I didn’t really compare many XLR cables, but I did go from RCA to higher quality/price balanced within Audioquest’s lineup and that was an improvement. I also did the same with Shunyata power cables. I purchased with sixty day trials and just paid return shipping for full refund on what I didn’t want. This included an $11K cartridge that I was unable to send back because it was so very good. That said, they would have taken it back with no questions asked. So, the real question is whether it is worth the time and the return shipping costs. For me, it was worth the extra effort. I should mention that I worked with someone that provided good advice and even talked me out of some purchases that he thought were not worth the extra money. His biggest contribution was convincing me to spend a good bit of money on the power side of things. The improvements that resulted were eye opening. Of course, that brings up the question as to where you could spend money to get the greatest improvement. For me this was power conditioner and power cords.
Do Costly XLR Cables Make A Difference?
Serious question here. I currently own a rather good XLR cable that goes between the amp and DAC. I’m considering a better XLR cable to improve things, basically all the good aspects of sound reproduction such as deeper and more defined bass, better separation and detail across the frequency spectrum and an airier and more 3-dimensional sound in the midrange and treble. Will a different XLR cable supposedly one that’s costlier bring me to that direction?
My current XLR cable costs about $2k actual price paid.
I’m looking at an alternative pair up to about $2k perhaps $3k tops if it is proven that the cable is able to bring a noticeable or worthwhile if not significant difference. I am actually looking at the Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 and Gold Eclipse 8 XLR.
Any experience would be appreciated.