Does raising speaker cables off the floor really make a big difference?

Writing something down does not make it true. Sound-stage is predominantly from large scale effects in the recording, the speakers (namely dispersion, smoothness of frequency response, and lack of significant phase irregularities), and how that interacts with the room.  Don't need to trust me on that, we know that sound-stages comes from directional / distance cues, and they are dominated by the currently loudest signals.


Very subtle things, 100db down, heck even 60-70db down from the signal have little impact on any perception of sound-stage. Anything that "collapses" the sound-stage is a gross significant change, and that is never going to come from cable elevators.  Far more likely is what prof alluded to.

Slew rate is defined by volume and bandwidth, as is complexity. No miracles there.

teo_audio1,292 posts12-18-2019 11:37am

You have to ask yourself, do you really think the sound stage, which is almost all a factor of recording and speaker/room interaction, would magically collapse due to some exceedingly low level interaction between a cable and the floor?

All the subtle information we look for with our ears, in a recording, is low in level..so yes..I would expect that the subtle and easy to disturb high slew rate impossibly intertwined micro signals involved in our limits of human resolution ..might benefit from some careful handling.

I don’t take sides, I run independent. You don’t have to be the fastest wildebeest on the Kalahari, just faster than the slowest one.

@mijosten, okay man, my mistake! By the way, my post was double-layered; I’m goofing on audiophilia, not cable risers themselves. I avoid the question altogether by having all my cords short enough that none CAN lay on the floor. They are suspended in air, the best dielectric.

Not a big deal, but not all audiophiles have endless funds, and they read forums like these to find out where to spend them. Most never post. Reading of forums far exceeds participation.

Wouldn't you rather people who are interested in audio have the best experience they can with the money they have?   Why do all these claims breaks down so quickly when eyes are removed from the equation?

michaelgreenaudio990 posts12-18-2019 12:34pm

I don't see what the big deal is on these types of topics. Some can hear it, some can't and some think this is a very important, and variable, part of the audio chain.

enough for everyone