I was wrong about HDMI cables!

[duaplex]

For years I have argued how the cheap HDMI cable was no different to an expensive version.

However, today at the Bristol show I purchase 3 Chord Active Silver cables and it totally blew me away. For bluray playback or fir anything where data is being read actively from a disc, there is a massive boost in sound quality, the sound was sharper, crisp and punchier. Picture was also warmer, deeper in colour and rich. I am still reeling from the shock, I fully expected there to be no difference and to a certain degree I was right... Using it with sky, no difference, PC, no difference. However, bluray yes, music yes and even gaming.

My wife walked in and said "the tv looks better and sounds better". She was unaware of the test I was conducting, so that was unbiased from a non audiophile/videophile.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I'm intrigued by this. I had thought that there was little difference between cheaper and more expensive HDMI cables, one particular comparison that I had made was between a £15-£20 2m HDMI cable, made by Lindy, and a £64 2m HDMI cable, also made by Lindy. No difference that I could tell between those two (going from receiver outputs to television). But hey, when the facts change, I change my opinions. Next time I'm looking for an HDMI cable, I'll try Chord Active Silver.

I wonder what bigboss will make of this thread, as he (like you and I) has also often said that there is little difference between HDMI cables.

 

[bigboss]

How long is the cable? Your findings are indeed interesting. I've got a chord active HDMI (got it free from What Hi Fi subscription) & found no difference.

 

[bigboss]

I don't think mine is silver though, & it's only 2m.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Maybe it's the silver wot duz it! Certainly none of my approximately 25 HDMI cables, in varying lengths from half a metre to 20 metres, are silver.

 

[daveh75]

My wife walked in and said "the tv looks better and sounds better". She was unaware of the test I was conducting, so that was unbiased from a non audiophile/videophile.

Dunno what it is, but whenever i see comments like this I'm automatically convinced the poster is talking rubbish and its just an attempt to add credibility.

 

[whoam1]

Why?

 

[bigboss]

Maybe it's the silver wot duz it! Certainly none of my approximately 25 HDMI cables, in varying lengths from half a metre to 20 metres, are silver.

Dunno why silver should make any difference to digital data.

 

[daveh75]

Why?

A) Because If they're seeing/hearing differences between cables, they probably are

B) I find it awfully convenient...

 

[professorhat]

Why?

B) I find it awfully convenient...

Yup, very odd for someone's wife to walk into the living room - should be chained to the kitchen sink. Let alone have an opinion on something.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

My wife walked in and said "the tv looks better and sounds better". She was unaware of the test I was conducting, so that was unbiased from a non audiophile/videophile.

Dunno what it is, but whenever i see comments like this I'm automatically convinced the poster is talking $hite and its just an attempt to add credibility.

Wuw.

 

[duaplex]

The chord active silver has a noise cancelling chip in addition to help with sound purity too, so this could be a factor. However, to answer some questions.

The cable between AV and bluray player is 1M, and the cable from AV to tv is 3M

 

[duaplex]

My wife walked in and said "the tv looks better and sounds better". She was unaware of the test I was conducting, so that was unbiased from a non audiophile/videophile.

Dunno what it is, but whenever i see comments like this I'm automatically convinced the poster is talking $hite and its just an attempt to add credibility.

Not at all I'm trying to remove bias or the placebo effect on my part. My wife watches bluray films with me all the time and it just so happened that we watched skyfall the previous night (which is what I was testing).

It truely is a case of try it to believe it. I am just saying that a cable that cost me £40 and £75 was a risk worth taking and it paid off for me. I fully expected no difference too, but I was wrong.

 

[duaplex]

Why?

B) I find it awfully convenient...

Yup, very odd for someone's wife to walk into the living room - should be chained to the kitchen sink. Let alone have an opinion on something.

Entirely my fault, the chain snapped lol

 

[cstanwhf]

there is a massive boost in sound quality, the sound was sharper, crisp and punchier. Picture was also warmer, deeper in colour and rich.

Pretty much in tune with the review from WHF?

http://www.whathifi.com/review/chord-company-active-silver-plus-hdmi

 

[Deleted member 2457]

For years I have argued how the cheap HDMI cable was no different to an expensive version.

However, today at the Bristol show I purchase 3 Chord Active Silver cables and it totally blew me away. For bluray playback or fir anything where data is being read actively from a disc, there is a massive boost in sound quality, the sound was sharper, crisp and punchier. Picture was also warmer, deeper in colour and rich. I am still reeling from the shock, I fully expected there to be no difference and to a certain degree I was right... Using it with sky, no difference, PC, no difference. However, bluray yes, music yes and even gaming.

My wife walked in and said "the tv looks better and sounds better". She was unaware of the test I was conducting, so that was unbiased from a non audiophile/videophile.

So for years you argued how cheap HDMI cables were no different to expensive ones - based on what then? :?

When I was first setting up my GT50 I was switching between the Sky HD cable and my chord silver on Sky and the difference was huge!

 

[Anonymous]

[UNPUBLISHED BY AE due to lifetime ban on user involved]

What has happened here is that you have imagined these differences. This is nothing to feel embarrassed about, and is perfectly understandable, you're not the first and you won't be the last.

Why do people imagine these things? Well, many reasons really, the power of suggestion being one of them.

Look at these two reviews of HDMI cables.

In this one they state - Compare the ThatCable HDMI to the free stuff, and you'll immediately see – and hear – a big improvement.

Yet in this one they say - Compared with a ThatCable HDMI (£5), this served up a thin and brittle sound, while motion handling, picture noise and sharpness of images also fell woefully short of what we’d expect – even at this price.

It is not possible that these two cables could somehow produce different images and sound, but if one doesn't know this, you could forgive them for imagining such differences, if they demoed both these cables having first read this misinformation.

Here is a video that gives you the truth about HDMI cables. The guy that's being interviewed is Jeff Boccaccio, an authority on digital data transfer. He is being interviewed by a member of AVForums.

ThatCable advertise with WHF, and Lindy advertise with AVForums. Which may explain WHFs views on the different cables. Or perhaps their reviewers were just imagining things. Either way, the truth about HDMI cables is that they cannot offer different performance, so while it's a bit late for you now, in future, just buying cheap ones is the best bet.

 

[chebby]

She was unaware of the test I was conducting...

I wouldn't bet on that.

 

[duaplex]

Gel to answer your question.

Due to these so called reviews and expert opinions for years I did not touch a HDMI over £5, because like they mentioned and have done many times over a digital signal cannot be made better by the materials used as it's either there or not (1's and 0's) Then you have the HDTV supertest that really took it to task and compared £5 to £200.

This Chord Silver was the only one I was willing to try due to the noise cancelling chip. Since bringing this home, I have noticed a difference. I am not saying its changing a 6k setup into a 30k setup with one cable. However with bigger displays like the 65inch panasonic there is a visual difference and certainly a sonic difference, probably in part to the chip.

My question is, have people tested this cable or any other so called high performer and compared them? or are you like me speculating based on reviews, like I had done for years?

 

[duaplex]

there is a massive boost in sound quality, the sound was sharper, crisp and punchier. Picture was also warmer, deeper in colour and rich.

Pretty much in tune with the review from WHF?

http://www.whathifi.com/review/chord-company-active-silver-plus-hdmi

Wow yes! I have to stop reading these reviews its influencing the language I use!

 

[chris hollands]

Just curious,

If i have a 10 metre HDMI lead going into a Darbee picture enhancer, then a Chord silver going from that into my projector , would i notice an amprovement in picture quality for having it in the chain???

Thats direct from my Blu Ray of course.

 

[abacus]

There is absolutely NO difference between good quality HDMI cables and expensive versions. (Cheapo cables tend to be poorly fitting and degrade over time)

If you connect a processing unit (Booster Unit) between the player and TV (In other words make it active) then the processing unit can alter the incoming and outgoing digital information, however the cable itself has NO bearing on the change in quality, it is purely down to the separate (Or integrated) processing unit.

Bill

 

[BenLaw]

She was unaware of the test I was conducting...

I wouldn't bet on that.

+ 1

Can the OP describe how he 'tests' skyfall?

 

[relocated]

Was there, by any chance, a special offer on the cables whereby you saved money? It is just so difficult to not get caught up in the hype at the show, buy something and then take it home and not still believe it is wonderful; when you have been whipped into buying something you never believed in.

If it was no better when you got it home what were you going to do? Rush back to the show and demand your money back? It is almost impossible not to get whipped up by show enthusiasm and then admit to yourself that it was a waste of money.

We are all the same us dumb humans. We believe what we want to believe come hell or high water.

 

[duaplex]

This is now discontinued, so it was a bargain at £40. Yes I could return them as I have purchased them from Audio T so the issues is not being stuck with them. The euphoria of the show is very real, I was almost coming away with a 1k bluray player!

People often forget that HDMI carries sound as well as picture and most of the tests revolve around picture quality as opposed to sound. The sound quality from the cable is far better then my cheaper cable. Its certainly not me imagining it, I can hear it!

There will always be two sides to this argument, those that refute it totally and those that swear by it. My advice is, go get one and try it out if you do not hear the difference then you can return it. Richersounds will always accept them back (example of one retailer) So you have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose.