Audiophile Hype

[Miscue]

I think audiophile hype is way worse than paintball. Person A claims that product X sounds "better," often using several buzz words or scientific nonsense in the description of why it is better.

Why I get the cheapest copper cabling I can find:

http://www.audioholics.com/FAQs/Audioquest.html

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/speakercablebreak-in.php

[behemoth]

extention cord, haha.

[Steelrat]

While some of the hype is horrible (Shun Mook Mpingo disks spring to mind), I FIRMLY believe that cables to affect sound quality, though not to the same degree as the speakers or, to a lesser extent, the electronics. Its tough to walk into a system someone else set up at a show and note the difference cables make. Its much easier to hear it when you swap them out in your own system.

I originally had kimber cables in my system, and when I had to switch to Monster due to a system setup, I noticed that the sound got worse, especially in the bass. I recently bought some nice Harmonic Technology cables, and they sound much much better than the Monster did.

Keep in mind that part of what you pay for is the shielding good cables have. The DIY cables might do well in a show setup that has one or two components in a room by themselves, but in a typical home setup with numerous components and a tv, you want to shield from all the EM coming from other audio cables, and especially power cables. Cheap audio cables just don't have the ability to deal with that noise like the good cables do.

You want to go after hi-fi hype, check out the guys who stack those $200 wood discs on components, and are convinced that the configuration of the disks somehow impacts the sound.

[Jaan]

The audio stuff is even worse than you realize. It's as bad as magic red Kabbalah string or people who pretend to talk to the dead. Go to www.randi.org and search for "audio". Paint some arrows on speaker wires to show which way the signal should go and charge $150 a foot for it. Bah. There's one born every minute.

[BobTheCow]

I DEMAND ONLY ULTIMATE SPEAKER CABLE TO SATISFY MY AUDIOPHILIAC NEEDS!

[Jaan]

You have to be a moron to think copper cables are directional or are made so by some magic property of the insulation.

Yeah, but they need to be *seasoned* too (c:

Seriously, there is a device you can pay hundreds for that someone claims will do just that.

In my work, I make a lot of custom stuff for expeditions including film crews who go to extreme climates. I've done quite a bit of experimentation with different insulation's (PVC, Neoprene, EPDM etc.) and the wires they cover. The only thing that changes is how flexible the cable will be in cold temperatures. The properties of the copper wire don't change ... at least in the temperature range in which humans can survive.

[Steelrat]

Its not just the cable dielectric, its also the cable configuration. A lot of audiophile cables are not just thick bunches of copper. A lot of them weave smaller wires together in configurations designed to reduce the effects of EM intereference. Also keep in mind that some of the higher-end cables use higher grades of copper, or even silver.

Remember, the rule of diminishing returns works with cables, as with anything else. Also, cables are one of the last places I would sink my money when building a system. I think the most important component is the speaker, by far, followed by the amplifier, preamplifier, source component, and finally cables, though source component can be more important that the preamp in some cases, especially turntables.

As reference, I run Sonus Faber Grand Piano speakers, with Rotel amplifier and preamp (weakest part of the system, but they work okay), Arcam CD player, and Harmonic Tech cables and interconnects.

Finally, a good picture of some Kimber cables showing the configuration they use to eliminate interference:

[SCpoloRicker]

*cough*

Monster Cable.

/nuff said

[Jaan]

Its not just the cable dielectric, its also the cable configuration. A lot of audiophile cables are not just thick bunches of copper. A lot of them weave smaller wires together in configurations designed to reduce the effects of EM intereference.[/IMG]

Yeah, that's a great old school trick. If you simply twist standard speaker cables by hand you can drop interference from a single point source by 50% (think about it).

[bofh]

Finally, a good picture of some Kimber cables showing the configuration they use to eliminate interference:

Weither or not those cables work, they sure are pretty.

[Muzikman]

*cough*

Monster Cable.

/nuff said

You are kidding right?

[Steelrat]

*cough*

Monster Cable.

/nuff said

Well, I guess if the alternative is using a weed-whacker extension cord, Monster Cable would be an improvement, but just barely. Monster Cable is the Bose of the cable world.

Yeah, that's a great old school trick. If you simply twist standard speaker cables by hand you can drop interference from a single point source by 50% (think about it).

I guess so, but who wants to hand make their cables? I mean, might as well hand-make your speakers and electronics while you are at it. As with anything else you buy, you are paying some one else to make something for you. But it proves that there is some thought to speaker cable design. If that was so easy to do, you'd see Monster Cables in braided configurations.

Yeah, that's a great old school trick. If you simply twist standard speaker cables by hand you can drop interference from a single point source by 50% (think about it).

I thought the Kimber cables sounded superb, and they do look great.

[SCpoloRicker]

You are kidding right?

Well, I meant to say that Monster is hyped out by all the Big Box stores...

"Now, to complete your Bose Home Theater in a Box: The Very Best Cables in the World!! That will be $20 a foot. You see, cause its so good!!"

Not that they were an good choice.

[Jaan]

I guess so, but who wants to hand make their cables? I mean, might as well hand-make your speakers and electronics while you are at it. As with anything else you buy, you are paying some one else to make something for you. But it proves that there is some thought to speaker cable design. If that was so easy to do, you'd see Monster Cables in braided configurations.

Twisting speaker cables isn't that hard. I've been doing it to my speaker cables for 20 years and I've never thought to myself "boy, I wish I had paid the extra $70 for someone else to do this for me." Seriously, it's easy to do especially to cheaper cables. Do it to your cheap computer speakers for example.

You bring up a good point though ... you *don't* see Monster Cables in professional studios. I worked in television for 10 years, and I even helped completely rewire a control room. We always made our own cables as we needed them, to exactly the correct length.

I'm not saying there isn't something to good cables, but Monster Cables are nothing buy hype, and there aren't any audio cables worth $150 a foot.

[Steelrat]

Well, I meant to say that Monster is hyped out by all the Big Box stores...

"Now, to complete your Bose Home Theater in a Box: The Very Best Cables in the World!! That will be $20 a foot. You see, cause its so good!!"

Not that they were an good choice.

Whatever....Bose lover