Little if anything in audio related to cables can be objectively rated. What is good in one system/combination with "X" is horrible in "Y" and thus cannot be independently analyzed except for measuring capacitance, resistance, inductance, etc. Thus, cables can be only rated relative to the system they are inserted into. And, unfortuntely, they do make things sound "different" but not always better or worse. This is what keeps "audio" interesting. Moving\bending cables changes the sound and when comparing them, movement introduces another variable, so blind testing is worth little in this situation. The sound changes especially for the solid core stuff with movement. A good idea for a standard, but...Jallen
Can we objectively rate speaker cables?
I'd like to generate discussion to compile some sort of chart that compares cable attributes. I realize that cable attributes will vary by system, but I would think that in the same system, certain generalizations can be made. For example, I think many would agree that copper is generally warmer than silver. That said, I propose the following categories. Feel free to add categories to make this a mutually-exclusive, collectively-exhaustive list and/or offer ratings for cables you've auditioned.
A. analytical/detailed (1) - warm (10)
B. closed soundstage (1) - open soundstage (10)
C. slow (1) - fast (10)
A. analytical/detailed (1) - warm (10)
B. closed soundstage (1) - open soundstage (10)
C. slow (1) - fast (10)