I should also say this, I've wondered if sometimes a maker's mid-range cables weren't deliberately made to be darker? Like I've felt that they make low and mid-range cables to demonstrate an obvious difference, but only because the high end cables didn't totally suck?
Are cables additive or subtractive?
There’s lots of debates here about the effectiveness of cables. Let’s please keep that elsewhere so we can have a DIFFERENT discussion about cables.
Let’s assume for argument’s sake that yes, cables make a difference and that it’s worth paying for that difference.
Lets assume that is true, then lets ask the question:
- Do cables ADD or SUBTRACT from the signal?
Again, for this thread, assume cables change something audible.
What do you think and what are your experiences?
Also, let's try to avoid sweeping generalities and try to focus on what happens along this axis: Subtraction or addition.
Showing 3 responses by erik_squires
I wanted to let this conversation go before I spoke about my own experiences. In all cases I’ve heard differences, and even done single-blind testing with others, the sound has been subtractive. For IC’s, the most "effective" cables rolled off the high end considerably. For speakers, that roll off actually contributed to better imaging, but at significant cost to the overall energy in the speaker cables. So, on the one hand, subtracting energy, on the other hand improving imaging, so we could almost call that additive, but my fellow listeners did not like that tradeoff. My own experiences have turned me to solid silver IC’s and Mogami speaker cables. |
@marqmike - Can you be more specific?? Like cables X adds Y and cable A subtracs B? |