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Tman450
116
Jun 11, 2016
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j-tech
93
Jun 13, 2016
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Tman450I agree to some extent. I too am more than a little skeptical to some of the quasi-science behind many of the claims. And I think the law of diminishing returns hits particularly quickly in the world of audio cables. That said, there's definitely a difference in how cables are made, and how they are terminated. So a cheap cable off the roll in home depot is not likely to perform as well as a more carefully made speaker cable. Solid vs stranded, litz vs not litz also makes a difference. Is it audible? Sure, but it would need to be relative to the rest of the equipment. It also depends on the length of the cable.
Anyways, just my humble opinion.
Anyways, just my humble opinion.
Passerby
3
Jun 16, 2016
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j-techI also agree to some extent. In my opinion, spending anything more than $25-35 on a standard length of cable (1-2m) is stepping deep into the realm of diminishing returns. I agree that some pricier cables are worth it, but not because of the increased sound quality it offers. Instead , you'll see these benefits manifest largely in the build quality of the cable. I will happily drop an extra $15 for a cable if it means i get proper stress relief design, high quality sheaths, high quality connectors, proper electrical design, and overall something which is flexible yet durable.
All in all, you basically can't go wrong in terms of sound quality by buying a cable that doesn't cost $5 and is of an indeterminate origin. There's nothing wrong with splurging that extra to buy something that will last years, just so long as you aren't under the impression that doing so will give you a new level of audio fidelity. Gains of even 5% are very optimistic for overpriced cables and you're better off spending the money in some other component of your setup. This is where most of the snake-oil, quasi-science resides.
As a final aside, there actually have been cases where switching cables have seen dramatic improvements. For example, the Philips Fidelio X1 shipped with high impedance cables which measurably impacted listening experience, and is one of the rare cases where upgrading cables significantly impacted listening experience.
All in all, you basically can't go wrong in terms of sound quality by buying a cable that doesn't cost $5 and is of an indeterminate origin. There's nothing wrong with splurging that extra to buy something that will last years, just so long as you aren't under the impression that doing so will give you a new level of audio fidelity. Gains of even 5% are very optimistic for overpriced cables and you're better off spending the money in some other component of your setup. This is where most of the snake-oil, quasi-science resides.
As a final aside, there actually have been cases where switching cables have seen dramatic improvements. For example, the Philips Fidelio X1 shipped with high impedance cables which measurably impacted listening experience, and is one of the rare cases where upgrading cables significantly impacted listening experience.
Stevangelist
54
Sep 4, 2017
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Tman450A million times yes.
I can assume most people are not running 250ft of cable to power 10 speakers in mono-bridged parallel in their home.
Stevangelist
54
Sep 4, 2017
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j-techOFC vs not, silver vs gold vs platinum, braids vs shrink I've even heard people argue about. Maybe both?
It's a mine field. Thanks for your input.
Davoc1
2
Dec 26, 2018
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StevangelistMake sure it's at least #10, if not #8. The damping and resistance over that distance could be problematic. And those 10 subs are gonna draw some juice, folks!!!
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But guys, let's be real. there is no improvement in sound quality.