Why Do Cables Matter?

@knownothing You know the old saying:

@knownothing I hear you and understand what you are saying but no one who doesn't believe in very expensive cables advocates using poor or "leaky" cables. I use Kimber cables for speakers, AC and Canare star quad for interconnects definitely better than the average recording studio. I was the first person to ever be fully digital in my location recording system one of the reasons why it was so effective was because I bypassed cables all together being digital and wireless gave me exact signal continuity and I didn't have to worry about cables always causing a crackle or a hum at exactly the wrong time. I've thought a lot about cables in my career. I've been trying to understand why so many people are willing to spend so much money on cables, when no studio does, easy question really, 0 answers but plenty of attacking me and not the arguments. Best

Well….  
 

Try it or remain ignorant as most people with opinions. 

Make sure you get authenticate cables. 
There are a lot of fakes out there at cheap prices. 
 

In USA you can buy and return (30 days) from audio advisor. Try their Pangea cables made from Cardas copper.

Or borrow cables from the cable company.

They charge a small fee and have a wide variety of cables to borrow for audition.

So it’s no risk or little risk if you want the real answer. 

Good luck!

@donavabdear 

Have you ever been involved in a blind test comparing an array of, say, digital cables of different price points and quality rotated in a decent (not even SOTA) home sound system in a purpose built listening room and comparing across the same music tracks?  Or with headphones and a decent headphone amplifier and source gear?  Because, if you have done this, and you maintain that there is little to be gained in the sound quality coming out of your speakers (or should I more accurately say, much less being lost) by listening random through the price scale for offerings from reputable brands like say Nordost or Chord, then I can only surmise that you actually have tin ears.  Seriously, the differences between at least some cables can be quite astonishing, and will make you laugh out loud at what lesser cables are masking or leaving out of what’s actually in your recordings and present to be unlocked by the inherent capabilities of your powered equipment.

Frankly, the fact that you are stating you have a background in the recording industry and you cling this flat earth perspective on premium cables as a blanket accusation based on fundamentally misapplied principles and inept analogies without providing any evidence that you have actually done some serious blind testing with your own ears is really hard to understand or take seriously.  Sure, some expensive cables probably are lousy, overpriced or at least a bad match in some systems.  But when you get it right, it is really, really right and you will know it immediately. And you wont want to go back again.

Good luck,

kn

PS - Kimber is generally good stuff.  And they publish their cable specs, which I respect.

@donavabdear 

PS#2 - nice system and room by the way.

kn