How to A/B Test Power Cables & Interconnects?

@temporal_dissident; I suggest you do exactly what you stated at the beginning of your post with the five points you listed.

"Is there some more objective way to A/B test power cords and interconnects?"

 Although you will receive a number of different answers I'd say keep life simple and fun and enjoy the music as you make comparisons.

don't waste your time measuring cables it's all about the tone you like. from my experience some cables make a difference that i can hear and some don't. 
to my opinion the center of your quest should be your ears not some noise meter .you are centering on specs or measurements that really mean nothing to us unless we notice it with our ears. with your system it's a crime not to use proper cables and at that level they should be treated like components(they also cost like components). before you change a component you should think about what tonal change would you like?  what are you replacing and why? for example if you want a faster detailed sound or  to open the soundstage and all your rca's and speaker cables are copper maybe silver  cables are for you.how much warmth will you trade for speed?well..that's where the experiments should be .i advise not to spend a cent on ac solutions and power cables unless you hear a noise or problem that it will solve .there are many audiophiles that say that it has a bad effect on tone especially power conditioners.

I think this topic jumped the rails pretty quickly. My bad. Reading my original post, I realize this is my fault. I know enough to understand that the cable debate is a heated one and is very subjective. I understand that no one can tell me what is "best" for me or my system. 10-4. Got it. 

I think what I *meant* to ask was this...
What is the best way to test system quietness? Is it as easy as hitting "pause" on a source and then cranking all gain adjustments to the maximum setting? Would this allow me to amplify any noise in the system and possibly measure it with a decibel meter? 

Seems like a potentially interesting experiment, but I wanted to ask before I did this. 

That's it. I will now duck under my desk and await your replies!

I think the best way to A/B power cables is to first ask yourself, have I spent at least $3,000 - $5,000 on acoustic room treatments, and I would even go to $10,000.  If your answer is no, then worrying about your cables is a waste of time ... it is not the roadblock to the best sound. 

That out of the way, unless you can get a friend to swap them for you without telling you which is which, it is unlikely you will subjectively test your cables and come to an accurate conclusion, even about your own likes.  Ya, sure, tons of people here will disagree with me, but if you don't believe me, go to an audio show, go to all the rooms and listen, don't ask how much anything costs, don't even look too closely at the equipment, and write down your impressions. Listen closely to the music, IGNORE the sales person trying to plant thoughts in your head. Then compare your notes to the "audiophile" press. Almost without fail, they will wax eloquently about the most expensive systems .... you know $200,000K of fancy equipment in the equivalent of your mom's basement .... hard walls (and in hotels usually cement ceilings), little to no room treatment, maybe even some strange shaped rooms. I don't care how good your equipment is, if the room is poor, the result will be poor. Perhaps not Bose poor, but a properly treated room for 1/10th the price can easily sound better (and often does).

Some of the cable guys are pretty smart. They will put a ton of work into the acoustics of the room .... and it will sound really good. They will say it is their cables ... it is not. 

It is your money though. Do you want sound or jewelry?

I think the "aholer" in this thread is painfully obvious.


millercarbon1,805 posts10-01-2019 9:34pmWouldn't it be a whole lot more honest if people like aholer would just come out and state clearly up front whether or not they are capable of hearing? Instead of hiding behind what someone else says, take responsibility. If you hear it, say so. If you don't, admit it.

Why the dishonesty?