Speaker cable

[ToppingSMSL]

I'd argue it's largely only speakers and the room they're in that really matter.

Everything else, mostly audiophile toss

I agree. Amps these days are very good. As long as you have one powerful enough for your needs should be fine.

 

[davidf]

I agree. Amps these days are very good. As long as you have one powerful enough for your needs should be fine.

They are. But there's still marked differences. Like anything else, you can buy something you think is good enough, or you can spend a little extra time and find something exceptional. Up to you.

 

[Fandango Andy]

To whom it may concern.
Speaker cables. Any cables.
Blind test.....YES or NO?
It REALLY is as simple as that.

Blind tests are flawed.

You don't get to inspect the quality of the weave of the unicorn hair used for the insulation. You don't know how much snake oil was used to lubricant the connectors. And most importantly, you don't know the price, surely the most expensive cables are best!

 

[Fandango Andy]

I'd argue it's largely only speakers and the room they're in that really matter.

Everything else, mostly audiophile toss

Agreed. It's a sliding scale, starting with the room and the speakers, by the time you get to cables any difference is so small the average listener with the average system isn't going to hear it.

I recently swapped the RCA from my CD player to amp as I needed a longer cable in order to rearrange things. I went from an Ecosse (now used for my DAC) to an Amazon Basics. I can hear no difference in the CD or Streamer.

 

[davidf]

Well, if you get your speaker choice wrong (for the room), you're off to a bad start. Pick an amp that doesn't breathe life into the speakers, you can forget about anything else making any difference.

 

[GroeneLeeuw]

Well, if you get your speaker choice wrong (for the room), you're off to a bad start. Pick an amp that doesn't breathe life into the speakers, you can forget about anything else making any difference.

Yes, very true.

 

[ToppingSMSL]

They are. But here's still marked differences. Like anything else, you can something you think is good enough, or you can spend a little xtra time and find something exceptional. Up to you.

Differences because of power or what else?

 

[idc]

Well, if you get your speaker choice wrong (for the room), you're off to a bad start. Pick an amp that doesn't breathe life into the speakers, you can forget about anything else making any difference.

That was why I switched to headphones, as I could never get speakers to fit a room around its other uses and family.

I was then given some advice by the owner of Musical Fidelity that the best sound comes when the amp can easily drive the speakers, which I have found to be true in practice. Some high impedance headphones that sounded flat with one headphone amp, came alive with a more powerful one. Headphones that are terrible when plugged into a computer, sound great run off an amp.

It is easier to switch headphones around like that, than it is speakers, so the effect amp power and speaker impedance has, is more noticeable. But the principle applies to speakers, so as a rule of thumb, buy a powerful amp and low impedance speakers to stand the best chance of improved SQ.

 

[davidf]

Differences because of power or what else?

Power is just part of it. There's how the amps deal with impedance swings, and the inherent sound difference between Class AB and Class D for starters (just to pick two amp types). There's personal preferences for those who use their ears.
When your speakers' amp recommendation is 50-200w, buying an any 50w amp is not necessarily going to achieve audio nirvana.

 

[davidf]

That was why I switched to headphones, as I could never get speakers to fit a room around its other uses and family.

I was then given some advice by the owner of Musical Fidelity that the best sound comes when the amp can easily drive the speakers, which I have found to be true in practice. Some high impedance headphones that sounded flat with one headphone amp, came alive with a more powerful one. Headphones that are terrible when plugged into a computer, sound great run off an amp.

It is easier to switch headphones around like that, than it is speakers, so the effect amp power and speaker impedance has, is more noticeable. But the principle applies to speakers, so as a rule of thumb, buy a powerful amp and low impedance speakers to stand the best chance of improved SQ.

As an amplifier manufacturer, Anthony Michaelson would say that, as I'm guessing his main competition over the decades would've mainly been Naim. But yes, throwing a lot of power at a speaker helps. Active subwoofers need big power to dig deeper. I prefer what MF were doing in the 90s, as their modern amps, to me, seem to be one way to get a system wrong. Their A3 and A5 amps have bags of power, a big soundstage, loads of bass, but to me, very little else. Some of these qualities may be suitable for some speakers, but they lack in other areas. They just don't sound involving in any way. They sound like an expensive Marantz PM600whatever. Safe.

While I don't mind listening to headphones, they're not for me, I can't get excited about them. I get that they're ideal for completely removing the headache of room acoustics, but I just prefer the soundstage that loudspeakers can produce, rather than the left/right imaging of a headphone. Great detail levels though! I do like the Audio Technica 5000s. And yes, they'll be affected in the same way by accompanying amplification as loudspeakers will be - for those that want to take the time to hear that difference.

 

[Jasonovich]

That was why I switched to headphones, as I could never get speakers to fit a room around its other uses and family.

I was then given some advice by the owner of Musical Fidelity that the best sound comes when the amp can easily drive the speakers, which I have found to be true in practice. Some high impedance headphones that sounded flat with one headphone amp, came alive with a more powerful one. Headphones that are terrible when plugged into a computer, sound great run off an amp.

It is easier to switch headphones around like that, than it is speakers, so the effect amp power and speaker impedance has, is more noticeable. But the principle applies to speakers, so as a rule of thumb, buy a powerful amp and low impedance speakers to stand the best chance of improved SQ.

I get a lot of pleasure from speakers but you're absolutely correct.

If you invest properly in headphones and headamp, it'll pay off in dividends.
Run it through an external DAC from sources such as Transport Streamer, Digital Transport or PC USB output and you have the bases for a very good system.

I would say 80 % of my listening, is done through the headphones.