DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

Ask anybody riding in a cable gondola over a gorge. Skiers and snowboarders...my motorcycle throttle and clutch...I could go on...

When I do live sound stuff it’s all balanced...signal to the amps, subs, inputs from EQ and compressors, every microphone of course...all of it. The only unbalanced thing is, of course, my normal mental state, and whatever I’m using for background music using a short stereo cable...generally something streaming from an old iPhone that isn’t used as a phone (otherwise calls would come through the PA system...generally not good.)

I like the solid core concept for reasons I can’t remember, so for years speaker and ICs have all beed solid...now it’s AQ speaker wire (for many years Type 8 and recently Rocket biwire), and inexpensive Morrow ICs replacing all but the sp/dif digital signal cables (some used but very cool solid silver AQs from streamer and CD player to the DAC). I like Morrow cables as they seem to be relatively transparent, as they say. The do say that don’t they?

A skilled lister is anyone with intact hearing? Nonsense...skills are developed over time, being able to hear doesn’t mean you’re a "skilled listener" anymore than having hands makes you a skilled painter. Well designed cables don’t have to be expensive, especially if you buy used ones...if you accept the design philosophy of any cable company and it makes sense to you, try the stuff. I like solid core cables, use various versions most places in my rig, including great sounding (meaning they don’t "sound" like anything at all) stuff from Audioquest and Morrow...from balanced cables where applicable to "digital" sp/dif cables from my streamer and CD player to my DAC...I did buy a solid silver coax AQ for that purpose, used...got a great deal...and my rig has never sounded better, which is sort of the point of all this.

My point about listening remains accurate...I'm a professional listener as a live sound mixer and musician, which doesn't mean I have better hearing, it simply means that after decades of experience I know how and what to listen for. Not everybody can do this (or they haven't tried), which is good for me I suppose since I'm paid well for this stuff...a hifi geek who participates in "active" listening, meaning they spend the time to really focus their attention on music, develops a strong sense of what's right from the accumulated listening experience and simply messing around with the gear to produce personally quantifiable differences. That experience, tempered by personal taste, is what gives people expertise and separates them from the more casual listener...or another human with ears.

Try using high end cables as coat hangers...very difficult. Also, the only cryo treated item I have are my main speakers which were delivered to my house when I was out of town (unexpected shipping quickness..surprise!) and sat outside on a porch in sub freezing cold for a night. Slowly thawed and sound fine.

Ask somebody riding in a cable gondola at a ski resort...cables matter.