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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
      schubert
      7,386 posts
       
      The people who hear the difference the most are  those who listen to live ACOUSTIC  music on a regular basis .
      Post removed 
      dragon1952
      181 posts
       
      " Now, if you believe YOU can hear it, go buy a $100,000 cable. The seller is laughing all the way to the bank, but YOU are happy."

      See, that's a major part of the problem right there. A large percentage that believe cables can and do sound or perform differently don't necessarily believe that the more expensive a cable is the better it has to sound. And they will agree that there is a large amount of snake oil out there. And they are not saying that ALL cables sound different. All they are saying is that they have experimented and found that certain cables have performed better in their systems.
      A large number of people on the other side come out and say that's literally impossible. Many of them have only read a scholarly sounding article or two that made sense to them and justified their own reluctance to spend time and money experimenting for themselves. In other words a large percentage of them have never been curious or bold enough to say, 'hey I'm going to find out for myself and make my own conclusions'. And bias can work both ways. If some believe that a more expensive cable is going to blow them away then some will be biased enough to be blown away. But on the other hand if someone reads a scholarly sounding article that tells them that science and measurements have proven beyond a doubt that there really is no difference and that they are idiots to spend their time and hard earned money chasing something that isn't there, then either they won't experience differences, or they won't even experiment for themselves. They'll just blindly buy into it and jump on the bandwagon to point fingers and laugh. Herd mentality.

      I've experimented with so many different systems and cables over the past 45 years and the most expensive cable I have ever bought was $640. The two sets of interconnects I currently have in my system cost me about $225 each. I've compared them to IC's that were up to $500 a pair and always chose to keep the ones I had, not because I couldn't tell a difference but because mine, the less expensive cable, sounded more to my tastes. Many of the cables I've tried DID sound pretty much the same. And I certainly don't think there are many more expensive cables out there that would outperform mine to a large enough degree to justify the expense. 
      But the bottom line is that no matter how much science and measurements you spew  forth there is still too much that we haven't learned yet, especially when it comes to what the human brain can and does perceive.

      uncledemp
      778 posts
       
      Reading these forums once tempted me to try this or that. Slowly over time I realized the person that owned gear several levels above mine, cost wise anyway, is likely ‘still on the case’.

      I came to the conclusion that stopping where I am is as good a place as any. In a facetious tone, I’m happy being dissatisfied here!

      I hope you all are well and staying safe.
      soundermn's avatar
      soundermn
      344 posts
       
      So what if he's a cable manufacturer?  There are plenty of those in here.  He has an opinion, and there are plenty of those in here too.  

      I agree that if he's trying to sell something, he should pay for a listing like anyone else.  I also agree that he should disclose his profession.  It may even lend some credibility to his comments.  

      But, saying that, I don't see that he was trying to sell anything other than his opinion.  And that's more than I could say about some of the other commentators in here who post reviews and comments with the specific intent of selling something that some would call snake oil.  You know who you are.

      Personally, I find it sad that everyone attacks him.  Sure, you can disagree, but why do you have to attack him personally?  He's posted exactly 3 times, and everyone has formed an opinion of who and what he is based on that little information.  

      What's more, it's truly abhorrent that MillerCarbon would quote him, and actively, maliciously misquote him in the process.  Honestly, MC, why do you act this way?  I didn't see where there was any "trashing the competition" in his post.  Feel free to disagree with him, but don't put words in his mouth and then blast him for what YOU said.  And, by the way, at the end of the day, it IS the shilling that people dislike.
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