Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?

Thanks for that link, frame11…I had not seen Roger Russell’s “History of Speaker Wire” before. I didn’t need convincing but I found his closing comments revealing. He says:

“When confronted with the truth, believers do not want to hear about it. They want to remain in the magical world of fantasy where they think they can hear improvements in their wire, often arrived at by making listening tests without adequate controls or understanding of the problems involved including speaker impedance and amplifier stability. One of the prime tools in creating such a faith for the average consumer is by capitalizing on fear and ignorance as in many other things that aren’t readily apparent. There is fear that the wire currently in use is not good enough. There is ignorance because most people do not have scientific knowledge in this area and lack adequate measuring equipment to prove otherwise.”

Since those touting the increase in SQ with “expensive” cables, can, without any scientific proof, only fall back on….well…"I could hear the difference."  Hmmm….the sense of hearing proves their case? Russell takes this “sense” and flips it to a sense of sight analogy…seeing, arguably a more reliable, testable and provable sense and continues with this…which, for some reason, I find quite refreshing:

“We have been told by advertising that the exotic speaker wires offer fabulous advantages over ordinary lamp cord. It would seem reasonable that using this same wire for lamps would also enhance their performance. In the same vein as wire literature, you can have your lamp reproduce light with the full spectrum color fidelity of natural daylight, finally allowing you see light the way it should be seen and bring out the natural performance of your lamp. It could offer greater warmth, detail, brilliance, definition and speed by providing wider bandwidth and reduced skin effect. It can provide a distortion free illumination that reduces eye strain, resulting in clearer vision and optimal color perception. It can allow you to work for longer periods of time with less visual distraction or fatigue. Just imagine what it might do for your electric razor or microwave, etc.!”

Bravo, Russell!!

Some points:

1. The link to Dr Waldrep’s test was recently posted by another member (scroll up)….I had never heard of the guy before. I had no original intent to “cite” that test except to counter dlcockrum’s slam on the good doctor's objectivity.

2. I didn’t “cite any other results to support my point…” because that is not my job. Google the issue, there are numerous, unbiased test results available online. What is hard to find is a test that supports “exotic” accessories performed by an unbiased manufacturer, retailer or owner.

3. My issue is not so much with those that fall for this wowwow magic…it is with manufacturers and retailers that get away with this scam.

4. My system is, likely by Audiogon standards, “mid-fi”  - B&W/Emotiva/Oppo. Mostly Monoprice cables. Spending more money on more expensive components would be a poor value due to diminishing returns. And purchasing “exotic” accessories would be a total waste of disposable income I can contribute to support other hobbies and interests I have.

5. Expectation bias (placebo effect): It is absolutely amazing what the brain can imagine. Once an “improvement” (new equipment/accessories) is added to a music system, one listens – this is a physical and, of course, mental process. You cannot isolate the brain from the experience for a number of reasons, and the more that is spent, the greater the expectation for improvement. The placebo effect will always be there because the listener/big-spender knows that there has been a change. Since virtually no consumer does, or has the capability to perform, an instantaneous AB test (the only kind that are really valid) on the old/new equipment, his expectation will allow him the pleasure of experiencing superior performance – even when there is none. In almost every case, once very basic requirements are met, more expensive cables, ICs and speaker wire do nothing to improve sound quality. It is science. Wowwow, voodoo magic wire is a scam.

6. On a light note, here is what one reviewer noted:  “With the help of these cables, I can now experience music the way it's meant to be heard. I find that plugging them directly into my ears helps transmit the cleanest, most pure sound. Make sure you clean your ears out though (with liquefied dark matter, of course), because quality will suffer if your ear-holes aren't sparkly clean.”