Hi all,
anybody familiar with these cables ? Looks fancy however based on description I don't know if unshielded is a good idea (I know XLRs are rejecting common noise due to polarity swap at the receiver side but still...) .. however litz wire is a good thing .. so .. not sure. Just asking, what you think..
Facemelters – Dyson Audio Interconnections
anybody familiar with these cables ? Looks fancy however based on description I don't know if unshielded is a good idea (I know XLRs are rejecting common noise due to polarity swap at the receiver side but still...) .. however litz wire is a good thing .. so .. not sure. Just asking, what you think..
Facemelters – Dyson Audio Interconnections
I work on my design with metal Neutrix XLR connectors. I think they're a good brand, still affordable and last long.
But the cables.. yeah. Full DIY ? Cardas ? Something else? Just google'd a little bit around and stumbled upon these. I think the same about these transparent ones (snake oil), I was rather curious if ANYBODY believes in them at all or if there's something rational argument behind these (apart from looking awesome, at least this kind of transparent insulation is OMG..
love it.. but it makes no sense when the inside is really questionable). 
Anyway, I don't care about visuals regarding cables so I'll stick to some normal, good-old design. Thank you Gentlemen, great community..
have a nice Sunday 
But the cables.. yeah. Full DIY ? Cardas ? Something else? Just google'd a little bit around and stumbled upon these. I think the same about these transparent ones (snake oil), I was rather curious if ANYBODY believes in them at all or if there's something rational argument behind these (apart from looking awesome, at least this kind of transparent insulation is OMG..
love it.. but it makes no sense when the inside is really questionable). Anyway, I don't care about visuals regarding cables so I'll stick to some normal, good-old design. Thank you Gentlemen, great community..
have a nice Sunday
Rational from whose perspective?
The answer is a resounding NO across the board from anyone with an advanced engineering background or notable related credentials and no financial stake in an audio business.
Do the math... what does that tell you?
People can make just about anything *sound* reasonable if they work at it:
https://www.mercerislandschools.org...ty/Domain/640/A Modest Proposal full text.pdf
If you would like visually appealing you can try the 1800F Belden I suggested with Tech-Flex or other kind of protective jacket. At least that will be in the name of durability. From a cost perspective you won’t beat monoprice cables though.
It’s ok to like things that look nice. Just don’t convince yourself to believe the hype to justify the expenditure.
There’s plenty on this topic covered elsewhere which you’ve likely already scanned, but didn’t want to accept.... which I can understand and empathize with.
My brief synopsis on all that spilled ink: life is precious and you already know the answer.
If I could go back in time and redirect my own trajectory and use of $$$$, I’d tell myself this:
90% concern with loudspeakers / headphones and DSP / Room Eq. After loudspeaker is selected, get or build a power amplifier specifically to fit the needs of the loudspeaker. (I consider amplifiers part of loudspeakers)
9.99999% concern with sources (a turntable, making a music server, etc. not obsessing over DACs) and preamp
0.00001% concern with cables and miscellaneous
Learn from those who have already made the mistakes for you. You don’t need any engineering background at all to realize the value in that.
The answer is a resounding NO across the board from anyone with an advanced engineering background or notable related credentials and no financial stake in an audio business.
Do the math... what does that tell you?
People can make just about anything *sound* reasonable if they work at it:
https://www.mercerislandschools.org...ty/Domain/640/A Modest Proposal full text.pdf
If you would like visually appealing you can try the 1800F Belden I suggested with Tech-Flex or other kind of protective jacket. At least that will be in the name of durability. From a cost perspective you won’t beat monoprice cables though.
It’s ok to like things that look nice. Just don’t convince yourself to believe the hype to justify the expenditure.
There’s plenty on this topic covered elsewhere which you’ve likely already scanned, but didn’t want to accept.... which I can understand and empathize with.
My brief synopsis on all that spilled ink: life is precious and you already know the answer.
If I could go back in time and redirect my own trajectory and use of $$$$, I’d tell myself this:
90% concern with loudspeakers / headphones and DSP / Room Eq. After loudspeaker is selected, get or build a power amplifier specifically to fit the needs of the loudspeaker. (I consider amplifiers part of loudspeakers)
9.99999% concern with sources (a turntable, making a music server, etc. not obsessing over DACs) and preamp
0.00001% concern with cables and miscellaneous
Learn from those who have already made the mistakes for you. You don’t need any engineering background at all to realize the value in that.
Although I found the facemelters great looking, I'm not really into cable design. It should be technically, from an engineering point of view perfect for the job, which might also been a bit over-discussed (which cable is perfect and which one isn't).. but in general I agree, cable comes last, at least when the ones we begin with is technically a good one. I'll take some 'cheap' voodoo-free XLRs for line level and it will be ok at first. Half year later when everything else is set up and grown together 'perfectly' I might think about another XLRs (just like many ppl in the audio world) but not now.
I was just really interested, these Facemelters look amazing, I mean they are high above my 'who cares' treshold and wanted to know if such a weird design comes with any compromises or not. I was like 'hmm.. I smell snake oil, let's ask the DIY guys' - for me this forum and community represents people with a more realistic mindset than those in my real-life area who only know brands, models and the openness of soundstage, transparency, etc etc bla bla, the usual 'let's describe audiophile listening experience'.
(Which is impossible I think.. that's why I don't like hifi magazine reviews too).
Anyway, let's hope some China guys will one day do snake-oil-free plain normal affordable cables according to 'original specs' but with transparent outer insulation. Black is boring but I believe in outer shield..
But I really don't care .. it's the last thing on the 'nice to have' list. I should progress with my amp boxes now.. *sigh* Time, time, time..
Have a nice day all..
I was just really interested, these Facemelters look amazing, I mean they are high above my 'who cares' treshold and wanted to know if such a weird design comes with any compromises or not. I was like 'hmm.. I smell snake oil, let's ask the DIY guys' - for me this forum and community represents people with a more realistic mindset than those in my real-life area who only know brands, models and the openness of soundstage, transparency, etc etc bla bla, the usual 'let's describe audiophile listening experience'.
(Which is impossible I think.. that's why I don't like hifi magazine reviews too). Anyway, let's hope some China guys will one day do snake-oil-free plain normal affordable cables according to 'original specs' but with transparent outer insulation. Black is boring but I believe in outer shield..
But I really don't care .. it's the last thing on the 'nice to have' list. I should progress with my amp boxes now.. *sigh* Time, time, time..
Have a nice day all..
They aren’t clear because if it was a proper designed cable all you would see is the shield or Teflon insulation, which isn’t attractive or appealing. Also UV light is a serious issue.
To quote SY:
Like I said, just get a cloth or tech-flex jacket in whatever color you choose.
Like so: ten bucks: Amazon.com: XLR Cable Male to Female Braided Microphone Cable -15 Feet: MP3 Players & Accessories
Or make your own.
I’ll repeat what I’ve said before in a different way: if you spend more than $30 on a commercially made cable you are being misled, don’t understand the science and are throwing money in the trash.
If you don’t believe me, perhaps you will review various threads here in which cable measurements were done on the most sophisticated and expensive analyzers currently produced
To quote SY:
Like I said, just get a cloth or tech-flex jacket in whatever color you choose.
Like so: ten bucks: Amazon.com: XLR Cable Male to Female Braided Microphone Cable -15 Feet: MP3 Players & Accessories
Or make your own.
I’ll repeat what I’ve said before in a different way: if you spend more than $30 on a commercially made cable you are being misled, don’t understand the science and are throwing money in the trash.
If you don’t believe me, perhaps you will review various threads here in which cable measurements were done on the most sophisticated and expensive analyzers currently produced
Dyson Audio Facemelters (cables) 😊
This is patently false.
Ask someone who is actually employed in designing low noise equipment for military or aerospace or some other critical application and ask them what they feel is technically, from an engineering point of view perfect for the job for an XLR cable.
You may be surprised by the responses you receive.
Audio has no special complexity. These applications are much more demanding and complex than audio.
There’s no french braided cables to be found period.
Cables like Belden already have various braided shields or precisely wound conductors to give optimal results in their specific application with accuracy some guy with a squarespace site and a soldering iron can’t even dream of.
It’s bunk, get over it. I’ll go ahead and say it: There’s absolutely zero scientifically peer reviewed data suggesting the claims of audibility of the Facemelters are any different from infomercial fortune tellers claiming vast insights into your past lives on public access television in the dust belt.
There’s plenty of evidence to be found across the site if you know who is worth listening to and who is pushing marketing objectives (Yes, those who have boutique cable companies like that come to places like this and sign up anonymously under various usernames to defend their financial interests and sow dissent, confusion and ambiguity.)
And no, I have nothing to sell. And yes, even in late-stage Capitalism there’s still altruism in some far reaches of the galaxy..
This is patently false.
Ask someone who is actually employed in designing low noise equipment for military or aerospace or some other critical application and ask them what they feel is technically, from an engineering point of view perfect for the job for an XLR cable.
You may be surprised by the responses you receive.
Audio has no special complexity. These applications are much more demanding and complex than audio.
There’s no french braided cables to be found period.
Cables like Belden already have various braided shields or precisely wound conductors to give optimal results in their specific application with accuracy some guy with a squarespace site and a soldering iron can’t even dream of.
It’s bunk, get over it. I’ll go ahead and say it: There’s absolutely zero scientifically peer reviewed data suggesting the claims of audibility of the Facemelters are any different from infomercial fortune tellers claiming vast insights into your past lives on public access television in the dust belt.
There’s plenty of evidence to be found across the site if you know who is worth listening to and who is pushing marketing objectives (Yes, those who have boutique cable companies like that come to places like this and sign up anonymously under various usernames to defend their financial interests and sow dissent, confusion and ambiguity.)
And no, I have nothing to sell. And yes, even in late-stage Capitalism there’s still altruism in some far reaches of the galaxy..
Last edited:
On the "appearance" of cables...do you set up your system with the backs of the components facing out into the listening room? That would seem to make source selection and volume adjustments cumbersome. In my system and every other I have used or seen the cables are not visible so their appearance would seem to not be worth spending a lot of money on. I suppose you could configure and island arrangement or mount a mirror behind the component stack to facilitate observation of cable aesthetics.
Hmmm...I sense a whole new category of high end equipment to be mined. CableView! Looking at your beautiful high end cables while listening to your system improves PRAT by up to 7.3%! The CableView Mirror Backplane is available in rack width starting at $1999!!
Hmmm...I sense a whole new category of high end equipment to be mined. CableView! Looking at your beautiful high end cables while listening to your system improves PRAT by up to 7.3%! The CableView Mirror Backplane is available in rack width starting at $1999!!
The type of people who buy these cables are probably the type of people who tell their friends how much they paid, and then insist on showing them the cables before playing any music. They probably also put their system on display rather than hiding it (apart from the speakers, which for acoustic reasons cannot be hidden).
I built a valve power amp. It has a plain black chassis with a plain black ventilated safety cover. You can just about see the glow of the valves inside if you look in the right direction. On the front panel there is a switch and an LED. I normally keep it on the bottom shelf of a cabinet where it is out of eye view. I guess I am unusual.
I built a valve power amp. It has a plain black chassis with a plain black ventilated safety cover. You can just about see the glow of the valves inside if you look in the right direction. On the front panel there is a switch and an LED. I normally keep it on the bottom shelf of a cabinet where it is out of eye view. I guess I am unusual.
Mirrors to see the cables are a must with cable lifters.
From there, for instance.
Cable Lifts - Accessories
No doubt, the sound quality is improved when you display the cables and know the prices.
And do not forget to cut the right and left speaker cables at the exact same length.
From there, for instance.
Cable Lifts - Accessories
No doubt, the sound quality is improved when you display the cables and know the prices.
And do not forget to cut the right and left speaker cables at the exact same length.
I'm not doing this madness
of course.. good plain copper XLR and that's it, will be fine. But despite this I still can have an opinion on cable color, right ? Just like when I'm saying I like Tesco's colors better when shopping like Wall Mart's. Makes no sense, but as an opinion and personal taste, it exists.
I simply find transparent insulation cool. And of course I won't look for spikes to put my 230V splitter onto, for a more transparent sound 
Last edited:
Dyson Audio Facemelters (cables) 😊
Of course you can. Your aesthetic preferences are not a problem. I am a believer in that you should do what makes you happy... hopefully it’s also safe and designed competently.
You’ve been provided with information on Techflex which can accomplish whatever color you desire covering whatever cabling you choose.
However you made other claims which are false and are misleading for others who read this material.
You said his implementation of braided Litz wire was a “good thing”. It’s not.
You suggested it reflected good engineering practice. It does not.
You asked what we think. And we have responded I believe unanimously that it’s deceptive, unscientific and is likely problematic in relationship to alternatives.
You said it looks fancy. Again, fine if you feel this way of course but perhaps it will appear less fancy to you after learning it is a an inferior solution as an audio XLR cable. Usually fancy implies quality or luxury, this is neither.
So given the above personally cannot share your enjoyment of the transparent jacket as it is a flaw in the design, and indicates a lack of experience and comprehension on behalf of the creator.
Nonetheless you are welcome to still enjoy it after this knowledge. We can’t help you there.
But we can help to prevent deceptive, amoral and pseudoscientific Burroughs marketing cutup from being accepted as a “good thing” and continuing to prey on unsuspecting consumers under the guise of scientific credibility and technical acumen.
In my view this is predatory, shameful behavior that has seriously detracted from the general credibility and appeal of this hobby.
So, with all respect given, I don’t want your comments/ assumptions to be construed as fact by those who come after you. It would be a disservice to those who look here for reliable information.
My wish is for you to find something visually appealing for yourself and I’ve provided you with many options that don’t work against your objectives for sound quality. I think it would be a wise goal to start with a sensible solution and then achieve aesthetics rather than the other way around.
Either way are confusing which are the issues of contention.
It’s not like don’t all have careers and other things to be doing.... this isn’t to pick on you and for old guys to burn up time squabbling away on the Internet. This hobby is rotting from the proliferation in junk science. It’s an altruistic effort with your needs in mind.
We have answered all of your questions, shown understanding for your visual preferences, explained the issues involved, provided alternatives of superior quality at 1/10th the cost, tried to suggest a wide range of aesthetic options to help meet your needs while not being of substandard quality........ What more could you want?
As far as I gather everything you’ve asked has been granted in spades.
Please feel free to explore the options provided if you have interest in making something for yourself that meets all of your needs.
Of course you can. Your aesthetic preferences are not a problem. I am a believer in that you should do what makes you happy... hopefully it’s also safe and designed competently.
You’ve been provided with information on Techflex which can accomplish whatever color you desire covering whatever cabling you choose.
However you made other claims which are false and are misleading for others who read this material.
You said his implementation of braided Litz wire was a “good thing”. It’s not.
You suggested it reflected good engineering practice. It does not.
You asked what we think. And we have responded I believe unanimously that it’s deceptive, unscientific and is likely problematic in relationship to alternatives.
You said it looks fancy. Again, fine if you feel this way of course but perhaps it will appear less fancy to you after learning it is a an inferior solution as an audio XLR cable. Usually fancy implies quality or luxury, this is neither.
So given the above personally cannot share your enjoyment of the transparent jacket as it is a flaw in the design, and indicates a lack of experience and comprehension on behalf of the creator.
Nonetheless you are welcome to still enjoy it after this knowledge. We can’t help you there.
But we can help to prevent deceptive, amoral and pseudoscientific Burroughs marketing cutup from being accepted as a “good thing” and continuing to prey on unsuspecting consumers under the guise of scientific credibility and technical acumen.
In my view this is predatory, shameful behavior that has seriously detracted from the general credibility and appeal of this hobby.
So, with all respect given, I don’t want your comments/ assumptions to be construed as fact by those who come after you. It would be a disservice to those who look here for reliable information.
My wish is for you to find something visually appealing for yourself and I’ve provided you with many options that don’t work against your objectives for sound quality. I think it would be a wise goal to start with a sensible solution and then achieve aesthetics rather than the other way around.
Either way are confusing which are the issues of contention.
It’s not like don’t all have careers and other things to be doing.... this isn’t to pick on you and for old guys to burn up time squabbling away on the Internet. This hobby is rotting from the proliferation in junk science. It’s an altruistic effort with your needs in mind.
We have answered all of your questions, shown understanding for your visual preferences, explained the issues involved, provided alternatives of superior quality at 1/10th the cost, tried to suggest a wide range of aesthetic options to help meet your needs while not being of substandard quality........ What more could you want?
As far as I gather everything you’ve asked has been granted in spades.
Please feel free to explore the options provided if you have interest in making something for yourself that meets all of your needs.
Last edited:
Hi,
As far as those that are true "believers" in the advertising for cables:
It is their money and we all have been told fools and their money are soon parted. Pretty much true and as long as it is their money, no problem.
Only problem is when they spout stuff trying to get others to jump on board spending far more than what is required. Some have to justify their own habits or feel threatened. Just the way it is.
As far as those that are true "believers" in the advertising for cables:
It is their money and we all have been told fools and their money are soon parted. Pretty much true and as long as it is their money, no problem.
Only problem is when they spout stuff trying to get others to jump on board spending far more than what is required. Some have to justify their own habits or feel threatened. Just the way it is.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.