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10 Audio Cable Myths and Facts


In a sea of audio cable industry snake oil, we’re sure you’re wondering, What really matters when buying cables?Save your money by avoiding overpriced cables with outlandish claims. Below are some common myths to look out for and some important things to consider when buying audio cables.
 
CABLE MYTHS1. Conductor skin effect

In some applications like power transmission lines, an electric signal tends to travel through the surface of a conductor and avoids traveling through the center of the conductor. Many cable companies claim that their design limits the skin effect and measurably improves your sound.

The TruthWhile skin effect is a very real issue for large scale power transmission, audio signals are in such a low-frequency range that the skin effect is negligible at best. The skin effect is only an issue in high-frequency applications. 20kHz is the highest frequency that humans can hear. If we calculate the skin effect on a 12 AWG speaker cable like Gene from Audioholics does in this article, we find that the skin effect results in a loss of only -.014dB. Your speakers, room acoustics, and the human ear have a much larger effect on your sound than the skin effect.
2. Cable break-in

Don’t be fooled - any company that claims this thinks they can trick you into hearing better sound after a month or two. “Break-in” is a commonly used term throughout the industry. It is the idea that the dielectric of a cable changes and aligns itself to the electromagnetic field of the signal traveling through the conductors.

The Truth

There is no scientific evidence to support the idea of cable break-in, but there are still those who claim it improves sonic qualities. We’re not against optimism. We’re just not full of crap. Don’t drink the audio industry kool-aid and save your money for legitimate cables.
 

3. Cryogenic treatment

Cryogenic treatment is the process of freezing cables to -320 degrees Fahrenheit before use. The claim is that freezing the conductors of the cable at ultra low temperatures aligns the crystalline grain structure of them resulting in desirable improvements.

The Truth

Again there is no scientific data to support this notion. Cryogenic treatment can improve the durability of certain metals, usually steel, by stabilizing impurities. For example, the process is used to create strong tools or car parts.  

But, steel is a terrible metal to use for audio cables. It is one of the least conductive metals out there! Copper and silver are the best conductors of electricity and the preferred metals for audio cables.


4. Cable signal direction

You might hear this phrase tossed around quite a bit. It’s the notion that a cable has an established signal direction, the direction in which it was initially used, and that this signal direction should not be reversed.

The Truth

The reality is, assuming the connector ends and terminals are the same, the cable will work in both directions and the performance will be equivalent.

5. Cable elevators, risers, or lifts

 

The claim is that the cables’ magnetic field can interfere with the surface it is laying on. Essentially, the magnetic field can “reflect” from the surface back into the cable and cause distortions.

 

The Truth

There is no evidence to support these claims, and these unnecessary devices are merely for looks. They are in no way proven to improve cable performance.  

    CABLE FACTS1. Shielding is Important

    In the modern age, wireless signals are all around us all the time. The rapid growth and spread of technology means that these wireless signals will become more widespread and more likely to cause unwanted interference. Cellphones, wifi, and Bluetooth signals can enter your cables, but shielding can block these signals and preserve your sound quality.

    2. Length is a Factor

    No matter how well a cable is designed, cable length will always impact performance. As the length of a cable goes up, so does the risk of unwanted interference and signal loss. We always recommend keeping your cables as short as possible, but we understand that is not always possible. A well constructed and shielded cable will help combat this issue.

      3. Conductor material plays a role

      The best conductors to use for audio cables are pure silver or pure copper. Both are valued for their high conductivity, but copper is more widely used due to the high price of silver. Additionally, some variations are constructed with silver-plated copper. However, because the metals have different conductivities, the sound is more likely to travel through only the silver plating and not the copper.

      The purity of the conductor will affect performance more than anything. Look for Oxygen-Free High Conductivity (OFHC) conductors. This means that a significant percentage of oxygen and other impurities have been removed from the conductor resulting in high purity.  

      4. Wire gauge should not be overlooked

      The amount of wattage your system is using will determine the total gauge size needed for safe and optimal performance. The standard is 14 gauge wire minimum for the transmission of 250 watts of power. Many electronic devices use much less than this, but some speakers and listening setups may be using more. If your system uses more than 250 Watts, we recommend a higher total gauge cable.

      5. Quality connectors matter

      Truly, the best connectors are no connectors at all. But, if you can’t hardwire your system, gold plated connectors are the industry standard. Gold plating exhibits great corrosion resistance when exposed to oxygen and has good conductive properties. Connectors range from basic to extremely high end and flashy.

      The bottom line is:
      Choose connectors based on your personal needs and the type of connection being made. Overall, always choose quality connectors.  

      We hope these myths and facts will help you choose quality, reasonably priced cables to complete your listening room, studio, or whatever your setup may be.

      Share your setup with us in the comments below!
      128x128shieldedaudio

      Showing 8 responses by millercarbon

      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      Projecting. What you are doing. Psychologists call it projecting.
      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      To those who are skeptical about zip cord sounding so much better than expensive audiophile cables: HAVE YOU TRIED IT? If not, you have no grounds for voicing an opion.

      Of course I tried it. Zip cord was all we had back in the day. Its what we all used. Its what Julian Hirsch had us all convinced was all anyone needed. Learning that expensive audiophile cables are in fact superior and worth the money was neither pleasant nor desired. Because like everyone else I would rather have better sound for free. 

      But this was not to be. First zip cord was compared to shot-gun zip cord. This seemed unlikely but cost next to nothing so I tried it. Sure enough, better. Not a lot, but enough to notice. The fact this simple test proved a difference means if you follow the evidence then you have to keep following it. 

      A whole series of cables were compared. The best were chosen from among many. The most expensive were not always the best. Sometimes much less expensive cables were far better. The differences were in all cases easy to hear. Never once in at least a hundred comparisons was it the least bit difficult to hear differences. It was never even that hard to decide which among several was the best.

      Its been posted here before but bears repeating in the current arrogant obstinance that my first serious comparison between freebie and spendy cables was so startlingly glaringly obvious I thought I had somehow accidentally broken the dealers amp. That's how great the difference is between free crap and quality wire. That's how easy it is to hear.

      But if you have tried it and tell me you don’t hear the superiority of zip cord, then all that tells me is you are not a very acute listener.

      Acute means sharp. Did you know that? I have to wonder. Because, if there's one thing all the above (and some three thousand posts) demonstrates its sharp listening skills. What you mean is you prefer zip cord to better wire. Well if that's your preference, fine. All this really tells me is you are not a very acute writer.

      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      prof is being prof, which is short for professor, which is what he fancies himself. The reason you aren’t sure is proof he’s not only tin-eared but a lousy writer to boot. It is not easy to write so much and say so little. Even the emoticon, no one can tell which is sarcastic, the text, the emoticon, or both. Or neither. Oh well. Who cares? Its prof.
      ;-)
      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      Time out. 

      A little logic:

      When someone says they can't hear a difference this is evidence that they can't hear a difference. It is not evidence that there is no difference. 

      When someone says this or that can't explain why there should be a difference, this is not evidence that there is no difference. This is evidence that they don't know how to explain it.

      When someone makes fun of something this is not to say the subject is a joke. All this shows is they would rather evade than address the subject.

      Time in.

      The fact remains that there are indeed differences between metals, and geometries, and insulators, and even things like cryo. Differences that can be heard. But not by everyone. A lot of guys simply have not yet developed the requisite listening skills. Some have not even tried.

      Those who can't hear have all sorts of ways of evading the subject of their lack of ability. 

      We now return you to our regularly scheduled attempts at evasion, lame humor, and excuses.


      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      Just dropped in real quick to scan through and confirm once again that here we have a thread specifically posted by someone with something to sell and bragging about how great it is. In other words a bona fide genuine shill. And not one comment from georgehifi who never misses an opportunity to throw that term around. Nowhere to be found. Huh.

      There was however one good post that caught my eye:
      As to directionality, I am non-committal. My supposition (rather than knowing it to be true)

      Rare indeed for one to admit so openly they have no idea what they're talking about. Oh well keep hanging out with these guys you will learn to be even less clear and relevant. They teach by example.
      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      I like to detail cars and am able to inspect paint at a much higher level than most.  It’s actually difficult to point out to others what I see, but more importantly, what I’m looking at with regards to the reflections in paint.  Same is true with Audio.
      Your stereo set up will never get better if you deal in absolutes and have a closed mind.


      Great example. There's a lot of things like this where ordinary people who simply care enough are able to develop skills that far outpace the ability of scientists and engineers to explain let alone match. Mercedes has spent hundreds of millions on some damn fine engineering and computers and sensors yet they still rely on Lewis Hamilton to tell them what the car is really doing.

      This is what I meant by my comment that these people are barking up the wrong tree. They are so backwards bone-headed its almost impossible to comprehend. Science and technology, double-blind and all that, we use these things to understand the human experience. Not to tell the human he didn't have an experience. They have it so backwards its inside out upside down AND backwards!

      That's not to say humans are infallible. When my 911 was painted after a ding I told the shop owner the color was off. He was all no look its perfect. We mixed the paint perfectly. What pigments did you use? Standard ones. Not the German? No standard ones. Well of course its not gonna be right. It measures right. Arrgh!

      Week later I drive up park the car owner comes out looks at it says sheepishly well now in this light I can see what you mean. Ha!

      Human beings who care. Blow away the meters every time. All day long.
      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      Wow, some scary stuff in here. People believing a copper wire has a direction, others saying they don’t care or believe science... I was starting to get the vibe there are a lot of arm-chair Electrical engineers around here, and maybe few Santeria practitioners as well but damn...

      Quality product is a real thing but when you throw the science out... Got a friend who has been an EE professor for 25 years at a top 50 school. I showed this thread to him and he said, "There’s an old quote, ’There are three scales of intelligence, one which understands by itself, a second which understands what is shown it by others, and a third which understands neither by itself nor on the showing of others’. Here, we have the last scale."

      I concur.

      So what scale of intelligence is it where you're not even smart enough to know you're barking up the wrong tree?
      millercarbon's avatar
      millercarbon
      12,531 posts
       
      shieldedaudio:
      Disclaimer: We are an audio cable manufacturer, Shielded Audio.

      We wanted to shill our cables by trashing the competition.

      Couldn't understand at first why georgehifi hasn't been all over this whining about shilling. Because in this case it would literally be true. For once. 

      But then reading the post, this guy can't hear. He has no clue. He is just repeating the same tired tripe..... as georgehifi. 

      Thus proving what was long suspected, that it's not the shilling that drives people crazy, but the knowing we really can hear these things. And you can't.
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