Power cable / speaker cable quandary

[davedotco]

Dave, Cobblers. (Just expressing my educated ability of how to think *blum3*). My kids don't think in the same way as me and have been brought up to challenge by both the system and their parents. Anyway, now that I've expressed my right to free speech:

You, Andy, Vlad and all the other techie types should keep up the good work. I for one enjoy seeing the alternative views expressed on here, as long as it stays the right side of causing offence. I believe that I'm one of many that sit here silent most of the time picking out things worth trying as a result. Personally I've tried different speaker cables (definititely better than bell-wire), digital interconnects (nope, couldn't hear a difference and spent quite a bit), mains purifier (did nowt, although I never did hear my fridge going on and off through my hifi anyway). I didn't bother with mains cables as a result of previous experience. Acoustic panelling is OUT even for consideration, it would ruin the effect of our radiator removing underfloor heating.

Electrical isn't my bag, but I'm a scientist and I like to understand the improvements that may be made, otherwise I'm sceptical. Healthy debate on here is useful. I've found it of a little more use since What Hifi moved away from measurements in reviews to mostly opinion. I've found that their view of good sound is often not mine, and the views on this forum are often more useful. Thanks for your efforts.

Good to hear that your kids are doing well, but being brought up to challenge and to think for themselves is quite rare these days.

As far as hi-fi is concerned I find that a bit of logic and some common sense goes a very long way, a bit of the much maligned 'scientific method' is very helpful when setting up a system or fault finding.

Like you, my system has to work in our normal living space, strictly 2 channel in my case but I find that getting it to sound good is easy enough if you follow a few basic rules. The most obvious being not to 'overload' your room with equipment that is simply too big or acoustically overwhelming for your space, so many of the systems that I see in peoples homes do exactly that.

In the real world you need to work with the space that you have, not against it, get that righ and you can learn to listen to the music, not the hi-fi.

 

[ellisdj]

I sometimes wonder why I bother to post on threads like this.

I think it comes down to a philosophical point of view that if left unchallenged, views like these become mainstream. Its hardly going to effect world peace, but it is an area where I am an expert and perhaps enthusiasts come to this site looking for informed advice. It would be a shame if they believed some of the claims made here.

To quote Edmund Burke "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

I havent has dismissed anything - I am aware that science has put people allegedly on the moon and probes on mars, split an atom and created the microchip and yet noone has proved conclusively that audio cables affect sound quality. Yet I hear it and have recorded it time and time and time again.

My point is lets face it 99.9999% of hifi listening is biased - noone blind listens 24/7 and if your not blind listening your opinion on sound quality is biased - 100% biased because of expectation bias, yet you have an opinion on it which is fine by me.

Lets also face it how many people test and measure the sound they are actually getting - hardly any yet they are happy to make opinions on things like bass extension from speakers, yet they have no proof at all but thats also fine by me.

Lots of people buy and enjoy all manner of hifi cables and enjoy their systems sound much more after they put them in the their systems. That means lots of other people might do just the same, enjoy their music more and enjoy their hobby more - therefore conversations on a hifi forum by those people is 100% fine because no other conversation has any more merit because its 99.9999% all affected in the same way.

Thread debating the subject is different to a thread intended for like minded conversation - they are different we all know that

 

[iMark]

I am aware that science has put people allegedly on the moon and probes on mars, split an atom and created the microchip and yet noone has proved conclusively that audio cables affect sound quality.

Allegedly put people on the moon?

 

[ellisdj]

I didnt see them up there did you?

 

[cheeseboy]

yet noone has proved conclusively that audio cables affect sound quality. Yet I hear it and have recorded it time and time and time again.

so nobody has conclusively proven it, but because you hear it must be true? So going by that logic, I once saw a guy make a person disappear so magic must exist right? I'm just trying to work out the logic that goes on with such cognitive dissonance. I've changed cables and heard differences, but I don't think it's becasue I changed the cables, because they were the same cable.

I've no problem if people want to spend their cash on whatever, but I wish people wouldn't bend and break the laws of physics to counteract buyers remorse.

 

[CnoEvil]

I didnt see them up there did you?

They left a mirror on the surface, which we can bounce a Lazer Beam off, which allows us to measure how fast the Moon is moving away from the Earth....I can occasionally "do science" (but only occasionally, as it makes me come over all funny).

 

[ellisdj]

Its true to me and thats all that matters to me but because its the sound of a hifi system in question I can demonstrate it, even record it; as long as that sound is making me happy for being good then thats good enough for me and for most people I would say

 

[cheeseboy]

They left a mirror on the surface, which we can bounce a Lazer Beam off, which allows us to measure how fast the Moon is moving away from the Earth....I can occasionally "do science" (but only occasionally, as it makes me come over all funny).

i never knew that, that's awesome You learn something new everyday.

 

[cheeseboy]

Its true to me and thats all that matters to me but because its the sound of a hifi system in question I can demonstrate it, even record it; as long as that sound is making me happy for being good then thats good enough for me and for most people I would say

cool, so magic is real. At least I now know

 

[CnoEvil]

They left a mirror on the surface, which we can bounce a Lazer Beam off, which allows us to measure how fast the Moon is moving away from the Earth....I can occasionally "do science" (but only occasionally, as it makes me come over all funny).

i never knew that, that's awesome You learn something new everyday.

I'm so full of useless shyte, that if I don't post some of it, I'd 'splode.

 

[insider9]

I didnt see them up there did you?

They left a mirror on the surface, which we can bounce a Lazer Beam off, which allows us to measure how fast the Moon is moving away from the Earth....I can occasionally "do science" (but only occasionally, as it makes me come over all funny).

I had a feeling I'll learn something new from this thread

 

[BigH]

A dedicate mains spur is probably better than all these fancy cables. Suggest you google it. Basically to a main cable that goes straight to your plug and is not shared with anything else in you house, such as fridges, TVs, internet modems etc. Cost I don't know but should not be too expensive. You could also look into mains conditioners if you have a problem in your house.

You could try turning off everything in the house, unplug everything including fridges, cookers, computers, modems, heating etc.DO you notice a difference?

Or if you can plug your hifi extention into your cooker plug, if you have one, that will be the same thing.

 

[iMark]

Its true to me and thats all that matters to me but because its the sound of a hifi system in question I can demonstrate it, even record it; as long as that sound is making me happy for being good then thats good enough for me and for most people I would say

As long as everyone on the forum is fully aware that everything you write about sound is what you alledgedly hear then no harm is done.

 

[ellisdj]

Comments and opinions on what people are hearing is 99.9% of whats written on here, in every review and pretty much everything to do with the hobby - thats what its all about?

However its only ever allegedly as everything sounds the same - its all just expectation bias - thats the kind of talk that makes people by Bose

 

[Oldphrt]

Comments and opinions on what people are hearing is 99.9% of whats written on here, in every review and pretty much everything to do with the hobby - thats what its all about?

However its only ever allegedly as everything sounds the same - its all just expectation bias - thats the kind of talk that makes people by Bose

Bose make people? In fact buying Bose makes far more sense than buying aftermarket mains leads. At least you can play music while in the bath and that means there is an objective difference.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

You know you could make your own power cords as you can buy the plug ends , cable and all the other stuff you need to do the job properly for around £30-£40 just the same as a £300 power cord and quiet easy to do .

 

[MajorFubar]

Suspending my own opinions on cables for a second...

The whole crux of the 'problem' is you've bought cables which from your conclusion are allowing your amp to perform better, particularly at the low end. Why would you even at all be thinking about going anywhere near other cables which strangle that newfound freedom? Instead, work with your speakers, work with your room furnishings, and work with your room layout to get a better tonal balance, and wallow in your upgrade!

 

[Oldphrt]

You know you could make your own power cords as you can buy the plug ends , cable and all the other stuff you need to do the job properly for around £30-£40 just the same as a £300 power cord and quiet easy to do .

You could, but as there is nothing to gain from doing it what is the point?

 

[Blacksabbath25]

You know you could make your own power cords as you can buy the plug ends , cable and all the other stuff you need to do the job properly for around £30-£40 just the same as a £300 power cord and quiet easy to do .

You could, but as there is nothing to gain from doing it what is the point?

I am not sure to be honest as I am just as skeptic but what they basically say is we live in a world of WiFi and mobile phones which they say can cause distortion in hifi equipment as the standard lead that you get with a amplifier say acts like a antenna which bad stuff gets passed though but weather your hearing can pick up anything that gets passed though I am unsure and most amplifiers are built with stuff in to stop this anyway .

so how I understand it is theses cables are shielded to stop this but you could try turning of the router and mobile and see what happens if this is the case

 

[ellisdj]

Get an Isotek Aquarius on home demo and see what you think? Its a very good product to try as a first unit if you have not tried anything like this before.

Greatr bang for the buck product that a lot of people love.

Then try some good power cables from that and see what you think - not from a crappy ikea power strip

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Suspending my own opinions on cables for a second...

The whole crux of the 'problem' is you've bought cables which from your conclusion are allowing your amp to perform better, particularly at the low end. Why would you even at all be thinking about going anywhere near other cables which strangle that newfound freedom? Instead, work with your speakers, work with your room furnishings, and work with your room layout to get a better tonal balance, and wallow in your upgrade!

You took the words straight out my mouth! I was about to say it sound like placemnt issue to and would probably be solved by movng them out a a cm or 2.

 

[Oldphrt]

The Aquarius will sound identical to the IKEA power strip in a blind test.

 

[chebby]

MK Safety plugs, white or black (646WHI and 646CHAR), satisfy me on practical, aesthetic and connection integrity grounds.

The material they are moulded from also kills germs! (Urea Formaldehyde.)

As you were.

 

[ellisdj]

if your using that bad boy yamaha off an ikea strip then please try something else.

The Aquarius is the perfect starting point. I have seen sceptic after sceptic have their views changed by a demo of one. Its the perfect starting point and for most people all they will ever need as it removes the vast majority of mains noise and seperates all your components from each other

Its a great product to try

 

[Blacksabbath25]

if your using that bad boy yamaha off an ikea strip then please try something else.

The Aquarius is the perfect starting point. I have seen sceptic after sceptic have their views changed by a demo of one. Its the perfect starting point and for most people all they will ever need as it removes the vast majority of mains noise and seperates all your components from each other

Its a great product to try

I am opened minded mate it’s a case of trying for my self I was going to buy the audioquest power cable just to try about £60 and use it on my amplifier and see .