Moved Audio Quest cable to my DAC. WOW

@richtruss

It’s a curse having an electrical engineering background. It holds you back from getting a great sounding system. You think too much about things, using that hard-learned logic to persuade yourself that things can’t possibly work. I was similarly afflicted, but have now learned to listen first, then having decided if the difference is there, and is tangible and worthwhile, then use that engineering background to work out what’s going on - how can that work? You have to think outside the box too.

I have a much better sounding system now, and better understanding of what matters.

the awkward middle ground, the 'never-ever land', related to this discussion is the (fair and scientifically well established) argument that when our minds are very strong, and can affect our senses and our perceptions, so sometimes if we are not careful we hear what we want to hear

so if we are not rigorous and careful in how we evaluate a system change, we can and will fall into this trap of sorts -- i think this is an important factor that many in the industry take advantage of, when it comes to selling 'improvements' 

@vanson1 

What AQ cable are we talking about here? And what DAC are we talking about? And what streamer are we talking about?

Hi Mr Curious

AQ cable is  1 meter length,  Don't remember the model but cost about $150 . Again middle of the line is my method. DAC is a D90SE. 

My comment was concentrated on power cables and not type of equipment. 

Everyone has their favorite brands and preferences and I don't want to go there.

It’s a curse having an electrical engineering background.

I thank my Dad for having a real HiFi in the 50’s rather than some piece of furniture w a radio. Lenco transcription turntable, Bogen tube amp and a University CoAx in a box bigger than I was.

And a Mom who sang and played piano.

And as military brat, I got to hear lots of live, unamplified music in parades and concerts.

The Bogen had playback curve selector to match the label. Finding the best sound for the label was my first tweaking experience, about age 5 😎

I knew great sound long before I was an engineer.

Good engineering requires verification and replication. All too often ’improvements’ have untested secondary causes. Or specific to a particular instance.

ieales

Lack of rigor and confirmation bias accounts for most of what the untrained hear

It seems there’s no shortage today of those who want to tell us what we see and hear. Politicians have become its most recent practitioners, literally telling us to heed them above all else.

I simply don’t believe that more than half of what I see and hear is illusion. That doesn’t mean we aren’t all vulnerable to illusion because, of course, we all are. But to believe we should dismiss more than half our observations about the world we live in is absurd.