how many do you believe make a difference?

[admin_exported]

speaker cables, analogue interconnects, hdmi cables and aftermarket power cables..

i dont believe either makes any difference (regardless of price) to the sound/picture quality, once they are fit for purpose..

i'm curious, how many that believe one makes a difference believe they all do? i suspect quite a few..

of the four, how many do you believe differ, as in, do their job better/worse than another? just speaker cables maybe? just hdmi cables?

where do you stand?

ta...

edit... i'd like people to give their opinions on all four (presuming they have tried all), believe or not..thanks...

..

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Maxflinn,

They all make a difference to me.

Ronald

 

[grdunn123]

Considering how buoyant the market is for 'accessories' such as speaker cables, hdmi cables etc I would think that most of us do think they contribute to sound quality.I paid £30 for all 3 HDMI cables which originally would have cost £300, picked up a metre of Chord Epic Supertwin for my centre for about £30 (normally about £80) and Chord Odyssey 4 for my fronts for £30 (normally £100).

would not have paid the original prices that I quoted as I don't believe for that price I would have got value for money.......however I do believe that the placebo effect is very important in alot of these purchases, why do you think that manufacturers make their cables look sso visually attractive? I can't see my HDMI cables yet they are bright blue!! why??

 

[Gerrardasnails]

maxflinn:
speaker cables, analogue interconnects, hdmi cables and aftermarket power cables..

i dont believe either makes any difference (regardless of price) to the sound/picture quality, once they are fit for purpose..

i'm curious, how many that believe one makes a difference believe they all do? i suspect quite a few..

of the four, how many do you believe differ, as in, do their job better/worse than another? just speaker cables maybe? just hdmi cables?

where do you stand?

ta...

Out of the four, interconnects and speaker cables can make a clear difference. Hdmi and power cables a subtle difference.

 

[Anonymous]

I certainly believe all the above make differences, some less than others, but none of my kit has it's original power cables or freebie HDMIs and I've spent the best I can on speaker cables and analogue interconnects.

 

[007L2Thrill]

I think all cables make a difference, how much depends on how good your system is really and how revealing it is IMPO.

 

[chebby]

I use the mains cables and interconnects provided by the manufacturer and the speaker cables (and amp connectors) made by them too.

My HDMI cables are QED Profile (£15 for 2m on special introductory offer at Tesco when I was buying my Sony S370) and John Lewis own brand (£8 for 2m in a sale a couple of years ago).

My optical and coax digital cables were both bought from my DAC manufacturer and the DAC is connected to the amp with some 0.5m Chord Crimson RCA cables that I had in a cupboard from ages ago.

I am certain they are all 'fit for purpose' and that they all make a difference.

 

[Paul.]

Speaker cables I tend to spend a little on, I noticed a difference between qed standard stuff and chord rumour. I noticed no difference between a chord hdmi, a qed classic and a cheapie hama hdmi. Power I haven't experimented with, but am sceptical.

 

[chris hollands]

On my first plasma TV , the fujitsu 4214 that i owned about 8 years ago, the picture quality was very poor, Eastenders was almost unwatchable ( not just because it is tosh !! ) however, when i watched programmes in the early hours of the morning the picture quality was much , much better . This was almost certainly down to a cleaner power supply as less people were watching at that time !!!

On that basis i truly believe that power cleaners and the like can, and do , have a real effect on the picture quality that you watch!!

 

[007L2Thrill]

chris hollands:

Eastenders was almost unwatchable ( not just because it is tosh !! )

So say we all!

 

[john1000000boy]

It is sooooooo depressing my wife watches it- cant bear it its like going to a funeral every night!!! (Eastenders that is..)

I think it is fair to say that everyone buys cables that they can reasonably afford but do not want there viewing pleasure to "suffer" down to cables alone. I would like to try mains cables but just cant see how they can make a difference where i am in a country cottage?!?!

 

[Andrew Everard]

The idea behind upgraded mains cables isn't that they improve the quality of the 'juice' coming out of the wall - unlike mains filters/transformers, etc - but that they avoid noise from other equipment being picked up on the cable or indeed radiated to other components.

As a result, your location, and its implications for the general quality of your household mains supply, should have no bearing on the efficacy (or otherwise) of such cables.

 

[professorhat]

maxflinn: speaker cables, analogue interconnects, hdmi cables and aftermarket power cables..i'm curious, how many that believe one makes a difference believe they all do? i suspect quite a few..

To my eyes and ears, all four can and do make a difference.

 

[aliEnRIK]

professorhat:

To my eyes and ears, all four can and do make a difference.

I agree completely with that statement

I wonder what the point of Max's post is?

 

[idc]

If fit for purpose none make a difference.

If not fit for purpose they are either faulty and will not work or there may be an issue with the cable, for example it being too long which with digital that means sparkles and lines for a picture.

 

[jase fox]

professorhat:
maxflinn: speaker cables, analogue interconnects, hdmi cables and aftermarket power cables..i'm curious, how many that believe one makes a difference believe they all do? i suspect quite a few..

To my eyes and ears, all four can and do make a difference.

I also agree with this.

 

[jase fox]

professorhat:
maxflinn: speaker cables, analogue interconnects, hdmi cables and aftermarket power cables..i'm curious, how many that believe one makes a difference believe they all do? i suspect quite a few..

To my eyes and ears, all four can and do make a difference.

I also agree with this.

 

[dirtydean]

I replaced my Cambridge audio speaker cable from my front 3 speakers to cord silver screen, I think this made a massive difference even the wife noticed the difference.

I also put a cord mains lead to my ps3 and noticed a difference to the sound when playing music and to the picture when watching play tv.

HDMI cables and analog I've never changed so I can not comment, but did notice the difference when I changed the sub cable.

 

[idc]

Once fit for purpose there is nothing intrinsic in any cable that makes them better than anyother cable. Better is subjective, which combined with a belief that they do make a difference is what makes the difference.

Ironically, now that I do not believe cables make a difference, my system sounds better than ever before. That is because I have lost the need to upgrade and worries that cables are having a detrimental effect on my system. It also meant I have money to spend on what does make a difference, for sound quality headphones and for music Spotify premium.

 

[jase fox]

idc:
If fit for purpose none make a difference.

If not fit for purpose they are either faulty and will not work or there may be an issue with the cable, for example it being too long which with digital that means sparkles and lines for a picture.
Morning idc,

I cant believe your the same idc i got to know, ha You've certainly changed your tune mate.

I remember your posts where you said that it was like "being closer to the band" etc etc What i find strange is that you did at one time say you noticed differences and so on but now you dont! Have you actually talked yourself out of it then? Even if you've read somewhere that they DONT make a difference, has that had more impact on you than your own eyes and ears?

Just curious really. Anyway i still stand firmly by them making a difference, very much so especially since my RAs Reference powerkord has burnt in, no way it's placebo as the differences were way to obvious to the point were i had to turn my subs down, and i have my movies set to certain volumes, i actually make a note of what volume i had it on so when i next watch it i know where to have it, but in this case i've had to turn them down lower than normal, so NO placebo here.

Thats why i make these little notes so i know i cant be fooled, rather than me listening or reading about how they dont make a difference, i'd rather do my OWN experiments to find out for myself.

 

[jase fox]

idc:

Ironically, now that I do not believe cables make a difference,
Yes, but at one time you DID say they made a difference when you did your OWN experiments. You even told me on many posts ago that they made differences, so you must of still seen and noticed those differences for you to of at one time believed in them.

Now if you suddenly believe that you suffer from the "placebo effect" then fine but it does'nt mean we all do mate.

Anyway rant over.

 

[davejberry]

speaker cables and analogue interconnects - YES i believe they can make a difference but whether you can hear it or not remains doubtful for me. have experimented and found no differences in the home with the shorter lengths involved

i only use 79 and 42 strand OFC for my system.

HDMI - NO, if the cable is made well enough to provide secure connection then that is it for me, otherwise it would not be fit for purpose

i use three different cable, one freebie and two i bought locally for under a tenner, none provided better (or different) sound or vision over a QED cable i trialled at nearer the 100 euro mark.

power cables - NO, not in the signal path and any reasonable piece of electronics should have a power supply designed well enough to reject any interference picked up in a normal 2m power cord especially considering the house will have more than a kilometre of cable bought from the cheapest local wholesaler when the sparky wired it up.

 

[jase fox]

davejberry:
;

power cables - NO,
Obviously YOUR opinion.

 

[bigboss]

jase fox: Anyway i still stand firmly by them making a difference, very much so especially since my RAs Reference powerkord has burnt in, no way it's placebo as the differences were way to obvious to the point were i had to turn my subs down, and i have my movies set to certain volumes, i actually make a note of what volume i had it on so when i next watch it i know where to have it, but in this case i've had to turn them down lower than normal, so NO placebo here.

Thats why i make these little notes so i know i cant be fooled, rather than me listening or reading about how they dont make a difference, i'd rather do my OWN experiments to find out for myself.

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/post/537326.aspx

 

[bigboss]

maxflinn: speaker cables, analogue interconnects, hdmi cables and aftermarket power cables..

In my opinion based on my experience,

HDMI cables: no difference

Power cables: no difference

Speaker cables: No experience as never changed mine, so cannot comment

Analogue interconnects: No experience as never changed mine, so cannot comment

I'm happy with my system, so do not feel the need to change any cables now.