2. cables
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Cable Snake Oil Antidote

Some might find this Cable Snake Oil Antidote interesting with respect to LRC, the signal and the system.

Cables affect the sound and the effect is system dependent.

Another's opinion on a cable in a vastly different system may not be valid.
128x128ieales
aalenik
67 posts
 

cj1965, thanks or your response.  I have no interest in a 'troll war' with you. Suffice it to say that you seem to believe science is a closed issue, and we have nothing further to learn, which is extremely foolish.

Science always begins with observation.  When we observe something we cannot measure or explain, that is when scientific discovery begins.

The difference between science and religion, of course, is that religion insists that we must believe with no proof (i.e. faith), while science insists that we prove & explain what we believe.  An in that respect, the twain shall never meet. 

Now, when it comes to audio, the only thing that really matters is what you hear (consistently, of course).  If you can hear it, but you cannot measure it... it's your measurements that are lacking.  When science cannot explain the physical universe... science must learn.

Please don't bother to respond. I'm only interested in helping people achieve good sound, not in personal attacks, or your religion.

cj1965
124 posts
 
aalenik

It's nothing personal and not a trolling attempt. You just posted something that has no basis in fact and it needed to be corrected. Throughout the history of Hi Fi, interconnect cables have been notorious for picking up stray signals (especially longer than average runs) - not signal loss. The best interconnect cables from both a measured performance point of view and audible performance point of view (vulnerability to hum an static) are balanced cables. If they aren't balanced, the next best interconnect cable type possess a braided shield to shunt stray electric and magnetic fields. This is one area in audio where measurement results have actually correlated well with audible results. The issue has been  so well settled to the extent that the "audiophile" market has adopted what was traditionally a pro sound design technique - balanced inputs whereby common mode noise is essentially completely cancelled in a differential amplifier input stage. When it comes to "losses" sustained through interconnects, very little is contributed to the cable unless source impedance and interconnect capacitance are high enough to result in high frequency roll off. This generally only is a concern with tube pre amps that have output impedance in the range of 500 ohms.

This site is frequently consulted for advice by those looking for answers. While it's nice when people offer their advice whether it's based solely on their personal long time experience, measurements they may have taken, or both - it's important that the advice given be factual. We all want accurate, useful, actionable information for questions we have. Factually, your advice regarding interconnects does not square with my experience or that of anyone I've known in audio circles for many years - audiophile or pro sound. Before someone plunks down hundreds (maybe even thousands - yikes!!) for interconnects, it's important for them to have facts that are born out not only in anecdotal experience, but with measurements that back up that first hand experience when they are available. You can go for many years doing the same thing and never encounter hum from a power cord straying into an interconnect just based on the random layout of your particular equipment setup - nothing you intentionally did. Does that mean stray EMF isn't a problem for interconnects? I think you know the answer.
robertsteele0
6 posts
 
I build my own interconnects. Which way should I point the Ptouch directional arrow?
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Assuming that’s supposed to be a joke you might consider adding a smiley face after jokes in the future so we get that it’s a joke. 😛
celander's avatar
celander
1,503 posts
 
All components in a sound reproduction system "degrade" the signal in some manner. Absent reference tapes of a live recording one has attended (or a long-term echoic memory of musical passages that I doubt exists for anyone) from which one may compare against a sound reproduction system of a recording, much of this discussion is about our biases with respect to the manner in which sound reproduction pertains to sonic preferences. Having said that, to each his/her own in assembling the audio system that satisfies his/her sonic preferences.
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