Speaker cables have shown to made a difference... does it matter?

[VinylRob]

I was reading on Stereophile online today and came across yet another documentation of a "listening test", this time for speaker cables. I know this is a hotly contested notion here on AK, of whether or not wire can even sound different, let alone better or worse, or if it can be seen as a value, from an audiophile (music lover's) point of view.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/minnesota-audio-society-conducts-cable-comparison-tests-0

Take a look at this article. I found it interesting and you may too. Let's see what everyone here at TOL thinks about the "test" and if it really helps to prove or explain anything.

Happy Listening!

 

[robgmn]

Will this one break 1,000?

Statistically speaking, a small margin of preference was expressed for an $8,000 cable over a $3 cable (and some expressed no preference for one over the other).
That's wild!

If I can find cables that have the same capacitance as the $8,000 ones, will they sound like the $8,000 ones (I assume the other electrical proeprties fall into line with capacitance)?

The people who used bulk wiring in their own systems seemed to like the bulk wiring the least.
I wonder how many only used 16 ga. wire in their system (I've used 14-12 gauge since I had my first setup in 1984)?(Maybe they should have use multiple grades of bulk wire, or a gauge that a person with halfway decent equipt, SHOULD use).

 

[Hyfi]

Hopefully the OPPO was heavily modified. My stock 93 is not the greatest for music. The test was also flawed when they introduced a different amp into the mix instead of having an identical backup.

It does seem to show that almost everyone did hear differences. Whether they were good or bad or whether they liked it or not does not matter at this point, only that "Yes There Was A Difference".

 

[VinylRob]

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One thing that kind of stuck out for me was that the poor pedestrian zipcord did take a pretty solid beating. Hmmm, food for thought.

Happy Listening!

 

[JohnVF]

What's most interesting and telling to me is, that despite the effort put into this test, nobody in the comments who is a naysayer seems to be at all complimentary of the effort. They're just complaining about the test not being rigorous enough. Makes me wonder why anybody would bother. These are people who aren't around to be convinced of anything. It was a noble effortly but certain not my interpretation of fun.

 

[kirk57]

- interesting that the more capacitive cables were preferred.
- My guess is you'd get different results with different amps and/or speakers.
- Magnepans are well known as having a nearly pure resistive load, FWIW

 

[Brett a]

That's awesome. I'm glad they took the time to do this and share the results. Personally, I have no attachment to any view when it comes to speaker cables simply becasue I have not tried many.

That said, I found it interesting that zip cord was no ones' preferred cable in any of the tests.

What surprises me is that anyone other than the 3 guys front and center could hear any difference at all. I wouldn't think that any cable made enough of a difference for the guys in back to detect.

 

[JohnVF]

What surprises me is that anyone other than the 3 guys front and center could hear any difference at all. I wouldn't think that any cable made enough of a difference for the guys in back to detect.[/IMG]

I've thought about that before when seeing shots of these kinds of tests. I sat through a demonstration, if not a test, in an "audio society" meeting before, of the Feickert Adjust+ cartridge azimuth adjustment software. I had to move to be in the sweet spot to really hear a difference, as it was all pretty much related to imaging.

I doubt I could tell much of a difference in unfamiliar gear in an unfamiliar room, which something like cables. I have a hard enough time here at home with gear I'm used to.

 

[Bigerik]

What's most interesting and telling to me is, that despite the effort put into this test, nobody in the comments who is a naysayer seems to be at all complimentary of the effort. They're just complaining about the test not being rigorous enough. Makes me wonder why anybody would bother. These are people who aren't around to be convinced of anything. It was a noble effortly but certain not my interpretation of fun.

Same thing we see here. Lots of people talking about why it can't be possible, but not bring willing to do the test themselves that they say the believers must do.

 

[VinylRob]

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What surprises me is that anyone other than the 3 guys front and center could hear any difference at all. I wouldn't think that any cable made enough of a difference for the guys in back to detect.

And here is a quote from the article... "- As a group, those who sat in a more ideal room location were more likely to vote alike. For this grouping in test #3, cable (B) received zero preferred votes. For this same grouping in test #4, cable (A) received zero votes."

Happy Listening!

 

[rnorton]

Using an oddball (and very inefficient) load like the Maggies makes this fairly useless info for those of us that use more normal speakers.

I would like to have seen 12 or 14 ga. zipcord in there as well as braided CAT-5.

 

[rnorton]

One thing that kind of stuck out for me was that the poor pedestrian zipcord did take a pretty solid beating. Hmmm, food for thought.

Happy Listening!

16 Ga. zipcord. What serious listener would use 16 Ga.?

 

[Bigerik]

Using an oddball (and very inefficient) load like the Maggies makes this fairly useless info for those of us that use more normal speakers.

I would like to have seen 12 or 14 ga. zipcord in there as well as braided CAT-5.

Nothing to say about the fact people heard differences?

 

[rnorton]

- interesting that the more capacitive cables were preferred.
- My guess is you'd get different results with different amps and/or speakers.
- Magnepans are well known as having a nearly pure resistive load, FWIW

A longer run will raise the capacitance. The fact that the cables were different lengths is a serious uncontrolled variable in this test.

I'd like to see a test where all of the cables are cut to lengths that have the same total capacitance.

 

[Bigerik]

A longer run will raise the capacitance. The fact that the cables were different lengths is a serious uncontrolled variable in this test.

I'd like to see a test where all of the cables are cut to lengths that have the same total capacitance.

Have at it, then. When you putting that test together?

But so many people on AK will tell you that cables make no difference, so why should those variables matter?

 

[Hyfi]

But so many people on AK will tell you that cables make no difference, so why should those variables matter?

Maybe we actually have an answer. Cables sound different because they are different.

 

[mfhale]

16 Ga. zipcord. What serious listener would use 16 Ga.?

I've used 16 gauge, 18 gauge, even bell wire and the crappy stuff they ship with car speakers.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your logic, but if 14 gauge bulk wire is as good as megabucks cable, could 16 gauge lamp cord really be that different? Especially for a short run?

Mind you, I'm not saying there is or ain't a difference - I simply don't know.

 

[Brett a]

(...) so many people on AK will tell you that cables make no difference, so why should those variables matter?

It does seem as though there are people who would like nothing more than to prove to everyone once and for all that cables make no difference to the sound of a system. --these people have something to prove.

One of the things I admire about the folks who did this experiment was in their response in the comments section, he said they weren't trying to prove anything. --seems that's a healthy and balanced motivation. Not to have any predetermined outcome in mind.

 

[jsisk]

Contrary to popular belief, different cables/wires have different properties that can affect the sound when used as speaker cables. I think the key here is that in many cases the differences are smal minute that most people cannot here the difference.

On a six to eight foot run, you would have to have a very dramatic difference in cable/wire quality to actually hear a difference.

 

[VinylRob]

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"- Seven listeners initially indicated that speaker cables do not make a significant difference, then changed their decision after the test.
- One listener initially indicated that speaker cables do make a significant difference, then changed that decision after the test.
- The term “significant difference” was left open for interpretation."

I think it is telling, it is significant that, after listening and participating, seven out of forty would recant. It lends that the truth is not found necessarily in theory but rather, and more profoundly in experience of listening.

"Before this test 69% of our test subjects thought that speaker cables could make a significant difference. After this test, 86% believe that speaker cables can make significant differences."

I would agree that this is hard work, not fun listening! I applaud them for their efforts.

Happy Listening!