This post is for newbies and hi-fi veterans alike.
Cables shouldn't, at least in theory, sound different. From their inception, they were never intended to alter the output signal or be the cause of inadvertent variations. So then, why do they sound different?
I've said this before - to many people:
Conductors interact with other conductors. This interaction due to metallurgy can impact sound quality. The wiring in your audio equipment plays in tangent with the cables you connect. You are, in essence, creating an orchestra and one bad performer (weak link in your audio system chain) can make a world of difference!
Top-notch cables (with no design compromises) can allow a system to be fully transparent as if that CD player and Amplifier are ONE unit, rather than TWO. It's like a hard-wired / soldered connection, rather connections than long distances where losses are possible. In theory and in practice, a cable will inevitably experience losses. If the losses are imperceptible to our senses and hearing, then our cables are truly reference-grade.
You can certainly measure them and you will find they appear to be alike. Then a resolving system shows you the truth.
I have heard tonal/sound quality differences in the following types of cables:
RCA interconnects
RCA Y to 3.5mm
Balanced interconnects
Power cables
Coaxial cables
TOSLINK cables
Type C cables
Ethernet cables
Recently I tested two sets of RCA cables -
#1 My custom-made RCAs; 8 inches, silver-plated copper that is mil-spec top-grade made in USA.
#2 Relatively inexpensive no-name cables from amazon - 1m (3 feet) in length, silver-plated copper.
Headphones: Meters Novu-1
Headphone Amplifier: custom-made linear DC amplifier from Japan (made by an electronics engineer).
DAC/Source: Pathos Converto MK1
USB Cable: custom-made common-mode and differential-mode noise rejection cable with passive components and physically segregated data and power lines. (cable is split in two instead of one wire).
Source track: Bush - Testosterone
A Kick drum/guitars lighten up and introduce the track. The bass response and decay should be very linear-sounding and controlled. There is a sense of clarity, space, timing, imaging, and above all dynamics that can be accurately portrayed if the system and cables are up to the task.
My reference cables #1 - Obviously performed exceptionally well. They were able to completely convey all of the above.
The other cables #2 - Additional bass, blurred the bass lines, smeared the guitars, and reduced dynamics substantially.
Volume was matched as I never had to turn the knob beyond where it was. The headphone amplifier has a power on/off switch that is a toggle so I could quickly power off everything and swap cables. I tested myself 10 times in a row, taking notes after 5 minute breaks in between while my house and neighborhood were totally quiet late at night.
My impressions were identical to relatives with good hearing. I also covered the cables each time they visited my listening room to hear the track. So in each case, they had no idea which cables I was using, or even, what they looked like!
They were able to guess or interpret that something was wrong (chose the bad RCAs, #2) 10/10 times! The same as me.
Because auditory memory is so short, I took notes. And I asked them to do the same.
The extent of what we were trying to communicate lined up to a tee. The cables definitely made a difference!
Thanks for hearing me out! I'd be glad to hear cases like this from forum members here who have had similar experiences with cables. It could be any of the aforementioned cables...
Cables shouldn't, at least in theory, sound different. From their inception, they were never intended to alter the output signal or be the cause of inadvertent variations. So then, why do they sound different?
I've said this before - to many people:
Conductors interact with other conductors. This interaction due to metallurgy can impact sound quality. The wiring in your audio equipment plays in tangent with the cables you connect. You are, in essence, creating an orchestra and one bad performer (weak link in your audio system chain) can make a world of difference!
Top-notch cables (with no design compromises) can allow a system to be fully transparent as if that CD player and Amplifier are ONE unit, rather than TWO. It's like a hard-wired / soldered connection, rather connections than long distances where losses are possible. In theory and in practice, a cable will inevitably experience losses. If the losses are imperceptible to our senses and hearing, then our cables are truly reference-grade.
You can certainly measure them and you will find they appear to be alike. Then a resolving system shows you the truth.
I have heard tonal/sound quality differences in the following types of cables:
RCA interconnects
RCA Y to 3.5mm
Balanced interconnects
Power cables
Coaxial cables
TOSLINK cables
Type C cables
Ethernet cables
Recently I tested two sets of RCA cables -
#1 My custom-made RCAs; 8 inches, silver-plated copper that is mil-spec top-grade made in USA.
#2 Relatively inexpensive no-name cables from amazon - 1m (3 feet) in length, silver-plated copper.
Headphones: Meters Novu-1
Headphone Amplifier: custom-made linear DC amplifier from Japan (made by an electronics engineer).
DAC/Source: Pathos Converto MK1
USB Cable: custom-made common-mode and differential-mode noise rejection cable with passive components and physically segregated data and power lines. (cable is split in two instead of one wire).
Source track: Bush - Testosterone
A Kick drum/guitars lighten up and introduce the track. The bass response and decay should be very linear-sounding and controlled. There is a sense of clarity, space, timing, imaging, and above all dynamics that can be accurately portrayed if the system and cables are up to the task.
My reference cables #1 - Obviously performed exceptionally well. They were able to completely convey all of the above.
The other cables #2 - Additional bass, blurred the bass lines, smeared the guitars, and reduced dynamics substantially.
Volume was matched as I never had to turn the knob beyond where it was. The headphone amplifier has a power on/off switch that is a toggle so I could quickly power off everything and swap cables. I tested myself 10 times in a row, taking notes after 5 minute breaks in between while my house and neighborhood were totally quiet late at night.
My impressions were identical to relatives with good hearing. I also covered the cables each time they visited my listening room to hear the track. So in each case, they had no idea which cables I was using, or even, what they looked like!
They were able to guess or interpret that something was wrong (chose the bad RCAs, #2) 10/10 times! The same as me.
Because auditory memory is so short, I took notes. And I asked them to do the same.
The extent of what we were trying to communicate lined up to a tee. The cables definitely made a difference!
Thanks for hearing me out! I'd be glad to hear cases like this from forum members here who have had similar experiences with cables. It could be any of the aforementioned cables...
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