What Speaker Cables Taught Me About Audiophiles

@squared80

"anything they purchase beyond OFC at the proper gauge for the length isn’t going to change the sound"

WRT the conductor material, I tend to agree. Ambient noise in just about any room is going to overwhelm a 1-2 percent difference in the conductivity of OFC (about 101% IACS) vs. OCC copper (about 102/3% IACS), or even a 5 percent difference between copper and silver (about 105% IACS). I also truly doubt the human ear can reliably discern the difference between standard annealled copper and OCC or other exotically drawn coppers that reportedly have fewer grain boundaries, especially considering the ICs and speaker cables containing those metals are nowhere near the only metals that a music signal passes thorough on its way to being a sonic waveform that we can hear. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have OCC copper cables in my system, because I do. Note that the respected Galen Gareis of Belden uses ETP copper (100% IACS) in one form of his signature Iconoclast cables.

I do seem to reliably hear subtle differences between different cables, which I doubt is due to the metal material but may be due to the conductor form, i.e., solid core vs. stranded, conductor diameter, cable geometry, dielectric materials, and/or other factors, or maybe just a figment of my imagination based on my bias.

@snilf, I can so relate to your post! I love Part’s "Te Deum" on ECM; and I’m always stunned by people that listen to (and adore) various sub-genres of heavy metal on their pricey audio gear. I find the music heavily compressed, quite edgy, and hard to listen to for very long. Yes, it’s all about subjectivity.

Re speaker cables, I never focused much on it until recently. I had an inexpensive pair of Audioquest something-or-others here in the office desktop system for over 10 yrs. Finally got the urge to experiment, and based on user comments, picked up a used (elderly) pair of Nirvana speaker cables. As soon as I installed them on the vintage KEF 103.2 speakers, driven by Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 class D amp, I heard positive differences: audible improvements in the depth, focus and lcarity of the entire bass range; slightly less "glassiness" in the upper mids; and noticeably better soundstage dimension (not something desktop placement facilitates).

Those speaker cables aren’t going anywhere. I know a good thing when I hear it..

@devinplombier +1. Very much agree with your observation. My favorite quote describing meetings "never have so many argued over so little for so long" . It may be human nature. Tree vs Forest thing?

My take on cable teaching results.

1-Free market democracy is alive and well

2-The power of placebo

3-Mind over matter, Gullibility, Stupidity 

I do agree all wiring (to a point) is important, a component like anything else. 
I simply hate the daily changing propped up marketing campaigns targeting the select few that buy into the good better best BS, you know the tune your Walkman as to sound like Watt puppy dreamers. 
 

Cheers