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A-B testing of cables

I recently attended The Show in Newport Beach California, and I asked some experts how to upgrade my cables gradually. I was told to start at the source. I should upgrade the source interconnect first then gradually work my way through the system, and I should hear the difference at each stage providing I am using audiophile quality cables; so I bought some cables at over $600 a pair to try out. My current cables cost $250 a pair.
My system is composed of:
McIntosh C2500 preamp
McIntosh 601 mono blocks
McIntosh mcd 205 CD player
VPI Classic 3 turntable
Nola Baby Grand speakers

I bought two y adapters and connected one pair of new cable and old cable between the CD player and preamp to do an A-B test. I also performed the same test with the turntable but I could not tell the difference between the cables whatsoever. I was very surprised and disappointed at the same time. I could not believe it so I called in others to have a listen whithout telling them what I was doing and they too could not tell the difference.

Has anyone else tried this test? I would like to hear your results.
Am I doing something wrong?

What is your experience in doing A-B testing of interconnects?
almandog
57 responses Add your response
almandog OP
141 posts
 
Almarg:
I also have an Allnic H3000 phono with two MC and 2 MM inputs, and I tried the cables with the Y adapters there also, but could not tell the difference. I compared 1 Meter interconnects made by: Audio quest, Morrow Audio, Audio Art Cables, Totem Acoustic, Straight Wire, Audience, and even an interconnect from Radio Shack, and my own DIY interconnect; but we still could not tell the difference in sound between any of the cables when playing SACD (I have a Denon universal DVD/CD player), regular CD or Vinyl record. We were all astonished, lost for words because we were hoping to hear some difference.
I won't knock any of these cables I am only sharing my experience in comparing them in my system, your system might produce differents result. I performing these comparisons using the McIntosh C2500 preamp remote to switch the inputs where the cable were connected almost instantly. I also changed the cables manually but nothing made a difference in sound.
68pete
1,001 posts
 
A more expensive cable doe not always mean better sound. i have found starting at the source is good, but then i do the speaker cables before doing the interconnect between the pre amp. also changing out the power cords is a good way to get a better sound.
enjoy Pete
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,838 posts
 
If you can't hear a difference, be content in knowing that the rest of us are crazy. :-)

Like others have said and will say, there are many variables in the way for a proper A/B test. It could very well be that the Y-adaptor is the limiting factor and it's making any cable you try sound similar, if not the same.

All the best,
Nonoise
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
The advice to start at the source assumes that the old cables further downstream are not "bottlenecking" your system. If they in fact are, any (possible) improvement upstream may be masked by them. Shunyata recommends auditioning their power cables by temporarily using them system wide, to get the cumulative effect, warning that changing only one cord may not be indicative of the improvement possible with their product. All that takes is a willing dealer!
beewax
173 posts
 
One of my McIntosh system just like yours. For many years I have done many ABX tesing of many tweak, Interconnect and power cord from $200 to $2,000 with my audio club friend and could not tell the difference between them whatsoever.

My thought was with the RIGHT SYNERGY on a matching system, "noting matter".
zd542
5,339 posts
 
Another reason for you not hearing a difference is that you may have bought a new cable that is similar to your old ones. What did you buy?
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I'd expect that you'll be receiving a variety of responses, including assertions that your system and/or your ears and those of the other listeners aren't "resolving enough," the recordings weren't good enough, the y-adapters and/or the doubled cables and/or loads that were applied to the CD player resulted in a loss of resolution (although based on the impedances that are involved **in this particular case** I doubt that was a problem), etc, etc.

IMO what you've mainly determined is that your particular hardware is not particularly sensitive to the differences between the two particular cables, in the lengths that you require. And that does not necessarily have anything to do with the musical resolution of the system.

Also, I think you'll find this thread to be of interest.

I assume, btw, that the test with the turntable was done by changing cables rather than with a y-adapter, as one of the two phono inputs on your preamp is for low output cartridges and the other is for high output cartridges.

Regards,
-- Al
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