The obsession on cables is mainly due to the fact that they are parts on which people with very limited electronic skills can "diy".
Cable is not he "last filter" .. nor the "first" either because it´s either fed some signal or passes some to a transducer.
That to begin with.
And yes, it may be considered the first filter (after source that is) or the last (before speaker that is) and it´s being compared to the myriad other elements in the path , so far it´s acceptable.
What is not acceptable is that because of its position in the chain it is the most important filter to which all others lose or plain not have importance, that´s nonsense.
The factor to consider is that it´s the element with the LEAST nonlinearity/distortion/frequency loss/whatever, BY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE, so spending extra money to "improve" it instead of other elements who do matter 1000 times more becomes FUTILE and a WASTE of money, time and effort.
One problem is that many real improvements elsewhere often are complex, mysterious (to the uninitiated) or apparently obscure, while a piece of copper wire wrapped in some kind of insulator fits inside the mind of the noobest noob.
You explain them the internal architecture of an advanced Op Amp or the resonance modes of a cartridge arm and you get a "deer in the headlights" look, now you tell them "this cable is 1000 times better because copper is same as used in missile ablation cones and rubber/cloth insulation is same as in Moon suits at the Smithsonian" and you see the little wheels in his mind clicking ... "THAT I understand!!!"
Will this improve sound in any meaningful way?
Maybe ... if you use sensitive millivoltneters, an RLC bridge, a standing wave reflection meter, etc.
"Audibly?" ...... not much .... (being very polite)
That to begin with.
And yes, it may be considered the first filter (after source that is) or the last (before speaker that is) and it´s being compared to the myriad other elements in the path , so far it´s acceptable.
What is not acceptable is that because of its position in the chain it is the most important filter to which all others lose or plain not have importance, that´s nonsense.
The factor to consider is that it´s the element with the LEAST nonlinearity/distortion/frequency loss/whatever, BY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE, so spending extra money to "improve" it instead of other elements who do matter 1000 times more becomes FUTILE and a WASTE of money, time and effort.
One problem is that many real improvements elsewhere often are complex, mysterious (to the uninitiated) or apparently obscure, while a piece of copper wire wrapped in some kind of insulator fits inside the mind of the noobest noob.
You explain them the internal architecture of an advanced Op Amp or the resonance modes of a cartridge arm and you get a "deer in the headlights" look, now you tell them "this cable is 1000 times better because copper is same as used in missile ablation cones and rubber/cloth insulation is same as in Moon suits at the Smithsonian" and you see the little wheels in his mind clicking ... "THAT I understand!!!"
Will this improve sound in any meaningful way?
Maybe ... if you use sensitive millivoltneters, an RLC bridge, a standing wave reflection meter, etc.
"Audibly?" ...... not much .... (being very polite)
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Sorry but sound cannot be measured, so both are a paradox (being the audibility of a person belonging to he/she, so any interpretation of anyone's else feeling is...superficial9
The speaker cable is the 'first filter' to know about because if the final speaker cable don't sound right the system will never sound right. The good part is that cables don't need to be expensive or have huge amounts of copper or other metals. What cables do need is suitable electrical values which means relatively lowish inductance/highish capacitance, and fig8 lamp cord/speaker cable with characteristic impedance of around 100Rish fits the bill well enough. The variables of cheap hardware shop twin lamp cord are conductor material/platings and insulation composition including pigments/colourants which have efffect on dielectric properties. So bulk/lumped LCR values of lamp cord are close enough, the choice comes down to preference in sound of dielectrics....white, grey, brown, black etc, take a listen and take your pick, it's not difficult and at $2/metre IMHO it is very much worth the comparisons experiment despite the usual clueless theoretical arguments to the contrary.
Dan.
Dan.
Those jerks can hear things about digital link cables.
With reviews using wordings, like wine expert testers.
No doubt, copper quality does things about bit flavors.😀
With reviews using wordings, like wine expert testers.
No doubt, copper quality does things about bit flavors.😀
I have read quite a few articles on DIY speaker cables that look like a dogs dinner made by enthusiasts with no hand/eye coordination whatsoever.
Now I know who it was in Belden who scatters random CAPITALS through his writing, thus making it hard to read and thus hard to critique. It is unclear to me whether he is confused, or just trying to create FUD. Best ignored.
Yes, everyone is able to exchange a power cord or a speaker cable. No special knowledge or critical thinking needed.
on a good system costing like 25 thousands , well a 250 speaker cables is alright... it is all relative.
The bottom point: you don't listen to speakers cables.
Another point, a change of a single inductor in the XO from a 5% tolerance to a 1% tolerance value has 100X more influence on the sound.
Same thing for 'hifi' parts, yes they could perform 1% better, but if the circuit is far from optimal to get the best out of the devices, it is money wasted.
It is very obvious that all speakers cables have one big flaw: the connection is pressure only, it is not soldered. Well, this introduces THD and noise and high frequency harmonics.
If you want the best cables, take a twisted 4 cables and provide some solder points. this should be audible. Same with volume control, the best ones are not 'resistors ladders' etc, it doesn't matter, what is important is to have a good contact force and less RF pick up, well, the best for that are simple carbon industrial pots. The carbon trace resistance reduces RF parasitics by constantly opposing a resistance, it is in one part, not many antennas, and it has a good contact strength.
Gold and silver switches contact are the worst, I have both silver high pressure rotary switches with resistor ladders and gold contact rotary switches, I find that a bourne 3$ carbon pot is better by far.
The bottom point: you don't listen to speakers cables.
Another point, a change of a single inductor in the XO from a 5% tolerance to a 1% tolerance value has 100X more influence on the sound.
Same thing for 'hifi' parts, yes they could perform 1% better, but if the circuit is far from optimal to get the best out of the devices, it is money wasted.
It is very obvious that all speakers cables have one big flaw: the connection is pressure only, it is not soldered. Well, this introduces THD and noise and high frequency harmonics.
If you want the best cables, take a twisted 4 cables and provide some solder points. this should be audible. Same with volume control, the best ones are not 'resistors ladders' etc, it doesn't matter, what is important is to have a good contact force and less RF pick up, well, the best for that are simple carbon industrial pots. The carbon trace resistance reduces RF parasitics by constantly opposing a resistance, it is in one part, not many antennas, and it has a good contact strength.
Gold and silver switches contact are the worst, I have both silver high pressure rotary switches with resistor ladders and gold contact rotary switches, I find that a bourne 3$ carbon pot is better by far.
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And don't forget:
- high grade
- studio grade
- audiophile grade
- professional grade
- high-end audio grade
- high-end professional grade
High grade = Suitable for listening to The Grateful Dead
Audiophile grade = Very expensive, cool name with at least one superlative or reference to astronomy
Professional grade = You can tow a truck with it
Studio grade = impossible for the bass player to swallow
Audiophile grade = Very expensive, cool name with at least one superlative or reference to astronomy
Professional grade = You can tow a truck with it
Studio grade = impossible for the bass player to swallow
Agreed, the most important aspect of the connection is mechanical integrity, pressure being near the top of the list with surface area
Seeing as this is a diy forum has anyone ever fully connected source,amp, and crossover/speaker without connectors (straight solder joints).....and does/would it make a difference?
Cables must be a good high margin biz - 20 of 64 pages in the Spring Audio Advisor catalog are devoted to cables!
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