Anyone else feel like it’s the Wild Wild West?

soix..."So have at it — let’s empower this community in this noble task and help everyone realize the amazing potential of this magic gift to audiophiles.  What say you?"

This is generous lead-in that so typifies, in my humble opinion, my longtime experiences with our audiophile community in general.  Risking some duplication (which might simply reinforce experiences,) I'm electing NOT to read other commentary before posting my 2 cents. 

"Perfection is God's" to quote my 'music-is-for-dancing' wife Mary.  However, streaming music comes pretty damn close.  Living in the wilds of Maine, I'm a reader of the journals in our hobby.  A primary use for them is finding music both gleaned from gear reviews and the music reviews.  Finding this music on the streaming services runs well above 50% in my experience, including the new releases.  I elect to stream music and play-back my ripped lossless files at a bitrate setting of 24/48.  This is set-up by my computer Tech in San Jose who travels deep and wide in the world of digital audio...and vinyl. 

My PC source is delivered to a Focusrite Clarett Pro4 DAC via USB, passed through an Intona galvanized grounding device which aids in creating a darker noise background, gently improving the overall sound.  I'm using a Shunyata Venom USB 2 meter cable to the Intona. 

Last week, I received a built-to-order 1/2 meter Cardas A to C USB cable, replacing a well-built generic cable...something I'd planned to upgrade for a few months now.  For a time, I assisted in testing ANALOG cables with a local friend in the late 90's who's builds went up against the well know high end brands.  Overall, I had very little expectation for the shortie USB upgrade.  I was dead wrong.  The improvement is such that I've ordered a Cardas Clear High Speed Serial Bus replacement for the Shunyata.  Also, after doing a lot of research, I've decided to replace my excellent copper Verastarr Grand Illusion Series ribbon speaker cables with Cardas, creating a loom.  I'm a bit nervous around the experiment, but the speaker cables are used, so I'll have choices without much financial risk.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

soix...as to "naysayers who say bits are just bits."  I'm a longtime active member in the Audio Asylum chatroom and have music loving computer Tech friends who do eyerolls around upgrading digital cables to improve audio quality.  I use The Cable Company to feel secure in my purchases for cables and Furutech products.  In mentioning my friend's opinions to Jason, the Cable Co's Tech, he responded with, "Next time you find yourself speaking to your "Tech" buddies, please remind them that digital isn't actually 1s and 0s.
Those digits are merely symbols used to represent pulses of voltage (on and off) traveling along a metal medium. Shockingly, that description describes an analog cable, too; digital cables simply operate at vastly higher frequencies. Technically, the shape of the wave is different too, but that's not the point."  Not having a science background, I found the response interesting, given my long experience.

I'm a bit (intended) of a romantic around our hobby, a pastime made increasingly vital by these challenging times.  We all a drawn by our personal flavor of sound, hence so many products.  My flavor is a wide stage and depth of field, well defined, holographic, moving imagery...all having fleshed out, rounded solidity as in life.  Abundance of detail and believable timbre plus the"aaahhhh" of musicality, first and foremost. 

The past 25 years have been spent removing resonances created by gear, room and wire in my dedicated studio.  My hobby is ever fluid, a process of betterment and evolution, taking greatness forward.  Always.  

Hoping all you and yours have a great holiday weekend!  More Peace...Pin

I'm a bit (intended) of a romantic around our hobby, a pastime made increasingly vital by these challenging times.

If one is not living in the Ukraine, Afghanistan, parts of Africa, etc, or hungry and homeless, then the “challenging times” of what audiophile cable to select seems to be a bit “first world“?

holmz...a fair retort, indeed.  We married late, Mary and I, and a close friend gave us a book depicting photos of people around the world placing the entire contents of their possessions in front of their dwellings, as a wedding present.  We indeed are abundantly wealthy within that context.  Further, as members of the Baha'i Faith with tenets of justice, fairness and equity, we consider ourselves global citizens.  

ON that note, The Cable Company just completed their 27th year of contributing to Summer Against Hunger, another reason for my personal choice.  My deeper point was the abundance of obvious added stressors today for kids, families, friends and our leaders.  The importance of music and the arts in helping us maintain our mental balance, for ourselves and for others. 

I work Customer Service for a longtime outdoor outfitter and my wife is a language arts teacher.  My audio budget is extremely limited and away from our family needs, which should speak to just how important music is to me.  The top tier of TIDAL streaming with a military discount is $12.65 monthly, a huge savings, considering how we accessed music over the years.  The enormous value streaming poses for those on a limited budget is what prompted me to respond in depth to the topic. 

Digital cable swaps are controversial, so I thought I'd share some of that experience towards the topic as well.  Elaborating was simply sharing in our hobby experiences, not sounding boastful, I hope.  

Having an "Audio Tech" assist might sound a bit rich, however, Mike has become a personal friend and we barter goods for services.  I bring it up in here because of the low-cost of streaming from a computer for those on a limited budget.  Many of our Peers are older, and like me, may not be tech savvy.  Seek help maybe from your computer company or local college students.  Almost all the software required is free...add a good DAC and your streaming great sound.

Thanks for the feedback, holmz              More Peace, Pin

my eyeballs hurt

Oh...   Summer Against Hunger Summary - Newsletters (thecableco.com)

I agree @pinthrift that the Cable Company is good way to demo different cables.  But it is not free or even cheap, and of course the incentive is to pick one of the ?few that you demo and use your rental credits.  I did this and ended up picking Audience Au24SX and loved it.  Then my dealer, while delivering my YG speakers pulled out a pair of KS Elation speaker cables.  Time to start all over.  It was educational.  Sometimes feeling bright and tingly was just an absence of great midrange and upper end bass.; Meat on the bone.  Anyway, lots of great cables, I like all good copper, no silver for me.  I think especially true for resolving SS gear (copper).  I would take any dealer up on demoing their cables.. I am scared to try the Nordost good stuff...I might like it!

I agree @pinthrift that the Cable Company is good way to demo different cables.

Sorry, but I disagree unless you can’t find the cable you’re looking for on the used market. The discount on used cables is 50% or more, they cost very little to ship, and if they don’t work out just sell them for little/no loss and you can try as many as you like this way. In this regard paying The Cable Company to try different cables and then pay full price for cables is kinda nuts, again unless you’re looking for something that’s just not available on the used market. Then there are several excellent cable companies that sell direct and offer excellent quality and value and generous trial periods to see if they work in your system. Just my $0.02 FWIW.

Hi @Soix, I think I tried to say that. When i demo'd cables from the Cable Company I did not know much at all, and calling them, talking to them about my system, and then trying  different companies was helpful.  I returned them and tried others, and then purchased several of their used cables, which are about 30% off retail.  Once I had a knowledge base, I did find what I wanted here on AG or USA at about 50%,  The Cable Company is a viable way to try different companies without the hassle of having to resell those you don't want. For me, it all started with power cables. You can limit demo's to those cables which are in stock and used.  Note the distinction between 'The Cable Company' and 'The Used Cable Company'.  Happy Labour Day!

@fastfreight 

+1

It is probably a more effective strategy to just buy someone who is hungry a meal.

holmz...

Finding fault is fine.  Seems now, you are looking to find fault.  You do you, I'll do me.  Pin

Good thread and many good comments. Has it really been 40 years since they were debating DAT vs. CD as the "New" music selling medium?

I've owned a Node and a Lumin... Lumin by far.

I've owned a Denafrips Iris DDC... Prior to the Lumin worth every penny, not necessary with the Lumin.

I have auditioned (30 days) Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon HD both stand alone and within Audirvana, JRiver and Roon... My choice Roon/Qobuz.

And I cannot agree more streaming's #1 value... the ability to expand your musical library exponentially.  

The dac in the blue sound is not even decent just use the streamer with a decent LPS, whoever said Roon does not sound good is wrong. It is also the finest platform as a library with the excellent HQ player already built into the platform .

@audioman58 Roon is garbage. Easy to use but sounds like shite. Innuos sense is the route to go if you are on the ecosystem. 

Room with Qo buzz with MQ player takes it far better then Any platform. Roon  has it native built into to it just click enable ,even innous can  use this it , is is heavy  on processor requirements but  well worth the double and a bit of learning curve.