use of ChatGPT for HIFI

Unfortunately I see more than a few suspicious reviews. The kind that are pretty much playing with generalities like a clairvoyant searching your conversation for nuggets to build their faux understanding of their clients. Some of these are the vague "Barnum statements" of the Audiophile world so they can appear to understand you and to build a map and say pretty much what you want it to say.

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.

 

I have used a Google product called NotebookLM.  The advantage is that it will only look at the sources you provide.  You can add youtube videos PDFs links.  I think that this increases the quality of the answers. 

I use a Google doc and paste in information that I find that is relevant.  On a free account you can only add 30 sources, but the sources can be a large as you want.  By adding content to only one Google Doc it reduces the # of sources.. 

https://notebooklm.google.com/

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.
 

@cjmarkle - I agree 100%. These are tools designed to foster addictive behaviors. And addictive behaviors leads to tiered pricing. And tiered pricing leads to big income streams for these companies. I've worked in emerging technology on the west coast all my career. Although they like to paint their mission as virtuous, it's all about the money. 

@maholl50 - My bet it suggested keeping the Audio Research I-50 and Devore's paired together. Based on your mentioned equipment, that is pairing I'd keep myself based on what I know about them. What did it suggest?