2. cables
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cable doubter no more

i was once one that thought high end cables were just a waste of money. i upgraded my system and purchased all ps audio cables. these were replacing signal cables, i heard a clear improvment. i was satisfied, and believed my currant componenets were as good as it would get with them. i then went to the R.M.A.F. and lusted after all the great sounding gear. but my ears were bigger than my wallet. but after finding some good deals on some dh labs revelations, and a set of analysis plus blackovals, my system has been transformed. im talking a good 20% by 2 sets of interconnects and a set of speaker cables. im blown away by the improvement. to all you cable doubters out there sorry YOU ARE WRONG !! just wanted to get that out there , thanks for reading.
jrw40

Showing 11 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
There's no doubt in my mind that no two IC designs sound the same.

Which are better than others though and which are worth the money? That's the tricky (and potentially expensive) part.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Wiring is a tweak like tone controls and power cords.

To my ears, they can and often do change the sound, but in of themselves won't make a bad system sound good and most decent wires probably will not make a good system sound really bad either.

Like so many other things in audio, its a matter of personal taste and overall system synergy. Wires can be an effective and relatively cost effective way to tweak a system.

I wouldn't go any further in bestowing value on wires than that.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
"So would you also say dedicated circuits, electrical receptacles, power conditioners, and isolation transformers are merely tone controls? "

No.

They are a different kind of "tweak" that addresses a completely different aspect of the resulting sound.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Cable threads are a hopeless proposition I suppose.

It's not hard to disprove an assertion though that all cables sound the same with some simple a/b tests on a decent system.

Beyond that, good luck!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Were I a dealer endorsing products on threads here (I'm not) I would disclose that information up-front.

I suppose its not absolutely required, and individuals will make of it what they will, but it would seem to be the right thing to do nonetheless.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Viridian,

Cables are very very nice.

My system could not work without them.

I've tried straightening out some coat hangers and using these to connect things but it just ain't the same.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
By the way, if I cut my ICs in half, I get a 100% reduction in sound.

Try this test only with power turned off though or use insulated wire cutters.

If I splice them back together ... well, you get the idea.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
"They could also attempt oneupmanship as far as how much they know and how long they've known it, sort of like audio mud wrestling"

A "Last Man Standing" match would be cool...I'm just saying.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
"How will this factor in to your contest?"

It doesn't matter how it factors in!

I'd have to go with 'feil in a "Last Man Standing " match.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Jea48,

Surely we can.

Its a lot cheaper and easier to switch from one decent wire to another, especially when one buys used. Wires are also low risk used compared to more complex audio technologies and they tend to depreciate in value from new just like other gear.

Also one can get carried away regarding the price/value proposition with most anything, not just stereo gear.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Carlos269,

I think you position may be a bit extreme, but I do not disagree completely with your assertions regarding high end boutique equipment.

When my wife buys clothes in a boutique, they are not necessarily more functional than name brand stuff more commonly found.

They often do look nicer though, so there is some value there for some...but certainly not all.
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