Why nice interconnects? internal wiring often low quality.

I've started to use Blue Jeans cables in my system, and I've noticed a very subtle improvement in sound quality. Not a night-and-day difference, by any means. This could, of course, just be confirmation bias. I was using Monster Cables, but figured I might as well see what all the buzz was about.

I like using Blue Jeans cables for a few reasons:
1. They make no claims about the sound quality of their cables, only the build quality, shielding, low capacitance, and low resistance.
2. The Canare RCA connectors they use are the best RCA connector design I've ever seen. I don't know why more cables don't use the interior leaf-spring design.
3. They're the cheapest "boutique" cables I know of, a 3 foot pair of their LC-1 RCA cables are $31.25 plus shipping.

Regarding the original question, I think that interconnects between components can make a small but measurable difference even if the internal wiring is low quality. RCA cables are usually a coaxial design and can be of a longer length than any single internal wire, which due to the geometry of coaxial cable means that the cable has capacitance. Too much capacitance in a cable causes roll-off of higher frequencies. Inside a unit, cables are typically shorter between any two points and not in a coaxial geometry, so capacitance is less of an issue. As previously stated, the chassis of the unit also shields the interior components. This is all from the view of an EE undergraduate, however, so don't take this as gospel by any means. :D

All in all, I feel that any discussions about cables and wiring and whatnot are really addressing the "last 5%" of any system - things such as new capacitors in vintage gear, better speaker placement, or a better source will make way more of a difference than a new RCA cable or two, IMO.
 
Brett a said:
I find with the "vintage" gear I own, cables make no difference at all. I assume b/c the subtle difference is lost in all the aged components in the signal path, played through low-resolving speakers.

If you're running old gear, I would not expect you'd hear a difference.
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Brett , an interesting observation and makes sense
 
I'm so glad my old gear doesn't need any über cables. :)

Funny how the guys on this board that know all about the inner workings of amps and trim pots to adjust all the gizmo voltages never reply to a cable thread. Makes me wonder why.

:p
 
ev13wt said:
I'm so glad my old gear doesn't need any über cables. :)

Funny how the guys on this board that know all about the inner workings of amps and trim pots to adjust all the gizmo voltages never reply to a cable thread. Makes me wonder why.

:p
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prolly for similar reasons why hotrod engine builder guys never reply to pinstriping threads
 
ev13wt said:
I'm so glad my old gear doesn't need any über cables. :)

Funny how the guys on this board that know all about the inner workings of amps and trim pots to adjust all the gizmo voltages never reply to a cable thread. Makes me wonder why.

:p
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The probably did at one time, but they're the smart ones who realized nothing will ever change about the topic so why spend the time. Me, I've gotten better but still occasionally break down.
 
ev13wt said:
Funny how the guys on this board that know all about the inner workings of amps and trim pots to adjust all the gizmo voltages never reply to a cable thread. Makes me wonder why.

:p
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They drink a different kind of Kool Aid.

I think a lot EE types have convinced themselves, or been convinced by others, that there's no way specific wires can impart any audible change into an audio signal. So if they were to listen with their guard down, and one day detect an audible difference, they have a head full of "hard science" to tell them it's just their minds playing tricks on them.

Like I said; a different flavor Kool Aid, but Kool Aid none-the-less.
 
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I'll take a scientific approach that respects the fact that we do not know everything over blind faith any day.
 
While I've never noticed a difference from one wire to the next, I do agree that cheap cables can cause problems. Good quality construction, and using the correct type of wire are both very important. These are often overlooked on cheap cables. Poor quality connectors that fit badly, or wires that break near the strain relief can cause all kinds of problems. I've also been shocked at what's inside some cheap cables when you cut them open. I've seen S-video cables that regular straight wire in them instead of 75 ohm coax. Some cheap audio cables are the same when they should at least be shielded twisted pair.
 
Brett a said:
They drink a different kind of Kool Aid.

I think a lot EE types have convinced themselves, or been convinced by others, that there's no way specific wires can impart any audible change into an audio signal. So if they were to listen with their guard down, and one day detect an audible difference, they have a head full of "hard science" to tell them it's just their minds playing tricks on them.

Like I said; a different flavor Kool Aid, but Kool Aid none-the-less.
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Well, if it's all about drinking Kool Aid, and there are two flavors, one that helps you detect nuances in different cables and wires, and one that prevents you from detecting those same nuances, I'd prefer the flavor that saves me some $$$!

;)

bs
 
Brett a said:
They drink a different kind of Kool Aid.

I think a lot EE types have convinced themselves, or been convinced by others, that there's no way specific wires can impart any audible change into an audio signal. So if they were to listen with their guard down, and one day detect an audible difference, they have a head full of "hard science" to tell them it's just their minds playing tricks on them.

Like I said; a different flavor Kool Aid, but Kool Aid none-the-less.
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Perhaps, the EE types have actually tried to hear a difference and couldn't.
I wouldn't make a sweeping judgement like that because there's always those that will revisit certain area and do further research.
There have certainly been a number of examples of this in science.

Best Regards,
TerryO
 
I've run across some technically minded folks who accept that there are differences in wires, because they've heard them. They approach things in a way that suggests you should try to explain things with science, not dismiss them with it.
 
JohnVF said:
I've run across some technically minded folks who accept that there are differences in wires, because they've heard them. They approach things in a way that suggests you should try to explain things with science, not dismiss them with it.
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I wish they had a louder collective voice in audio forums.
 
Brett a said:
I wish they had a louder collective voice in audio forums.
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There are plenty, but when it comes up in terms of science it usually gets shut down or shouted down for various reasons. Often, with a dismissive or sometime innocuous "science doesn't know everything", which of course is true. But, science does know lots about some very complex things so to disregard what is known isn't being open minded either. In my opinion science does or could explain most if not all of what a cable does and why it does it. However, I also think there is plenty of obfuscation to this end and some just plain don't care, thus ignore or condemn the science aspect because predicting results in advance might just take some of the thrill out of the chase.
 
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whoaru99 said:
There are plenty, but when it comes up in terms of science it usually gets shut down or shouted down for various reasons. Often, with a dismissive or sometime innocuous "science doesn't know everything", which of course is true. But, science does know lots about some very complex things so to disregard what is known isn't being open minded either. In my opinion science does or could explain most if not all of what a cable does and why it does it. However, I also think there is plenty of obfuscation to this end and some just plain don't care, thus ignore or condemn the science aspect because predicting results in advance might just take some of the thrill out of the chase.
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I know there are a few people clearly devoted to hard science that admit cables sound different and we just haven't figured out what to measure to quantify that difference.

But mostly I see people not just saying that science can't prove it, but that science proves there is no difference. This view puts everyone into two camps; those who believe cables make a difference and those who believe in science. It's just not that simple. It's possible to have the utmost respect for, and deference to, science and at the same time know that different cables sometimes do sound different.
 
TerryO said:
Perhaps, the EE types have actually tried to hear a difference and couldn't.
I wouldn't make a sweeping judgement like that because there's always those that will revisit certain area and do further research.
There have certainly been a number of examples of this in science.

Best Regards,
TerryO
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I'm an EE and I hear some small differences, in some cases. From what I've seen, there are others at AK also.

Maybe I missed the class (probably last semester of my senior year) where they told us: "now you have an EE degree, so now you know everything"
 
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Brett a said:
I wish they had a louder collective voice in audio forums.
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Well, they don't have the weight of the world resting on their shoulders as they protect us helpless audiophools from snake oil salesman, so they can take a more lax approach to things.
 
kirk57 said:
I'm an EE and I hear some small differences, in some cases. From what I've seen, there are others at AK also.

Maybe I missed the class (probably last semester of my senior year) where they told us: "now you have an EE degree, so now you know everything"
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I wish more folks thought like you, Kirk.
 
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