HDMI Cable Upgrade - Myth or Reality

[admin_exported]

Just a quick Question on HDMI cables really.

Is an expensive cable upgrade worth it?

That's the question really i ask because when i was setting up my philips system i sort of took on board the advice of what hifi yet slightly cut corners, so for example i have a Thatcable hdmi from my blu-ray to the tv, i also have a vivanco hdmi from my sky HD to my tv. Now both these cables received good marks in WhatHiFi but we'll they're still pretty much budget cables. Thatcable was £5 and the Vivanco i got on ebay for £15.

Would i really notice a difference if i plugged in a chord supershield or QED performance?

 

[bigboss]

This thread should help you: http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/363271.aspx

 

[Anonymous]

hi graymack , thats a question that always gets the same response , half the replys will say yes , cables do vary , and half will say they dont .

bigboss (forum member) has a top quality a.v. set up , he tested a £5 cable , a £20 odd cable and an expensive cable , no difference , others say cables have transformed their picture and sound , im starting to think there is no difference , i have only cheap free cables , and im watching casino royale right now , the picture is razor sharp , have a look at this thread ....

 

[Anonymous]

bigboss:This thread should help you: http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/363271.aspxah , my typing is sooo slow

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers guys i read the other post (sorry for not searching on it) and it's quite an eye opener.

One point that no one brought up in that thread that i could see anyway is yes shops have an interest in you spending silly money on a cable but why do what hi fi insist there are marked differences in the more you pay, they quote "punchy sound and crisp-edged images" suggesting obvious gains but what do they have to gain?

 

[Anonymous]

greymack:

One point that no one brought up in that thread that i could see anyway is yes shops have an interest in you spending silly money on a cable but why do what hi fi insist there are marked differences in the more you pay, they quote "punchy sound and crisp-edged images" suggesting obvious gains but what do they have to gain?

This is What Hifi`s forum.

 

[professorhat]

greymack:
Cheers guys i read the other post (sorry for not searching on it) and it's quite an eye opener.

One point that no one brought up in that thread that i could see anyway is yes shops have an interest in you spending silly money on a cable but why do what hi fi insist there are marked differences in the more you pay, they quote "punchy sound and crisp-edged images" suggesting obvious gains but what do they have to gain?

What do they have to gain? Merely the trust of the reader by pointing out the differences they hear and see in these cables. That's about it.

If they (or any other members of the Hi-Fi press) were taking payouts, then this would be fairly quickly identified and exposed. Do you really think journalists are that stupid? The only explanation therefore is they actually can see and hear these differences.

Is it all in their heads? Why not try a cable for yourself and see what you think rather than just believing one or other of the arguments without any experience to yourself?. I always find it amazing how resistant the cable sceptics are to this idea...

 

[Anonymous]

I am aware this is What Hi Fi's forum

The statement was in response to the comments that home users are testing and finding no difference, my question was then if there's no difference why do What Hi Fi insist there is such a performance increase i was almost arguing for them not against them.

And Professorhat i think it's the fact it costs in the region of £50 to try and see if you notice a difference so it's quite an expensive experiment therefore i was asking peoples opinions.

 

[Anonymous]

greymack:

I am aware this is What Hi Fi's forum

The statement was in response to the comments that home users are testing and finding no difference, my question was then if there's no difference why do What Hi Fi insist there is such a performance increase i was almost arguing for them not against them.

And Professorhat i think it's the fact it costs in the region of £50 to try and see if you notice a difference so it's quite an expensive experiment therefore i was asking peoples opinions.

Posts questioning how what hifi can possibly see things that defy scientific explaination. Links to sites and videos including those by people employed by the industry to test and certificate cable qualtiy, that educate readers as to why they are scientificly impossible. Questions as to why What Hifi reviews are all subjective and how reliable they are. Questions as to why they are ideologically opposed to taking part in blind tests or taking measurements. Especially questions as to what What Hifi gain from this. Have been posted before many times on this forum.

greymack:

One point that no one brought up in that thread that i could see anyway is yes shops have an interest in you spending silly money on a cable but why do what hi fi insist there are marked differences in the more you pay, they quote "punchy sound and crisp-edged images" suggesting obvious gains but what do they have to gain?

The pertinent point of your previous post is bold. The reason is this is What Hifi`s forum.

The opinion of What Hifi and the opinion that any casual reader of this forum will gain from reading threads is that cables do make a difference and only a few ignorant skeptics disagree. The opinion of a regular follower of threads and a reader of other sites forums will be radically different.

 

[Anonymous]

as long as you buy a decent enough non-branded cable (<15 pounds absolute max) - and you are getting a signal there will be absolutely no point in upgrading

if you feel like you really need a decent cable, I can recommend the Markgrant cables, I've bought off him before and are superb quality without paying for the name

have made up cables myself in the past for myself - the parts are very cheap even if you want to make very high quality cables, BUT its a faff, and I don't like solder burns (been there done that too many times !)

 

[bigboss]

HDMI cable quality is a hugely debated issue. Even I was swayed towards it, until I found that there was no difference that I could appreciate. All my research online seems to scientifically justify my findings. There will be people who have noticed a difference, whether it's for real or a placebo effect. For me, I'm happy that my findings have proved cheap for me

There are a lot more grey areas than just HDMI cables.......mains conditioners etc. I'm not even attempting to research that!!! If I start liking them........it'll be a very expensive proposition!!!

 

[professorhat]

greymack:And Professorhat i think it's the fact it costs in the region of £50 to try and see if you notice a difference so it's quite an expensive experiment therefore i was asking peoples opinions.

Because it's such a contentious issue, many retailers will allow you to buy and try with a guaranteed full refund if you're not happy (Clearer Audio and Russ Andrews being two such off the top of my head who offer 60 days to try). So it literally costs you nothing to try it out.

And I have tried and I did see a notice a reasonable improvement between my free cable and the Chord HDMI Silver Plus (especially with the improvement with sound). Crucially, I didn't just take someone's word for it either way. I know other people have tried and seen / heard no difference - I can't explain why some can and some can't, but as long as you try, there's no argument from me either way

 

[bigboss]

professorhat:

So it literally costs you nothing to try it out.

Except the postage - you'll have to send the item back at your cost, preferably by recorded delivery. The postage won't be refunded if there's no fault with the product.

 

[Dave_]

Not necessarily- Clearer Audio for example,also refund the return postage!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

professorhat:

greymack:And Professorhat i think it's the fact it costs in the region of £50 to try and see if you notice a difference so it's quite an expensive experiment therefore i was asking peoples opinions.

Because it's such a contentious issue, many retailers will allow you to buy and try with a guaranteed full refund if you're not happy (Clearer Audio and Russ Andrews being two such off the top of my head who offer 60 days to try). So it literally costs you nothing to try it out.

And I have tried and I did see a notice a reasonable improvement between my free cable and the Chord HDMI Silver Plus (especially with the improvement with sound). Crucially, I didn't just take someone's word for it either way. I know other people have tried and seen / heard no difference - I can't explain why some can and some can't, but as long as you try, there's no argument from me either way

That's what I think as well professorhat.

 

[bigboss]

daveh75:Not necessarily- Clearer Audio for example,also refund the return postage!

Nope, they don't.

"Should you wish to return products to us you will have to bear the cost of return postage (with the exception to Section 7 where we will bear the cost of return postage) and ensure that there is sufficient insurance to cover any damage or loss which may be sustained in transit."

Section 7 refers to damaged or incorrect goods.

 

[Dave_]

Well they refunded mine when i sent back a set of I/C's!!!

 

[bigboss]

Either they have changed their policy, or they can be generous towards customers they feel will shop with them again. But they're perfectly entitled to refuse postage refund claim.

 

[professorhat]

Refunded my postage when I sent back a mains cable as well (Silver-line that was just too pricey for my system really, replaced it with a Copper-line Alpha).

If you're worried about postage costs, just contact Darren at Clearer Audio beforehand - he's a very nice chap and I'm sure he'll set you straight on whether you'll need to pay the return postage or not. Otherwise, just walk into a decent dealership and ask if you can loan a cable - I know Sevenoaks were happy to do this in the past.

 

[Anonymous]

Promised myself i'd stay out of cable debates in 2010 - Oh well another resolution broken.

Without re-hashing a lot of really boring technical detail that's freely available if you google HDMI the basics are this:

You need a resonable quality cable that actually is certified to pass the HDMI standard you need it to. Version numbers are no longer used so the cable you want (or it's packaging) should carry the HDMI logo or the High speed HDMI logo. If it carries this logo and is from a reputable brand name supplier you can be sure it will pass the HDMI standrds required of it. If it does this it will work perfectly and transmit all of the data without fault. (BTW there are also standards for HDMI ethernet now as well so cables bearing this logo are fine. By the same token no logo means it may not be any good irrespective of how much it might cost. Only cables that pass are allowed to use the logo. there is a HDMI web site if you Google for it. I won't post a link to the facts for fear of breaking site rules.)

Again we should perhaps remember that this is digital data that's being transmitted and that the HDMI standards allow for the required error corrections to be made as do all almost other forms of digital transmission system.

If you think one brand of cables gives you better blacks or a clearer picture or richer sound that's great for you it's a free country. Personally I think Big boss has it about right.

 

[bigboss]

I'm sure you're allowed to mention www.hdmi.org & about the cable manufacturer being on the HDMI adopters' list. Yes, that will give you an assurance, but doesn't necessarily mean that cables without the logo won't pass. I couldn't find ThatCable on the list, although it's got an excellent review from What Hi Fi. I think the HDMI logo is similar to the THX logo.

 

[Alec]

Well how about neither...

How about...

Now bare with me kids, this dog just might hunt...

I give you...

Mythality!

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...

...

Well dont all applaud at once...