Why Do Cables Matter?


To me, all you need is low L, C, and R. I run Mogami W3104 bi-wire from my McIntosh MAC7200 to my Martin Logan Theos. We all know that a chain is only as strong as its' weakest link - so I am honestly confused by all this cable discussion. 

What kind of wiring goes from the transistor or tube to the amplifier speaker binding post inside the amplifier? It is usually plain old 16 ga or 14 ga copper. Then we are supposed to install 5 - 10' or so of wallet-emptying, pipe-sized pure CU or AG with "special configurations" to the speaker terminals?

What kind of wiring is inside the speaker from the terminals to the crossover, and from the crossover to the drivers? Usually plain old 16 ga or 14 ga copper.

So you have "weak links" inside the amplifier, and inside the speaker, so why bother with mega expensive cabling between the two? It doesn't make logical sense to me. It makes more sense to match the quality of your speaker wires with the existing wires in the signal path [inside the amplifier and inside the speaker].

 

 

kinarow1

94-0

another grenade thrown into a contentious subject, by an OP (in this case, that has 1 original post and 3 responses...since 2017), and then runs from the battlefield...laughing from afar 

It was NEVER my intent to throw a grenade in. And I do visit Audiogon occasionally ... mainly looking to buy. I normally do NOT go to the forums. And I am not laughing.

I read equipment reviews - as I'm sure most on here do - and the reviews usually have photos that show the "innards" of the equipment - and from the photos, the wiring inside amps and speakers looks pretty ordinary and routine [certainly nothing special]. 

If you have cheap or routine wiring coming off, say a transistor collector to an amplifier binding post INSIDE THE AMPLIFIER, and if this [because it is cheap wire] degrades or chokes the signal, kills any soundstage or imaging or clarity or whatever, and THEN you add very "good wiring" from the exterior amp binding post to the speaker binding post, how can the "good wiring" improve desirable characteristics at that point BECAUSE the cheap wiring INSIDE THE AMPLIFIER has already "damaged or degraded" the signal, and I don't understand or see how "good wiring" from that point forward can "recover or fix" the signal - a signal that has already been compromised by the use of cheap wiring. I don't believe "good wiring" can fix or improve any signal. But instead, it may make readily apparent the shortcomings of a poor signal. That was the point I was trying to make.

I agree in all likelihood #10 speaker wire will sound better than #18 speaker wire - for a host of demonstrable engineering explanations. But I don't think ANY speaker wire can fix or improve a signal that been compromised by the use of inferior wire upstream of the signal. And from the equipment review photos I look at, MOST of this wiring inside equipment seems to be pretty routine.

 

 

 

 

Welcome back. I get it now, "Why Do Cables Matter?" was a rhetorical question.

@kinarow1

Problem is you haven’t ‘learned’ to listen.., Lol. Forget that common sense and science S..T, you’ll feel much better ‘fact-less’ and broke.
Cheers