I Tried Out High-End Audio Cables That Claim To Be Built With Science
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- I tried out Inakustik High-end Audiophile cables made for Home Audio Entertainment systems that claim to be built with Science and Research.
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I really admire your honesty Jay!
To confirm that a blind test was different from non blind test, it is a huge thing.
Of course humans are not a microphones! 😄
But very few are as honest as you.
And I love those Maxima Amators!
They a have soul.
"I'm not a microphone. I have emotions", and the I paused and had my laugh of recognition.
Great post. Keep up the good work you're doing. Greetings from the Netherlands
Worlds best cables here 🤷♂️
the risers do not make an audible difference. I am glad you are having fun and wow, 9/10 is pretty lucky. Not so lucky that I would think the laws of physics have changed. Try repeating the test and see if you get 9 out of 10 again.
@@scottwheeler2679 funny you mention that. We did it again the other day and this time I got 10/10
What you hear goes on in your brain...and because it isn't just the sound that you're listening to but the
interpretation of it in your brain it can be altered simply by whether you have had a good day or a bad day
emotionally. I was a professional in the wine business and know it intimately from rolling barrels in a winery
to working with Sommelier's for thirty years. There is an equivalency between taste and hearing and how the
brain interprets the input from tongue or ear. From $5000 btl to $50 bottles we did thousands of blind
tastings. The result is that even the best professionals could be easily influenced by a mind set whether or
not they themselves knew it existed or not which was discussed after every the tasting. So spend how ever
many thousands of dollars you have to spare but don't forget to share some of that money with the poor and
less fortunate. When you do that your system no matter what it is will sound better.
😇😌
Not only that. There is something called hearing fatigue.
I play guitar (loudly). I don't know how many times, after a break in a rehearsal, the sound of my setup was different (without touching ANY of the settings) after coming back and continuing playing (did that make sense...?)
Hi , How are you.Can you help me?
Great video that puts cable jewelry in the right perspective. This video is both damning and a great endorsement at the same time whilst being honest about it all. So everybody can get out of it what he wants. Inakustik could not have asked for more.
Hi Jay. I just had to say that this was a great review. I was very impressed with your honesty and common sense. The cables do look well engineered, researched and built. And the convenience is a big, big plus. I've watched you grow and you're a real asset to this industry. Thanks for the review. Keep up the good work.
Yes, I can't afford them, but they're interesting. Most high-end cable companies seem to focus more on style than substance.
@@BruceCross no such thing as a high end cable company with substance, g. its half and half split marketing and blatant dishonesty.
@@eattoast6378 totally agree...
Got sucked into the cable game a couple years ago.. I am only referring to amp to speaker section. Was helping my son with his first audiophile system and we debated this topic . Time was limited and had to catch a flight home. Went to Home Depot and got 12 Ga contractor grade extension cable. Long story short.. I’m using it now. Neither of us had much outside interference. I will say interconnection cabling does make a big difference to my ears.
Did you by chance try the cable risers with you blue Jean cables, or would they not work?
Pizza Hut (for one) is giving away one of these "cable risers" in every large pizza they box... it's to keep the box from sagging into the 'za! ;)
Risers don't do anything
Great review, I really enjoyed this content and WOW what a beautiful cable! Thank you Jay. Yep, cables matter, I’m with you.
Don't raise the cables lower the floor. It's true it's a known fact. REALLY!
Keeping speaker cables, interconnects and power cables from running parralel to each other can cause EMI across them. Keep them all away from each other or cross them at 90° to prevent/minimize EMI.
Excellent vid. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
I want to know if you were to hook up the blue jeans cables, and then use the same cable risers, if you can hear a difference!
Were you able to also notice this effect of cable risers on your own speaker cables or only with the one reviewed?
"...I make youtube videos..."🤣🤣 Liked the video. Learned a new word too...dielectric. Thanks.
Conductors need some sort of dielectric insulation, to stop the conductor material oxidising, if it's just left to air to do the job, the conductor will deteriorate over time, degrading the sound, cotton & wool, have a dielectric constance of around 0.6, which is pretty low, which I use for all my signal cables & teflon for my powercords, teflon is around 1.5. I've been building cables for over 30 years & ran an audio accessories company here in the uk for over 10 years.
Right on! We can only "try it & decide" Measurements can only show you capacitance, inductance & resistance (of zero to minute difference if your meter can measure Ohms, Nanofarads & Henries ...beyond 3 or 4 decimal places. Then cable makers bought the 'Skin Effect' into the hi-fi cable mix, back in the 80's.. (i first noticed in old hi-fi mags) ...& hence the conductor's dialectric effect on audio quality, for marketing ever higher costing cables, tho skin effect considerations came purely from the world of Radio communication & do effect V.H.F's that (they learn) only begin to manifest & register slowly when transmitting at 15'Khz & upwards... (some cable-sellers said 'skin effect' & hence the conducting dialectric is apparent in audio at 12'Khz but hey! ...measurable effects never completely stop & dissapear, just get increasingly smaller & sink into oblivion like the clang of a bell which would go on forever if it didn't convert it's dwindling energy into another form) ...where the signal uses just the very outer surface layers of it's conductor, increasingly so, the higher in F' you go. Tho it is important to radio-hams transmitting at high power where the dialectric values matter, but in hi-fi audio, the effects are, well, ive heard no common unaminous agreement. Despite hearing differences, measurements can be identical for vastly different priced cables, i noticed long ago.
There is good science behind cables lying on the floor, the same science why car batteries should never be stored long-term placed on the floor, as they loose charge compared with those placed on proper car battery rack shelving where the lowest batteries are > 8" inches avoiding inductive earthing effects but for A.C. audio F's? maybe, I've tried placing cables on home-bodged wooden 2"ish inch risers & concluded my system just has not got resolution to hear the difference. I've different equipment now & when i finally get far better speakers than my current 'stand-in' jobs, i'll try cable risers again.
What happened to the sound of the Blue Jeans cables when you tried the cable risers with them?
Yes I use No Seeum Air Risers that self adjust as you move the speakers further apart or in or out.. They work extremely well over glass or plastic floors but are harder to See…They are sold in the same isle as Sky Hooks & Spring Air when you need to get the Winter air out of your tires ready for Summer👍 They really improved my home decor too…
YES! Cable connectors. A BIG pet peeve. Like many of the others here I mostly roll my own cables, and some of them get pretty fat&heavy. These flimsy connectors not only make me squeamish but they have me worrying whether I'm getting the best possible contact. So, my solution is to SPEAKON it. And out of the backs of speakers I use the SPEAKON 90-degree connector. I sleep better.
.
Try occ Audio Sensibility! They do both occ copper and occ silver. RCA or XLR.
bought one of these hifi OFC power cords to try out on my amp and half stack and if they give me the results that are desired I might just put it on my PC and buy another one for jamming, especially considering they are only around 25 bucks at most
cool... a fun 3d print project
Oh Hell, I forgot to say that it of course was MONSTER CABLE!!!!
I have cardas clear speakers, I.C.s , power cables. Curious how the inacustic cables differ?
🤔What is the InAQ spade material. pls provide info !! Is it Brass or bronze or?🤔
I am just a noob when it comes to cables. For me I would never buy multi thousand dollar cables. Audio Quest is already expensive for me. But usually the wiring between crossover and binding posts and drivers aren’t that special. What would be the benefit to buy very exotic cables without upgrading the wiring inside a speaker? Same goes for other wired components in equipment. Not every component is soldered to a board directly. I can not imagine an improvement if the same quality cable isn’t continued inside equipment or a speaker.
''I'm not a microphone, I'm a human being with emotions''. That's the essential thing in the audiophile world. Whatever makes your ears and brain happy is the way to go. No matter how cheap or expensive is the gear you are using, if it doesn't make you feel happy, then everything else is pointless.
Great video btw, I like how you see things in audio and your perspective in sound quality towards real life issues.
I wonder about bottlenecks. A lovely cable connected to a speaker that has wee thin wires and circuit board traces and 1mm thick lead connections carrying the same signal. Perhaps you don't want to reduce / harm a signal through the cables. If you wanted a good signal from start to finish wouldn't you need to upgrade the amp and speaker electronics to the same level as the cables. I feel the cables are just an easy marketing target.
Every time my friend upgraded his audio components, he would say the new ones are better, never worse. Why? Well, his mind told him the new ones are better because they cost more. Even if he doesn't like the upgrade, but over time, he will like it when he gets used to it.
Tinker Toys work great for cable risers and they are cheap to try out. If you can tell the difference in your system then you can just spray paint them to make them look better if you want.
If cable risers actually matter (and they do), then this would seem to dispel the notion that "cables can't make a difference". Price/value discussions aside.
Not saying these are snake oil.
Like almost any hobby or something you are seriously into. The last 10% of improvements costs 90% of where you started.
That said I think it’s snake oil 😇
Did you say that air is the best dielectric?
Wire is a component just like any other: the better ones cost more. The better ones are worth more. Because they perform. But paying a lot doesn't necessarily guarantee getting your money's worth, any more than with any other component. Basing results on science or design doesn't work any better with cables than amps or speakers or anything else. There are really excellent Class D amps, for example, and ones that are crap. Tubes, SS, SET, all you can do is listen and compare. Same with cables. That's just the reality of high end audio.
im using audioquest K2, and red wood, and siltech g7 Together!!!All fake cables !!! The results just amazing!!!!Bcose air between wire !!!!
I‘ll wait buy the cables of the large hadron collider once it’s not in use anymore. The accumulated Higgs bosons will make all the difference.
Did you blind A/B the cable risers with your Bluejeans cables and/or the Inakustik cables? I'm wondering if the Inakustik cables are more sensitive to the use of risers than standard cables.
Thanks for the answer in advance. I Asks what the difference is between a Sonos faber Faber maxima and a Serpino. In terms of brightness sound Thank you Jacob
I think there is a lack of testing Depth, that tends to miss various things. For example.. a Cat5 ethernet cable, can have issues of packet losses.. if you terminate it poorly. If some of the shielding is stripped. If some of the wires are not at the correct same length and "spiral per inch"... and potentially, if they are ran next to things like high voltage transformers / light fixtures / power lines...etc.
The PCs network cards are capable of telling if you have plugged in a Cat5 or Cat6 cable.. due to the data speeds it can achieve, the precise timings, and the pack loss percentages. The system will automatically drop your speed down, if it realizes the lower speed cable is being used.
Now that is merely taking about Digital signal corruption.
As for pure Analog.. some actual sound details can be lost, muffled, distorted, etc. That previous, deep, 3d Soundstage... can easily become 20% flatter. This tend to be most notable, at medium to high volume levels.
All of that said... The biggest issue today, is that any music released past the 80s, has been compressed to HELL, and has virtually No 3d Depth at all. The 90s, has some depth.. but by the 2000's... things got 10x worse. Those so called High-Definition Apple files? They may be large in size... but they are LOW-FI Garbage... because they were released from the Studio, at near max compression levels.
Also, most ECO speakers are not even capable of delivering a 3d Soundstage.. because they have poor quality drivers, and a lot of Distortions within them (often due to "Porting").
So, unless you are listening to older music, and or use your speakers for DVD/Bluray movies... and if you dont even have powerful + accurate drivers (typical in pre 80s - Air-Sealed speakers).. then you are likely not going to experience much, if any, 3D depth of field. At that point, it wont matter much about high end Cables.
Umm, there is no shielding in Cat-5 ethernet cable. It's just twisted pairs of conductors for duplex transfer.
You chould try out the high end cables from Tara Labs.
See if they'll send a test pair to ethan Winer
Try out JPS Labs cables
I dunno... Ive bought cables "made in germany" from amazon and they werent expensive at all! Brand name was Kabel Direct I believe. Not bad stuff, but for the price point I still find Monster Platinum XP wire nicer sounding.
I want vacuum as a dielectric.
If cable risers helped or improved something in the imaging, then the cable itself has a problem. The dielectric should have isolated it, but apparently didn't. I liked this video but the supposed effects of these cables are always so nebulous and vague that I'll put my money elsewhere.
Does the dialectic ever totally isolate a cable? I thought that a magnetic field was always induced which extends outside the insulation. If not, then cables with zero capacitance and inductance would be possible. I think? Who knows a lot about this who can set me straight?
Hey, if it takes this much engineering to unlock the placebo goodness, why not?
9 out of 10 times, assuming pure random choice; P-value is 0.02, so 2-out-of-100... not bad!
Now, where are my Legos 😎
Coolest looking/designed cables I’ve seen. It’s unfortunate you have to start your videos trying not offend people about whether or not cables make a difference and what not. I’ve never understand why it matters to others what you spend your money on. Any cable can be made to sound different from another whether it be good or bad depending on the system, room and personal taste etc. But there’s a crowd that just says “nope, doesn’t matter” without actual experience in the matter. Personally I wouldn’t spend a couple hundred bucks on cables because I know that I likely won’t hear a $1k-$12k improvement but again it goes back to what sounds good to you…. It may sound like crap to someone else. My point is to stop crying when someone spends thousands of their own change on cables when they’re happy.
My question. sure cables can make a difference, personal experience, BUT did it make THE difference.
These plastic rings inside are bound to break if stepped on or by plain aging.
I use solid lead wire
I use BlueJeans and Coppercolour and like both for the price.
Grocery store cables 😆
Inakustik. Ironic? 🤦♀️🤨🌀
Also, omg, cable risers. 😳😑🙃
The only real difference is between OCC and OFC. It is discernable. Similar to wave vs mp3 type of difference.
After many years of listening to different systems and components...cables, I have come to the conclusion that many people hear differences but that does not relate to "better". Cable companies have the largest profit margins in the industry for a reason.
You are the only one that talk about "margins". My take to expensive cables is simple. What kind of materials and technological processes that justify the manufacturer to put a price tag of $5K / $10K on a piece of cable ? Do they use Gold ? Platinum ? or some crazy expensive materials ? How much do a pair of $10K speakers cables cost to manufacture ? That is why I never buy cables over $500.
@@tomchan2559 I use 12 Guage OFC from Amazon and nice Monoprice banana plugs, good enough for me. Some people just need to blow their money on something.
"I'm not a microphone, I have emotions." That's what really matters. As Sean from Zero Fidelity said, "It's all fake, pick the fake you like."
How does the sound get to the brain if your not a microphone ! Other than bass, which you can feel also.
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted"
@ibstudios It means that hardware measuring as 'technically superior' isn't actually what makes things sound enjoyable to a human, there are other hard/impossible to measure factors.
@@r423sdex You do not have access to the raw input from your stereo microphone array. Everything is interpreted by your brain before that information is presented to the consciousness. That's why you can perceive things like 3D space, that's a post-processing construct of the brain. The same thing applies to the way you see, you only see in stereo not in 3D.
Well, I worked waaay back for probably the most famous maker of BS cables known in the US and probably the world, (Jan sat next to me peddling this to all and sundry around the world) and it was, of course, BS but this was a different ERA 1981, and gee whiz, here was another COMPONENT (this was the Halcyon days of audio) live an learn I say. A fool and his money are soon parted (Mea Culpa I have been guilty of falling for the "wiles" of "better sounding wire ")
I’ve been around the block with regard to interconnect cables. For my ears and my system, I have found that Mogami 2549 microphone cable and Rean Neutric connectors provide all the neutrality and transparency I require. 2549 is the cable of choice for many recording studios, due to its sonic virtues. I build the cables myself for an average cost of $9, for a 1-meter pair. It’s a twisted pair construction, so one wire is hot, one wire is the return, with the shield floating at one end. Beautiful sound, no ground-loops, no hum. You can have your cake and eat it, too.
Mogami cables are my favorites. audibly transparent (as are almost all cables) well built, nice looking and very reasonably priced
If it works for a mic you can bet that it will work on a speaker.
Someone who knows what they are talking about good job I use digiflex microphone cables balanced XLR and neutrix for my connections for my speakers haven’t heard of Mogami.
I do the very same thing. I use the Mogami 2549 for all my line level cables. I also build my own speaker cables as well. I use "High Purity" (hehe) braided 18 solid wires. I make them so they are as long as the need to be to limit the as much of the RF and EM radiation as possible. (the shorter the antenna the less it will pick up). I also do not lay my cables on the floor. I route them so that they are suspended. I also make sure that I make the line cables only as long as the need to be. If they only need to be 4 inch's I make the 4 inch's. Even though the 2549 Mogami cables are well shielded.
I use those also but there's literally no difference I'm just bad with money but I'm not dumb enough spend anything more
4ga optical cables braided with a 4/10 twist help prevent the ones from sticking.
Duh!? :)
Good video, thanks Jay. To me, these type of cables are nothing more than speaker jewelry ... but like you said, people will do what they will and if they "think" they hear a difference, then more power to them. Enjoy the hobby!!
Jay I continue to watch your channel I have not only watch your channel grow but I have watched how you have grown in your channel and love it. Let me say I am an electrical engineer and I am speaker wire skeptic as I do believe in science but I am also a spiritual person and believe that science as we know it may not be able to prove everything. whoever, we have saying here in Jamaica where I live "leave me with my one little delusion", translated to English. So you could have never said it better if something makes someone happier even if you think the science can prove the opposite of what is perceived let the happiness reign. Not only that but the law of diminishing returns also has its role to play and that's too much of an expensive game at my pocket point. Love your channel Keep it coming one love.
Well if your gonna say “science” than you need the measurements. But regardless of the science used or any other factor, most are ridiculously over priced. And it’s the price that drives people nuts. I have several sets of the AliExpress AQ knockoffs and I absolutely love them. Took them apart and they have the exact same geometry as the real ones.
Being an Audiophile is all about feeling complete and its very hard to do since there are so many unobtainable products that most of the people will feel dissatisfied over time. Come to terms with yourself as soon as possible :) about cables, Yes, they might make a difference. I tried to A-B quite expensive ones and there is a difference but if you remember the joy you had the moment before you listened to the new thing, you'll save a lot of precious time. save and buy the best you could afford, even if it takes a year. high end stuff always sounds good.
Jay, you'll have the snake oil police/bell wire brigade on your case, you know who they are, they are the people with cloth ears, great video by the way👍
Unless those cloth ears are designed by Armani.
I admit cables make a difference. But I would never buy a cable that’s more than 1k… it’s just too much, I can upgrade a main gear with that money probably
All he's trying to say is that money = performance. Another biased HIGH-END lecturer
I use blue jeans cables to but I also have expensive furutech top of line but if I knew the cable science before wouldn't have bought the. Whatch audioholics vlog are cables snake oil and the audioquest cables
As a software engineer with an intimate understanding of the Ethernet and TCP/IP stacks, I always get a chuckle when audiophiles say their $1K ethernet cable somehow sounds better when streaming. I don't even need to be an electrical engineer to be able to say the same for power cables. You mean to tell me power that has traveled for hundreds of miles through antiquated wiring will magically sound better through your last 1 meter of cable?
Signal cables on the other hand, that’s a different story like this video describes.
Am telling you my Dac sounds better after swapping out power cable with medical grade cryo treated cable maybe it's magic
Hi end speaker cables now built with more soyance. Brought to you by Anthony Fauci.
Sometimes I think I should release cable videos so I can get 100s comments from people fighting with each other over the matter 😂 good hustle for the views and engagement
17 minutes of rationalizing. "If you can't tell the difference between A and B, chose the one that makes you happy." If A costs $100 per meter, and B costs $20,000 per meter, you're telling me that it takes $19,900 to make you happy? OK. Everyone has their price. (You'd make a VERY expensive date.! I think I will go out with someone else.)
I have those cable's in my system. And they are so nice to work with. And the sound is also on par with everything out there and I've tested them up against cables 4 times the price. They still sounded more coherent than anything else
The best cheap way to make risers is with three chopsticks and some string tied into a teepee. Use lots of string. Costs virtually nothing and works. Give it a whirl.
"I'm not a microphone, I'm a human with emotions" 🤣🤣 love it
Subjective...? Absolutely
Physics? Plausible
Cables;
Dielectric material affecting things? It'd be difficult to prove otherwise.
Cable lifters;
Proximity to surfaces, I say plausible since energy is carried in the field, not the cable itself.
I'm anything but a physics expert.
This is true the energy is a vector traveling at near the speed of light in one direction from the sorce to the receiver that is traveling in an electromagnetic field set up by the sorce, cables and receiver. The cable provides a medium in which the electrons can transfer the charge through. Keeping the charge in the cable and not going to ground is important ...good insulation and away from a grounded floor. Keeping it orderly and free also important...good quality wire and adequate in guage for the level of current and length. Keep iron out of the electromagnetic field as not to interrupt anythig . Good shielding for the interconnects. This should all be reasonable in cost. Any thing beyond a little more than adequate isn't going to make a "huge" difference only incrementally smaller difference at a huge exponentially larger black hole in the budget.
It doesn't matter if cables actually make a difference or not, as long as you think they do and you enjoy your music more, then that's all that matters, even if it's just a placebo effect, as long as you aren't spending thousands of dollars. But, if you're spending less than $200, and you can afford it, and you're getting a well made cable that'll last longer than cheap freebie ones, then no one is really getting hurt. It's you money after all. Besides, everything in high end audio is a luxury item, just like luxury clothes, cars, jewelry, furniture, appliances, cosmetics, etc. You're paying more than could be considered a reasonable markup for those luxury items, and it's your choice on where your money goes.
The other day, a fellow YTer, said he found power cables to make a difference on his VERY expensive and VERY detailed presentation system. So, if you put a few hundred grand into a stereo system, it apparently makes it susceptible to distinguishing the finest details due to any influence.
It matters not a whit to me.
That's bias effects. Even if power cables did make a difference in the signal path I would expect the megabuck systems above all to have state of the art internal power supplies. It's kind of ironic that in effect these audiophiles are saying the more expensive gear has inferior internal power supplies
Sweet, so now the unsightly wires hanging behind my desk (but not touching the ground) are considered audiophile?! Score! LOL
As human beings we’re all governed by the principles of marketing (i.e. psychology of selling, etc) … we’re all constantly being “sold,” full stop! Marketing principles are guided by the fact that we humans buy “emotionally” then defend our buying decisions “logically.” Colors, brands, even pricing drive our emotions, among others. A piano or guitar sounds like a piano or guitar regardless whether i hear them from my samsung tv speakers or from my thousand-dollar audio gears. Can i tell the difference? You bet i can! Will measurements show the difference? Most certainly they can! But our emotions can make some of us do crazy things, right? People will continue to be “sold” as long as there are sellers. Can anyone tell the time “quality” difference between a rolex and a seiko? … feelings do tell a greater story, doesn’t it?
That 90 degree plug must send the signal through a steel screw, which negates all the snake oil before it. At least this company put snake skin on the outside to show their true colors.
Interconnect are super important. I solder my connections to be sure they are good.
Once a cable is built to spec and terminated correctly, then the only thing that matters for speaker cables is gauge. Anything else is delusional BS.
Cables do make a difference,but you can make your own,using just solid core Romex,
Please describe your comparison intervals, between the cables. In other words... Did you switch back and forth DURING each song, or did you listen to songs twice?
(I have HUGE doubts about cable raisers, unless your floor is highly conductive.)
Same song twice. Not during. The ones I know very well.
The only way to reliably test something that would have such a miniscule effect on sound would be to connect both sets to a switcher box, and have someone switch between the two while the music plays. Otherwise, the inner ear will adjust and re-acclimate to the change in noise floor in the time it takes to change cables. This falsy gives the impression of a deferent sound between the two test.
@@ryansemplexyz well said.
Thanks Jay. Experiencing and A/B all the way for me though to each his own and to their values, ears and finance. Specs are something I want to know about but a massive aside for me on what is important, which is great sounding music through the best tech in my budget. Plus I’m a guy who uses EQ’s as is needed and often. A friend and I did a comparison with cables…high / low range of audioquest analog interconnects, monolith cables, blue jeans, cheapo stuff and dealer made stuff, etc. and via 2 different rigs. Did blind testing too. It was fun and and we had some different takes but they were only degrees apart; often in the same ball-park with a few ahas and surprises resulting in one trash bin and at least one return. The cable thing will probably always be the classic panty twister thing for some.
I’ve tried all kinds of cables and then came to the realization that wire is wire when it comes right down to it. If there was something special about cabling you would see it in recording studios. I think it’s a big money grab from the companies who make these things. These ultra expensive cables that are made are meant for people who don’t have a budget and like to spend money foolishly.
I agree
You do see it in recording studios and in live music. In particular, you see it in microphone cable. Those folks do not even have a debate over whether cables matter, it is just accepted as fact.
@@joshua43214 can you please site any examples of any studios using ultra high end cables
@@joshua43214 they matter with shielding and LC parameters, but not wishy-washy hifi nonsense
Like a lot of the basic things in audio exceeding thousands of dollars, it's home jewelry. When you see something so nice and it has a beautiful storied website description your mind wants it to be better. Then it is better. Many of the people spending so much money on this stuff(cables, risers, random things that sit on top of amps for better sound lol) refuse to learn anything about psychoacoustics simply because they like the hobby and the constant hunt for better sound. They believe they are getting what they're looking for.
Great video.
I am watching this after you got the GR Research cables. If I am not mistaken, you found the GR research speaker cables passed your test and were better than previous cables. That speaks very well for GR research.
Blue Jean cables ARE affordable for their quality. You could easily spend WAY more on cables. You could always make your own if you're crafty.
Assuming that the signal travels on the outside silver plating makes sense. Increasing the diameter increases surface area. If the cable is oval or flat the surface area is further increased. A shorter cable should have less resistance. That's all logic. However it is the sound that is the truth. Cables can have a long and reliable life. At your age they may be a good investment as no doubt they will cost more in 30 years. I would not believe any of this if I didn't hear the difference. Changing a cable might be a cheaper way to improve sound than changing a unit. If you change tubes sooner or later they will burn out, but a cable should out last us.
You could do an all air dielectric if you suspend them vertically lol. Seriously tho I use Blue Jean Cables because they're made in America, very transparent marketing, inexpensive when compared to other high cables, and good quality. It doesn't really matter if they sound better than my Micca speaker cables I just want to support good US companies.
The AB testing is a really good start to useful hifi information for the masses. ABX is better though. Especially for the cable riser part. Taking them on and off takes time and if you do it sequentially, there is no testing. The real testing would be the X element. It is a good start though. Personally if anything doesn't past a ABX test I wouldn't buy it, unless it performed the same as the next best cheaper option but looked better.
I second that. If you can’t tell a difference 100% of the time it’s not worth your money. There are so many psychological factors in cables that those tests are definitely mandatory
Great review Jay! I too stick with Blue Jeans speaker cables (BJC Ten White w locking bananas) and LC-1 interconnects.
Cables make a difference to my Wilson Audio speakers such as transparent cables...
I'll give another example of cable quality... If you look at the quality of a usb cable On the actual equipment... Open the equipment and look at how there is no shielding. And it's in a Box with a bunch of other items electronic.
And then you Look at that expensive USB or H DMI. Gotta look at the common sense.
"Yeah Science, Bitch" - Jesse Pinkman
The whole cable thing has been beaten to death. My cables of choice are from a small builder in the Chicago area called 'Reality Cable'. Braided design based upon an old Stan Warren recipe but w/ high purity OFC copper and cryo treatment. Neutral and transparent sound, and they don't require a 2nd mortgage to buy. Not a rep, just owner of multiple sets of IC's and speaker wire for 2 systems. Only thing I've heard that was better were Sonoran Desert Plateau (for speaker) Just very slightly more 'open'. But insane money in my book. $1500 8ft pair. (they were just a loaner demo) Reality less than 1/3rd that.
Recreational drugs would be cheaper and make an even more remarkable improvement.
True...but they have gone down the same path....make your own...grow your own. 😊
Now that you know it doesn't make any difference, your brain will stop tricking you ... It worked fine with me.
I'm not going to buy into any story that doesn't include the "why". A cable manufacturer would need to convince me that there's something wrong with using plain old 8 gauge stranded wire strewn on the floor in as short of a length as possible and away from sources of interference. So hit me with the facts, I have an engineering background, I can take it! Through years of working in the business and attending the big audio conventions, no one has convinced me that expensive cables are anything other than snake oil, and plenty have tried. How do I test the quality of my connections? I play pink noise through them. I am attuned to the sound of pink noise enough that I can easily hear if there is interference or distortion in there. Usually just moving some stuff around takes care of the problem, I don't need fancy shielding or elevation when I can tell with my ears what's going on and adjust placement accordingly. I have not seen anything that would convince me that there's anything more to it than that, without calling subjectivity, and as a result, bias, into play. I also find it hilarious that there are comments from your subscribers recommending 22 gauge microphone wire for speakers. Oh my.
I would say the biggest cost that the consumer pays for those special cables is for the special materials that actually just hold the cable. Because the cable itself looks really cheap to me like a regular industrial cable set. And it still doesn't have a military lock. It doesn't have a proper cable strain relief. Those expensive cables still miss things that are missing from professional applications that help us stay safe in the real world.
I have bought dollar store cables and I can't tell the difference between a $100 pair.
It depends on what exactly you are running and how it's ran.
When those guys critique and say you need measurement of digital instrumentation to get proper testing there is other devices they don't grab to test other fields of interference that enter the room.
They look cool I guess. It also looks like someone made cables out of the speaker tinsel leads lol
Very honest review Jay !
just ONE important information for you . You failed the blind test , that is totally NORMAL !!!
THE reason is q simple one , blind tests are not valid as long as one does NOT include a pause off several seconds between switching, the brain decodes the perceived sound and continue to do so for some time when switching without pausing. Even faulty amplifiers went un noticed because off this..............
The blind a/b is all that matters. If something doesn't show up in measurements but I can reliably identify it, then what the hell is the utility of the measurement at that point? We all have different ears after all. The first chair of the symphony is going to hear a violin differently than someone who listens on a transistor radio their whole life. Your comments on value proposition are on point. Cables probably just don't scale as well as other components in terms of value. It does not mean there is literally zero audible difference between cables- it just means that, in the grand scheme of building a system, there is very little room left for them in the budget.
Thanks for the comment. Liked your perspective
You need electrical testing first, subjective listening testing second. engineering is not possible without actual engineering taking place
To say that listening is all you need is the equivalent of saying that in order to design a Lamborghini - no engineering is needed, you just need to know how it feels to drive one - absurd
Absolutely so.
@@mikevincent6332 Sorry, but i don't think that Lambo analogy is anything even vaguely close to what he's saying, i found that analogy absurd.
When measurements show no difference between, say cables, then listening to decide yourself is all that is left to do. At hi-fi shows, you'd see oscilloscopes & other measurement equipment all over the place & they'd be no need to hear a thing if measurements could prove every possible & feasable aspect of sound quality, but measurenents alone fall very, very short of that, tho they can weed out a bad designs, at best.
And when they design Lambos, how many times do you think they will take the developing prototypes out on their tracks before deciding on the best finished product, very many times & that's why those super-car makers all have a test track next to their facilities, but why do they bother if measurements alone could bring them to an ideal Lambo design, that's far from the case, past experience & test drives are exactly like listening to decide which is best.