Looking for RCA Interconnect Upgrade

These threads just make me feel like such a minion.

I found some monster cables at Goodwill for $2.99 that I think are pretty good....and to realize these aren't even 1% of the cost of what the OP is looking for....well.......

There's all this talk out there about the top 1%....well hell....what about the bottom 1% ?





That's me !

 

I tried your method for a while.
I couldnt detect the 20$ IC from the 500$ ICs. I couldnt reliably tell which was playing.

I want to hear a difference, but I try as much as I can, I hear not a single difference. I may hear slight tonal change but this might be placebo.

all I know is that Id happily make a bet that nobody could reliably distinguish any of my ICs in a blind test, yet alone be able to find characteristic to each of them. I mean, people go on and desribe the difference between cables like it makes substantial changes. I hear none and I consider my methodology basically superior then any other methodology. if you dont have a AB test for fast switching between cables, all differences heard are imagined and placebo.

 

Well, my suggestion was different than what you just did.

 

how many hours do you suggest? days? how can the difference between two cable take days to assertain?

ill just leave this subect be as I have no personal interest in this cable debate: I tried for myself and came to my own conclusions.

 

To my thinking, the audio chain works as a complete system and it takes a moment to settle in any time a change is made

Oddly, in a quick switching comparison, the familiarity heuristic may be the dominant bias.

 

Curious, what songs did you use for comparison?

 

yes, I tried all sorts. switching every 5 seconds, every 45, every 2 minutes. every two tracks.
no matter what, I couldnt say which cable im listening to. I cannot say and could never say oh this is cable 4, and this is cable 1. they all sound so close to each other that its a bit laughable to try to find differences.
lets just say its enough for me to not spend a dime more at this point an wont chase 1k ICs nor 1k speaker cable

very well produced stuff, mostly some vocal jazz, some rap, electronica, indie stuff like radiohead or bon iver and Coltrane most of the time.

 

Hmm, I am just curious. What if you do this with your speakers instead of headsets? Can you hear any difference at all? For example, sound field height, width, and depth?

 

What's "laughable" is the fact you must have a physical problem with your ears if you can't tell the huge differences in cables. Seriously, are you going to see a doctor? It could be a sign of a larger problem with your health.

 

yes, thats the next step. ill compare with speakers later tonight

I have mild tinnitus so recently my hearing have been tested and I have perfect hearing
and my friend also have the same conclusion, so is my GF

 

so what if the components are fine, but the interconnects one is using have "flaws"?
wouldn't that necessitate a change in cables?
or is that not possible in your opinion?

 

Nor should you be.

 

All a cable does is convey the relevant data.
It sounds like all cables are working well.
Install a £100 cheap CD player and you will
Hear a difference for the worse usually.
Try changing cables. You cannot make that £100 player
Sound like the expensive one. All the cable does is transfer data.

 

No you won't but you can make sound better than it does.

 

Ha I know what you mean. When I bought my Sony HAP and my speakers - the guy asked what cables I had and I said I din't have any so he just threw a spool of Monster cable in with the deal which was nice since that meant I didn't have to go to Home Depot like I usually do and buy their cable off the giant spools.

That's why threads like this - minus all the thread crapping - are interesting to me. I like reading about peoples experience with stuff I'd never be able to afford - which is why the hardware section on this forum is so awesome!

 

Confirmation of your perception (particularly without verbal prompting) can be a good sign you are right. It also means your fussing with things is not benefiting the house beyond yourself.

 

Who's the guy in the red beanie, holdin you?

 

Cults used to hang out around airports. When you're in a cable cult...I guess you'd hang around suspension bridges....

 

This thread was started because of the HAP-Z1ES player. Cable differences are easy to hear when the Sony (and likely other hi-resolution) source.

 

The king cobras sound the best by far (and really nice) out of any of the cables mentioned in the beginning.

 

After the experiences I have had, the idea that cables affect sound quality isn't even a question any longer- it is a given.
Often the differences aren't even subtle, in fact some cables affect sound more blatantly than vacuum tubes.

 

absolutely. speakers should be more revealing of the differences

 

i bough three of the 6 cables I have here on test, I wont sell my kimber hero, analysis plus nor my audioquest water, it makes me happy to have them in my system, but its very hard for me to hear any discernable difference between them. oh well, maybe I dont have a good enough source...

its easy to believe that analog cables are easily discernable but so far, I havent found a A-B test that seem to support this belief. everyone seem to fail at AB testing of cables and I sure would fail as well. ive been comparing all day a 3 m long 20$ IC and a 1m audioquest water at 500$, I cannot distinguish them. Often I think its the audioquest playing and its the cheap IC.

im curious what is your methodology to test cables.