Tubes?
Personnally I don't think any normal cable could affect the signal to such an extent that it affected imaging. But I am interested in other opinions or data.
Tubes? What does that mean? I find tubes offer a far great sound stage with depth and dimension that solid state can not do, except a handful of exceptional amplifiers/preamplifiers and these are not quite the equal of the finest tube designs, IMO. They just seem to be "more real" in their overall reproduction of music in my system and other great systems that I have heard. They allow the emotion of music to be enjoyed with less effort on my part. Less listening fatigue and more enjoyment. I don't have to think about the music as much as it is more involving.
Soild state has more impact in the lowest frequencies, but the rest of the music range leaves me wanting. I have only heard a handful of great solid state designs in the past 25 years that I felt served the music in a complimentary way.
As far as the cables not affecting the imaging, it is obvious that the frequency response variances are minuscule at best. There are obviously more that is happening to the signal than frequency response issues.
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Cables are simple, passive things. Unless they are built really badly (breaks in the conductor), or the wire is so thin that it can't handle the voltage, or the resistance, inductance etc values are off the chart (which implies really bad design and/or construction), they are unlikely to affect the sound they are transmitting.
Measure a decent cable's frequency response, THD etc and all you get is a flat audio spectrum and a noise floor that is effectively the noise of the measuring equipment. Thats as it should be otherwise you couldn't measure any target piece of equipment with a measuring device because the impact of the connecting cable would get in the way.
Its highly likely that if you've spent more than $2 per metre on cable you've been ripped off. Pity, since the money could have been spent on something more worthwhile.
Edit: However, induced audible hum on a cable is obviously real - that's why there is XLR cable. So, grounding issues are important in managing cable lengths and how they are set up for a given system.
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As I stated earlier, few people seriously listen to what cables sound like in their systems. They simply do not care. If it is cheap and the system works, it's all good. Carry on.............
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Hi,
Sure...
Capacitors, resistors, you name it. All passive stuff....
So, if it measures the same it should sound the same, right?
I wish that were true but why do my ears tell me different?
I don't think passive stuff is a passive as it seems. YMMV.
Cheers, 😉
Sure...
Capacitors, resistors, you name it. All passive stuff....
So, if it measures the same it should sound the same, right?
I wish that were true but why do my ears tell me different?
I don't think passive stuff is a passive as it seems. YMMV.
Cheers, 😉
i think Cables do make a Tiny Diffrence...for example...i used my Shelf Stereo System (Panasonic SC-AK330K) to get sound from my TV using the Auxillary Imput,when i first connected the Stereo to the TV i was using your ordinary no name brand 1.00$ Cable,when i changed the Cable to one with a Gold Plating the sound quality improved slightly,but noticeably...then i went a Step Further and Got a THX Rated Cable that cost 22 Bucks...the Sound Really Did improve quite a lot,(More Bass,Cleaner Sound).
overall i think the Cable does make a Diffrence,obviously you want to limit resistence and interference...but i really dont think you need to spend 100 Bucks for a Cable.
Furthermore id say what really matters in an Audio System is the Speakers...any problem there is going to be the most Noticeable.
overall i think the Cable does make a Diffrence,obviously you want to limit resistence and interference...but i really dont think you need to spend 100 Bucks for a Cable.
Furthermore id say what really matters in an Audio System is the Speakers...any problem there is going to be the most Noticeable.
It must simply boil down to the fact that some people simply do not care about the differences and how they affect their systems. Some do.
Hi,
We gave them transistors. Still they keep on measuring....😀
Seriously though, what you're saying is true, no doubt about it.
Cheers, 😉
We gave them transistors. Still they keep on measuring....😀
Seriously though, what you're saying is true, no doubt about it.
Cheers, 😉
The thing is they don't all measure the same so you shouldn't expect them to sound the same.
Member
Joined 2002
Pretty hard to get everything the same, it's mass produced so it has lower precision, unless you buy precise parts, but even those are not the same.
Absolutely. Thats where you get the greatest benefit for the marginal increase in cost, and where the money should go.
Member
Joined 2002
That's one of the places 🙂 however as you start tinkering with that, you will tinker with others and then well, your over your head in other projects and tinkering 🙂
Member
Joined 2002
Nothing wrong with that - after all this is the diyaudio forum .
Exactly why i signed up many many years ago.!
Cables do make a difference, but most setups are not able to reproduce the differences due to other factors like room acoustics, speakers, amplifiers, file format, the listener's hearing ability, etc. Although I would think that the "copper foil" cables that have a really thin layer of insulation between the +/- "wire" would create a nice capacitor more often than not. 🙂
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