Why Do Cables Matter?

@tonywinga ... Interconnects: I am using all XLRs so I cannot speak to single ended designs. When I upgraded my cable from preamp to amps the bass changed completely. I thought it was great before. Suddenly, the clarity was like crystal. What I thought was a kind of fuzz in some low bass guitar notes tightened up so that now I can hear the strings. It was a startling change.

And 3rd down on your list too. Some try it, some don’t - yet strive to debate it more. Hilarious posts by those debating something they’ve never actually tried before.

@jasonbourne71... "In use the AQ Silver Extremes sound fine! I am not so neurotic to lose sleep worrying if some other brand of interconnects sounds better!"

There you go, a nice cable that you like. That’s what matters most. Many have compared this cable to others since 2010 and like it too, and no lost sleep 👍

@audphile1 I’ll add as I’d missed in my first post here a critical element - speaker positioning and distance to listening chair. This is something that I continue to be amazed with how a slight change in speaker placement can break it or make it. This of course comes together with room acoustics right after your components and before cables.

A story -

A friend of mine was super particular about this. One time I brought him over to a 55-year audio dealer with the best AudioNote systems playing. This pair of AN speakers were corner positioned, rotated inward and crossed about 1.5 foot in front of the listening position. Something neither of us had ever tried before. We listened to some old Elvis and Beatles tracks. It was quite an engaging and enjoyable listening experience. One of those times you walk away perplexed and never forget.

Find a reputable and experienced audio dealer with a great listening room. Bring a few friends, and a few others with ears to do a real listening session for two hours.

Bring your highly praised and affordable Mogami interconnect cables people like to rave about for recording studios. Arrange to have some other good cables on hand.

Listen for at least an hour. Swap, listen again. Ask the group to report differences.

If you can’t hear a difference, live on with your cables, save $. Watch out for those who can hear a difference with a properly designed set of cables. They are not cheap.  

@ieales ^^^

The above is utterly pointless. Any deltas are specific to that system and room and unlikely to translate to an entirely different system.

There are plenty of expensive cables that are demonstrably designed to be ’tone controls’ and are by no means an improvement on any but a small subset of equipment.

Have you ever tried it? What were there results? "Unlikely" how, share more?

The same tests can be repeated at home too with similar results. Tests like these are pointless to those who’ve never tried it, or shared results in a group of peers.

Having worked for a speaker company, where blind listening tests were executed with groups of 30-50 university students in different room settings; The speakers were designed and developed with access to an isoberic chamber. Cables were swapped too. One could argue none of this translates either once the speakers are brought home for use. None of it was pointless. A lot can be learned in tests. Sure, one can argue all cables are passive tone controls, and poor designs impacting sound more than others.

@tonywinga ..I’m saying that generalizations about cables are inaccurate. Cables have progressed over the decades as much as any other stereo component,

Agree, 100%. Yes they have. Along with other cable providers, i.e, i’ve been testing and evaluating with Cardas Audio cables for 30+ years. Today’s designs, products, and results are different from 10, 20, 30 years ago. Anyone who’s tested them knows, like them or not, in any case they are different. Preference is a personal choice. Also similar exp with your comments on OCC, silver-over copper too.

@rodman99999 ...Some companies offer a 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee, so- those that are actually interested, have absolutely nothing to lose, by trying (experimenting with) such...

There. Eliminate the mystery, and 1000 questions. Just try it. Decide for yourself.

@donavabdear I’ve been trying to understand why so many people are willing to spend so much money on cables, when no studio does, easy question really,...

Easy question and easy answer, which has been answered for you, multiple times.

Either you fail to read carefully and try to comprehend, or simply don’t want to.

When someone has not tested something first-hand, no point trying to debate it.

A friend owns a recording/mastering studio - and does not short-change on cables.

Kinda sums it up. It’s all challenge based, not about helpful replies and guidance. Home audio and pro audio involve different camps and cables, with different designs and functions for different reasons. No debate there.

@donavabdear ... "To me cables are like plumbing they should only get noticed if there is a problem."...

@donavabdear ... "believe me I challenge people at my church about theology and they give me the same upsetting responses I get in this forum strange that the reactions are so parallel."...

Pay little attention to those who rant and yet cannot share which brands/models of  higher end design cables they've actually tried or owned in a worthy system.