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Cables Are Crazy, what do you think?

I have been in several arguments with my best friends father on the subject of high end audio components and cables. He is a DR. of physics and mathmatics and always takes the stance that cables just transfer information and should show no effect on sound performance. He does stipulate that depending on the material used can change what information is transfered. He is no audiophile and I have tried to sit him down and show him what does happen when you do use different cables but he never seems to make the time to let me prove to him that different cables have different sounds. I know cable make a huge difference in a system, but does any one know how I can verbalize that to a DR. of physics with more intellegence then it just sounds different with different cables?
willypinecrest

Showing 5 responses by narrod

narrod
1,064 posts
 
It's a circular argument. You can't prove that you hear differences or explain why he does not. If you like it that is all that matters.
narrod
1,064 posts
 
I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't agree with the skeptics that say they don't and can't make a difference. I also don't believe those who describe hearing orgasmic differences in them. I've had highly resolving systems for more than 20 years and have auditioned many, many cables. In my experience, differences are subtle and their value to one's musical enjoyment is completely subjective.
narrod
1,064 posts
 
"All of these are recognized wire integrity issues affecting signal quality, how could it not affect high end sound?"

The question is how to prove that it effects the sound. Anecdotal testimony doesn't do it. What you hear I may not. That's why this is a question with no ultimate answer.
narrod
1,064 posts
 
"invite him over for some blind testing. He swaps the cables, you identify them. Do it 10 out of 10 times and he'll have to admit you're right."

I would be surprised if anyone could do that in a controlled test.
narrod
1,064 posts
 
Spoolyt says "cables are expensive to manufacture". Really? Dealers buy them at 50% of retail so the manufacturing cost has to be substantially less than that for the manufacturer to make a profit and, I wonder, how many manufacturers just put a pretty cover and fancy terminations on stock cable and mark it up 1000%.
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