My sister loves music and I was rigging up my old system at my hers a few years ago, she wanted the thinnest wire possible, she's houseproud so didn't want ugly cables. I bought some single core bell wire from Wickes in an attempt to deliver her wishes... it was useless, no bass whatsoever. Wickes also did white speaker cable so this is what was used. I have no idea what the wire gauges were but the bell wire in this instance was utterly useless.
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CES Hands On - Samsung HW-Q990F review
It's more peaceful than I was expecting! I was talking about analogue, though I do have a digital example at the risk of starting derision - it's the only one I have ever noticed. I installed a 'better' HDMI lead (nothing too posh - just in the £30-40 bracket) and Mrs 12th and I watched Pan's Labyrinth on blu ray as a comparison. It was readily apparent that the crackling of the fire in the Pale Man scene was clearer and crisper - Mrs 12th remarked on it unprompted.
My previous CDP had two sets of phono outputs - for a laugh I tried connecting it to amp by both and toggling back and forth between a freebie and the interconnect I still use. The bass did a disappearing trick then too - repeated when I swapped cables so there could be no other cause.
may i ask what make / model was your previous cd player ?
seems an excellent way to instantly test different interconnects !
An Arcam CD23t - I did it with the Chord interconnects suggested to go with my speaker cable, but couldn't tell the difference between them and the VdH in any respect. Reverse was true of the VdH speaker cable I had which did its best to make every bass note sound the same - guy from MA recommended the Chord cable as that's what they were using for the internal wiring and the effect was, to put it mildly, transformative.
iMark
Well-known member
Please also put me down for 2.
I'm puzzled by @M42TYN statement about replacing an HDMI cable. Unless a cable was faulty I have never experienced any difference between HDMI cables.
I read this years ago and I think they're right: https://www.cnet.com/news/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/
With RCA interconnects I do believe quality matters a bit. Same goes for coax cables for the TV. Better shielding of the cables and connectors makes a difference.
I'm puzzled by @M42TYN statement about replacing an HDMI cable. Unless a cable was faulty I have never experienced any difference between HDMI cables.
I read this years ago and I think they're right: https://www.cnet.com/news/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/
With RCA interconnects I do believe quality matters a bit. Same goes for coax cables for the TV. Better shielding of the cables and connectors makes a difference.
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Overwhelmingly number 2, it seems.
Fair enough.
Wonder how many of these are shifted?
www.russandrews.com
Fair enough.
Wonder how many of these are shifted?
Russ Andrews - Hi-Fi mains and cable specialist
Leading manufacturer and retailer of Hi-Fi mains cables, mains conditioning products and Kimber Kable interconnects and speaker cable. Est 1986.
Overwhelmingly number 2, it seems.
Fair enough.
Wonder how many of these are shifted?
Russ Andrews - Hi-Fi mains and cable specialist
Leading manufacturer and retailer of Hi-Fi mains cables, mains conditioning products and Kimber Kable interconnects and speaker cable. Est 1986.
years ago i received some literature that stated something like 40 or 50 thousand of his powerkords had been sold.
to be fair to russ andrews though he only sells, does not make, kimber kable and the prices of the top nordost cables make the russ andrews badged powerkords seem like pocket money !
gasolin
Well-known member
Fred_Barker
Well-known member
Nothing whatsoever to do with cables, but when auditioning speakers, if you set 5 pairs up to try out, yes they probably do all sound very different, but who, apart from the listener, is to say which is the best sound?
You wouldn't really be aware what the sound the recording engineer had in mind.
However, as I'm old, and been to too many music venues, I don't think my ears work too well any more 😫, so a moot point...
You wouldn't really be aware what the sound the recording engineer had in mind.
However, as I'm old, and been to too many music venues, I don't think my ears work too well any more 😫, so a moot point...
I think as your system gets better it's easier to divine exactly what effect is desired, particularly with something where effects have been used (especially with vocals).
SteveH72
Well-known member
How can it be proven that all HDMI cables are the same but RCA cables can be different?
I wouldn't necessarily agree that the article constitutes proof but the aim of the thread was just to establish what people thought, rather than start an argument about it (there seem to have been enough of those in the past).
Does that mean you are a '1'?
Does that mean you are a '1'?
SteveH72
Well-known member
It was a genuine question; doesn’t make it an argument. I have an open mind. I struggle to see how what is essentially wire - as long as it is correctly insulated with well-made connections/plugs - can have on sound quality. If somebody can provide empirical proof it does then I’ll subscribe.
However, I do believe people can spend their money on what they like. If they can hear, or believe they can hear, a difference then that’s all that matters.
The other thing I believe as that as long as there is hifi, there will be debates about cables. Life’s too short. Go with what makes you happy. 👍
Ah, I see. It was the word 'proof' that I latched onto so my apologies. Does your answer make you a '1', btw?
Mike Hunt
Well-known member
The question is far too ambiguous, and if we are talking about all cables, then there are far too few poll options (there is an option to add a poll when you start a thread). You need to specify whether it's speaker cables, interconnects or digital cables we're discussing, and whether it's coax, etc. The ambiguity doesn't allow for a number 1 answer, but maybe that was deliberate.
insider9
Well-known member
So you keep saying, though no-one else seems to object to how the options have been framed. Feel free to start your own if you feel it's needed, but too many options limits the response you tend to get.
Mike Hunt
Well-known member
Yeah but they don't count, as everyone knows that any kettle lead will do the job.
Mike Hunt
Well-known member
I'm just surprised that you'd start a poll that people couldn't possibly answer with the answer you didn't want to hear... oh, wait...
Mike Hunt
Well-known member
I suspect it's more that you didn't like the answers, Mike. Plenty of people felt they could answer. But revert to sneer and the need to be right. Weren't bullied at school, were you?
Of course it can, with an Iridium plated directional fuse.
does mcru or russ andrews sell them ?!
Mike Hunt
Well-known member
How could I possibly not like the answers, when most people gave the same answer I gave?I suspect it's more that you didn't like the answers, Mike. Plenty of people answered, not 'no-one'. But revert to sneer and the need to be right. Weren't bullied at school, were you?
And "bullied at school"? Really?
Most likely.
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