Indeed MIT have discovered a new phenomena called "articulation" which they can measure extremely precisely (within a percent at various frequencies) but can only define vaguely as: "ability to retain the highest level of detail and clarity". It appears that by adding filters they indeed modify the sound to improve what they call "articulation". I do not doubt that it sounds much different from Kimber 8TC but please understand that this involves passive filtering. Although this is called a cable, it includes a passive component with a network. I have no doubt it sounds better with the added network but you might ask yourself why the amp/speaker combo does not sound right with ordinary wires?
Do speaker cables really matter?
Hell yes!
Been running a double run of Kimber 8TC from SimAudio W-6 monoblocks to my Aerial Acoustics Model 9 speakers. Had for a few months wondered if the speaker cable was the weakest link in my system at this point. Really struggled with the question speaker cable really mattered or is it all snake oil? I'm here to say, "It matters. It really, really matters!"
Picked up a pair of MIT Shotgun S1 bi-wire (thanks, Joe!) and switched them out yesterday. Wow! My system is blowing up! I thought Aerial had simply rolled off the highest of the highs. No, they were there all the time but the 8TC was 'veiling' it. Also, they speakers have become slightly more forward, which is a good thing. Overall improvement up and down the scale. Soundstage has increased dramatically. Almost sounds as if a bedsheet has been sitting over my speakers the last few months and now it's been removed. They hairs on my arms lift up when listening, now. I truly didn't think it would make such a difference and thought I would post that it did. It really did. Can't imagine what will happen as they break in.
I hope posting this helps a few members who are sitting on the fence. Was considering The Cable Company library to try a few but didn't want to wait. Too impatient.
Showing 3 responses by shadorne
Unfortunately cables do make a difference. Agreed. Unfortunate. How about bi-wiring? This article is an interesting discussion of speaker cable issues (back EMF and IM distortion due to speaker driver non linearities and coil impedance). The prevalence of long voice coil in short magnetic gap drivers means that speakers have a high degree of non-linearity and audible IMD distortion is more or less inevitable. The article recommends short wires and bi-wiring to try and reduce issues. It is an interesting article because it discusses the system as a whole rather than attributing audible properties to wires... |
Kijanki, 0.1 db at 20 Khz is not enough to be audible or to matter. Sure there are always differences between every cable of different design/configuration/size/length. The question is whether it is enough to be really concerned about. I would simply maintain that there are many other issues in any room/system that are of much more worthwhile consideration for eeking out improvements. Call this a cold hearted pragmatic view if you will but science gives us tools to estimate the impact of various issues on sonics and the example iof skin effect just seems negligible to me (in the holistic sense) |