the folks on watercooler head-fi & effect audio and the rest of them cable makers would not like this video very much lol. I myself is also not a cable believer despite owning an effect audio cadmus (bought it used though), in fact, the sound change from rolling ear tips is more noticeable than any cable rolling to me. Therefore, I always recommend to people to just buy the cable with color matching their IEM for the aesthetic, and no more than $50. Money is best spent on the IEM itself, good dac/amp and tips.
As long as the cables work, the only real difference is comfort, aesthetics, and microphonics. And little perks like modular termination. And I certainly don't mind spending up to $50 for those things. They make a difference in my enjoyment of the IEMs. But changing the sound quality? Not unless there's something wrong with them.
I have found I can often hear a difference with cables, but only on my most resolving headphone chain. I think the fact that I am very familiar with this chain helps. So the chain has to be resolving enough to resolve the difference, but there has to be a difference in the first place. Cables, although seemingly constructed differently, may have very similar conduction/capacitance. The biggest difference I heard between two near identical cables was that one had been cryogenically treated 🤯
Nailed it Sir! And then there will be those who will vehemently disagree and even point out how "unscientific" your process is; mainly, the ones who believe that a 200$(and above) cables can make a sonic difference... Because the ego just couldn't accept the fact that their 200$ cable is not that much better than 10$ - 40$ cables. Just when they thought they had the "uber special" ones, and now to have to be confronted with the fact that it's not as special as they think, or were led to think, it is. Of course, no one enjoys the feeling knowing they've had one put over them by "savvy" snake-oil marketing. Hehehe... Here in the Philippines, you can get really good looking(let's be honest, it's really just mainly about visual aesthetics) cables for like 15$; decent ones for 10$. And for 50$, you can get made-to-order pure silver wire cables. Whatever sonic differences there may be would be quite minimal, if any at all, and would most likely be indiscernible to most ears. ...but the question is, will they admit it?
i have tried EA code 24c, vortex eddie, vortex alida, and kinera ace. tried it to all kind of IEM from KZ to simgot em10. Its not always creating differences, especially on moondrop house tune. But when it hits the right pair, its really shine.
I've tried ~7 Cables so far, some from budget options like XINHS, FAAEAL... and some from a bit more expensive once like Effect Audio, HAKUGEI... and while I noticed a difference, the change in sound quality is not worth the extra cost in price. Also, you get more of a difference with Tip rolling which is much more worth while IMO. What's weird is that in my experience, it's not always as simple as Copper sounds warm, Silver sounds bright. I've had some Copper Cables that seemed more clean sounding than Silver ones so there are definitely other factors like Cable resistance, Soldering quality... involved.
I can't wait for the same experiment with sources. My guess is that there are some subtle differences but not enough to justify most of the price differences. Also that mask is totally dope!!
I'll replace the 3.5 stock cable of a new set of iems because I normally use the balanced 4.4 jack. Also, I'd rather keep a cable attached to the iems instead of repeatedly plugging/unplugging. I don't think I've ever spent more than $40. Thanks for the experiment. Take care!
As most of the cables are more for comfort than for sound difference, although I change all the cables of the iems that I think have a cable suitable for the price but for less than 20€ there are cables from Xinnhs, tripowin, Nicehck, openheart that are great. Good luck with the collaboration.
many cables sound similar (but seems jay can tell a slight difference here? doesn't seem like a big difference though). suggestion after watching. don't put the IEM in for him, he should wear thin latex gloves and put the IEM in himself (certain FR very sensitive to seal and Sam was only focusing on bass). Important he decides when to change (but u still decide "which" to change), and he presses previous/next track button himself. Also, many cables sound very similar. Since they are unprepared, use "obvious" different sounding cables only. If Jay can tell difference here (and it's not luck), you can try these 2 cables again, but this time let them practice BEFORE the blind test (it's okay since it's blind test). Example cables that are obvious: -one super cheap example is JSHifi Fairy cable (dry and clean highs). -one mid-priced example is Penon Obsidian cable (noticeably pushes vocals forward). I use stock cable on my favorite IEM (even though it is microphonic), but even though I use stock cable, it's because I prefer the sound of the stock cable (even though other cables are more comfortable). Also, because it's blind test for beginners, make sure to tell them what to expect from the cables so they know what to look for. This is important because they are beginners. As long as it is a blind test, the results will be valid. Beginners must be told what to watch out for else they don't know what to concentrate on which will actually decrease the validity. the blind test will validate everything so tell them what to watch for (even let them practice beforehand). The blind test itself will remove all biases if they are false. So for example, keep the blind test format, but tell them x cable will push vocals forward (there are other differences but focus on the most obvious one for beginners). This will improve test accuracy because they are not used to cable swapping, so they need to know what to focus on. The test result will be valid as long as it is a true blind test. key points: -use 2 cables only for beginners. -he wears thin latex medical gloves to put IEMs in his ear himself. -one cable must sound "obviously" different (for beginners). If you want to use these same cables, make sure they get to practice after you confirm they are actually different. -they must know beforehand which aspects to watch for (for beginners). Example, use Penon Obsidian that pushes vocals forward and they must know one cable pushes vocals forward. -they must have control to repeat track/portion over and over. -they are in control of "when" to switch cables. you control the order of cables. -FOR BEGINNERS: do rounds (10 rds confidence test) instead of the current format. Each rd they will only try both cables once (but order is random). The format you used is more advanced/tricky and will confuse beginners because you can psych them since their mind is focusing on when you "trick" them with the same cable. They are not advanced, so do rounds where they know each cable is different every round, but they never know which order. (example: each round, they will guess "which is the forward vocals cable") Additional suggestion: -use cable clips to clip BOTH cables on the collar of his shirt so he can't feel which cable is touching his skin (can also hang the other cable's earhook around his ear so he can't tell which cable material is touching his neck/face). when swapping, keep both cables clipped on his shirt's collar and just swap the IEM on a different cable. Also, since it's a blind test, don't waste the chance. Feel free to let them practice while knowing the cables beforehand. This will help the blind test accuracy because this will "train" them (so they aren't complete newbs when starting the test). If the difference is real, the blind test will prove it. Practicing beforehand will actually improve the blind test's accuracy. The blind test itself will make everything fair. the main issue here is that typical cables sound similar enough, and when you do the advanced format like you did here, and the seal is dubious since they don't put it on, they are going to be so confused what to look for (also let them control the music player). do 10 rounds of confidence tests, each round with no tricks, just the order of A->B or B->A (this is okay because it is a blind test, and 10 rds is enough for confidence). They will only look for the most obvious aspect and choose which cable matches that effect each round. that cable must be obvious since they are beginners. With an obvious cable, they should get 10/10 once they know what to look for, even in a blind test. and yes, I am saying if using an obvious cable, they can get 10/10 in the blind test format I suggested (esp if they get to practice before the blind test).
Damn, bro really wrote an essay just to try to convince people how pointlessly spending extra on a cable would do anything more than change the aesthetics of your iem. Bravo!! You gotta be a troll.
Cables do change sound for me. My right earbud went from silent to sound-producing as soon as i plugged it. On a serious note, cables are for aesthetics. Spending 400-500$ on a f%cking cable is just nuts. That's crossing the line of brainwashing and snake oil. For that price you can buy either one quality IEM, 2 decent IEM's or many cheap that would actually change the sound you're hearing. I participate in many electronic devices "hobbies" and audio is beating them all in terms of nonsense sometimes. Never fails to amaze me.
I have over 15 iems(some expensive ones) and have bought about as many 3rd party cables. I know for a fact - to my ears - that cables matter. I have silver cables to enhance treble and copper/hybrid cables that have really filled out the sound. And you don’t need to spend $50, $100 or more. There are some great cables in the. $20-$30 range that are excellent and sound better than most stock cables. To each their own though.
Cables would make a difference in adding more or less resistance to the amplification…as to sonic benefits ..it may have an effect (Yes,I have a Effects Audio S8 cable that I won $400CAD )..I hear a slight difference..is it a $400 difference…nope…but they’re a nice comfortable and heavy (by preference) cable . Great video ,enjoy the weekend 🍻
Agreed. The only time I've experienced a difference was with the rare and extremely sensitive earphones, and headphones, with ridiculously low ohms to drive. You can tell a difference with those. With the average 15 ohms and up stuff, I've only heard a difference if it came with a really bad cable, and I switched to a good one. All the good ones sound the same, though.
I laugh a little when I read all the reviews about how the cables improve the technical characteristics. Some manufacturers include that in their description as well. I only buy cables for how they look.
Transducers, eartips, and sources are the ones that actually matter the most. Even if there is a noticeable difference between cables, it's incredibly minor at best, so much so that you're better off just consider a cable from aesthetic and comfort standpoint. I still can't wrap my head around people spending so much money (thousands!) on cables but to each of their own, i guess.
We have a few hundred pair of iems in our budget case( for studio and stage performances). We buy the Tripowin Zonie cables to replace the stock ones, mainly for better build, very soft( a must for musicians) no microphonics, and six color options. Most of the stock cables are scratchy , ( musicians run the cables under their shirts down the back, scratchy is very uncomfortable ) noisy, etc. Most of the misunderstanding with cables is the fact that length has a lot to do with it. Most iem cables are too short for you to hear audio quality differences. We sometimes run mic or line cables 100' or more, thats when you hear differences. A microphone for example; with a 20-30 ' cable its clean. At 100' you might start picking up hum or rf . Thats when the differences become apparent. Microphone cables are sometimes 50' and then run through a 150' snake cable to the mixing console. So with line and mic cables its important to have quality cables. But iems? All these cables are too short to hear audio differences except for handles noise etc. Imagine running a stock iem cable 100'? Thats when you would begin to hear differences. It would definitely be noisy, and those tiny cables would pick up tons of rf or other grounding noise. None of them are of good enough quality for that. We have high end extensions we build ourselves from Canary cable, and cover that cable and connectors with a covering that eliminates handling noise. We might use 20' in the studio? Onstage its short cables going to a receiver beltpack. If there is any doubt here, build a 50' cable with the same wire as the stock cable and compare that to the stock cable. You"ll be very surprised by the results. Weve tried most cables under $50, and the Tripowin Zonie cables are the best bang for buck, come in six colors, are soft and comfortable, available in many pin combinations, and we've never had one break or go bad, after hundreds of hours of use by rowdy musicians. (I have no connection with Tripowin). Its $19, and in my opinion its the only cable you need. The $50, $100 cables Will Not give you "better" sound. Spend your money on better iems instead.
@@Qboro66 one of my favorite colors!! Also love that gold, it’s intertwined with silver, makes it shine!! We match colors to iems, with six choices you can’t go wrong. With iems for stage, all the belt packs use 3.5, but we stock some 4.4 too in 2-pin and Qdc. Have a great day!!
It's interesting how reviewers can throw around words like Texture, Timbre, Tonality, Resolution, Sparkle, Harmonics, Dynamics, Impact and sell any snake oil. You should check out a video by Amplify Audio Reviews where he is justifying buying a $5000 effect audio cable.
From my experience with my Effect Audio cables, cables can improve sound by helping with fit and fit stability. Edit: There’s a caveat. Cables can vary in impedance by 0.5 ohms I believe. So super low impedance iems, such as Symphonium Titan (3 ohms), can be effected by the very little cable impedance swing.
For me at least I can tell a difference between some cables on my performer 8. I have the Nicehck auking cable and it definitely gives it some oomph in the low region compared to stock and slightly tames the high end where it can be a bit harsh.
Love my Xinhs graphene cable. Not that there's a difference sound wise, it just feels and looks so good. Costs like 30 bucks, so no need for anything more expensive than that imo.
The slight differences could be due to fit.... Remember, it's not yourself adjusting the iem in your ear.... other than that. From my experience, cables can do a very extremely minor difference. But a $50 vs a $500 cable.... Yeah, if there is a difference. It's a $1 difference in sound..... Not worth the massive price jump
I had only 1 cable of all my collection that actually ruined the sound by a noticeable amount on my iems. The cable is a cheap 12bucks with a mic and I don't know how they build it but I compressed the sound in a weird way. The rest are indistinguishable. Comfort and build quality matter when wearing them, they need to avoid picking microphonics too. They can look stunning tho (Myer Audio cklvx/sl41 cables are a good ref for cheap and premium feel)
Yes they matter, but I would say the resistance and inner metal type makes the biggest difference in sound. As for spending hundreeds its really your budget. I have spend around $65 bucks for the thieaudio EST cables for the Oracle and that will be the most I ever spend on a cable.
I’m a cable believer but only to a point, I’ll buy cheap cables on AliExpress but I would never pay over like $150 for a cable. Different materials transmit electricity at different rates and speeds, this is a fact. Now whether that translates to better sound 🤷🏾♂️
That guy is literally working for Penon... so he has the goal to create hype around every new cable that Penon is selling... "with this new cable you get better soundstage, more details" and a lot more lies.. same Dsnuts.
According to a friend of mine that makes cables, while copper is generally perceived warmer and bassier, thicker copper means it will be bright. Silver while supposed to be bright, it becomes warmer starting from 24 gauge and bigger.
Unless it is shielded cable, you’ll notice significant black background in comparison. However, shielded cables are more expensive and may not be worth the investment for such a minor upgrade. It might be better to get a new IEM instead.
When you’re used to an IEM sounding bright in the treble with its stock silver cable, then switch to a gold or copper and notice the sharpness has smoothed over and the bass isn’t as tight, then I would say that’s a subtle change. It’s never a night and day difference, but for those of us that are cursed with always actively listening and just hyper aware in our everyday lives, we can hear the subtleties.
@@draganpavlovic8375 you are cursed by ignorance tbh most wouldn't notice the difference unless you pay attention to details or just have low attention span filled with brain rot or you exposed your ears too much it aged
Bullshit. This guy also needs to undergo a blind test as well.Your vision impacts your awareness much more than you actually think and this conclusion comes from a dude who spent over 1k USD on various cables.
I do think cables make a difference but a very minuscule one. So minuscule that at least 90% of people simply won't be able to tell no matter what. And it's no surprise, some people say all dac's and amp's sound the same when I know for a fact they don't, so if they can't tell something obvious like that, how are they gonna tell something minor as cables apart?
please do the same blind test with dongle dacs on a iem, i could not tell apple dongle from chord mojo appart on my iems ( for full size headphone the source may have a bigger influence as it requires power but for iem, crinacle says it does not matter)
i tried that myself with $10 cables up to crazy almost $2000 i tested over 20 cables 23 to be exact and i didn't notice anything but then again i'm not an audiophile but my hearing according to my doctor is perfect like a 5 year old child for whatever that matters
My experience, cable matters but only very subtle changes and most importantly, quality does not equal price. I prefer some $20 cable over $200 cables.
@@xyzed712 then what are you saying, why would you want a video on the difference between bad quality files and good quality files. Now whether you can tell the difference between a hi-fi file a dsd 1024 file is a different question.
Hey i have a question about the estrella. Compared to the arete and pilgrim , how are they for gaming? Ik people will say go cheap or no iems but audio is audio.
As a liquid links conti owner I feel like the test is a bit unfair because I feel like you can tell which cable it is based on the material you feel on your ear (I guess it's harder to feel it out using your ears). The Conti is a really thick and bulky cable so I feel like I would be able to tell if it's a Conti sitting on my ears. Regardless, enjoyed the content!
Yeah so that's the problem, bad cables will sound worse so when you switch to a good cable there will be noticeable differences. However once a cable is good there is very little room to go up from that, and the bar for a good cable is as low as $10-15 these days, the Tripowin Zonie is widely regarded as good and I can't tell a difference between it and my $10 cable from XINHS. Perhaps a $400 cable does actually make a sound difference, however any difference would be so miniscule that it simply isn't worth the price. All that being said assuming it's IEM cables which are short, long cables for stage/studio usage will reveal differences much more easily.
I think there is a difference between copper and silver cables sound wise, no matter the price. I don't think cables that cost more than $50 are worth it at all. It's all about looks, comfort and microphonics.
Cables dont matter when it comes to the sound but this test isnt properly done im affraid. You should have 2 pairs of the same iem connected to the same models of sources using different cables at the same time. This would shorten the brake time you took to switch one pair to another. Brain memory when it comes to the sound is one of the shortest. People mostly forget how something sounded in 2-3 seconds.
I think your proposal would only be fair if the 2 pairs don't have unit variance, otherwise any perceived difference might be attributed to that, and it would be hard to find 2 pairs that sound exactly the same.
Cables matter, not for the sound. But they can improve the overall experience, like how manageable they are and match the iem aesthetically. I don't believe they change anything sonically.
@@jmanslm Lol, read a book. Audiophiles are the biggest frauds. They believe everything without any proof. No matter what cable you use the driver is still connected to your connectors through 1¢ cheap copper cable.
Silver plated copper cable has no difference to pure copper cable. But the pure silver has just a little bit more of brightness than copper cable. Usually you won’t notice the difference.
@@jayyaudio It is kinda strange, I mean, nobody uses Pol Pot or Osama bin Laden's pics, as something normal. putin is war criminal that unleashed a war in Europe that is still ongoing. He bombs cities, tortures prisoners, send its troopers like a meat to conquer new lands, like in the middle ages. Why should it be in your content???
@@jayyaudio nice, so u wake up in the morning and thought, "there is a guy, who started a war, killed hundreds of thousands of people, bombed civilians in cities and tortured the military, including his own. Hm, what a nice guy, I want him in my video".
Trial order for this super-duper scientific experiment:
Sam:
1. Liquid Links Copper
2. Liquid Links Copper
3. Pilgrim Sliver-Plated
Hang:
1. Pilgrim Sliver-Plated
2. Pilgrim Sliver-Plated
3. Liquid Links Copper
Me:
1. Pilgrim Sliver-Plated
2. Liquid Links Copper
3. Liquid Links Copper
Also, congrats to Gyeseongyeon for winning the Intuara Splendor 2 VIEW 😎
the biggest difference when it comes to sound in my experience are Eartips, cables are just for comfort or aesthetics only
Eartips are game changers
i think the Biggest difference comes from actually different iems
@@LyuboA obviously but when it comes to accessories like tips, dac sources and cables eartips are your best bet
the folks on watercooler head-fi & effect audio and the rest of them cable makers would not like this video very much lol. I myself is also not a cable believer despite owning an effect audio cadmus (bought it used though), in fact, the sound change from rolling ear tips is more noticeable than any cable rolling to me. Therefore, I always recommend to people to just buy the cable with color matching their IEM for the aesthetic, and no more than $50. Money is best spent on the IEM itself, good dac/amp and tips.
💯
I feel like cables only help with comfort
they do be looking kinda fire
For me it's the same I buy Tripowin cables purely because value wise they give me a lot more comfort and they are a lot less annoying and ugly.
@@XaeonBEZonie moss 4.4mm!👍🏼
Agree
As long as the cables work, the only real difference is comfort, aesthetics, and microphonics. And little perks like modular termination.
And I certainly don't mind spending up to $50 for those things. They make a difference in my enjoyment of the IEMs.
But changing the sound quality? Not unless there's something wrong with them.
The reason I trust you is encapsulated in this video. That's right, what really matters is if the cables are modular.
Need a video on portable dac&
I have found I can often hear a difference with cables, but only on my most resolving headphone chain. I think the fact that I am very familiar with this chain helps.
So the chain has to be resolving enough to resolve the difference, but there has to be a difference in the first place. Cables, although seemingly constructed differently, may have very similar conduction/capacitance. The biggest difference I heard between two near identical cables was that one had been cryogenically treated 🤯
Nailed it Sir!
And then there will be those who will vehemently disagree and even point out how "unscientific" your process is; mainly, the ones who believe that a 200$(and above) cables can make a sonic difference...
Because the ego just couldn't accept the fact that their 200$ cable is not that much better than 10$ - 40$ cables.
Just when they thought they had the "uber special" ones, and now to have to be confronted with the fact that it's not as special as they think, or were led to think, it is.
Of course, no one enjoys the feeling knowing they've had one put over them by "savvy" snake-oil marketing.
Hehehe...
Here in the Philippines, you can get really good looking(let's be honest, it's really just mainly about visual aesthetics) cables for like 15$; decent ones for 10$. And for 50$, you can get made-to-order pure silver wire cables.
Whatever sonic differences there may be would be quite minimal, if any at all, and would most likely be indiscernible to most ears.
...but the question is, will they admit it?
💯
i have tried EA code 24c, vortex eddie, vortex alida, and kinera ace. tried it to all kind of IEM from KZ to simgot em10.
Its not always creating differences, especially on moondrop house tune.
But when it hits the right pair, its really shine.
I've tried ~7 Cables so far, some from budget options like XINHS, FAAEAL... and some from a bit more expensive once like Effect Audio, HAKUGEI... and while I noticed a difference, the change in sound quality is not worth the extra cost in price. Also, you get more of a difference with Tip rolling which is much more worth while IMO.
What's weird is that in my experience, it's not always as simple as Copper sounds warm, Silver sounds bright. I've had some Copper Cables that seemed more clean sounding than Silver ones so there are definitely other factors like Cable resistance, Soldering quality... involved.
Appreciate the insight!
I can't wait for the same experiment with sources. My guess is that there are some subtle differences but not enough to justify most of the price differences. Also that mask is totally dope!!
Yessir that’s my guess too
I enjoyed it! I'm also playing a game where I see how much of the 'happy birthday' stays on the counter in the background from video to video.
ahahahaha they staying up forever
I'll replace the 3.5 stock cable of a new set of iems because I normally use the balanced 4.4 jack. Also, I'd rather keep a cable attached to the iems instead of repeatedly plugging/unplugging. I don't think I've ever spent more than $40. Thanks for the experiment. Take care!
Np paulie, take care man
As most of the cables are more for comfort than for sound difference, although I change all the cables of the iems that I think have a cable suitable for the price but for less than 20€ there are cables from Xinnhs, tripowin, Nicehck, openheart that are great. Good luck with the collaboration.
many cables sound similar (but seems jay can tell a slight difference here? doesn't seem like a big difference though). suggestion after watching. don't put the IEM in for him, he should wear thin latex gloves and put the IEM in himself (certain FR very sensitive to seal and Sam was only focusing on bass). Important he decides when to change (but u still decide "which" to change), and he presses previous/next track button himself. Also, many cables sound very similar. Since they are unprepared, use "obvious" different sounding cables only. If Jay can tell difference here (and it's not luck), you can try these 2 cables again, but this time let them practice BEFORE the blind test (it's okay since it's blind test).
Example cables that are obvious:
-one super cheap example is JSHifi Fairy cable (dry and clean highs).
-one mid-priced example is Penon Obsidian cable (noticeably pushes vocals forward).
I use stock cable on my favorite IEM (even though it is microphonic), but even though I use stock cable, it's because I prefer the sound of the stock cable (even though other cables are more comfortable).
Also, because it's blind test for beginners, make sure to tell them what to expect from the cables so they know what to look for. This is important because they are beginners. As long as it is a blind test, the results will be valid. Beginners must be told what to watch out for else they don't know what to concentrate on which will actually decrease the validity. the blind test will validate everything so tell them what to watch for (even let them practice beforehand). The blind test itself will remove all biases if they are false.
So for example, keep the blind test format, but tell them x cable will push vocals forward (there are other differences but focus on the most obvious one for beginners). This will improve test accuracy because they are not used to cable swapping, so they need to know what to focus on. The test result will be valid as long as it is a true blind test.
key points:
-use 2 cables only for beginners.
-he wears thin latex medical gloves to put IEMs in his ear himself.
-one cable must sound "obviously" different (for beginners). If you want to use these same cables, make sure they get to practice after you confirm they are actually different.
-they must know beforehand which aspects to watch for (for beginners). Example, use Penon Obsidian that pushes vocals forward and they must know one cable pushes vocals forward.
-they must have control to repeat track/portion over and over.
-they are in control of "when" to switch cables. you control the order of cables.
-FOR BEGINNERS: do rounds (10 rds confidence test) instead of the current format. Each rd they will only try both cables once (but order is random). The format you used is more advanced/tricky and will confuse beginners because you can psych them since their mind is focusing on when you "trick" them with the same cable. They are not advanced, so do rounds where they know each cable is different every round, but they never know which order.
(example: each round, they will guess "which is the forward vocals cable")
Additional suggestion:
-use cable clips to clip BOTH cables on the collar of his shirt so he can't feel which cable is touching his skin (can also hang the other cable's earhook around his ear so he can't tell which cable material is touching his neck/face). when swapping, keep both cables clipped on his shirt's collar and just swap the IEM on a different cable.
Also, since it's a blind test, don't waste the chance. Feel free to let them practice while knowing the cables beforehand. This will help the blind test accuracy because this will "train" them (so they aren't complete newbs when starting the test). If the difference is real, the blind test will prove it. Practicing beforehand will actually improve the blind test's accuracy. The blind test itself will make everything fair.
the main issue here is that typical cables sound similar enough, and when you do the advanced format like you did here, and the seal is dubious since they don't put it on, they are going to be so confused what to look for (also let them control the music player). do 10 rounds of confidence tests, each round with no tricks, just the order of A->B or B->A (this is okay because it is a blind test, and 10 rds is enough for confidence). They will only look for the most obvious aspect and choose which cable matches that effect each round. that cable must be obvious since they are beginners. With an obvious cable, they should get 10/10 once they know what to look for, even in a blind test.
and yes, I am saying if using an obvious cable, they can get 10/10 in the blind test format I suggested (esp if they get to practice before the blind test).
Damn, bro really wrote an essay just to try to convince people how pointlessly spending extra on a cable would do anything more than change the aesthetics of your iem. Bravo!! You gotta be a troll.
Cables do change sound for me. My right earbud went from silent to sound-producing as soon as i plugged it.
On a serious note, cables are for aesthetics. Spending 400-500$ on a f%cking cable is just nuts. That's crossing the line of brainwashing and snake oil. For that price you can buy either one quality IEM, 2 decent IEM's or many cheap that would actually change the sound you're hearing. I participate in many electronic devices "hobbies" and audio is beating them all in terms of nonsense sometimes. Never fails to amaze me.
The boys are back in town!!!!!
Yessirr
Good video.
I only prefer how cables look and feel.
I have over 15 iems(some expensive ones) and have bought about as many 3rd party cables. I know for a fact - to my ears - that cables matter. I have silver cables to enhance treble and copper/hybrid cables that have really filled out the sound. And you don’t need to spend $50, $100 or more. There are some great cables in the. $20-$30 range that are excellent and sound better than most stock cables. To each their own though.
I personally would never spend more than $20 on a cable. The Tripowin Zonie is more than enough for an upgrade.
I have a few of those zonie cables for that very reason.
@@JohnClarkW that is a wise move bro.
Cables would make a difference in adding more or less resistance to the amplification…as to sonic benefits ..it may have an effect (Yes,I have a Effects Audio S8 cable that I won $400CAD )..I hear a slight difference..is it a $400 difference…nope…but they’re a nice comfortable and heavy (by preference) cable .
Great video ,enjoy the weekend 🍻
Agreed. The only time I've experienced a difference was with the rare and extremely sensitive earphones, and headphones, with ridiculously low ohms to drive. You can tell a difference with those. With the average 15 ohms and up stuff, I've only heard a difference if it came with a really bad cable, and I switched to a good one. All the good ones sound the same, though.
I laugh a little when I read all the reviews about how the cables improve the technical characteristics. Some manufacturers include that in their description as well. I only buy cables for how they look.
yeehaw
Interesting test! Good stuff
Transducers, eartips, and sources are the ones that actually matter the most. Even if there is a noticeable difference between cables, it's incredibly minor at best, so much so that you're better off just consider a cable from aesthetic and comfort standpoint. I still can't wrap my head around people spending so much money (thousands!) on cables but to each of their own, i guess.
We have a few hundred pair of iems in our budget case( for studio and stage performances). We buy the Tripowin Zonie cables to replace the stock ones, mainly for better build, very soft( a must for musicians) no microphonics, and six color options. Most of the stock cables are scratchy , ( musicians run the cables under their shirts down the back, scratchy is very uncomfortable ) noisy, etc.
Most of the misunderstanding with cables is the fact that length has a lot to do with it. Most iem cables are too short for you to hear audio quality differences. We sometimes run mic or line cables 100' or more, thats when you hear differences. A microphone for example; with a 20-30 ' cable its clean. At 100' you might start picking up hum or rf . Thats when the differences become apparent. Microphone cables are sometimes 50' and then run through a 150' snake cable to the mixing console. So with line and mic cables its important to have quality cables. But iems? All these cables are too short to hear audio differences except for handles noise etc.
Imagine running a stock iem cable 100'? Thats when you would begin to hear differences. It would definitely be noisy, and those tiny cables would pick up tons of rf or other grounding noise.
None of them are of good enough quality for that. We have high end extensions we build ourselves from Canary cable, and cover that cable and connectors with a covering that eliminates handling noise. We might use 20' in the studio? Onstage its short cables going to a receiver beltpack. If there is any doubt here, build a 50' cable with the same wire as the stock cable and compare that to the stock cable. You"ll be very surprised by the results.
Weve tried most cables under $50, and the Tripowin Zonie cables are the best bang for buck, come in six colors, are soft and comfortable, available in many pin combinations, and we've never had one break or go bad, after hundreds of hours of use by rowdy musicians. (I have no connection with Tripowin). Its $19, and in my opinion its the only cable you need. The $50, $100 cables Will Not give you "better" sound. Spend your money on better iems instead.
Appreciate the insight man
Zonie moss 4.4mm 2 pin or QDC👍🏼
@@Qboro66 one of my favorite colors!! Also love that gold, it’s intertwined with silver, makes it shine!! We match colors to iems, with six choices you can’t go wrong. With iems for stage, all the belt packs use 3.5, but we stock some 4.4 too in 2-pin and Qdc. Have a great day!!
If you ever feel like doing this kinda test again, I'd be interested to see a video on a pure copper vs pure silver (not plated or hybrid) cable.
Yup that’s the plan, didn’t have one this time
It's interesting how reviewers can throw around words like Texture, Timbre, Tonality, Resolution, Sparkle, Harmonics, Dynamics, Impact and sell any snake oil.
You should check out a video by Amplify Audio Reviews where he is justifying buying a $5000 effect audio cable.
In my opinion there's no justification in that.
😂😂😂
From my experience with my Effect Audio cables, cables can improve sound by helping with fit and fit stability.
Edit: There’s a caveat. Cables can vary in impedance by 0.5 ohms I believe. So super low impedance iems, such as Symphonium Titan (3 ohms), can be effected by the very little cable impedance swing.
good point
I like to replace my earphone cables when the stock cable is crap.
For me at least I can tell a difference between some cables on my performer 8. I have the Nicehck auking cable and it definitely gives it some oomph in the low region compared to stock and slightly tames the high end where it can be a bit harsh.
Love my Xinhs graphene cable. Not that there's a difference sound wise, it just feels and looks so good. Costs like 30 bucks, so no need for anything more expensive than that imo.
The slight differences could be due to fit.... Remember, it's not yourself adjusting the iem in your ear.... other than that. From my experience, cables can do a very extremely minor difference. But a $50 vs a $500 cable.... Yeah, if there is a difference. It's a $1 difference in sound..... Not worth the massive price jump
💯
I had only 1 cable of all my collection that actually ruined the sound by a noticeable amount on my iems.
The cable is a cheap 12bucks with a mic and I don't know how they build it but I compressed the sound in a weird way.
The rest are indistinguishable.
Comfort and build quality matter when wearing them, they need to avoid picking microphonics too.
They can look stunning tho (Myer Audio cklvx/sl41 cables are a good ref for cheap and premium feel)
💯
Cable matters, as a placebo effect.
Yes they matter, but I would say the resistance and inner metal type makes the biggest difference in sound. As for spending hundreeds its really your budget. I have spend around $65 bucks for the thieaudio EST cables for the Oracle and that will be the most I ever spend on a cable.
I’m a cable believer but only to a point, I’ll buy cheap cables on AliExpress but I would never pay over like $150 for a cable. Different materials transmit electricity at different rates and speeds, this is a fact. Now whether that translates to better sound 🤷🏾♂️
🤷♂️
*redcarmoose has entered the chat* 👀
👀👀👀
That guy is literally working for Penon... so he has the goal to create hype around every new cable that Penon is selling... "with this new cable you get better soundstage, more details" and a lot more lies.. same Dsnuts.
gang gang nice video. yo jay collab with Joyce's Review 💙
Haha maybe
According to a friend of mine that makes cables, while copper is generally perceived warmer and bassier, thicker copper means it will be bright. Silver while supposed to be bright, it becomes warmer starting from 24 gauge and bigger.
Granted cables hardly affect fr and other things change the sound more, but perceptually, there is a difference
Hun
I think when you have a bad cable when the resistance is off and a little what metal using against a normal good cable can make a small difference
$10 vs $1000 cable next
Jay any idea on when your IEM will be releasing? Is the graph available yet?
And superb content as usual!
Ya check out the community posts
I buy cables for their look & feel, I hear more difference tip rolling than cables.
Same
guys do 3.5 and 4.4 cable make any different in the sound?
Nah one is easier to drive
@@jayyaudio should i replace 4.4 cable for my sm4 Jay?
*cries in Eletech*
Unless it is shielded cable, you’ll notice significant black background in comparison. However, shielded cables are more expensive and may not be worth the investment for such a minor upgrade. It might be better to get a new IEM instead.
What are some shielded cable?
They definitely do not matter to sound. But quality does matter for use
Hey Jay. For vocals, would you recommend the RSV at medium volume? I'm torn after seeing your video and looking at your tier list.
Ye they’re mid to high volume set
That was fun!
Yup
Jay I just wanna say you are my crush !! 😻
When you’re used to an IEM sounding bright in the treble with its stock silver cable, then switch to a gold or copper and notice the sharpness has smoothed over and the bass isn’t as tight, then I would say that’s a subtle change. It’s never a night and day difference, but for those of us that are cursed with always actively listening and just hyper aware in our everyday lives, we can hear the subtleties.
You aren't cursed with anything but delusion
same to "flat earth" beliefs
There is literally no difference in sound
@@draganpavlovic8375 you are cursed by ignorance tbh most wouldn't notice the difference unless you pay attention to details or just have low attention span filled with brain rot or you exposed your ears too much it aged
Bullshit. This guy also needs to undergo a blind test as well.Your vision impacts your awareness much more than you actually think and this conclusion comes from a dude who spent over 1k USD on various cables.
3:30 exploring the 4th dimension
🫡🫡🫡
Bro trust me. Z's 700usd cable made my Wan'Er beat the Monarch. Just trust me bro.*
*jk ofc
Dam bro can you spot me one
I do think cables make a difference but a very minuscule one. So minuscule that at least 90% of people simply won't be able to tell no matter what. And it's no surprise, some people say all dac's and amp's sound the same when I know for a fact they don't, so if they can't tell something obvious like that, how are they gonna tell something minor as cables apart?
please do the same blind test with dongle dacs on a iem, i could not tell apple dongle from chord mojo appart on my iems ( for full size headphone the source may have a bigger influence as it requires power but for iem, crinacle says it does not matter)
Sounds fun
i tried that myself with $10 cables up to crazy almost $2000 i tested over 20 cables 23 to be exact and i didn't notice anything but then again i'm not an audiophile but my hearing according to my doctor is perfect like a 5 year old child for whatever that matters
Thanks for the insight t
Eartips matter a lot more.
My experience, cable matters but only very subtle changes and most importantly, quality does not equal price. I prefer some $20 cable over $200 cables.
Which $20 ones are good?
interesting video . now do this for spotify vs flac(lossless)
@@xyzed712 if you can’t tell the difference between hi-fi and and Spotify. Then you can’t tell the difference in anything.
@@mageborn23 who said i cant ?
@@xyzed712 then what are you saying, why would you want a video on the difference between bad quality files and good quality files. Now whether you can tell the difference between a hi-fi file a dsd 1024 file is a different question.
@@mageborn23 are u dumb ? its prettty simple , i wanna see wheather normal people can tell the difference or not also its very entertaining to watch
Hey i have a question about the estrella. Compared to the arete and pilgrim , how are they for gaming? Ik people will say go cheap or no iems but audio is audio.
Just get EM6L, or Estrella
@@jayyaudio thank you, and forgot to add, i have the pilgrims for $320 and can still return them until aug 20, does this change anything?🙈
@@schnozzola ya return those lol
@@jayyaudio haha gotchaaa
As a liquid links conti owner I feel like the test is a bit unfair because I feel like you can tell which cable it is based on the material you feel on your ear (I guess it's harder to feel it out using your ears). The Conti is a really thick and bulky cable so I feel like I would be able to tell if it's a Conti sitting on my ears.
Regardless, enjoyed the content!
I think if that was the case they would gotten it right lol
Ok but i want you to go buy effect audios code24c cable and the penon asos+x and blind test them.
Spot me?
@@jayyaudio just tell them you're a reviewer and ask for a loan👍
everyones ears are different so it would be different results
try pairing an iem with kz stock cable
i tried with an all BA iems and it doesnt sound good
Yeah so that's the problem, bad cables will sound worse so when you switch to a good cable there will be noticeable differences. However once a cable is good there is very little room to go up from that, and the bar for a good cable is as low as $10-15 these days, the Tripowin Zonie is widely regarded as good and I can't tell a difference between it and my $10 cable from XINHS. Perhaps a $400 cable does actually make a sound difference, however any difference would be so miniscule that it simply isn't worth the price. All that being said assuming it's IEM cables which are short, long cables for stage/studio usage will reveal differences much more easily.
Oh you hit hornets nest with this one lol now there gunna come after you in the comments! :P
Uh ohhh
I hear no differences in cables, I just buy them for looks.
👍
i can actually tell the difference between silver and copper cable
Upgrading cables is for the vibes;
its for the drip;
its not for audio quallity.
True
I think there is a difference between copper and silver cables sound wise, no matter the price.
I don't think cables that cost more than $50 are worth it at all. It's all about looks, comfort and microphonics.
I am more curious if 4.4mm balance is better than 3.5mm for IEM
nah
@@jayyaudio Thank you for the word of wisdom. I am enlightened
Audiophile reviewer credibility is depend on how he reviews cables 😂
😂
👍
Depends on the impedance of the cable. That's all.
I wonder what the impedance of the cables was?
You can keep your career 😂
Should be the same, and lol 😂
Cables dont matter when it comes to the sound but this test isnt properly done im affraid. You should have 2 pairs of the same iem connected to the same models of sources using different cables at the same time. This would shorten the brake time you took to switch one pair to another. Brain memory when it comes to the sound is one of the shortest. People mostly forget how something sounded in 2-3 seconds.
Feel free to buy me another Pilgrim 👍
I think your proposal would only be fair if the 2 pairs don't have unit variance, otherwise any perceived difference might be attributed to that, and it would be hard to find 2 pairs that sound exactly the same.
Not 50$
Compare 10$ vs 200$ 🙄
50$ cable is also expensive
Cables matter, not for the sound. But they can improve the overall experience, like how manageable they are and match the iem aesthetically. I don't believe they change anything sonically.
ya some of them do look really nice
@@jayyaudio 💯 Agreed
Cables changing the sound quality is the stupidest thing audiophiles have come up with
Skill issue
Sings: “It ain’t necessarily so...” 🎤
@@jmanslm Lol, read a book. Audiophiles are the biggest frauds. They believe everything without any proof. No matter what cable you use the driver is still connected to your connectors through 1¢ cheap copper cable.
I agree but at the same time burn in is even more stupid
Any time I see a reviewer refer to either burn in or cables as making an actual difference I immediately start to doubt the rest of their opinions lol
Price doesn't matter, just need a different sounding cable and you can tell easily.
🤔
Silver plated copper cable has no difference to pure copper cable. But the pure silver has just a little bit more of brightness than copper cable. Usually you won’t notice the difference.
That’s my guess too
Dude, wtf? memes with putin? Seriously?
?
@@jayyaudio It is kinda strange, I mean, nobody uses Pol Pot or Osama bin Laden's pics, as something normal. putin is war criminal that unleashed a war in Europe that is still ongoing. He bombs cities, tortures prisoners, send its troopers like a meat to conquer new lands, like in the middle ages. Why should it be in your content???
@@Lycifer1989 don't watch click off
@@jayyaudio nice, so u wake up in the morning and thought, "there is a guy, who started a war, killed hundreds of thousands of people, bombed civilians in cities and tortured the military, including his own. Hm, what a nice guy, I want him in my video".
ibai on the start of TVE video @ibai ❤❤
Oddly enough these cable and burn in believers are rampant on facebook groups and headfi, but not reddit and youtube.
Send this to them LOL