A Perennial Debate For Which I Seek Help

Perhaps this is why changing cables, interconnects, etc, makes a difference. If the inside was done really well, there wouldn't be anything to improve upon by changing the outside wires.

Douglas_schroeder, poor logic in your analogy.

My logic: Speaker: wires/connection internal...wires/connection external. The common denominator in the analogy is the wires/connection.

Your logic attributed to me: Car: engine...tires. No commom demoinator between the two as in my logic above.

You better practice your logical analysis a bit before you write the GRE exams.

Baroque lover, like you I am very sceptical about a lot of cable pricing in terms of value for money. I can understand why some cables might cost more. They may be hand made in small batches. Ot they may use exotic/expensive materials. However, for most cables this is not the case. Any audio retailer will tell you that cables are high margin items. That's why the big box stores push them so much, to add some profit to the low margin TV or CD player they are selling.

As to the value of the cable in improving the system. I think a distinction has to be made between a cable making a "difference" and a cable producing an "improvement". A difference is not necessarily an improvement. I think many cables produce differences, but not always improvements. Certainly, many people will swear up and down that a certain cable imnproved their system. I think this can be true. A cable can compensate and mate with what it is attached to in the same way that a component can mate well, or not so well, with another component. But I would expect cable improvements to be more subtle since there are fewer variables to work with when changing a cable as opposed to an entire component.

And if you do a good job inside like Totem, there is little to compensate for with an extenal cable, which was the point I was suggesting in my original comment. In this circumstance, cable changes are more likely to produce "differences", but not "improvements". Or if it is an "improvement", it is an improvement in terms of the person's personal taste, and not in an absolute sense.

I am always surprised that one of my favourite manufacturers, who make some extrememly expensive stuff, don't seem to give much of a rat's tail about cables. All they recommend is a good quality 4 mm multi stranded copper cable. They don't seem to have any regard for all of the exotic material and construction (and marketing) that's behind a lot of expensive cables.

I'm not wealthy enough to experiment with a lot of cable changes anyways. So if my thought are wrong, I remain happy in my ignorance. I feel no need to change anything.

As for connectors, they seem to be a necessary evil, like cables, unless you have all of your components hard wired together. I don't think bare wires by themselves produce a strong enough conenction.

You're getting way too worked up about this Douglas.

Your comments include a statement about me speaking authoritatively but apparently having little experience.

It is a pretty basic technique of argument to attack the credibility of the person if you have difficulty addressing the substantive point being considered and debated.

When you make a conclusory statement of fact based upon an unsubtantiated allegation, you unfortunately run the risk of discrediting your own credibility and opinions. For example, when you say that a person who has 37 years of experience in the hobby has "little" experience, how do you think that makes you look to an objective outsider viewing the debate?

You are correct about my intelligence though. I have five university degrees.

In view of my education and experience, I am quite capable of forming my own opinions. I need neither your agreement nor approval.

I appreciate the time you've taken to write your lengthy post. Sometimes there are points that cause one to reconsider one's own opinions. And sometimes not. I am always interested in reading the opinions of others. Keep in mind that nobody entirely trusts the opinions of others when they have an opinion of their own. That's why the government has to paint a line down the centre of a highway!

Perhaps we will meet again in some other thread.