Cable auditions - Hard Work?


Does anyone find it to be "hard work" to audition cables? I find that I have to be 'fresh' before I can begin to listen to cables. After I begin, I can only listen, with the intensity needed, for a period of about an hour.

As I do A/B comparisons, it sometimes seems, my impressions change as I listen. Sometimes the differences are so small or subtle, that I question if I'm hearing a difference at all. Have I lost it?

How do you folks do your cable auditions? I'd really like to know.

Thanks
paul
oldpet

Showing 4 responses by lacee

Some people have built in defence mechanisms when it comes to cables having differences.I have seen this polarity in other forums and neither camp claims defeat.What it boils down to is that this is all opinions.Some hear, some don't; some don't want to hear and some want to hear.I never understand how people that say they are interested in audio as a hobby are not interested in at least trying to better their listening experience.Why would someone think nothing of buying a costly cd player and then connect it with out of the box interconnect or power cord?
If people want to do Audio on the cheap, then get yourselves a theatre in a box and leave the rest of us who know better enjoy our improvements. We won't laugh at you, we are better than that.
Chang, I have a 65 year old audiophile friend with hearing aids and he could hear the improvement a Hydra 2 and Python cord made to the sound of his old 1970's AcoustatX 4 panel speakers as well as I could.He was skeptical that it would and didn't want to spend "money" Maybe a hearing test should be made a mandatory requirement when someone says they don't hear differences.
DBT is a fun exercise in futility,best spent with friends and a couple of beers to pass a Saturday afternoon.
Everyone forgets what the first cable sounded like by the time they get to the last.Best to do it yourself with your standard cable and the new cable and be prepared to listen to the same track over and over and at different times of the day.You will eventually give in one way or the other.
You have to develope your sense of hearing like you do your sense of taste.Distinguishing differences in cables or wines is something that takes time to develope.Some people excell more than others and are Super Tasters in the wine world and can conjure up images of exotic fruits and flavours. Should our sense of hearing be taken any less serious?