2. cables
  3. 1445807411

why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

I have tried expensive cables and one's moderately priced. I would say there were some differences but I can't actually say the expensive cables were better. IMHO I believe a lot of people buy expensive cables because they don't actual trust their ears and are afraid of making a mistake. They figure the expensive cables are better for the fact they cost more. If you have a difference of opinion or share the same thoughts, I would like to hear about it.
taters

Showing 2 responses by wlutke

wlutke
744 posts
 
I buy and enjoy used components that hold their value for years. Key is buying from a mainstream manufacturer with a big (cult?) following, good support and longevity. For me that is ARC, VPI, Nordost and Vandersteen. In that light, cables are as much an investment as is an amp. Buying at half price I'm not going to loose much. The demand will always be there. Currently I'm running a tweaked VPI HW-19 MKIV/JMW with Ortofon Cadenza Bronze, ARC PH7, ARC REF3, Ayre V-5xe and Vandersteen 3A Sigs. They are strung together with Nordost Frey2 interconnects and a Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun SC's. An engaging system. Recently I was Blown Away by replacing the IC between the pre and main amps with a Nordost Tyr 2. That IC breathed a life and magic into my rig that is the Holy Grail we all hope for. It is without reservation the biggest leap in system satisfaction I have ever experienced. In addition to the Frey 2, I have lower priced cables around the house by Kimber, LAD, Audioquest and Zu. They can't touch the Frey 2 by a long shot. The Frey 2 can't touch the Tyr 2 by along shot. On a (much) lesser system all these cables sound a lot alike and I would not bother with more than a very basic entry cable by Audioquest. It's not worth it.
wlutke
744 posts
 
If I can hear a big difference and can truly afford it, it's worth it.
If I can't hear much of a difference or can't afford it, it's not worth it.
Is it a good value? Never. That is the nature of Luxury.
I think no-one here is saying luxury cables are value packed. We're saying that in Our system to Our ears there is a big difference, or not.
Some refuse to allow that written-in-stone, logic-based assumptions could be derailed by audio reality. And that's a shame because it is one of the biggest handicaps you can have in this crazy hobby/obsession. Some things that shouldn't work really do matter. The flip side of that is being a sucker. The snake oil is out there and it flies in the face of logic too. The smart audiophile uses his ears and concludes what is right or wrong for His system. None of this is new information. We all know it. What this thread is really about is pride and trash talk. No-one can prove anything.
More to discover