My system....what and how will cabling impact?


Stereo Equipment


I know that not proving enough info is troubling so here is my complete list for my system.

All in around 100k.


Wilson Audio Sasha DAW

D’Agostino Integrated Amp

Clear Audio Ovation w/ 9” tracer tone arm

Clear Audio Concerto V2 MC cartridge

DCS Bartok DAC

VTL 6.5 phono pre amp (used w less then 50 hours of use)

HRS RXR Maple rack w/ isolation shelves

Transparent Music link and music wave cabling.



The room is strangely laid out. First, high cathedral ceilings with several peaks for sounds to bounce around. Second not too wide from speaker fronts to my ears but long. Approximately 25’ X 50’. From speaker fronts to my ears maybe 15. Speakers are positioned close to back wall and I am sitting on a sofa that places me about 2 feet in front of the front wall which is comprised of windows.


Now onto my first impressions. It sounds fantastic. Very warm, melodic, clean, rich and juicy are a few adjectives that come to mind. The TT sounds as good or perhaps at times better than the DAC. The soundstage is fairly wide given the limited space between my ears and the speakers.


Now onto my question. I have spent around $2,000 for cabling. I am figuring that those are what many of you would consider basic cabling. I see folks spending much much more for cabling. What does investing in high end cabling buy you? How does it effect the final outcome? Will the sound be richer and more realistic? What high end cables are recommended for the system I have? How much should one expect to spend for cables for the system I have assembled?


Thanks for your input.


lawmnsuu

Showing 6 responses by millercarbon

Avoid belief, it is a major and all too common stumbling block. Speaking of which, the place for your cables is up off the floor.
Again thank you all for your input. As a neophyte it is still hard to imagine wires, cords and interconnects can make such a significant difference.
Or vibration control too, apparently. If you had zip cord, patch cords and freebie rubber power cords then I would say you need to buy better wire. But you said you already have $2k in cables. So yes you can definitely get better. You can just about always get better. But in terms of what you can do for a lot of improvement for the dollar you are really missing the boat on springs. Cost you like $35 for a set of Nobsound to see what I mean. Instead you will let these guys talk you into spending thousands? Oh well....
This is sadly the way a lot of us think. Yes there is a grain of truth in that sometimes there are interactions that can sometimes have an impact on the sound. There are indeed times when the design of one component makes it incompatible with another. For sure this can happen.

The vast majority of the time however a wire is a wire is a wire. Otherwise, what is the point of reading reviews, or asking anyone’s opinion of anything? If all these things interact so much then the only opinion that might possibly have any value is when every single thing right down to the color of the carpet and the chair is identical. Even then some guy will pop up and complain about expectation bias and demand a double-blind study, preferably one that runs till the end of time so we never have to reach a conclusion.

The plain fact of the matter is interconnects, speaker cables and power cords sound fundamentally the same no matter what system or components they are used with. There is no such thing as buying cables to go with speakers and amps. There is only buying cables to go with listener preferences.

If you like a big bold 3D sound there are cables that will deliver this, regardless of what components they are used with. If you like a lean analytical surgically sterile sound there are even more to choose from. Either way, same thing, don’t matter a bit what you use them with that is how they will be. No sterile tipped up flat wire ever suddenly magically became all warm and fuzzy just by being matched up with the right speakers. Or amp. It simply does not work that way.

I go on because this is one of the bigger hurdles holding people back. If you think it is all about the components then this eliminates a whole world of listener impressions. If you believe this nonsense then why would you care what I think? My speakers are different. My amp is different. Etc etc. You just eliminated a huge amount of useful listener impressions. Technically, if you think about it, you have eliminated all listener impressions!

But if on the other hand you wake up to the fact these things sound the way they sound regardless of where and how they are used, which by the way isn’t that our experience with everything else? Does salt magically become sweet when used with potatoes instead of eggs? So it is just nuts. Wake up to this simple fact, open yourself up to a whole new world of possibilities.
10% is old school old. 

When I look over that component list again, quite honestly that is some good stuff, but you have no idea how much performance you have just laying there on the table waiting for springs to set it free.
You already have fairly decent cables. Not freebie patch cords anyway. What you do not have that will be a huge improvement is vibration control. I don't count the rack. It is after all just a rack. What matters far more is what's between the shelf (or floor) and the component.

For much less than you would need to spend on better cables you could put your speakers on Townshend Podiums. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/townshend-audio-podiums-the-full-review  These will be a huge improvement. Your speakers will disappear, the sound will become much more clear and detailed. Probably best of all, a huge amount of acoustic problems you probably think are room related will disappear. Because right now your speakers are transmitting vibration straight into the floor, causing the whole room to vibrate. On Podiums only the acoustic energy goes into the room. Huge improvement.

Then Pods under your components, another huge improvement. I would do all this before even thinking of spending more money on wire.