Floor elevators

[stereoman]

Hello. Have you practiced with elevating the speakers/power cable off the floor ? Does it really work and what exactly is the science behind it...is it necessary to elevate them off panel floors ? I think it makes a bit of a difference.

 

[chebby]

Still being discussed here ...

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/cable-lifters

 

[andyjm]

Hello. Have you practiced with elevating the speakers/power cable off the floor ? Does it really work and what exactly is the science behind it...is it necessary to elevate them off panel floors ? I think it makes a bit of a difference.

The electrical parameters describing the behavoir of a cable (resistance, capacitance, inductance) are all a function of the cable's physical dimensions and construction. Change the shape of the cable (by bending or vibrating it for example) and there will be small changes to its electrical performance. This is true of any electrical component and explains the 'microphonic' effect found in some amplifiers. Properly set up, a cable can be used as a poor man's microphone. Equally, the capacitance and inductance of a cable can be altered by its proximity to other materials - this is particularly the case with unshielded cables like speaker cables.

So, if there was an argument for supporting a cable it might have something to do with reducing the capacitive effect of the interaction with the floor, but a counter argument would be that a cable strung between supports would vibrate more than a cable damped by resting on the carpet.

In truth these effects are real, but at audio frequencies in a typical home hifi setup are tiny. Measurable, but completely inaudible. If using these products changes the sound in any way, it more likely that you disturbed a plug or connector possibly improving the connection. To be honest, my best guess is that our old friend 'suggestion bias' is the root cause of the change you heard. Real to you, but no change in the sound out of the speakers.

 

[andyjm]

Still being discussed here ...

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/cable-lifters

Chebby, thanks for this.

These questions keep coming around like a number 9 bus, I had forgotten we had thrashed it all out so recently. At least my answers are consistent. I should probably publish a book.

 

[nopiano]

I’m not sure I would detect any sound change, but these certainly look great, when supporting some of the oversized cables often seen at shows.

I have used egg boxes to keep signal and power leads apart,when they ran close together behind a cabinet. And also where a heavy cable used to strain the input sockets at the back of a speaker. But otherwise I think it panders to anyone with a slightly OCD regarding tidiness or housekeeping of cables.

 

[MajorFubar]

Hello. Have you practiced with elevating the speakers/power cable off the floor ? Does it really work and what exactly is the science behind it...is it necessary to elevate them off panel floors ? I think it makes a bit of a difference.

Deep down you must know that it cannot make a difference. Be careful how you tread. It's a slippery slope downwards from being sufficiently open minded enough to embrace fresh sensible ideas (a good thing) to being easy prey for charlatans and witch-doctors eager to steal your money, hoping you'll buy all kinds of hocus pocus gobbledegook from them that teeters on the brink of breaching Trading Standards.

 

[macdiddy]

where all the cables for his various systems are on "lifters", these include mains, audio and speaker, arranged neatly, must take him ages, ( saying him as 99% sure ).

he even gives a response to someone who questions why all his cables are off the ground.

will post link later as I'm at work and we're not allowed access to youtube video's. *sad*

 

[MajorFubar]

[snip]charlatans and witch-doctors eager to steal your money, hoping you'll buy all kinds of hocus pocus gobbledegook from them that teeters on the brink of breaching Trading Standards.

...and this, ladies and gentlemen, is Exhibit A:

http://www.russandrews.com/dde-1/

It's so sketchy and dubious, he isn't even allowed to write on his website what he claims it does.

 

[Gray]

Still being discussed here ...

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/cable-lifters

Indeed it is. For 3 months, so far, people have been discussing the potential benefits of.....Cable Lifters. Make what you will of that.

 

[stereoman]

Hello. Have you practiced with elevating the speakers/power cable off the floor ? Does it really work and what exactly is the science behind it...is it necessary to elevate them off panel floors ? I think it makes a bit of a difference.

Deep down you must know that it cannot make a difference. Be careful how you tread. It's a slippery slope downwards from being sufficiently open minded enough to embrace fresh sensible ideas (a good thing) to being easy prey for charlatans and witch-doctors eager to steal your money, hoping you'll buy all kinds of hocus pocus gobbledegook from them that teeters on the brink of breaching Trading Standards.

Actually I am extremely sceptical as to the tweaks etc. but I think that lifting the cables really makes a sound different. Hmm...