John Dunlavy On "Cable Nonsense"

I love this thread! Let's keep it going forever, and don't say wires is wires in response to any thread asking for comparisons or descriptions of any specific wires, because you can vent all you want right here. This is just what I suggested in "Farewell" or somewhere, don't go away, just take the subject to a segregrated area where people who are interested can discuss, or just lurk.

I agree with almost everyone above. Mr. Dunlavy is absolutely correct that many many cable claims are pure snake oil. Leafs is right about the MIT cables. But, Frank (Frap) is right that abx is inadequate, and everyone who says different cables sound different is right.

The opening entry in this thread contains a link to only one of Mr. Dunlavy's cable nonsense posts. If interested, people can search for the rest. In one of them, he says that the RS Gold interconnects are just fine. I sent him an email once and told him that the RS cables seem to attempt to merely pass the signal through, while some other cables attempt to alter the signal, and so the RS cables are actually "better" than a lot of audiophile approved interconnects. He thanked me for my "interesting" message, but didn't respond when I later asked him which RS cables he was talking about. (The RS audio cables are ok for connecting a sub, the a/v cables are better but still a little dull -ok for inexpensive and bright electronics.)

Now Frank (Frap), I agree with you with respect to really good cables. You have to live with them for a while. But so-called budget interconnects like AQ Ruby and Kimber PBJ can be distinguished within a few seconds. As to which is better, it depends on what you're listening through, because neither is really accurate.

Well, yes Doc, the audio cable manufacturers pop up in the 3rd category. But the issue raised is whether many of the high end cable marketers are among the manufacturers (or final assemblers). My guess is that some are, some aren't. I find it hard to believe that Nordost Valhalla is made in the same third world factory as some lower priced branded cable. I even find it hard to believe that Kimber and Audiquest are not involved in the final assembly of their products. I think Ray Kimber has invited AA inmates for a factory tour.

Just suppose there were only one factory, and all the cables were made in the same place. So long as they were made to spec and the specifications were different as ordered by the designers, why would anyone care? You only have to look at a variety of cables to see that they reflect a lot of different ways to twist, wrap, coat and space different thicknesses of wire. Who cares where they are made?