Cables the neverending story?

[gasolin]

What is it with me and cables ?

I have had my speakers for atleast 6 month, my marantz amp for more than 1 year,cdplayer almost 2 years and turntable i got last year (as fare as i remember) but cables, oohh boy i tried some [font="Lucida Grande, Lucida Sans Unicode, sans-serif"]QED Profile 79 Strand [/font]and QED Performance Ruby Anniversary Evolution this year, they where both a bit to bright and ruby anniversary a bit to agressive (i returned them without any loss, i got all my money back and there was free shipping both ways)

Just got some van damme rca jumpers (better than some random cable i had), so fare i feel supra classic 6.0 speaker cable does a good job , but after i got the van damme rca jumpers and now some premium inakustik minijack to rca interconnects (i expect it to arrive tomorrow) i was thinking about van damme speaker cable, then i so INAKUSTIK EXZELLENZ ATMOS AIR for a very good price (just under inakustiks best speaker cable reference) and than theres the 4.0mm premium cable for about the same price, that according to inakustik has a very good tonecolor where it seems that thickness matters, look at the bottom at this link

http://www.in-akustik.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/Technik-Flyer_E.pdf?8d46bd1a692a595b30dccafd31567f45

The 2 cables

http://www.in-akustik.de/en/cables-and-accessories/speaker-cable/premium/premium-speaker-cable-004024/

http://www.in-akustik.de/en/cables-and-accessories/speaker-cable/excellence/excellence-atmos-air-0060222/

Last option some van damme blue jeans? (more expensive since i want minimum 4mm thickness)

What is the best speaker cable out of the 3?

Im not shure why i try so many cables..... but i do

Do you also have this........ i like to try alot of different cables.

Reason for the inakustisk minijack to rca is, i felt the top from my graphite performance interconnect often is a bit bright ish,slightly intrusive in the highs at high levels after i got my nad 3020 (mostly youtube videos), i did try my supra cable from my dac to my amp, it was to bright and really a midrange that had to much power in the highs, clean, almost razer sharp at high levels, just in your face, bass wasn't as good,loud as the qed cable i was using,the balance didn't felt right, so after i sold a cpu cooler i didn't use, i could buy a better cable for my small usb dac to my amp (i listen to alot of music from youtube and not all sounds good in the top) and that is what i used the money for, after i bought it i got my van damme rca jumpers first, which had a positive effect on the sound. (the metal brackets or what ever you would call it, i found out when i got the cable, was a bit rusty so it was okay to get it replaced also because it made the sound just a bit better).

Is cables the neverending story,where you never stop trying to find the perfect cable(s) for your system?

 

[nick8858]

I am not quite sure what you are trying to acheive here but thinking that a piece of wire is going to lead you ro the perfect sound is somewhat of an impossible dream really.

 

[gasolin]

Not trying to find the perfect cable, mabye the perfect cable for my system

 

[abacus]

1. If all these fancy cables are so good, why do not professional’s in film and music studios use them? (Exception is Van Damme which is a cable designed for and used by professionals)

2. Look at the fancy cables from Hi-Fi manufactures and you will find you can get them on a roll (Unterminated) from any electrical wholesaler for a fraction of the price. (Contrary to what they try and make you believe Hi-Fi cable manufactures DO NOT make their own cables, they just buy in cable and terminate it, and give it a fancy name)

3. When comparing cables always do the double blind test, as any other test will give false results.

4. If you had chosen your equipment together to get optimum synergy you would not be bothering about cable, but listening to the music. (You only have yourself to blame if it doesn’t sound right and changing cables will never alter this to how you want)

5. If after reading the above you still believe cables make a difference, then continue (It’s you money) but I highly recommend that you forget about changing cables and instead just listen to the music. (If you want to change the sound, use EQ to get the particular sound you want. http://productionadvice.co.uk/using-eq/http://productionadvice.co.uk/using-eq/)

Above all have fun

Bill

 

[davedotco]

Buy the cables that sound best to you. You will be more relaxed and comfortable with your system as a result.

Whether others hear the same differences is irrelevant, it is your setup and that is what matters.

Asking others for an opinion is what will cause the confusion, people hear things differently or may conform to an established 'groupthink', for example, "silver cables are brighter than copper cables".

Ignore this and make up your own mind, you will be happier if you do.

Unless of course you want the support of fellow enthusiasts, in which case become part of the 'group'.

 

[Pedro]

 

[davedotco]

Are you suggesting Placebo doest not work?

 

[Pedro]

Are you suggesting Placebo doest not work?

I'm suggesting the opposite, it does work! The image was just a joke

 

[gasolin]

I do feel cable can make a subtle difference, in some cases it can make a difference if you go from really thin speaker cable to very thick, like 1.5 to 6.0mm.

I found this germain site, according to the manufacture (inakustisk) thickness makes a big difference, especially in the bass, what do you think about that?

http://www.lautsprechershop.de/index_hifi_en.htm?http://www.lautsprechershop.de/kabel/inakustik_kabelexzellenz_en.htm

Just imagine spending alot on amps,cdpayer,dac,turntables and at the end (speaker cable) something thin for only 1£ pr meter, going for soemthing like a 10£ pr meter 6mm thick speaker cable i think that would make a difference.

 

[davedotco]

Are you suggesting Placebo doest not work?

I'm suggesting the opposite, it does work! The image was just a joke

For a moment or two there I was worried I was going to have to do a lecture...*mail1*

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Cables can be hit and miss

just buy a quality cable and stick to it only you can make that choice I personally brought audioquest rocket 33 and think it’s a excellent speaker cable and stuck with it . That’s my recommendation to you audioquest !

 

[davedotco]

I do feel cable can make a subtle difference, in some cases it can make a difference if you go from really thin speaker cable to very thick, like 1.5 to 6.0mm.

I found this germain site, according to the manufacture (inakustisk) thickness makes a big difference, especially in the bass, what do you think about that?

http://www.lautsprechershop.de/index_hifi_en.htm?http://www.lautsprechershop.de/kabel/inakustik_kabelexzellenz_en.htm

Just imagine spending alot on amps,cdpayer,dac,turntables and at the end (speaker cable) something thin for only 1£ pr meter, going for soemthing like a 10£ pr meter 6mm thick speaker cable i think that would make a difference.

[/quote

You can certainly change the parameters of speaker in a measurable way, thicker cable leading to lower dc resistance for example and if these changes are sufficient then you will hear a difference.

The usual caveat is that, unless you go to extremes in changing the parameters, the differences will not be audible and may not even be measureable. For example, for speaker cable runs of around 3 or 4 metres, it is unlikely that increasing the thickness beyond 2.5 sq mm will provide an audible improvement.

However if this bothers you, spend a few bob more and buy 6 sq mm, the peace of mind is genuinely worth it.

 

[nopiano]

To answer your final question...no I don't! I'm old enough to remember when QED 79 strand was new, or at least widely recognised as superior to regular twin flex. In the shop I worked in as a lad, we sold thin bell wire type stuff for budget speakers, but suggested mains cable. I've no idea what gauge or rating it had, but it was similar to what you typically get on a decent table lamp. Blue and brown twin flex with a black or white sleeve. Simples!

I tried various Litz and fancy cables over the years. Then about twenty years ago I bought a decent system and the dealer suggested Transparent cables at a pretty luxurious price. I never switched them, and over that timescale they worked out quite reasonably.

This year, when I changed to the Primare amp with ATC speakers I moved to Van Damme for the speaker wires, and had no qualms. They work fine, are well made, and not too bulky. It's a lot easier! But as dave says, if you enjoy it, that's fine.

 

[chebby]

I'm old enough to remember when QED 79 strand was new ...

So is the OP’s amp.

 

[nopiano]

I'm old enough to remember when QED 79 strand was new ...

So is the OP’s amp.

Indeed!!

 

[CnoEvil]

1. If all these fancy cables are so good, why do not professional’s in film and music studios use them? (Exception is Van Damme which is a cable designed for and used by professionals)

This is not true.

You keep repeating this claim, even though I have previously told you some of the ones that do.

I have no problem with your position on cables (it's good to have a healthy debate)...and the fact that Profesional Studios use and promote them, isn't proof per se that they are any better....but they are used by Professional Studios.

Skywalker Sound use MIT Cables

BOP Studios use Van Den Hul Cables

Real World Studio (Peter Gabriel) use Kimber Cables

Gateway Studios (Bob Ludwig) use Transparent Cables

Astoria (David Gilmore) use Kimber

Ocean Way Studio - Cardas

Grundman Mastering - Cardas

 

[cheeseboy]

1. If all these fancy cables are so good, why do not professional’s in film and music studios use them? (Exception is Van Damme which is a cable designed for and used by professionals)

This is not true.

You keep repeating this claim, even though I have previously told you some of the ones that do.

I have no problem with your position on cables (it's good to have a healthy debate)...and the fact that Profesional Studios use and promote them, isn't proof per se that they are any better....but they are used by Professional Studios.

Skywalker Sound use MIT Cables

BOP Studios use Van Den Hul Cables

Real World Studio (Peter Gabriel) use Kimber Cables

Gateway Studios (Bob Ludwig) use Transparent Cables

Astoria (David Gilmore) use Kimber

Ocean Way Studio - Cardas

Grundman Mastering - Cardas

genuine question - do you know if those studios actually saught out the cables for a specific reason, or if the cable company offered the cables in return for advertising? There's a big difference between the former and the latter imho...

 

[CnoEvil]

genuine question - do you know if those studios actually saught out the cables for a specific reason, or if the cable company offered the cables in return for advertising? There's a big difference between the former and the latter imho...

IIRC A lot of them say, that they went for the better cables because of the difference they made. We could argue till the cows come home, if they meant it.

I'm not interested in a polemic argument about the benefit of cables....but I just don't like statements that are demonstratably not true, just to emphasise a POV - especially when I have pointed it out before.

Reasonably recently, I was asked to give links to prove this - which I did...but I can't be bothered to find the post where I did so.

 

[gasolin]

abby road van damme

Why some use this and some use that i don't know, mabye van damme (or som other company to another recording studio) said to the abby road studio's, wanna use our cable we vill give them to you for free, than they can say our cables is used by abby road studio's..........that stamp properly is worth more (advertising) than the actually value of the cables

Is it worth trying some Van Damme Professional Blue Series Studio Grade 2 x 6 mm ?

Only have this 2x15 cm van damme rca jumpers (for me some random unkown plug, what van damme cable they used i don't know) so no other experience than that, but many highly praises the van damme cable, i would say mostly the blue studio cable

 

[hybridauth_Twitter_23062536]

Is cables the neverending story,where you never stop trying to find the perfect cable(s) for your system?

Only if you are an idiot.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

Just try as it's up to you gasolin, and I agree with davedotco who is bang on the money. People telling you you are an idiot probably have speakers that run off bell wire ok. Ignore all the bollocks both for and against the argument. None of it is really testable except to what you think and that's all that matters.

 

[cheeseboy]

IIRC A lot of them say, that they went for the better cables because of the difference they made. We could argue till the cows come home, if they meant it.

I would personally hazard a guess if the interview is on the cable manufacturers website that the studio couldn't really give a toss and got free cables out of it. If it's on the studios website, then I'd be more inclined to believe they believed what they said.

Either way, doesn't matter, I was just interested to know if anybody knew if they were sourced or if they were given as it were.

 

[nopiano]

Is it worth trying some Van Damme Professional Blue Series Studio Grade 2 x 6 mm ?

Yes. As dave said a while back, you don't need 6mm as 4mm is plenty for normal lengths. I chose the clear shotgun cased OFC version, and you'll find all the specs on their website. I bought mine from Lucas sound and vision, via eBay and would buy from them again - no other connection.

Right now I'm happily in the camp who thinks that's all I need. It is also far less awkward to route from the amp, and less risk of straining the connectors, hence much more practical. (Meanwhile, an old friend with a rather more exotic system recently upgraded to some type of Crystal cable, that probably cost as much as my system, and swears it has made a big improvement - I've yet to hear it, however!)

 

[CnoEvil]

I would personally hazard a guess if the interview is on the cable manufacturers website that the studio couldn't really give a toss and got free cables out of it. If it's on the studios website, then I'd be more inclined to believe they believed what they said.

Either way, doesn't matter, I was just interested to know if anybody knew if they were sourced or if they were given as it were.

I'm sure you could ring this lady and ask her. *biggrin*

http://www.mitcables.com/profile-of-excellence-leslie-ann-jones/profiles-of-excellence/leslie-ann-jones-skywalker-sound/menu-id-293.html

 

[cheeseboy]

I would personally hazard a guess if the interview is on the cable manufacturers website that the studio couldn't really give a toss and got free cables out of it. If it's on the studios website, then I'd be more inclined to believe they believed what they said.

Either way, doesn't matter, I was just interested to know if anybody knew if they were sourced or if they were given as it were.

I'm sure you could ring this lady and ask her. *biggrin*

http://www.mitcables.com/profile-of-excellence-leslie-ann-jones/profiles-of-excellence/leslie-ann-jones-skywalker-sound/menu-id-293.html

that's really odd that website. Just after her name it says discount for some odd reason which is a hyperlink, which takes you to some viagra page!!!

But yes, just a standard spiel for a manufacturers website, nothing on the skywalker sound website itself. Either way, thank you (honestly) for providing the link, much apprecaited