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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
jimjoyce25
215 posts
 
Ask him whether RF can impact sound performance. If he says "yes," then tell him that certain power cables reduce the amount of RF coming into the system. QED.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Don't bother as most people with physics degrees and most engineers do not readily accept that cables can make anything but the very slightest of differences to analog audio signals in a properly designed system. This is not new...just accept it and get on with life. If $1000's spent on cables work for you then enjoy but don't expect many scientists to share your convictions. A typical scientist when faced with a huge difference between one adequate speaker cable and another will simply assume something is wrong with the equipment or its combination rather than attribute significant audio properties to the cable ( you know - amp instability - complex low impedance speaker loads => rightly or wrongly scientists view cables as being passive in analog audio applications).
willypinecrest OP
1 posts
 
Thanks for all the input. I think my favorite is Jaybo with the prettiest jackets sound the best. I have played around with many cables and I can tell the difference and I will continue on my quest for a complete system that sounds best to me. Thanks again
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
If Peter Walker of QUAD did not believe that wire affected sound I do not think your friend will...

Thankfully Peter believed in other things like speaker design!
rodman99999
6,131 posts
 
As applies to anything else controversial in audio: For those that can hear the difference, no explanation is necessary. To those that can't(or refuse to) hear a difference, no explanation is possible. You will run into many in life that choose to remain ignorant, rather than admit they are wrong. I complete agree with Elizabeth.
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