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

I recently ordered high end speaker, power amp, and preamp to be installed in couple more weeks. So the next search are interconnect and speaker cable. After challenging the dealer and 3 of my so called audiophile friends, I think the only reason I would buy expensive cable is for its appearance to match with the high end gears but not for sound performance. I personally found out that $5K cable vs $10 cable are no difference, at least not to our ears. Prior to this, I was totally believe that cable makes a difference but not after this and reading few articles online.

Here is how I found out.

After the purchase of my system, I went to another dealer to ask for cable opinion (because the original dealer doesn't carry the brand I want) and once I told him my gears, he suggested me the high end expensive cable ranging from $5 - 10K pair, depending on length. He also suggested the minimum length must be 8-12ft. If longer than 12ft, I should upgrade to even more expensive series. So I challenged him that if he can show me the difference, I would purchase all 7 AQ Redwood cables from him.

It's a blind test and I would connect 3 different cables - 1 is the Audioquest Redwood, 1 is Cardas Audio Clear, and 1 my own generic 14AWG about 7ft. Same gears, same source, same song..... he started saying the first cable sound much better, wide, deep, bla...bla...bla......and second is decently good...bla...bla...bla.. and the last one sounded crappy and bla...bla...bla... BUT THE REALITY, I NEVER CHANGED THE CABLE, its the same 14AWG cable. I didn't disclosed and move on to second test. I told him I connected audioquest redwood but actually 14AWG and he started to praise the sound quality and next one I am connected the 14awg but actually is Redwood and he started to give negative comment. WOW!!!! Just blew me right off.

I did the same test with 3 of my audiophile friends and they all have difference inputs but no one really got it right. Especially the part where I use same generic 14awg cable and they all start to give different feedback!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?
sautan904

Showing 4 responses by folkfreak

folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@dynaquest4 I suspect it is your use of the term "rubber feet" when the Sort Fut is aluminium, bronze and ceramic with no rubber at all -- implying you have done no research and have no real interest nor belief in the value of vibration control

I’ve never tried this particular footer but I will note that my preferred footers (Marigo F8) are even more tweaky in their design, and cost a little more as well I think ...
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
Seems some doctors at least least are convinced of the merit of upgrading the power cords to their medical equipment 😏

http://www.shunyata.com/index.php/news/331-noise-reduction-in-medical-procedures



folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
It continues to astound me how naive the economic logic is in this discussion. Since when does cost of goods have any real bearing on what the price of a cable is? Any rational cable manufacturer would seek to price the cable to value derived and keep a price ladder across their range. So if the top end cables which give that last bit of performance to a $500k system are worth $50k to the purchaser then that is is what you should charge. Sure another competitor can try and undercut but frankly at this end of the market you're not selling on price but on value (real and/or perceived). Having spent my career prIcing pharmaceuticals this is a logic the whole industry is based on (which causes its own problems but at least no one can claim they're suffering because of being denied the latest cables😄)
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
My dear @dynaquest4 may I assay an attempt to make a case for "expensive" cables while working within the logical framework you ascribe to

If we accept that fancy cables are nothing other than tone controls (I don't believe this btw) then it still may be a sensible value proposition for someone with say a $500K system to drop $5K on such a cable if they want to tailor/change the sound of their system in some way while minimizing any negative affects on other aspects of the system performance (as the introduction of an active tone control would surely do).  In that context $5K may be a very cost effective and high value way of tailoring the sound in a way you want. In fact many cable manufacturers (e.g. Synergistic with their bullets, MIT with their adjustments etc) provide tools to do just this as part of the cable design.

The audiophile with a $500K system will already have worked on the room and all the other things you discuss so a cable change is often one of the best ways of adjusting the sound if needed. Achieving the same changes via swapping the speakers or amps would cost much more, and you may well like other things the amps and speakers do just as well and not want to change them

Presumably you have no problem thinking that their are differences between different $100K speakers and that audiophiles may have a preference for one over another -- why not allow us to see value in doing the same with cables as well

Finally if you accept this logic then it works in reverse -- you could just as well select the cables first and then build the mix of active components around them to suit ... 😏
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