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how to best a/b cables

Ok, I admit it: I have serious doubts about the claims of those who believe in cables. But I am willing to take their challenge - let my ears decide. So I went to a local dealer (who is probably reading this thread - Hi!!) and got some Transparent speaker cables and interconnects to audition. My setup: Linn LP12 turntable, Linn Linto phono stage, Linn Ikemi CDP, Plinius 8200 integrated, B&W N804 speakers and 10 year old Audioquest cables & inters (I believe they are the "Ruby" models.)

My question: my Linn Linto has dual outputs. Can I connect my old cables into one output and the Transparents into the other and then run them into two different inputs in the line stage pre and thereby get a good way to a/b the cables? My dealer says it is not a good way to get an a/b comparison because the two sets of cables will affect eachother and it will muddy the water. Does this make sense? If I hook one into the tape1 input and the other into the tape2 input and if I'm switched to tape1, then tape2 is an open circuit and should be completely inert and vice versa. Any comments?

PLEASE!!! I DO NOT WANT THIS TO BE ANOTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER CABLE QUALITY AFFECTS SOUND QUALITY!!! JUST HELP THIS LOST SOUL TO FIND THE TRUTH!
gboren

Showing 2 responses by bomarc

bomarc
501 posts
 
I think your approach will work just fine--much better than switching cables in and out, which introduces a time delay that will be far more confounding than any minute increase in load from having a second set of cables attached.

As long as you're going to this trouble, get a friend to help you do the listening blind. He can switch back and forth between A and B (at your instruction, so you can listen to them for as long as you like). Then let him flip a coin to decide which is "X," and see if you can tell which it is. If you can't score 80% on a reasonable number of trials this way, you can be reasonably certain that the two cables are sonically indistinguishable.
bomarc
501 posts
 
People who study hearing for a living use quick switching because they've found that humans do not remember subtle differences for very long (like measured in fractions of seconds). But there are lots of audiophiles who believe otherwise. Nonetheless, you can do ABX testing any way you want, either quick switching or listening to whole passages. Just don't expect it to be easy!
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