A certain popular TH-camr ( audio reviewer ) changed his cables from Audioquest Gibraltar speaker cables to Canare 4S-11 and he very much preferred the sound of the Canare 4S-11. Bear in mind a two metre Audioquest Gibraltar costs $1150 and the two metre Canare 4S-11 costs less than $30-00. He sold the Audioquest Gibraltar and kept the Canare 4S-11. Expensive speaker cables do not necessarily mean better cables. Your ears will have a final say .
I agree with the comments that cables don't matter only because the people that are leaving those comments don't understand that a length of string and 2-tin cans will not sound any different.
Vilip is like me :-) In the UK, the fuses are as important as the cable. Laydown of speaker cable is also important, reduce capacitance and static from the carpet. And I use wooden blocks to keep cables off the floor. I also keep power, connectivity and speaker cables away from each other.
Try Kimber powerkords x interconnects x kimber select speaker cables. Their woven geometrical layout x covering allows the listener to capture the tiniest of details x clear cohesion.
What many audiophiles seem to forget is that cables are PASSIVE, not active components. By passive, I mean that they cannot ADD anything to the signal* that they are conducting. Cables can only SUBTRACT something from the signal. If you have two cables that sound different, it’s because at least one of them is altering the frequency balance of the signal, and most likely BOTH of them are, they are just working on different parts of the audio spectrum. If you like one “boutique” cable over another, it’s simply because you find that alteration to the signal more appealing to your ears than another. The can of worms that this opens is that: 1) no cable is “better” than another because both are less than ideal conductors. And: 2) Cost means nothing in this case. It is entirely possible that a cheap cable can do less harm to the signal than an expensive cable. It is down to whether or not the attenuation of part of the signal sounds better to you. What I mean by that is if you have a system that sounds forward in the midrange, and you install an interconnect that slightly suppresses the midrange, that cable will sound better to you than one that suppresses, for instance, the treble region. Audible cable superiority in one’s system depends on the system, not the price of the cable! Purchasing the most expensive cables does not guarantee that those cables will sound better in your system than a cheaper cable! So the question becomes, how do you know which cable to buy? If you don’t listen to many different cables at all price points, then you will have no idea which cable is best for YOUR system. I deal with this dilemma by not playing the cable game. I buy well made cables that use true RG-59U coax and let the chips fall where they may. The audio hobby is fraught with enough neurosis without chasing perfect sound via a component (cables) that can’t, by definition, provide it… * Dirty connections can make cable terminations act like a diode and can introduce distortion, but this addition makes the cable “active” in a way by rectifying certain frequencies in the pass band, and this is not what we are discussing when we talk of “cable sound”.
After deoxidizing terminals they still need meticulous cleaning of the deoxidizing compounds. It’s as if the original clarity is restored but the chemicals present are reacting to the current, creating a new colourations. I use a minimal amount of contact cleaner than briskly polish the connector with a dry microfibre cloth. Unless gold plated the connectors immediately start oxidizing again! I prefer freshly cleaned copper to plated. It’s a great activity for a boring day.
You need to do some more learning and less pontificating. I’m no defender of the audiophile community, but your jeremiad here is even sillier, based on nothing but time to waste.
Every cable has inductance, capacitance, and resistance. Thus, every cable IS an LCR filter. Thus, it MUST have some predictable and measurable effect on the overall system frequency response. That does not mean the difference is always audible.
@@Turboy65 It’s also easy to calculate that variation and to measure it as well. If someone sees a .2dB drop measured at 20kHz and tells me they can hear it, I’ll know I’m dealing with a nutcase. By all means, measure. And know what result is actually audible. We might find a measured ±.5dB at 16kHz is inaudible to anyone. Our hearing is not terribly reliable at the extreme HF. Quality cable makers like Belden, Mogami, Canare, are certainly doing these tests to come up with a product far better than ±.5dB.
Adrian, the best explanation I've heard about why power cable makes so much difference is from Shunyata, they explain electrical power is not like a water flowing down stream, your system is not at the end of a pipe, instead your component is what completes the circuit that allows the AC to oscillate back and forth. The power cable is not the last meter of the power delivery system, but rather the first portion of the primary windings of the power transformer on your component
Adrian - I applaud your approach to this hobby and wish I lived closer to see your beautiful showroom and kick ideas around with you and Vilip. I especially appreciate your generosity to charities when it comes to the money generated from your channel. Between you guys, Paul at PS Audio and John Darko, I believe I am pretty well informed. Thank you.
I was interested to hear what you said regarding power cables. My friend has been in audio for 25 years and is the manager of the local specialist audio business. He told me a few years ago that he also was shocked to hear how a upgraded power cable made an audible difference. He offered to lend me a $500 cable but at the time I didn’t bother trying one, I had enough complications trying to get my system sounding good. I do believe analog interconnects make a difference because I’ve had first hand experience at that, but as for coaxial and optical I can’t say. I do know that regarding analog interconnects it's not simply about price, it’s a lot about synergy with your system.
It’s true that interconnects have some influence on sound. What’s also true is that the influence is somewhere between tiny and infinitesimal. Fortunately for us engineers building world famous recording studios, the difference between the two is 20 cents per foot and 90 cents per foot, and we assemble the three to four thousand of them needed in-house. If an audiophile designed a music production facility capable of recording, treating and combining the 100+ channels of sound needed for a typical record, the musicians would not be able to come in the door due to the cable sizes in use and the room would cost $2.5 billion as opposed to the actual $400-500,000. And that is just simple fact.
@@artysanmobile Analog interconnects have a significant effect. I tried about 8 different ones when setting up my system and I could easily hear differences. As for digital interconnects and power cables I don’t know.
@@aussie8114 My point is that a talented tech can specify the right materials and build for an embarrassingly tiny fraction of the cost of audiophile nonsense, the perfect analog interconnect that none of you enthusiasts could find fault with. And yes, I am loudly debunking the foolishness I see routinely in audiophile literature. As an example of the job we face, my remote recording truck has a bit over 1600 analog patchpoints, each terminated at least twice, and carrying signals you, as an audiophile, lovingly use as reference material in your judgement of an 18” playback connect in your system. Do you really think we could have made a better sounding record by spending several hundred dollars on each and every one of those analog interconnects? Do you really think the artist knows full well they are leaving all kinds of faithful sound on the table by using the wiring I have chosen for them? Think hard about it.
I believe that analog cables make a difference, I've heard differences between analog cables and it makes sense that they can sound different. But its hard to wrap my mind around hearing an improvement in a digital cable replacement unless the cable being replaced is damaged. Most digital transfers have built-in error correction that will guarantee data is transferred perfectly in the correct order. A bit is delivered as a 1 or a 0 and not a good sounding or bad sounding 1 or 0. However, I do believe you heard a difference and I really enjoy this channel. Keep up the great videos!
I've been able to hear noticeable changes in some digital cables, mostly XLR and Coax. The USB and Optical/TOS interconnects all sound the same to me. Possibly less error correction in some protocols than others? I do agree with you that analog (especially single ended) seem to show the most drastic difference and even then it's pretty subjective.
Guys thanks for the great review. I have to add to the gentleman’s comment below on the three dollar RCA cable will sound like any others and you comment on the 75 on cable. That’s what I thought, I had a nice looking $15 75 ohm RCA cable plug from my Yamaha Avage receiver to a SVS SB 1000 sub. Sounded muddy no base definition. I upgraded to the SVS SB 3000. It is rated highly, especially for its price. Very disappointed in the lack of detail. Then I tried a $35 SVS cable to the sub, OMG, what a difference I switch them back-and-forth a couple times it was astounding the difference. Have no idea what an even more expensive cable may do or if it’s a waste, but I wanted to pass this on.
Over the course of the last 10 years, I’ve found the most important cables are the ones closest to the source ( in my case, the DAC ) which means using the best type of inductor ( pure silver | pure copper | silver or tin plated ) as certain types work ( matches ) the tweeters types of ones speakers, as soft dome based designs tend to roll of extension at the very top end……., pure silver or silver plated copper ICs | USB cables work wonderfully in said situations.
Thank you for the video. Briefly on the subject: In my opinion, there is no such thing as cable sound! In the last 40 years I have compared - alone and also in a circle of other people - different SP cables and RCA cables according to make and price, in a double blind test. The consistently high-quality hi-fi systems were in the price segment from about $10,000 to about $60,000. Never, never could even one verifiable result be achieved. Even with SP cables of different lengths, no differences could be verified. I therefore always buy cables according to price and appearance. Besides, everyone should believe in what he wants to believe and also buy what he wants to buy. Many greetings from Germany
@Lloyd Stout Once again, briefly for understanding: In a double-blind test (DBT), ideally neither the listener nor the person technically performing the test knows which device, which cable, etc. is connected. Obviously, this is not so easy to realise. If, for example, one is testing different loudspeakers, devices or cables, a DBT should be carried out as follows: a high-quality switching unit is used to switch between the devices. This unit should either be programmed in advance by another person who is not present during the test (e.g. AABABABBBAA...) or switch randomly (in which case the exact switching sequence is stored for later evaluation). In this way, the listener does not know at any time which device is currently being evaluated. To obtain a statistically relevant result, at least 20 switchings should take place. Another possibility is to place the person performing the test, including the equipment, behind a curtain. The only important thing is that there is no line of sight to the listener. The prerequisite for such tests is, of course, as usual, the exact level adjustment of all devices to be tested. The purpose of such a test setup is to avoid any non-verbal communication, which could lead to a subconscious judgement, between the listener and the person performing the test. Greetings from Germany
Blind tests work in a system familiar to the person in test, with very familiar material...not someone going to another person's system. Bottlenecks can mask any gains from components in test....very system dependent.
If I were to compare my full battery of silver cables that’s replaced all my copper cables and power distributor boxes. I’m sure nearly deaf people would be able to pass that one. One cable is kinda hard.
The valid way to test what cables do to sound is not to test A against B but to test A against A shunted. This test puts the cable in and out of the circuit. It can be done for speaker cables, interconnects, power cables (if you know exactly what you are doing otherwise don't try power cables. In this case a two pole make before break relay is useful.) The difference between the sound with and without the cable in the circuit is the distortion the cable creates whether it is linear distortion ie. frequency response, non linear distortion ie. harmonic, intermodulation and noise, or a change in level. The one that causes the least change is the best. As an electrical engineer I can say without reservation that using cables to alter the sound of a sound system is the worst and most expensive way to accomplish that goal. It results in endless trial and error, endless frustration, and endless expense. Do recording engineers use audiophile cables to alter the sound of a recording when they master their recordings? Never.
I think it's great that u take the time to share info on cables.I am a firm believer that switching cables can make a huge difference in the sound of your system.thanks for taking the time.Pete
Thanks for all of your informative videos. What speaker cables (without breaking the bank) would you recommend for the Sonus Faber Lumina V pairing w/ either a Vincent Audio SV-237MK II or a Cayin Integrated amp?
After watching your reviews I bought hegel h390 and kanta2. Can you please recommend pare of good cables, power cable and fiberoptic cable please. I live in australia , 1000 to 2000 is my budget. Thanks !! Anybody can help me🙏🙏🙏
BTW - I am old enough that I DO remember the immigration of the boat people and am so proud to be a Canadian. The experience of Syrian immigration is another wonderful moment of generosity.
I do not have the Budget to go too deep into this , but I use all DH Labs Silver plated except my speaker cables which are CORE POWER TECHNOLOGIES from Underwood HiFi and they are Fantastic. I’m really happy with all I have.
Tried a number of interconnects and some speaker cables. No difference of any kind. So amazon it is. My component are in the $3-5K range: TT, pre, power, DAC. Hear plenty of difference with tubes, different DACs, different TT cartridges. But cables: nope.
Wow that's shocking i have £8000 set up for my home cinema but spent about £1200 on qed reference and signature cables and i can hear and see difference.
@@harpalchauhan428 I agree, that is shocking. Have you done at least single blind test (someone else changes cable) and you tell which one it is? Are you correct. 8/10 times? If yes, great, if not, a clear case of confirmation bias.
@@danielgeiger7739 yes i have got my brother in law do blind test on me and my partner as well did it on me too i left room each time they changed it from cheap wires i used which were given to me by friend who was doing painting decorating so had listion to them for about a month before my cables were ready and soon as i connected them i noticed that it was way more clean and detailed and cables had grip on my drivers on dali zensor 7 and in blind test this what i looked out for and with other cable not as crisp in the tweeter end and more dead to listen to in comparison. With the hdmi was easy ive been into home cinema since 1996 and i study the picture like you would look at a piece of art lol and with each range starting from profile, then perfomance, to reference i could see the difference up to reference where picture was razor sharp that it could cut your throat there was more space and depth in picture no ghosting at all no jitter in picture where straight lines on anything has zig zag in it and no blocking with red or green colours on lights in picture colour is perfect no bleeding or nothing. And have seen some amazing looking movies in 3D that would murder there 4k counterparts easy only 4k has a bigger colour pallet but not that much over deep colour for blurays which i don't know if you were aware of for 2k. And my player was a reference level player and denon flagship player when it came out and then oppo and co copied its ideas like transport only and 2 hdmi outs one for picture and one for sound 😂😂😂 and biggest advantage with qed.co.uk and there cables come with lifetime warranty
@@harpalchauhan428 That is the definition of confirmation bias. If you know that new stuff is in your system, then that is not a "blind" test. And a single right tip (with knowing what the situation is, so not a test at all) is meaningless. You need to get ir right 8 out of 10 times without knowing which cable is in your system.
My missus said to me the other day "let me get this straight you spend over £1,000 on speaker cables because you can 'hear the difference' but you can't hear me calling you from the kitchen" 🙄
I'm curious have you ever listened to a song that you absolutely hated when you were evaluating cables. And does that song sound better. Is it possible that things we hate May not sound as good. Especially when you go from a good cable to a great cable. Thank You Jim Keep up the good work
I think this episode missed the original point as how to choose the cables. Many of us don’t have the vast experience listening to the different brands of cables and knowing what to listen for like you do. I hope in the future you can explain to the subscribers of this channel what we should for in more details. Thanks.
I am a firm believer in cables and I am also a client of AE. But I am really struggling with the idea of Ethernet cables making a difference. I currently have a 5 foot generic Cat 6 between my router and my Mytek Manhattan II DAC, using Nordost Blue Heaven power cord. And I don’t think I am exploiting the true potential of the DAC. I guess I’d have to borrow some Ethernet cables from Adrian to see if it makes a difference.
They are not cable manufacturers bit resellers that buy cables from actual manufacturers and add extra jackets dress cables 10x profit then resell . Don't be fooled
I moved into my current palace 40 years ago and it took a tractor trailer moving van yo move from a 5 room apt and cellar into a 6 room house. I had 30 cartons of books and probably 12 boxes of records and tons of tools. In the 40+ years i have accumulated a lot more and gotten rid of almost nothing, my brother who was a mover said he's glad to be far enough away not to be called on to empty the place out when I've departed this mortal coil. As to cables I think they do make a difference but am not willing to go for the high end cables be cause i just can't justify the cost
With regards to the power cord and it being the last 6 feet of the circuit and why the difference in sound. I’m not an electrician however as a plumber I can understand it somewhat. If I have a 1/2 inch water supply into the house and 1/2 inch mains through out the house and run multiple faucets at once I will probably see the the amount of water decrease out of the faucets. Now if I keep the original 1/2 inch water supply however I increase the mains to 3/4 or even 1 inch and open the same faucets the water coming out of the faucets will not decrease as much because by increasing the pipe size allows more water to be stored (volume). Same pressure but more water available at the point of exit.
It's all preference. I never understand why this creates so much controversy. I'm sure different cables make certain differences. In my opinion, there are 3 types of cables: 1.) Well constructed cables 2.) Poorly constructed cables 3.) Worn out/defective cables
People who sell expensive hifi say expensive hifi cables make a difference, shock.. yet never just film themselves on a double blind trial, which could easily be done in half a day... or simply record the differences they here and show that in an analysis... no their ears/gear etc are just superior lol
Thanks Adrian and Vilip. Great advice. What are your thoughts on the dealer conflict of interest mentioned by Steve Guttenberg given that margins are biggest for cables?
I totally believe there could be and often are sound differences between cables. My wife and I blind tested many times during our journey into hifi. What I still struggle with is value. If I have $5k to spend for a speaker and cables. Wouldn’t it be better to buy a $4800 pair of speaker and $200 in cable than to buy a $2500 speaker and $2500 cable? What ratio of monetary allotment is more rational? What combo will be the best combo?
Thanks -- good discussion as always. Honest question: what is a "fair" discount for a good client (e.g. who spent $$$$ in the last year) to expect e.g. on Nordost Frey 2/Tyr 2 cables or similar?
Put it differently, it’s physic rule, I agree with what Villip said, cables only degrade signal, so then it’s a game of which cable degrade less. If the standard is 10, then it’s which degrade less, if the standard is 0, then it’s which cable improved more. Everything in the signal path or connected to the gear all affect the sound. With the same cable, the shorter the better!
I agree with Villip that cables could ONLY degrade the signals, so the general rules is…if it’s the same cable, shorter cable is always better than longer cable…shorter cables minimized the level of degrade on the signal passing through!
Hi I m dr Uy Albert from Phil 40 years as an audiophile. My experience in audition or AB test in cable. Is first I ll note the perspective of overall sound presentation. Like frontal or behind speaker canvas of sound. My seven categories of hi end must be gauge of judging the cables. 1. Musicality ( very subjective though) 2, soundstage include here are width , height. Depth imaging n 4 dimension of behind our seating position 3, timbral accuracy 4. Balance on hi mid low perspective ( very important) 5. Macro dynamic 6. Macrodynamic 6. Ambience envelopment. ( which is very much dependent on acoustic placement. Rate on this categories 5/5 5 is highest.
I own Valhalla 2 RCA interconnects, speaker cables & USB cable. Heimdall 2 ethernet, turntable and XLR interconnects. YES they do make a difference. The biggest jump was in the speaker cables and the XLR cable.
I have been a fan of Nordost, AudioQuest and Kimber Kables. Using Audio Research tube amps and preamps I have used Kimber PBJ interconnect as a standard for evaluation. What does Audio Excellence think of Klipsch speakers (Klipsch Heresy IV)?
ALWAYS enjoy them...and especially this subject, except not having enough resources to try different brands. But have been quite happy with Wireworld to have all critical connections come from them (other than a AQ Thunder from wall to my Niagara). Not wise to go against Garth🎶
G'day Guy's it's great to see you back Vilip, love the banter between you guys. Love the preamble at the start as well. I've got a bit of a story about my first OMG moment with cables. There is a fellow in our audio club that makes bespoke cables to length. He managed to get onto a roll of new old stock western electric cable from the 50's. I always thought cables made some what of a difference, but it wasn't until I plugged these cables in that in my mind that was confirmed. Without going into heaps of detail, I guess the best way to describe this was it was almost as though a wall had been lifted between me and the speakers. Everything just opened up and became more detailed immediately It was a real wow moment for me. Looking forward to the next video already. You did a great job Adrian while Vilip was moving but now things are back to normal and I'm happy 😁🎧👍
Having lived the life of an ExPat for the past 30 years, we moved internationally 16 times? You are NEVER done moving, we continue to find boxes that we have not opened over the past 3 moves...we figured this is true because it has 3 different moving stickers on the box and the tape is peeling away. We hate moving but start getting twitchy around year 3 looking forward to the next adventure. Right now are twitch has been buried and are in the process of down sizing.
Hi guys. For me, the problem is very simple.... What do we really listen when we hear our favorite music on our hifi systems ? ITS CURRENT turned into sound !!!! So, logically, as long as the current is clear, pure and of a certain quality, the overall sound we hear is much better. I tested and found that power cords DO make a big difference in my system. As long as you do not invest in cables, dont expect to hear more than 80% of what a piece of gear can give. Many accept that as a fact, and prefer to live like this. Cheers and stay safe !!!
Great episode. I still can't get my head around how an ethernet cable could make a demonstrable sound difference. I just don't get it. Does someone want to permanently "loan" me a hi-end ethernet cable? :)
Test your internet at speedtest.net As long as the ethernet cable works, it shouldn't make a difference. There are differences between like cat5e, cat6, etc., and the new ones with a compatible router and a good ISP will make a difference. But a $500 ethernet cable is just absolutely ludicrous.
@@DTMHMK Why is it ludicrous. You have just stated that differences exist between cables above. The argument that it is just ones and zeros is ludicrous. The cable is transmitting an analogue signal that is used to represent those ones and zeros, so is subject to interference from the outside and will transmit any electrical noise from the source.
Comparing speaker (or any cables for that matter) should be done "blindly" or the bias or placebo effect will come into play. A-B the two cables several times and see if you get the same reslult many times over.
Where can I buy a bottle of Frackin’s Snake Oil? I heard it comes with 20’ of Home Cheapo CAT 6 Ethernet, and a bag of little pieces of 2x4 chunks of wood to use as cable lifters.
I agree with Rodger Sanders of Sanders Sound Systems: "There is no doubt that speaker cables can exert a influence on the sound of your audio system. But interestingly, all well-designed interconnects sound identical". Power cables? Pffft.
Help! Every system I’ve ever heard is susceptible to the environment. The environment even affects ourselves. Our environment is always active and changing. Their’s a constant stream of energy permeating our environment. Sometimes my audio system sounds magical, without any fatigue, dynamic and full bodied. Perhaps the next time I listen it’s lost energy, verve and sounds a bit nasty. Am I nuts? I remember listening to a complete Goldmund system, Rosemary Clooney with Ed Bickert took me for an enchanting trip. A few months later and the same system was flat and unmoving. Is it myself or the stereo? However, cleaning connections are tweaking make a difference. Some people don’t seem to notice the difference. I’m looking for validation!
I liked this episode, however, it would have been nice to explain the types of differences that was experienced when swapping the power cable, speaker cable, interconnect cable and ethernet cables. That way people would have an idea what exactly to listen for when doing this type of experiments. There were so called "huge" improvements but in what aspects? I have personally heard sound stage size differences and differences in dynamics. What did you all hear?
Adrian, it was great to hear your comments as an engineer about your initial skepticism about cables and then you're listening experiences. Another engineer, Ethan Winer, continues to insist that anyone who claims to hear a difference between cables which measure the same are either shills, idiots, dupes, ignorant about what they're hearing, or subject to the placebo effect. This of course stands against a mountain of listening experience that people claim to have. I cannot believe that everyone falls into those categories of deception, especially given all that we do not know about human perception and the brain. How do you talk to engineers who are doubters?
Ethan Winer stands out as an complete nutcase if you ask me. Not exactly the best reference to put out there. And yes, there are audible differences when gear is connected to DIFFERENT cables. Snake oil prices in the 10K range is insane though.
@@bloodcarver913 He stands out as a nutcase? You mean because he's an engineer who built a box that proves there's no difference in cables, and when he challenged a TRUE industry quack to a blind test challenge (Paul McGowan) Paul went running like a little girl and wouldn't accept the challenge. So WHO'S the quack again?
@@Wizardofgosz Give me a break. The notion that arguments - Ethan's or anyone else's - are "unassailible" betrays a misunderstanding about what an argument even is. Ethan believes he's correct, and he gives reasons for his conclusions - but he is too educated to claim his arguments are unassailable. They're not religious revelations. His arguments have been assailed and - to my mind - convincingly. Ethan disagrees.
I hate that I hear the difference in cables. But I will lay out the money because it’s equivalent to a new component in my system. I’m lucky my wife loves music and has good ears. So I will change out cables not telling my wife which is which and she has voiced the system very well. Do you think the reason for improvement in sound comes down to reduction in shielding?
I believed shielded, good conductor and low resonance has a positive impact. Shielding is about reducing interference on the other cables, such as one from the T/T to the pre-amp (low voltage signal).
Here is my experience with cables in the order of having most dramatic impact to the sound in my system: IC cable, Power, Speaker cable, and Power Cord. Before cables, I would make sure get the best power box (conditioner etc) first. That will set the tone (no pun intended) for the system in terms of blackness, clarity, contrast, and space. What I believe is that if an electronic is really well designed in terms of noise rejection from input to output stage, cables should not make difference at all. I have not tried audiophile ethernet cable, but this is where I draw the line. With ethernet connection, the streamer must work with internal buffer that it stores incoming network packets. All packets must arrive in exact sequence through the network, otherwise there will be data error. So I am not convinced that ethernet cable makes streaming sound better. If you really inclined, switch ethernet cables while playing music see if there is difference. I am willing to bet no because what you hear is data playing off from the buffer.
I really enjoyed this conversation. It's not that I don't believe that cables can't make a difference, but I really have to force myself into a different listening style to pick up on those differences. So I try to avoid focusing on cables because that mode of listening is not what I usually do in my day to day listening. I think even if it makes no audible difference, it still does provide a purpose in making your system more visually appealing. And when my system looks good, I want to listen more.
I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to unwanted noise and when I came from my 2 channel to a multi-channel setup, I couldn't believe how much my noise floor had risen. In my experience when running long speaker runs it absolutely essential to have your cables shielded! After hearing the sonic benefits of shielded cables, I ended up shielding HDMI cables as well and lo and behold my room become even more quieter. To see if you're on the right track disconnect your Heights and your Rear cables from the back of your components and then listen how much the noise floor has gone down. Furthermore the way you have you're power cables & extension/ plugs quite close to other cables is a risk in itself. Even my TVs power cable is routed separately. I just wouldn't take the risk! I've lost count how many times have gone through the reverse elimination process 🤯 As you probably already discovered yourself, sonically its kinda hard to hear where the noise is coming from. It's almost as if the room is producing noise itself!
Perception isn't reality. Unless you just had grossly undersized cables for the power you're running, changing to more expensive cables isn't going to do anything. If you had a poor setup with a bunch of twisted slack behind your rack, getting back there & cleaning it up, while incidentally adding your new, expensive cables, probably did more to improve the sound than the cables themselves. If you want to buy custom-length, pre-terminated, nice looking speaker cables to clean up the appearance, I can understand that. Also having clean organization of interconnects with minimal slack between components will help. But don't be fooled into thinking a $1k (or more) cable is going to present something sonically that you can't get for much, much less.
There will always be talk of how power cords won't make a difference since there is countless feet of romex and feeder lines before the receptacle. However that's the point of the power cord....the last couple feet is where you can clean the signal up...that won't happen with romex where the conductors run parallel to the adjacent conductors with almost zero RFI shielding. Sometimes a power cord won't make any difference...but it's definitely not snake oil.
Cables are HiFi in it's most simplest form. Great way to explore and appreciate different companies signature sound, even at the most basic price point.
System matching with cable…maybe…a cable retard higher frequency more will be better use with overly brighter speakers or system…vise versa…so people will say, see I do hear the difference and this cable improved my system!
i just did a search on the valhalla 2 speaker cable. i seen a price of over 10000 euro. I can believe it will sound good but i ask myself, where does the money go in making this cable? Don' t take me wrong, i can hear a difference and i love my cheap "anti cable" i did run on my system. But where is the money spent?
In testing, nobody can hear the difference between $35 Canare L-4E6S Quad balanced XLR cable and a $5,000 cable you pick the brand. Do a level-matched, double blind test and see if you can pick 10 of 10. It hasn't been done yet, you could be the first. I can't believe any of the hi-end cable companies are still in business.
I'm totally with you on DIY cable. I've seen 24 strand braided silver plated OCC cable on eBay for approximately 7 bucks a foot. Get some banana plugs or what have you and you've got some great speaker cables for a fraction of the cost of many audiophile cables and with comparable quality.
You will always find people with different opinions when it comes to cables. If you don't notice the difference, then just stick with what you have and be glad you saved yourself some money. I had 6 year old Mogami XLR cables from my new McIntosh amp to my preamp. Since I was able to purchase some Audioquest cables at a good price with a 60 day return policy, I ordered them. I did a A/B between them and then my wife blind tested them which included A/B, and A/A tests. We both heard a clearer more open sound with the Audioquest cables which was about a 8 percent difference. Cables do not improve the sound of your system but if they allow the signal to flow through their cable better with less resistance, and all the other technical stuff that was on the Audioquest Columbia box, then I can see the sound of the music being different.
Cables cannot improve the sound of your system but only reveal the quality of your equipment. That's why we refer these as one of the snake oil. There is a scientific approach in achieving good results.
There is no doubt about it, going from standard 1 dollar cables to the Odin 2 on everything in the system, makes a gigantic difference. Even the most extreme cable deniers with that test would be eating their words in that situation. (cable deniers would just never put themselves in that situation to test it)
its psycho acoustics. it makes no "blind" tested difference at all, it makes not measurable electrical difference at all (given sub 40 meter runs) ... But it DOES make a difference if you believe it does! So spend what you like, if it makes you happy, it makes me happy, since I make home made hi end cables for the crazy people that don't believe in science.
@@themaskedsingercucucachu8225 exactly: it’s psychoacoustic. When you are not able / willing to spend that money, you don’t hear the difference. That said, I still have to hear a difference from Ethernet cables. Shielded cables can inject noise, unshielded cables all sound the same to me.
Just don't buy Audio Quest. Had 2 pairs of RCA start crackling on me after about 6 months. Not worth it. Going to stick with affordable Blue Jeans for now.
Here’s my unbiased experience. First a bit of background. Over the years, I have bought a dozen or so Nordost cables, but not from Audio Excellence (sorry Adrian). But I want to disclose this fact to give readers the assurance that I am not patronizing Adrian. I had moved up the Nordost line from Blue Heaven to Red Dawn and settled down on Heimdall, essentially to keep the cost of cables to no more than 20% of my system. When I upgraded to the Mytek Manhattan DAC last year, I borrowed a Valhalla coax from a Nordost dealer and it just blown me away. As much as it burnt a hole in my pocket, I kept it. I totally support that the claim that the Heimdall is 30% better than the Blue Heaven. But the Valhalla is at least another 30% better than the Heimdall. I’ve also borrowed an Odin 2 power cord from a friend and it would have to be day and night better than then anything I have ever heard. But that power cord costs more that the most expensive component in my system. A word of caution, cables take time to burn in. Power cords can take well over 100 hours. To speed up the burn in process, I connect my new power cords to a Furutech power distributor and connect my fish tank heater to it. 😂
A certain popular TH-camr ( audio reviewer ) changed his cables from Audioquest Gibraltar speaker cables to Canare 4S-11 and he very much preferred the sound of the Canare 4S-11. Bear in mind a two metre Audioquest Gibraltar costs $1150 and the two metre Canare 4S-11 costs less than $30-00. He sold the Audioquest Gibraltar and kept the Canare 4S-11.
Expensive speaker cables do not necessarily mean better cables. Your ears will have a final say .
Exactly. It can happen, the important thing is that you buy what sounds better to youor ears.
A channel for folks with modest objectives and all the time in the world to reach (or not reach) them.
I agree with the comments that cables don't matter only because the people that are leaving those comments don't understand that a length of string and 2-tin cans will not sound any different.
I can't afford anything you all talk about but I love this channel.
Yeah it’s pretty vertical.. but esp. being other side of planet to the major economies 😂😬
Adrian, you have "amazing clients" because they know *you* are amazing people, guys they can trust.
Vilip is like me :-)
In the UK, the fuses are as important as the cable. Laydown of speaker cable is also important, reduce capacitance and static from the carpet. And I use wooden blocks to keep cables off the floor. I also keep power, connectivity and speaker cables away from each other.
Try Kimber powerkords x interconnects x kimber select speaker cables. Their woven geometrical layout x covering allows the listener to capture the tiniest of details x clear cohesion.
What many audiophiles seem to forget is that cables are PASSIVE, not active components. By passive, I mean that they cannot ADD anything to the signal* that they are conducting. Cables can only SUBTRACT something from the signal. If you have two cables that sound different, it’s because at least one of them is altering the frequency balance of the signal, and most likely BOTH of them are, they are just working on different parts of the audio spectrum. If you like one “boutique” cable over another, it’s simply because you find that alteration to the signal more appealing to your ears than another.
The can of worms that this opens is that: 1) no cable is “better” than another because both are less than ideal conductors. And: 2) Cost means nothing in this case. It is entirely possible that a cheap cable can do less harm to the signal than an expensive cable. It is down to whether or not the attenuation of part of the signal sounds better to you. What I mean by that is if you have a system that sounds forward in the midrange, and you install an interconnect that slightly suppresses the midrange, that cable will sound better to you than one that suppresses, for instance, the treble region. Audible cable superiority in one’s system depends on the system, not the price of the cable! Purchasing the most expensive cables does not guarantee that those cables will sound better in your system than a cheaper cable!
So the question becomes, how do you know which cable to buy? If you don’t listen to many different cables at all price points, then you will have no idea which cable is best for YOUR system. I deal with this dilemma by not playing the cable game. I buy well made cables that use true RG-59U coax and let the chips fall where they may. The audio hobby is fraught with enough neurosis without chasing perfect sound via a component (cables) that can’t, by definition, provide it…
* Dirty connections can make cable terminations act like a diode and can introduce distortion, but this addition makes the cable “active” in a way by rectifying certain frequencies in the pass band, and this is not what we are discussing when we talk of “cable sound”.
After deoxidizing terminals they still need meticulous cleaning of the deoxidizing compounds. It’s as if the original clarity is restored but the chemicals present are reacting to the current, creating a new colourations. I use a minimal amount of contact cleaner than briskly polish the connector with a dry microfibre cloth. Unless gold plated the connectors immediately start oxidizing again! I prefer freshly cleaned copper to plated. It’s a great activity for a boring day.
You need to do some more learning and less pontificating. I’m no defender of the audiophile community, but your jeremiad here is even sillier, based on nothing but time to waste.
Every cable has inductance, capacitance, and resistance. Thus, every cable IS an LCR filter. Thus, it MUST have some predictable and measurable effect on the overall system frequency response. That does not mean the difference is always audible.
@@Turboy65 It’s also easy to calculate that variation and to measure it as well. If someone sees a .2dB drop measured at 20kHz and tells me they can hear it, I’ll know I’m dealing with a nutcase. By all means, measure. And know what result is actually audible. We might find a measured ±.5dB at 16kHz is inaudible to anyone. Our hearing is not terribly reliable at the extreme HF. Quality cable makers like Belden, Mogami, Canare, are certainly doing these tests to come up with a product far better than ±.5dB.
This is a great topic as I m in the process of shopping for cables for my new system
Adrian, the best explanation I've heard about why power cable makes so much difference is from Shunyata, they explain electrical power is not like a water flowing down stream, your system is not at the end of a pipe, instead your component is what completes the circuit that allows the AC to oscillate back and forth. The power cable is not the last meter of the power delivery system, but rather the first portion of the primary windings of the power transformer on your component
Yep exactly
Adrian - I applaud your approach to this hobby and wish I lived closer to see your beautiful showroom and kick ideas around with you and Vilip. I especially appreciate your generosity to charities when it comes to the money generated from your channel. Between you guys, Paul at PS Audio and John Darko, I believe I am pretty well informed. Thank you.
I was interested to hear what you said regarding power cables. My friend has been in audio for 25 years and is the manager of the local specialist audio business. He told me a few years ago that he also was shocked to hear how a upgraded power cable made an audible difference. He offered to lend me a $500 cable but at the time I didn’t bother trying one, I had enough complications trying to get my system sounding good.
I do believe analog interconnects make a difference because I’ve had first hand experience at that, but as for coaxial and optical I can’t say. I do know that regarding analog interconnects it's not simply about price, it’s a lot about synergy with your system.
It’s true that interconnects have some influence on sound. What’s also true is that the influence is somewhere between tiny and infinitesimal. Fortunately for us engineers building world famous recording studios, the difference between the two is 20 cents per foot and 90 cents per foot, and we assemble the three to four thousand of them needed in-house. If an audiophile designed a music production facility capable of recording, treating and combining the 100+ channels of sound needed for a typical record, the musicians would not be able to come in the door due to the cable sizes in use and the room would cost $2.5 billion as opposed to the actual $400-500,000. And that is just simple fact.
@@artysanmobile Analog interconnects have a significant effect. I tried about 8 different ones when setting up my system and I could easily hear differences. As for digital interconnects and power cables I don’t know.
@@aussie8114 My point is that a talented tech can specify the right materials and build for an embarrassingly tiny fraction of the cost of audiophile nonsense, the perfect analog interconnect that none of you enthusiasts could find fault with. And yes, I am loudly debunking the foolishness I see routinely in audiophile literature.
As an example of the job we face, my remote recording truck has a bit over 1600 analog patchpoints, each terminated at least twice, and carrying signals you, as an audiophile, lovingly use as reference material in your judgement of an 18” playback connect in your system. Do you really think we could have made a better sounding record by spending several hundred dollars on each and every one of those analog interconnects? Do you really think the artist knows full well they are leaving all kinds of faithful sound on the table by using the wiring I have chosen for them?
Think hard about it.
I believe that analog cables make a difference, I've heard differences between analog cables and it makes sense that they can sound different. But its hard to wrap my mind around hearing an improvement in a digital cable replacement unless the cable being replaced is damaged. Most digital transfers have built-in error correction that will guarantee data is transferred perfectly in the correct order. A bit is delivered as a 1 or a 0 and not a good sounding or bad sounding 1 or 0. However, I do believe you heard a difference and I really enjoy this channel. Keep up the great videos!
I've been able to hear noticeable changes in some digital cables, mostly XLR and Coax. The USB and Optical/TOS interconnects all sound the same to me. Possibly less error correction in some protocols than others? I do agree with you that analog (especially single ended) seem to show the most drastic difference and even then it's pretty subjective.
Guys thanks for the great review. I have to add to the gentleman’s comment below on the three dollar RCA cable will sound like any others and you comment on the 75 on cable.
That’s what I thought, I had a nice looking $15 75 ohm RCA cable plug from my Yamaha Avage receiver to a SVS SB 1000 sub. Sounded muddy no base definition.
I upgraded to the SVS SB 3000. It is rated highly, especially for its price. Very disappointed in the lack of detail. Then I tried a $35 SVS cable to the sub, OMG, what a difference I switch them back-and-forth a couple times it was astounding the difference. Have no idea what an even more expensive cable may do or if it’s a waste, but I wanted to pass this on.
Love your conversations, thank you for including us
Great video, it was great seeing Vilip, hope he is doing well.
Over the course of the last 10 years, I’ve found the most important cables are the ones closest to the source ( in my case, the DAC ) which means using the best type of inductor ( pure silver | pure copper | silver or tin plated ) as certain types work ( matches ) the tweeters types of ones speakers, as soft dome based designs tend to roll of extension at the very top end……., pure silver or silver plated copper ICs | USB cables work wonderfully in said situations.
Thank you for the video. Briefly on the subject: In my opinion, there is no such thing as cable sound! In the last 40 years I have compared - alone and also in a circle of other people - different SP cables and RCA cables according to make and price, in a double blind test. The consistently high-quality hi-fi systems were in the price segment from about $10,000 to about $60,000. Never, never could even one verifiable result be achieved. Even with SP cables of different lengths, no differences could be verified. I therefore always buy cables according to price and appearance. Besides, everyone should believe in what he wants to believe and also buy what he wants to buy. Many greetings from Germany
@Lloyd Stout
Once again, briefly for understanding:
In a double-blind test (DBT), ideally neither the listener nor the person technically performing the test knows which device, which cable, etc. is connected. Obviously, this is not so easy to realise. If, for example, one is testing different loudspeakers, devices or cables, a DBT should be carried out as follows: a high-quality switching unit is used to switch between the devices. This unit should either be programmed in advance by another person who is not present during the test (e.g. AABABABBBAA...) or switch randomly (in which case the exact switching sequence is stored for later evaluation). In this way, the listener does not know at any time which device is currently being evaluated. To obtain a statistically relevant result, at least 20 switchings should take place. Another possibility is to place the person performing the test, including the equipment, behind a curtain. The only important thing is that there is no line of sight to the listener. The prerequisite for such tests is, of course, as usual, the exact level adjustment of all devices to be tested.
The purpose of such a test setup is to avoid any non-verbal communication, which could lead to a subconscious judgement, between the listener and the person performing the test.
Greetings from Germany
The famous cable debate. Everyone I know who claimed that they make a difference were challenged to a blind test and they all failed miserably.
Blind tests work in a system familiar to the person in test, with very familiar material...not someone going to another person's system. Bottlenecks can mask any gains from components in test....very system dependent.
If I were to compare my full battery of silver cables that’s replaced all my copper cables and power distributor boxes.
I’m sure nearly deaf people would be able to pass that one.
One cable is kinda hard.
These two guys were like "the blind leading the blind."
The valid way to test what cables do to sound is not to test A against B but to test A against A shunted. This test puts the cable in and out of the circuit. It can be done for speaker cables, interconnects, power cables (if you know exactly what you are doing otherwise don't try power cables. In this case a two pole make before break relay is useful.) The difference between the sound with and without the cable in the circuit is the distortion the cable creates whether it is linear distortion ie. frequency response, non linear distortion ie. harmonic, intermodulation and noise, or a change in level. The one that causes the least change is the best. As an electrical engineer I can say without reservation that using cables to alter the sound of a sound system is the worst and most expensive way to accomplish that goal. It results in endless trial and error, endless frustration, and endless expense. Do recording engineers use audiophile cables to alter the sound of a recording when they master their recordings? Never.
I think it's great that u take the time to share info on cables.I am a firm believer that switching cables can make a huge difference in the sound of your system.thanks for taking the time.Pete
Thanks for all of your informative videos. What speaker cables (without breaking the bank) would you recommend for the Sonus Faber Lumina V pairing w/ either a Vincent Audio SV-237MK II or a Cayin Integrated amp?
After watching your reviews I bought hegel h390 and kanta2. Can you please recommend pare of good cables, power cable and fiberoptic cable please.
I live in australia , 1000 to 2000 is my budget.
Thanks !!
Anybody can help me🙏🙏🙏
Looks like nobody cares
Question what fyne audio speakers would be and upgrade from the tennoy cheviot in à room 12 1/2'×19' speaker position 8ft from listening area
We are audiophiles. Gears and records/cds are priorities 😆Keep up the good work.
good info what model are the sonus fibers behind you?
BTW - I am old enough that I DO remember the immigration of the boat people and am so proud to be a Canadian. The experience of Syrian immigration is another wonderful moment of generosity.
Good conversation!
I do not have the Budget to go too deep into this , but I use all DH Labs Silver plated except my speaker cables which are CORE POWER TECHNOLOGIES from Underwood HiFi and they are Fantastic. I’m really happy with all I have.
Tried a number of interconnects and some speaker cables. No difference of any kind. So amazon it is. My component are in the $3-5K range: TT, pre, power, DAC. Hear plenty of difference with tubes, different DACs, different TT cartridges. But cables: nope.
Wow that's shocking i have £8000 set up for my home cinema but spent about £1200 on qed reference and signature cables and i can hear and see difference.
@@harpalchauhan428 I agree, that is shocking. Have you done at least single blind test (someone else changes cable) and you tell which one it is? Are you correct. 8/10 times? If yes, great, if not, a clear case of confirmation bias.
@@danielgeiger7739 yes i have got my brother in law do blind test on me and my partner as well did it on me too i left room each time they changed it from cheap wires i used which were given to me by friend who was doing painting decorating so had listion to them for about a month before my cables were ready and soon as i connected them i noticed that it was way more clean and detailed and cables had grip on my drivers on dali zensor 7 and in blind test this what i looked out for and with other cable not as crisp in the tweeter end and more dead to listen to in comparison. With the hdmi was easy ive been into home cinema since 1996 and i study the picture like you would look at a piece of art lol and with each range starting from profile, then perfomance, to reference i could see the difference up to reference where picture was razor sharp that it could cut your throat there was more space and depth in picture no ghosting at all no jitter in picture where straight lines on anything has zig zag in it and no blocking with red or green colours on lights in picture colour is perfect no bleeding or nothing. And have seen some amazing looking movies in 3D that would murder there 4k counterparts easy only 4k has a bigger colour pallet but not that much over deep colour for blurays which i don't know if you were aware of for 2k. And my player was a reference level player and denon flagship player when it came out and then oppo and co copied its ideas like transport only and 2 hdmi outs one for picture and one for sound 😂😂😂 and biggest advantage with qed.co.uk and there cables come with lifetime warranty
@@harpalchauhan428 That is the definition of confirmation bias. If you know that new stuff is in your system, then that is not a "blind" test. And a single right tip (with knowing what the situation is, so not a test at all) is meaningless. You need to get ir right 8 out of 10 times without knowing which cable is in your system.
My missus said to me the other day "let me get this straight you spend over £1,000 on speaker cables because you can 'hear the difference' but you can't hear me calling you from the kitchen" 🙄
Love it guys, thank you.
Regards Antony.
I'm curious have you ever listened to a song that you absolutely hated when you were evaluating cables. And does that song sound better. Is it possible that things we hate May not sound as good. Especially when you go from a good cable to a great cable. Thank You Jim Keep up the good work
I think this episode missed the original point as how to choose the cables. Many of us don’t have the vast experience listening to the different brands of cables and knowing what to listen for like you do. I hope in the future you can explain to the subscribers of this channel what we should for in more details. Thanks.
Excellent topic. Just what I needed. Love your thoughts and knowledge.
I am a firm believer in cables and I am also a client of AE. But I am really struggling with the idea of Ethernet cables making a difference. I currently have a 5 foot generic Cat 6 between my router and my Mytek Manhattan II DAC, using Nordost Blue Heaven power cord. And I don’t think I am exploiting the true potential of the DAC. I guess I’d have to borrow some Ethernet cables from Adrian to see if it makes a difference.
I was also sceptical to ethernet cables, but when I tested Ansuz A2 I was shocked by the improvement.
Vilip's great moving tip: first and foremost the audio gear, then for the rest no rush take your time. Congrats are in order Vilip!
Transparent, siltech and kondo are the only cables that got my respect.
They are not cable manufacturers bit resellers that buy cables from actual manufacturers and add extra jackets dress cables 10x profit then resell . Don't be fooled
@@JasonD-yc3oy agreed
I moved into my current palace 40 years ago and it took a tractor trailer moving van yo move from a 5 room apt and cellar into a 6 room house. I had 30 cartons of books and probably 12 boxes of records and tons of tools. In the 40+ years i have accumulated a lot more and gotten rid of almost nothing, my brother who was a mover said he's glad to be far enough away not to be called on to empty the place out when I've departed this mortal coil.
As to cables I think they do make a difference but am not willing to go for the high end cables be cause i just can't justify the cost
Sorry this is off topic...but are those a pair of Apogees on the background? Are you guys still selling them?
With regards to the power cord and it being the last 6 feet of the circuit and why the difference in sound.
I’m not an electrician however as a plumber I can understand it somewhat. If I have a 1/2 inch water supply into the house and 1/2 inch mains through out the house and run multiple faucets at once I will probably see the the amount of water decrease out of the faucets. Now if I keep the original 1/2 inch water supply however I increase the mains to 3/4 or even 1 inch and open the same faucets the water coming out of the faucets will not decrease as much because by increasing the pipe size allows more water to be stored (volume). Same pressure but more water available at the point of exit.
It's all preference. I never understand why this creates so much controversy. I'm sure different cables make certain differences. In my opinion, there are 3 types of cables:
1.) Well constructed cables
2.) Poorly constructed cables
3.) Worn out/defective cables
People who sell expensive hifi say expensive hifi cables make a difference, shock.. yet never just film themselves on a double blind trial, which could easily be done in half a day... or simply record the differences they here and show that in an analysis... no their ears/gear etc are just superior lol
Was your colleague Howard that did the comparison with you?
Thanks Adrian and Vilip. Great advice. What are your thoughts on the dealer conflict of interest mentioned by Steve Guttenberg given that margins are biggest for cables?
I totally believe there could be and often are sound differences between cables. My wife and I blind tested many times during our journey into hifi. What I still struggle with is value. If I have $5k to spend for a speaker and cables. Wouldn’t it be better to buy a $4800 pair of speaker and $200 in cable than to buy a $2500 speaker and $2500 cable? What ratio of monetary allotment is more rational? What combo will be the best combo?
you buy $5000 speakers (Fokal Aria 936) and $1000 cables!
Oh yeah! The "Even my wife can hear it" trope came out!
Thanks -- good discussion as always. Honest question: what is a "fair" discount for a good client (e.g. who spent $$$$ in the last year) to expect e.g. on Nordost Frey 2/Tyr 2 cables or similar?
Put it differently, it’s physic rule, I agree with what Villip said, cables only degrade signal, so then it’s a game of which cable degrade less.
If the standard is 10, then it’s which degrade less, if the standard is 0, then it’s which cable improved more.
Everything in the signal path or connected to the gear all affect the sound. With the same cable, the shorter the better!
I agree with Villip that cables could ONLY degrade the signals, so the general rules is…if it’s the same cable, shorter cable is always better than longer cable…shorter cables minimized the level of degrade on the signal passing through!
Hi I m dr Uy Albert from Phil 40 years as an audiophile. My experience in audition or AB test in cable. Is first I ll note the perspective of overall sound presentation. Like frontal or behind speaker canvas of sound. My seven categories of hi end must be gauge of judging the cables. 1. Musicality ( very subjective though) 2, soundstage include here are width , height. Depth imaging n 4 dimension of behind our seating position 3, timbral accuracy 4. Balance on hi mid low perspective ( very important) 5. Macro dynamic 6. Macrodynamic 6. Ambience envelopment. ( which is very much dependent on acoustic placement. Rate on this categories 5/5 5 is highest.
I own Valhalla 2 RCA interconnects, speaker cables & USB cable. Heimdall 2 ethernet, turntable and XLR interconnects. YES they do make a difference. The biggest jump was in the speaker cables and the XLR cable.
Congratulations on the 75% move !
I have been a fan of Nordost, AudioQuest and Kimber Kables. Using Audio Research tube amps and preamps I have used Kimber PBJ interconnect as a standard for evaluation. What does Audio Excellence think of Klipsch speakers (Klipsch Heresy IV)?
Which is better to sink more $$ into signal or speaker cables?
ALWAYS enjoy them...and especially this subject, except not having enough resources to try different brands. But have been quite happy with Wireworld to have all critical connections come from them (other than a AQ Thunder from wall to my Niagara). Not wise to go against Garth🎶
Really enjoy you team and knowledge…
What mark up do you put on cables?
What car do you drive?
G'day Guy's it's great to see you back Vilip, love the banter between you guys. Love the preamble at the start as well. I've got a bit of a story about my first OMG moment with cables. There is a fellow in our audio club that makes bespoke cables to length. He managed to get onto a roll of new old stock western electric cable from the 50's. I always thought cables made some what of a difference, but it wasn't until I plugged these cables in that in my mind that was confirmed. Without going into heaps of detail, I guess the best way to describe this was it was almost as though a wall had been lifted between me and the speakers. Everything just opened up and became more detailed immediately It was a real wow moment for me.
Looking forward to the next video already.
You did a great job Adrian while Vilip was moving but now things are back to normal and I'm happy 😁🎧👍
Having lived the life of an ExPat for the past 30 years, we moved internationally 16 times? You are NEVER done moving, we continue to find boxes that we have not opened over the past 3 moves...we figured this is true because it has 3 different moving stickers on the box and the tape is peeling away. We hate moving but start getting twitchy around year 3 looking forward to the next adventure. Right now are twitch has been buried and are in the process of down sizing.
Hi guys.
For me, the problem is very simple....
What do we really listen when we hear our favorite music on our hifi systems ? ITS CURRENT turned into sound !!!!
So, logically, as long as the current is clear, pure and of a certain quality, the overall sound we hear is much better.
I tested and found that power cords DO make a big difference in my system.
As long as you do not invest in cables, dont expect to hear more than 80% of what a piece of gear can give. Many accept that as a fact, and prefer to live like this.
Cheers and stay safe !!!
Great episode. I still can't get my head around how an ethernet cable could make a demonstrable sound difference. I just don't get it. Does someone want to permanently "loan" me a hi-end ethernet cable? :)
Test your internet at speedtest.net
As long as the ethernet cable works, it shouldn't make a difference. There are differences between like cat5e, cat6, etc., and the new ones with a compatible router and a good ISP will make a difference. But a $500 ethernet cable is just absolutely ludicrous.
@@DTMHMK Why is it ludicrous. You have just stated that differences exist between cables above. The argument that it is just ones and zeros is ludicrous. The cable is transmitting an analogue signal that is used to represent those ones and zeros, so is subject to interference from the outside and will transmit any electrical noise from the source.
Comparing speaker (or any cables for that matter) should be done "blindly" or the bias or placebo effect will come into play. A-B the two cables several times and see if you get the same reslult many times over.
Engaging conversation
Great video and really really helpful. Much of it sync with my views n experience.
I love your story telling Stories! 👍
Where can I buy a bottle of Frackin’s Snake Oil? I heard it comes with 20’ of Home Cheapo CAT 6 Ethernet, and a bag of little pieces of 2x4 chunks of wood to use as cable lifters.
Love the comments!!!
I agree with Rodger Sanders of Sanders Sound Systems: "There is no doubt that speaker cables can exert a influence on the sound of your audio system. But interestingly, all well-designed interconnects sound identical". Power cables? Pffft.
You said a come to Jesus moment. Have you ever accepted him as saviour?
I watch all your videos and this was a good episode on cables.
Help! Every system I’ve ever heard is susceptible to the environment. The environment even affects ourselves. Our environment is always active and changing. Their’s a constant stream of energy permeating our environment. Sometimes my audio system sounds magical, without any fatigue, dynamic and full bodied. Perhaps the next time I listen it’s lost energy, verve and sounds a bit nasty. Am I nuts? I remember listening to a complete Goldmund system, Rosemary Clooney with Ed Bickert took me for an enchanting trip. A few months later and the same system was flat and unmoving. Is it myself or the stereo? However, cleaning connections are tweaking make a difference. Some people don’t seem to notice the difference. I’m looking for validation!
Hi. Just here to help the algorithm.
I liked this episode, however, it would have been nice to explain the types of differences that was experienced when swapping the power cable, speaker cable, interconnect cable and ethernet cables. That way people would have an idea what exactly to listen for when doing this type of experiments. There were so called "huge" improvements but in what aspects? I have personally heard sound stage size differences and differences in dynamics. What did you all hear?
Best one yet!!
How are Mogami cables?
Adrian, it was great to hear your comments as an engineer about your initial skepticism about cables and then you're listening experiences. Another engineer, Ethan Winer, continues to insist that anyone who claims to hear a difference between cables which measure the same are either shills, idiots, dupes, ignorant about what they're hearing, or subject to the placebo effect. This of course stands against a mountain of listening experience that people claim to have. I cannot believe that everyone falls into those categories of deception, especially given all that we do not know about human perception and the brain. How do you talk to engineers who are doubters?
Ethan Winer stands out as an complete nutcase if you ask me. Not exactly the best reference to put out there. And yes, there are audible differences when gear is connected to DIFFERENT cables. Snake oil prices in the 10K range is insane though.
@@bloodcarver913 are there others who take his position, even roughly, with better arguments? I was seeking to describe the contours of a debate.
@@bloodcarver913 He stands out as a nutcase? You mean because he's an engineer who built a box that proves there's no difference in cables, and when he challenged a TRUE industry quack to a blind test challenge (Paul McGowan) Paul went running like a little girl and wouldn't accept the challenge.
So WHO'S the quack again?
@@hilde45 Ethan's arguments are unassailable. Try looking it up.
@@Wizardofgosz Give me a break. The notion that arguments - Ethan's or anyone else's - are "unassailible" betrays a misunderstanding about what an argument even is. Ethan believes he's correct, and he gives reasons for his conclusions - but he is too educated to claim his arguments are unassailable. They're not religious revelations. His arguments have been assailed and - to my mind - convincingly. Ethan disagrees.
I hate that I hear the difference in cables. But I will lay out the money because it’s equivalent to a new component in my system. I’m lucky my wife loves music and has good ears. So I will change out cables not telling my wife which is which and she has voiced the system very well.
Do you think the reason for improvement in sound comes down to reduction in shielding?
I believed shielded, good conductor and low resonance has a positive impact. Shielding is about reducing interference on the other cables, such as one from the T/T to the pre-amp (low voltage signal).
Here is my experience with cables in the order of having most dramatic impact to the sound in my system: IC cable, Power, Speaker cable, and Power Cord. Before cables, I would make sure get the best power box (conditioner etc) first. That will set the tone (no pun intended) for the system in terms of blackness, clarity, contrast, and space. What I believe is that if an electronic is really well designed in terms of noise rejection from input to output stage, cables should not make difference at all. I have not tried audiophile ethernet cable, but this is where I draw the line. With ethernet connection, the streamer must work with internal buffer that it stores incoming network packets. All packets must arrive in exact sequence through the network, otherwise there will be data error. So I am not convinced that ethernet cable makes streaming sound better. If you really inclined, switch ethernet cables while playing music see if there is difference. I am willing to bet no because what you hear is data playing off from the buffer.
I really enjoyed this conversation. It's not that I don't believe that cables can't make a difference, but I really have to force myself into a different listening style to pick up on those differences. So I try to avoid focusing on cables because that mode of listening is not what I usually do in my day to day listening.
I think even if it makes no audible difference, it still does provide a purpose in making your system more visually appealing. And when my system looks good, I want to listen more.
Cables absolutely can make a difference. The moral is LISTEN don’t over think.
Love to hear your personal stories
I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to unwanted noise and when I came from my 2 channel to a multi-channel setup, I couldn't believe how much my noise floor had risen.
In my experience when running long speaker runs it absolutely essential to have your cables shielded! After hearing the sonic benefits of shielded cables, I ended up shielding HDMI cables as well and lo and behold my room become even more quieter.
To see if you're on the right track disconnect your Heights and your Rear cables from the back of your components and then listen how much the noise floor has gone down.
Furthermore the way you have you're power cables & extension/ plugs quite close to other cables is a risk in itself. Even my TVs power cable is routed separately. I just wouldn't take the risk! I've lost count how many times have gone through the reverse elimination process 🤯
As you probably already discovered yourself, sonically its kinda hard to hear where the noise is coming from. It's almost as if the room is producing noise itself!
Cables do matter...💯
Perception isn't reality. Unless you just had grossly undersized cables for the power you're running, changing to more expensive cables isn't going to do anything. If you had a poor setup with a bunch of twisted slack behind your rack, getting back there & cleaning it up, while incidentally adding your new, expensive cables, probably did more to improve the sound than the cables themselves.
If you want to buy custom-length, pre-terminated, nice looking speaker cables to clean up the appearance, I can understand that. Also having clean organization of interconnects with minimal slack between components will help. But don't be fooled into thinking a $1k (or more) cable is going to present something sonically that you can't get for much, much less.
There will always be talk of how power cords won't make a difference since there is countless feet of romex and feeder lines before the receptacle. However that's the point of the power cord....the last couple feet is where you can clean the signal up...that won't happen with romex where the conductors run parallel to the adjacent conductors with almost zero RFI shielding.
Sometimes a power cord won't make any difference...but it's definitely not snake oil.
Cables are HiFi in it's most simplest form. Great way to explore and appreciate different companies signature sound, even at the most basic price point.
I enjoyed the video haha 😂 30% for me I do my set up and change cable from 83percent I just add 87% to live feeling
System matching with cable…maybe…a cable retard higher frequency more will be better use with overly brighter speakers or system…vise versa…so people will say, see I do hear the difference and this cable improved my system!
Excellent show guys! I’m a believer in cables. I have swapped several speaker cables out and can hear the difference!
Why should your cables be better than what's inside your gear?
i just did a search on the valhalla 2 speaker cable. i seen a price of over 10000 euro. I can believe it will sound good but i ask myself, where does the money go in making this cable? Don' t take me wrong, i can hear a difference and i love my cheap "anti cable" i did run on my system. But where is the money spent?
In testing, nobody can hear the difference between $35 Canare L-4E6S Quad balanced XLR cable and a $5,000 cable you pick the brand. Do a level-matched, double blind test and see if you can pick 10 of 10. It hasn't been done yet, you could be the first. I can't believe any of the hi-end cable companies are still in business.
cables definitely make a difference. a good way is to buy very good quality bulk cables and connectors and solder yourself
I'm totally with you on DIY cable. I've seen 24 strand braided silver plated OCC cable on eBay for approximately 7 bucks a foot. Get some banana plugs or what have you and you've got some great speaker cables for a fraction of the cost of many audiophile cables and with comparable quality.
Shall we start a pool on how long it is till the words “snake oil” appear?
No need. You got that out of the way already. Kudos, if it that improves you mood
You will always find people with different opinions when it comes to cables. If you don't notice the difference, then just stick with what you have and be glad you saved yourself some money.
I had 6 year old Mogami XLR cables from my new McIntosh amp to my preamp. Since I was able to purchase some Audioquest cables at a good price with a 60 day return policy, I ordered them. I did a A/B between them and then my wife blind tested them which included A/B, and A/A tests. We both heard a clearer more open sound with the Audioquest cables which was about a 8 percent difference. Cables do not improve the sound of your system but if they allow the signal to flow through their cable better with less resistance, and all the other technical stuff that was on the Audioquest Columbia box, then I can see the sound of the music being different.
Cables cannot improve the sound of your system but only reveal the quality of your equipment.
That's why we refer these as one of the snake oil.
There is a scientific approach in achieving good results.
There is no doubt about it, going from standard 1 dollar cables to the Odin 2 on everything in the system, makes a gigantic difference. Even the most extreme cable deniers with that test would be eating their words in that situation. (cable deniers would just never put themselves in that situation to test it)
its psycho acoustics. it makes no "blind" tested difference at all, it makes not measurable electrical difference at all (given sub 40 meter runs) ... But it DOES make a difference if you believe it does! So spend what you like, if it makes you happy, it makes me happy, since I make home made hi end cables for the crazy people that don't believe in science.
@@themaskedsingercucucachu8225 exactly: it’s psychoacoustic. When you are not able / willing to spend that money, you don’t hear the difference.
That said, I still have to hear a difference from Ethernet cables. Shielded cables can inject noise, unshielded cables all sound the same to me.
Just don't buy Audio Quest. Had 2 pairs of RCA start crackling on me after about 6 months. Not worth it. Going to stick with affordable Blue Jeans for now.
I know someone like Vilip.....me!
Customers… super cheeky
Here’s my unbiased experience. First a bit of background. Over the years, I have bought a dozen or so Nordost cables, but not from Audio Excellence (sorry Adrian). But I want to disclose this fact to give readers the assurance that I am not patronizing Adrian. I had moved up the Nordost line from Blue Heaven to Red Dawn and settled down on Heimdall, essentially to keep the cost of cables to no more than 20% of my system. When I upgraded to the Mytek Manhattan DAC last year, I borrowed a Valhalla coax from a Nordost dealer and it just blown me away. As much as it burnt a hole in my pocket, I kept it. I totally support that the claim that the Heimdall is 30% better than the Blue Heaven. But the Valhalla is at least another 30% better than the Heimdall. I’ve also borrowed an Odin 2 power cord from a friend and it would have to be day and night better than then anything I have ever heard. But that power cord costs more that the most expensive component in my system.
A word of caution, cables take time to burn in. Power cords can take well over 100 hours. To speed up the burn in process, I connect my new power cords to a Furutech power distributor and connect my fish tank heater to it. 😂
Why do $10 million dollar world class recording studios not use exotic magic cable?