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A Couple Little Things I'm Wondering About

Two quick questions for anyone with any experience with either topic.

1. Why do some folks with usually higher end systems use those cable lifters to keep the cable elevated? What are they intended to do? If you use them, what do they do for you please? And if you know do they make sense from a purely technical standpoint? 

2. I bought a bunch of those gold plated caps to cover all the unused RCA jacks on the back of my AVR. I believe they are intended to keep noise down. If you use these, please comment on them. Do you think they do what they're supposed to do, and/or do they make sense from a purely technical standpoint?

Thanks!
jcolespeedway
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
facten
To each his own experience and YMMV. I was skeptical about cable elevators but decided what the hell give them a try . I have found they make a difference whether the cables are on wood floors or carpet. The benefit in my 2 systems was apparent right away . I'll +1 millercarbon on these statements he made. 

" Greatly improve sound quality. I've done demo's. Its easy to hear "
" Improve clarity, detail, soundstage depth, and focus "


Thanks. Unfortunately as you can see those of us actually willing to try and listen are outnumbered and insulted for the crime of being audiophiles with the audacity to LISTEN and CARE what things sound like.

They have driven off a number of highly accomplished audiophiles. We got rid of one, and a big one, so that's a start. This site needs a total house cleaning. Appreciate any and all help. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,656 posts
 
I vote big shot MC to be the first to go then. 
denverfred's avatar
denverfred
252 posts
 
Let me get this right. So now we can’t hear any of the noise created by our gear, wires, home circuitry, carpets or jittery sources when we play music loudly? That’s when we hear it the most! If the S/N ratio is 60db (below normal conversation) you can’t hear it? Yeah, that’s about as sophisticated as we thought back in 1975 when an AR turntable seemed quiet.
Is this supposed to be a zero-sum game where you either hear it or you don’t?
Noise is not a separate track to be measured and heard at the same time as the desired signal. The noise is part of the signal riding in its entrails like the Coronavirus, infecting and inflaming and generally causing mayhem to our systems.

My doc says my sore shoulder should respond to anti-inflammatories, so I take one . . . and I massage the sucker . . . and I apply heat . . . and I exercise it . . . and I do anything I can to relieve the inflammation regardless of whether or not I can identify the aspirin, heat, or massage as affecting a particular muscle. It’s better!
Apply some anti-inflammatories to your system and then turn it up and enjoy what you have wrought.

Skepticism is the opiate of the closet misanthropist—who expresses his derision for others’ findings/opinions by claiming his own are based upon ‘science’ but then refusing to provide the numbers proving cable elevators to be snake oil.
dannad
152 posts
 
If you think that constantly tweaking and using things like cable elevators makes you an artist and not a measurebator as per Ken, then I don't think you understand what he was trying to communicate. Of course, the fact he was talking about creation as opposed to recreation really makes your point rather moot. I will guarantee you that when he prints a photo, or uses a monitor for review, he expects dead accurate color reproduction and would not take to kindly to a print shop deciding his choice of color tone was wrong.


There are some honest audiophile, at least honest with themselves who admit they are not trying for reproduction accuracy, and hence most measurements really don't matter. 


When you get to elevators and RCA covers, we are no longer personal preference in sound not artistry, except as some have pointed out, the elevators can look nice.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
You don’t need science to tell you that an insulated wire laying on carpet will change the sound coming out of your speakers degrading the clarity, detail, soundstage depth, and focus is so nonsensical it’s laughable. All it takes is a bit of common sense. Do you elevate your lamp wires so it shines brighter? 
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