Do Costly XLR Cables Make A Difference?


Serious question here. I currently own a rather good XLR cable that goes between the amp and DAC. I’m considering a better XLR cable to improve things, basically all the good aspects of sound reproduction such as deeper and more defined bass, better separation and detail across the frequency spectrum and an airier and more 3-dimensional sound in the midrange and treble. Will a different XLR cable supposedly one that’s costlier bring me to that direction?

My current XLR cable costs about $2k actual price paid.

I’m looking at an alternative pair up to about $2k perhaps $3k tops if it is proven that the cable is able to bring a noticeable or worthwhile if not significant difference. I am actually looking at the Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 and Gold Eclipse 8 XLR.

Any experience would be appreciated. 

 

ryder

Try Vogue Audio pure Silver Cable's, they're inexpensive and very good quality cable's.  They are my go to online store for XLR Interconnects, Power, and Speaker Cables, oh yea, RCA Interconnects. 

“…for dedicated audiophiles who sometimes change their equipment, it is good to treat a selection of cables as tools in a tool kit for final tuning.”

@jjss49 

I agree, and with the rest of your post too.  
The cables need not be expensive but it helps if they are different and bring their own unique strengths.  For example, I keep SCs by Harmonic Tech (lots of OCC copper, fine gauge solid core, and individually insulated), Furutech (super fine strands of OCC copper in foamed PE), and NOS WE (annealed, tinned, stranded copper), and a few others that all result in a subtly different sound.  Same type of deal with PCs and ICs.

I recently switched from Audience Front Row XLR cables (between my Audio Research CD9 DAC and my Hegel H390 integrated amp) to Snake River Audio XLR cables. The SR's are cheaper than the Front Rows, but there was a nice gain in sonics - more dimensionality, better clarity of images, better audibility of air both in front of and behind the images

I’ve heard plenty of difference in single ended cables, both good and bad. I’ve never heard any difference between balanced (xlr) cables in my system. 

som

33 posts

I’ve heard plenty of difference in single ended cables, both good and bad. I’ve never heard any difference between balanced (xlr) cables in my system.

less difference with xlr compared to rca, but it is definitely there

that said, i can definitely see how for many folks’ systems the difference is negligible