Cables, cables, cables...any tips? In the market (maybe)

Hey folks!

I've been reading a lot on here and elsewhere about ICs and speaker cables (SCs). Tons of review threads and a lot of debates. I've been tweaking my system for some time and, although my cabling is not bulk spool hardware store variety, it would definitely be considered entry level. So to many, it is probably considered my "weak link". I will say I am very skeptical of many products marketed to audiophiles and the HiFi cable industry is no exception. Yet I will also add I have no experience with cabling beyond my Blue Jeans LC-1 ICs and Blue Jeans SCs. Therefore, I have started my home-trials in order to see what I can find.

So I am looking for both IC and SC suggestions as well as testing tips. I really want to stay neutral on sound. I want the recording to come through as it was intended. I don't want any "coloring". I am willing to trial either through my local dealers or even through some of the "60-day guarantee" guys. I figured that focusing on ICs first would be the smart approach. Once I sort out the ICs, then move to SC testing.

Currently I am testing the Kimber TAK Cu phono cable borrowed from a friend. My initial feedback is that it transmits a common EMF noise I get from a light in my room, but at a much lower volume than my LC-1s (yes, I turned the light "off" but it is worth noting.)

Thanks!

 

I've tried a handful of different ICs and have found VooDoo Cable to work best for me. When using tapes I made myself of bands I was in in my then garage apartment these seem to be neutral but have a breath of life as well, dynamic and tonally nice.

http://www.voodoocable.net

I have pairs of Evolution, Ultralinear (excellent, no longer made) and one Stradivarius (expensive, excellent!). One day I"ll try their SC, but right now I'm very very happy with Mapleshade Double Helix Plus.

 

I didn't want to lose too much time and money in my search for cables, so I used this method:

Check the audio shows of the brands of speakers and preamps you are owning and see which brand of cables they used for the finding the best synergy. Mostly they are right, they have studied for that (or something like that), didn't they? You can find their choices of cables easily at internet.

 

For me, Wireworld Oasis ICs and speaker cables, or Luna/Solstice for bi-wire are values. The are very neutral to my ear.

 

I'm less than convinced by cables and their abilities, however I've bought cheap and gone secondhand. Chord Chorus for about £60, normally over £200 and about the same for an Atlas Navigator. Nice cables but really the £10 Fisuals are the ones that steal the honours. Same sound and you save a fortune.

 

You're in luck! Since cables all sound exactly the same, you can take whatever money you would have spent on them and put it into other components. Then, pat yourself on the back for having avoided snake-oil.

 

I think you have to do whatever works for you. My advice is to see if you can borrow a bunch from a dealer or online dealer or friends etc. Everything from cheap to more expensive stuff and then give them a unbiased test for yourself and form your own opinion. But make sure to level match the volume or the tests will not be valid, very important point. I guess don't let either side of the argument persuade you until you have done the homework for yourself. For all I know cables might depend on your system, speakers, room, anatomy or how you listen to music as an individual vs everyone else out there in audio land, in other words ymmv. Good luck.

 

Damn good idea! Thanks for the tip!

Loving all the opinions guys. Haters and praisers alike! Fun stuff! A year ago I would've said there are maybe a dozen cable brands, 3 or 4 I knew of. Man, what an ocean of options!

Anyone know of actual science-based studies done on cable efficacy? I've seen what Shunyata has done in the power realm with their DTCD analyzer, just wondering if anyone can point to something similar with audio cables.

 

Dude, where is that from?

 

I don't know but it's the best post I have seen today!

 

No idea the actual source, I've just seen it all over the internets. Some quick Googling leads me to believe it's from some BBC puppet-based sitcom called "Mongrels".

 

Kimber Kable Select here with Cardas phono cable. Rob, you mentioned noise from your Kimber phono, Kimber Kables are not shielded so you might try a cheap Radio Shack video cable which are shielded and that should eliminate the noise....

 

I started with Monster when I started building my home theater. I've had Ixos & AR from accessories4less.com and it might have been a slight improvement. After coming hear I tried the Blue Jean and while very well constructed I couldn't get past how difficult they are to work with.

I was really happy with the Black Mamba II from audio advisor for I/Cs at about $100/m but upgraded to Black Cats for speaker wire and I/Cs.

The Grovers are great also and not too expensive for a single run but I bi-amp a so thats an additional expense.

 

David Saltz (Wireworld) has worked with a university to do some testing. The thing with science is the methodology always comes into question along with the funding of the studies and the money bias. Still, the basic idea is to solder components together without wires and compare the result with wires to the result without. Pick that apart if you will, but the info is out there.

 

I thought this was an interesting article:
http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/cablechoice.shtml

Granted, it's for guitar cable, but that's just an interconnect, really, right? The spectral analysis is interesting:
http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/cables.shtml
It shows that the the main thing that effects a cable's sound is the capacitance. Higher capacitance = potential for rolloff on higher frequencies. Everything else - the lower frequencies, mids, etc. were all identical for every cable tested.

Then this page I think is very revealing:
http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/cablewaves.shtml
It basically shows that all the instrument cables, from all the manufacturers, at all different price points, performed identically at transmitting the electric signal, despite claims to the opposite by marketing/advertising.

This is also a great resource from Roger Russell, former Director of Acoustic Research at McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. and the originator of McIntosh Loudspeakers:
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

 

High-end cables are intentionally "voiced", so those who mocking claim that "cables all sound the same" are completely missing the point of the skepticism.

In my opinion, a better question than, "are high end cables worth it?" is, "do I need voiced cables in my setup and if so, what kind of EQ curve do I need?".

 

Serious question, not being difficult: how do you "voice" cables? I'm guessing you would put some sort of filter in the cable itself - something that would restrict the low/mid/high frequencies (since it's impossible to add anything to the electronic signal being transmitted in a passive piece of cable).

Do some manufacturers do that? If so, do they call that out? And if they do - what's the point - why not just pass a clear, full signal through and let the user use an EQ or something if they want to roll-off or diminish part of the frequency response?

 

I'm thinking this would be in the realm of trade secrets. Cables have three electrical attributes: resistance, capacitance, and inductance. Manipulating these attributes will achieve the desired EQ curve.

 

From what I've heard and seen, cables can introduce additive noise through various processes. They can also softly confuse certain frequencies. Some add as little as possible to the signal. Not all amps and speakers react the same way, so one voiced cable might be great in a particular system and not another. A neutral cable might be too dull for someone used to having a bloom at a certain frequency.

 

DIY ?
Allen Wright's cookbook.

 

Yeah, but let's say you've got a 12AWG strand of copper. That strand of copper is a physical, unchanging element, so it's going to have the same resistance, capacitance and inductance no matter who buys it and sticks it into some insulation. You're saying that manufacturers introduce other stuff into their cables to restrict the flow of electrons from point A to point B and change the signal being passed to roll off certain frequencies?

So basically, you're turning your cables into frequency filters?

 

Many designers are working on the idea that the magnetic fields that move outside the cable influence the signal. So in addition to the three known obvious elements, there is the management of the magnetic element that is not in the wire, but is influenced by the configuration of the wire and the insulation. In my very little experience, this may be more important than one might imagine in regards to minor sonic differences.

 

I'm not going to comment on the merit of using audio interconnect cables as equalizers. Some people like voiced cables and use them. It's the age-old "accuracy vs. euphonics" debate.