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CONFESSION - about cables and interconnects

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Natasha Bell

Natasha Bell

The Adcom Girl
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I have a confession to make: I used to be a believer that cables and interconnects (other than the cheapest things that come OEM from component manufactures) really do not make a difference. A few years ago, I met this gentleman, whom my husband and I have become very good friends with, who convinced me otherwise. Although his and my budget for things are VASTLY different, he has gifted me with some interconnects and a power cable to "try" for as long as I wanted. He made me a believer....

My friends, quality power cables and interconnects do make a significant difference in the sound that the system produces. While there is a point of diminishing returns, which is unique to the individual, the previous is still undeniable fact. Please forgive my ignorance for having doubted the impact of proper cables / interconnect / speaker wire in the past. :oops:
 
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Natasha Bell said:
I have a confession to make: I used to be a believer that cables and interconnects (other than the cheapest things that come OEM from component manufactures) really do not make a difference. A few years ago, I met this gentleman, whom my husband and I have become very good friends with, who convinced me otherwise. Although his and my budget for things are VASTLY different, he has gifted me with some interconnects and a power cable to "try" for as long as I wanted. He made me a believer....

My friends, quality power cables and interconnects do make a significant difference in the sound of the system produces. While there is a point of diminishing returns, which is unique to the individual, the previous is still undeniable fact. Please forgive me ignorance for having doubted the impact of proper cables / interconnect / speaker wire in the past. :oops:
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Well, for what it's worth, your post is the first one that made me consider there might actually be a difference, noticeable difference. Yes, I've experimented a bit with cables and wiring we sold but other than the packaging and claims by the manufactures never heard a noticeable difference. Reading your post I have little doubt I too would have noticed a difference with your set up owing to the complete lack of attitude and surprise expressed which is worth more than all the seemingly exaggerated technical explanations.
 
What kind of differences did you notice? Was it for the better? Did you notice a change after you changed the IC’s and then another after the power cord? What kind of power cord did you change? Not the brand, but was it one of those 3 prong IEC types like on a typical computer P.S. or was it hard wired in?
If it were me, just to eliminate my own confirmation bias, I would have someone ( not the guy that gave you the wires) connect one channel with the new IC, another with the old and mix and match blindly as I listened to a mono source. Do that about 10 times or so and see how many times you select the new wires.
 
spicer said:
Well, for what it's worth, your post is the first one that made me consider there might actually be a difference, noticeable difference. Yes, I've experimented a bit with cables and wiring we sold but other than the packaging and claims by the manufactures never heard a noticeable difference. Reading your post I have little doubt I too would have noticed a difference with your set up owing to the complete lack of attitude and surprise expressed which is worth more than all the seemingly exaggerated technical explanations.
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I will tell you what I experienced. I was gifted with some very expensive (for me) interconnects. They were around $350 or so... I'm a foreign language teacher, and I simply do not have the budget for interconnects like those. I would have never have purchased them on my own. I placed them between my pre and power amp. There was, again to my ears, an improvement in everything but bass; the music seemed more defined. The power cable (also probably $100-150), made no difference with any of the components, except the power amp. There seemed, to me, to be a very slight improvement in the mid-range; i found it most noticeable when listening to Pat Benetar (one of my favorite artists). Perhaps as I listen to her material often, I was able to tell the difference.

I experimented with speaker cable. I settled on relatively cheap 12 gauge OFC with banana connectors, for approximately a 15 foot run. I had used much thinner 18 gauge cable in the past, and the 12 gauge provided an improvement in the lower frequency ranges. I then tried 10 gauge, but that seemed to have lost of the sparkle in the higher frequencies. I made some interconnects using very high quality 75ohm COAX cable and RCA adapters. With those, and the before mentioned interconnect, I heard no difference at all. The only difference would be in cost (about $25 vs $350) and appearance. :):music:
 
Once a power cord has the required ampacity for whatever it supplies with power, it's a done deal. Stop running! The race has ended. You've crossed the finish line. The race is over. It's only 50/60Hz. I can jump up and down that fast with a beer in my hand. Only thing to worry about in a power cord after it meets the current-carrying requirement is that it be electrically safe to use and not a fire or shock hazard. Having UL or CE approvals would be a plus.
 
Amperex said:
Speaker cable I use #14 gauge pure copper zip cord.
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I agree with what you said previously about the Placebo effect. That is true. I wasn't actually looking for a difference when I started experimenting. In fact, the opposite is true. I wanted to validate my assertion that it really didn't make a difference one could hear unless you were Mr. Data from Star Trek or a Westworld android. I did hear something; that was very surprising to me.

I don't think I ever used 14 gauge... I had 18, and even thinner at one point... I even tried 8 gauge, but that too was weird. :music:
 
Thank you for sharing your experience with cables. I too have found a difference usually for the better . A very discerning hifi enthusiast friend told of his experience with power strips and higher grade AC outlets. I poo pooed the concept until I tried it. I found that the power amp did sound better when plugged directly into the wall outlet. I have tried and still use some very nice power outlet strips. But I always plug the power amp directly into the wall outlet. I also replace the outlets for my hifi gear with hospital grade types.
I did try a high end ( expensive) set of Aluminum speaker cables and they sounded horrible in my system , lamp cord was much better.
 
Natasha Bell said:
I agree with what you said previously about the Placebo effect. That is true. I wasn't actually looking for a difference when I started experimenting. In fact, the opposite is true. I wanted to validate my assertion that it really didn't make a difference one could hear unless you were Mr. Data from Star Trek or a Westworld android. I did hear something; that was very surprising to me.

I don't think I ever used 14 gauge... I had 18, and even thinner at one point... I even tried 8 gauge, but that too was weird. :music:
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I'm happy that you were able to get sound you like better from your system. Over 30 years ago I was privileged to work part-time in a small hifi shop. I remember the owner and product reps talking about and experimenting with interconnects and speaker wire to find combinations they felt worked well for whatever gear they were selling. Customers might also have their own ideas about what cables they wanted to audition in shop or borrow for an in-home trial.

For my own use, I've been content to just use whatever the amplifier manufacturer recommended. When I used a Linn preamp/amp combination, I used Linn interconnects and speaker wire; when I later switched to Audio by Van Alstine, I used what they recommended, which, at the time, was to buy whatever interconnects had the lowest price at a hardware store or department store plus simple 16 gauge zip cord for speaker wire (my speaker manufacturer also said that would work great up to 30 feet). The Linn setup sounded terrific (until a non-replaceable control board in the preamp gave out after about 20 years), and so did the AVA gear.
 
Although I've enjoyed good audio since before cables became a "thing", the topic still intrigues me. I wonder how much depends on our individual ear/brain interface, our particular systems, the listening rooms, and AC supply wiring. There's still so much we don't know and some of the lessons learned we're once thought to be illogical concepts.

I, for one, don't mind if: here-we-go-again. There's much to learn and the OP added another observation that may help some of us navigate through this murky subject.
 
billyz said:
Thank you for sharing your experience with cables. I too have found a difference usually for the better . A very discerning hifi enthusiast friend told of his experience with power strips and higher grade AC outlets. I poo pooed the concept until I tried it. I found that the power amp did sound better when plugged directly into the wall outlet. I have tried and still use some very nice power outlet strips. But I always plug the power amp directly into the wall outlet. I also replace the outlets for my hifi gear with hospital grade types.
I did try a high end ( expensive) set of Aluminum speaker cables and they sounded horrible in my system , lamp cord was much better.
Click to expand...

What kind of "expensive Aluminum" speaker cables were they? I'm unaware of any pricey Aluminum speaker cables. Just about any mention of Aluminum wire in any type of cable is heavily discouraged by virtually all who post here.

Could they have been Silver plated OFC? My DH Lab cables and IC's are Silver plated OFC.
 
JoeESP9 said:
What kind of "expensive Aluminum" speaker cables were they? I'm unaware of any pricey Aluminum speaker cables. Just about any mention of Aluminum wire in any type of cable is heavily discouraged by virtually all who post here.

Could they have been Silver plated OFC? My DH Lab cables and IC's are Silver plated OFC.
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I believe they were JPS Aluminata cables.
 
If I'm reading the JPS site correctly, Alumihnata in their cables refers to a proprietary shield. I saw nothing that even mentioned what the wire itself was made of.

Edit: After reading some more it seems the actual wires are good old OFC Copper.
 
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I think most folks are skeptics until they experience a really bad cable. I find good cables, speaker or IC, difficult to tell a difference as they are slight.
Now use a horrible cable and you know because it's obvious.
My experience was with a speaker cable (actually the ones I'm using now, must be synergy!) that made my Sansui sound shrill and sibilant. Changing to some Q10s, it sounded fine. I wouldn't have believed it unless I was standing there holding the cables in my hand.
With ICs I haven't experienced any huge difference; still Blue Jeans are the cheapest I'll go.

billyz said:
Thank you for sharing your experience with cables. I too have found a difference usually for the better . A very discerning hifi enthusiast friend told of his experience with power strips and higher grade AC outlets. I poo pooed the concept until I tried it. I found that the power amp did sound better when plugged directly into the wall outlet. I have tried and still use some very nice power outlet strips. But I always plug the power amp directly into the wall outlet. I also replace the outlets for my hifi gear with hospital grade types.
I did try a high end ( expensive) set of Aluminum speaker cables and they sounded horrible in my system , lamp cord was much better.
Click to expand...
 
I've heard subtle but distinguishable differences, but never crap vs. great. Improvements must be relative, and situational, I'd guess.

The late Art Dudley reported, regrettably, he said, hearing slight improvements with some $6000 power cords. They were shielded with powdered aluminum, and used on the power supply for his electrostatic speakers. I believed him, but will stick with my original Bulgin plugs with copper wire, anyway. :)
 
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