use of ChatGPT for HIFI

For fun, I asked Chat GPT:

`Does the choice  of power, interconnect, or speaker cable affect the sound a a high quality audio system?`

Answer:

Yes—but with significant caveats.

1. Power Cables

• Effect: Minimal to negligible, assuming cables meet standard electrical specifications.

• Why: Audio gear with well-designed power supplies already reject most line noise. As long as the power cable delivers sufficient voltage and current, there’s little room for improvement.

• When it might matter: In environments with extreme electrical noise or poor grounding, upgraded cables with better shielding may reduce hum or RF interference. But it’s rare.

2. Interconnect Cables (e.g., RCA, XLR)

• Effect: Small but can be audible—especially with poorly shielded or excessively long cables.

• Why: Low-level analog signals are more vulnerable to interference and signal degradation. Balanced XLR cables reduce this risk.

• What matters:

  • Shielding quality

  • Capacitance (especially with phono-level signals)

  • Connector quality (to avoid contact issues)

• Placebo vs measurable: In controlled tests, audible differences are often subtle, if present.

3. Speaker Cables

• Effect: Potentially noticeable, especially over longer runs or with low-impedance speakers.

• Why:

  • High resistance can cause power loss and tone dulling.

  • Capacitance and inductance matter at high frequencies (but only in extreme cases).

• What matters:

  • Gauge (thicker wire = lower resistance; 12–14 AWG is ideal for most systems)

  • Length (keep as short as practical)

  • Quality of connections (tight, corrosion-free)

---

Summary:

Cable Type	Audible Impact	Conditions Where It Might Matter
Power Cable	Low	Poor power, high interference
Interconnect	Low–Moderate	Long runs, high RF/noise environments
Speaker Cable	Moderate	Long runs, low-impedance loads

Final Thought:

Most audible differences attributed to cables in high-end systems are subtle and often subjective. Spending large sums on "boutique" cables yields diminishing returns—money is often better spent on room treatment, speaker positioning, or component upgrades.

 

Then I asked:

`What do blind listening tests suggest about this topic. Restrict your comments to tests with high-end audio listeners as subjects':

 

Blind listening tests—particularly **double-blind** tests involving **experienced high-end audio listeners**—consistently show:

---

### 🎧 **1. Power Cables**

* **Finding**: No statistically significant audible differences under controlled conditions.
* **Example**: In tests conducted by audio engineering societies (AES), even audiophiles could not reliably distinguish between standard and high-end power cords.
* **Conclusion**: Perceived differences are typically due to expectation bias.

---

### 🎼 **2. Interconnect Cables**

* **Finding**:

  * Differences are *occasionally* heard when cables are poorly made or excessively long.
  * In most high-quality systems with properly made cables, **blind tests fail to confirm audible distinctions**, even among trained listeners.
* **Conclusion**: Brand or price does not correlate reliably with perceived quality when sighted bias is removed.

---

### 🔊 **3. Speaker Cables**

* **Finding**:

  * Audible differences are more likely to be detected in blind tests **when comparing cables of significantly different gauge or impedance**, particularly with low-impedance or highly revealing speakers.
  * Between two high-quality cables of similar spec, **even audiophiles rarely detect consistent differences blind**.
* **Conclusion**: The most important variables are physical: resistance, length, and termination—not brand or exotic materials.

---

### 📜 Representative Studies & Findings

* **Audio Engineering Society (AES) papers** (e.g., by David Clark, Sean Olive, Floyd Toole) often report that:

  > Listeners—even experienced audiophiles—fail to distinguish expensive cables from inexpensive or standard ones in controlled, blind setups.
* **Boston Audio Society test**: A well-known blind test where listeners couldn’t reliably tell a Monster cable from a coat hanger wire in speaker cable comparisons.

---

### 🧠 Cognitive Bias Note

In blind tests, many effects attributed to cables disappear, suggesting that **sighted listening is heavily influenced by expectations, branding, and cost**. This is especially true in high-end audio communities, where psychological investment in gear is high.

---

### ✅ Summary for High-End Listeners

| Cable Type     | Consistent Audible Difference in Blind Tests? | Key Variable (If Any)              |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Power Cables   | ❌ No                                          | None, if spec-compliant            |
| Interconnects  | ❌ Rare, unless defective or poorly shielded   | Shielding, length                  |
| Speaker Cables | ⚠️ Occasionally, if mismatched impedance      | Gauge, length, termination quality |

---

**Bottom Line**:
Even experienced listeners generally **cannot distinguish cables blind** unless a measurable electrical fault is present. Sighted evaluations often introduce psychological artifacts mistaken for sonic differences.
 

Re "AI has no means to make a judgment about what it is saying."  

This is THE crucial point. The word "Artificial" should be kept in mind at all times.