that the ideal wire would not a sonic impact (absolute 100% pure signal transfer).

Please read my entire post.

[Big Red Machine]

That's what I thought you meant the first time I read it, but the second time I read it that statement reminded me of similar statements on other forums where they tend to poo poo cable "technology". 

[dado5]

If "you hear things because you want to", then you also won't hear things if you don't want to. It works both ways, I'm sorry to say to all of you Audio Critic disciples, although I'm sure you'll never admit it......

That's the best refutation of the objectivist position really.  The assertion is that one can be fooled into creating an internal experience by prior mental acceptance of the expected outcome. If this is true it would be equally applicable to those who don't expect to hear a difference as to those who do.

This unconscious (and ironic) self deception is part and parcel of materialistic thinking and modernity in general. Think of Hume's  (and the many Positivists that followed) grand dismissal of non-empirical thought - itself a concept that can in no way be empirically tested.

And in the end this is what it's all about - the internal experience of one human being. This can only be related through language and hence cannot be empirically tested in any real sense.

[honesthoff]

That's the best refutation of the objectivist position really.  The assertion is that one can be fooled into creating an internal experience by prior mental acceptance of the expected outcome. If this is true it would be equally applicable to those who don't expect to hear a difference as to those who do.

This unconscious (and ironic) self deception is part and parcel of materialistic thinking and modernity in general. Think of Hume's  (and the many Positivists that followed) grand dismissal of non-empirical thought - itself a concept that can in no way be empirically tested.

And in the end this is what it's all about - the internal experience of one human being. This can only be related through language and hence cannot be empirically tested in any real sense.



Yes, I have a response...What?

[JP78]

That's the best refutation of the objectivist position really.  The assertion is that one can be fooled into creating an internal experience by prior mental acceptance of the expected outcome. If this is true it would be equally applicable to those who don't expect to hear a difference as to those who do.

This unconscious (and ironic) self deception is part and parcel of materialistic thinking and modernity in general. Think of Hume's  (and the many Positivists that followed) grand dismissal of non-empirical thought - itself a concept that can in no way be empirically tested.

And in the end this is what it's all about - the internal experience of one human being. This can only be related through language and hence cannot be empirically tested in any real sense.

Yes, I have a response...What?

someone has been reading too much ayn rand .  all kidding aside, your words remind me fondly of introduction to objectivist epistemology.

[Bigfish]

I was a nonbeliever until I replaced the stock PCs on my Mono SEs with Silver Black Sands PCs.  The difference in sound delivered from my speakers was worth the price of the PCs.  To each his own!!

[dado5]

someone has been reading too much ayn rand .  all kidding aside, your words remind me fondly of introduction to objectivist epistemology.

 LOL!

For the record, I am NOT an Objecivist in either sense!  As a libertarian (I prefer the term voluntarist) I run into Rand a lot - seems like every other libertarian commentator is a Randian, but I ain't one of 'em. 

I was making fun of positivists, especially the logical species, but Randians would fall in as well.

As Farmer Tweety say's in Chicken Run  "it's all in me 'ead, its all in me 'ead".  This is where the experience lies and ain't to piece of test equipment ever gettin' in there.

[weirdo]

Lets be a little easier on ourselves. Life it just too damn short. Many people buy high end audio gear because of the name tag alone. I don't know what kind of experiences thay have with that type of gear but it is their own business and their own joy if it works for them. Is it possible that some 20,000 amplifiers are functionally no more than Audio Jewelry.........hell yes.

 I believe the laws of supply and demand and human inventiveness in general will be the demise of hideously overpirced wires and power cords. I hope that day comes soon so we can focus our hate on some other group.

The difference betwen zip-cord and 100.00 speaker wire is obvious to me in my system. However my 100.00 wires do not represent an extravagant expense. 

[Marbles]

The difference betwen zip-cord and 100.00 speaker wire is obvious to me in my system. However my 100.00 wires do not represent an extravagant expense. 

Everything is relative...when you live in a society where that statement is true, than it's true.  If you live where you are trying to find food to stay alive one more day, it might be extravagant.

To much of the world, all stereo expenditures are extravagant.

To Bill Gates, spending $1M on cables might not seem extravagant.

To each their own.

[Daygloworange]

To the original poster, all the articles written that purport cables being insignificant, are all that he needs to feel content that he doesn't need anything more than an inexpensive cable.

To others, all they need is to feel they hear a difference that they find agreeable to make them feel content that they want said cable. Regardless of price.

As far as audio jewelry, if I could afford them (and they didn't send my amps into oscillation) I'd have that Nordost Val Halla SC's, and their IC's, if they sounded equal to whatever I liked most. Just because I think they're beautiful. 

What's wrong with that, anyways?

Cheers

[lonewolfny42]

As far as audio jewelry.....What's wrong with that, anyways?

Nothing....I traded in my gold chain....went to silver...  



(Thats a BSC Statement....nice power cord)

[Daygloworange]

Yo,yo, yo!  Lonewolfny's got the bling! 

Cheers 

[zybar]

As far as audio jewelry.....What's wrong with that, anyways?

Nothing....I traded in my gold chain....went to silver...  



(Thats a BSC Statement....nice power cord)

Silly me, I am using the these power cords on my amps when I should be wearing them.

Even though I am obviously not using them properly, I can still hear a difference.   aa

George

[lonewolfny42]

Careful George.....just don't wear them on the subway......

[Double Ugly]

As far as audio jewelry.....What's wrong with that, anyways?

Nothing....I traded in my gold chain....went to silver...  



(Thats a BSC Statement....nice power cord)

3 of those beauties arrived today and I couldn't wait to get 'em in the system.  A 4th will be sent after John figures out what went wrong with the connectors (didn't pass his QC checks).

I mean no offense, Chris, but I'll be leaving mine in the system.  Guess I'm just not a bling kinda guy. 

Looks good on you, though.