Four way XLR cable shootout
Clipdat
Posts: 12,933
As mentioned in my exploring professional cables thread, I've been intrigued by lower cost XLR cables and their performance potential in my system. Specifically, I wanted to determine for myself what kind of sonic influences these "entry level" XLR cables had, and if they could offer an enjoyable musical experience despite their low cost.
I listened with the following cables, in this order: Monoprice Premier, Kopul Quad Pro, Audioquest Red River, and RapcoHorizon SilverHog. I used them to connect my PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell Preamp to my PS Audio S300 amplifier.
My testing/listening methodology was to listen to each cable in my system for 7-10 days, and then swap to the next one. After listening to all four, I then went back and rapidly swapped out each one over the course of an hour or so, listening to the same 5 test tracks. This quick swapping helped me confirm and validate the findings I had noticed, and the notes I had taken during the longer testing periods.
Overall, it was a very interesting experience, and the main take away for me was that even lower end cables can have big sonic differences between them. Additionally, it's nice to know that solid and enjoyable performance can be had with reasonably priced cables.
Let's get on to the shootout!
First up is the Monoprice Premier XLR, which retails for $11.18 for a 3ft pair.
These have a straightforward feature set, a very "no frills" cable: 16awg stranded copper conductors, 97.5% coverage (braided) shield, and gold plated connectors. The price is certainly right, coming in at the lowest dollar amount per foot!
I found that the Monoprice cables presented a incredibly cohesive wall of sound, with abundant 3d imaging effects. They also offered great soundstage width, that did not make the speakers at all sound "localized". The highs were smooth and not fatiguing, with the bass being slightly "lean" sounding.
The major strength of this cable is definitely it's imaging performance. They provide an expensive "wrap around your head" type sound, very impressive. This makes them perfect for electronic music, or any type of music with complex passages and huge dynamics.
One critique I have with them is that at times they sounded a little unnatural or fake when listening closely to the timbre/tone of an instrument like an acoustic guitar or grand piano.
Overall, the copious amounts of 3d imaging, cohesive and quick sound, and generally pleasurable listening experience really impressed me with these Monoprice XLRs!
Next, we have the Kopul Quad Pro Premier 5000 XLR, which retails for $18.99 for a 3ft pair.
These have a different approach vs the Monoprice, in that they use a quad conductor design and a twisted internal geometry. Their specs are: 24awg oxygen free copper conductors, 99% Tinned-Annealed Copper (TAC) Braid, and Neutrik XX gold connectors. They also specify a nominal impedance of 44 Ohms and a conductor DC Resistance of 0.082 Ohms/ft (Up to 3'/1 m).
While I did not find any huge shortcomings or obvious flaws, the Kopul cables did seem to present a more localized sound, at times sounding a bit "flat". That being said, they had better and fuller low end performance vs the Monoprice. Additionally, they had good realism in general with voices and instruments sounding tonally accurate for the most part.
There isn't one obvious thing that stands out about their performance, but they present an inherently listenable sound, with good musicality and rhythm. I would say the price to performance ratio is still good at under $20 for a .5m pair.
However, they simply don't present as cohesive of an image as the Monoprice, or as many 3d imaging effects - which is disappointing.
Moving right along to the Audioquest Red River, which retails for $149.95 for a .5m/3.2ft pair.
I realize we just jumped WAY up in price with the inclusion of this cable in the shootout, but it's still considered by Audioquest to be an "entry level" offering. I believe it's performance is still relevant in this context, especially since a lot of people might be interested in what a more expensive cable brings to the table. Thanks again to @joecoulson for generously providing this cable to me, otherwise it wouldn't have been a part of this shootout.
Taking a look at the specs is a little tricky as Audioquest doesn't provide conductor gauge or shield material information. I'll just link to their product page, so that you can read for yourself.
The first thing I noticed about the cables was that the there was a difference in overall tone and character. The best way to describe this would be to imagine the "boldness" adjustment in an image editing software, or perhaps on a vintage CRT television. Unrelated to traditional EQing of the sound, this is something beyond that. Lush, rich, and slightly warm characteristics were noticed when listening. There seemed to be more "flesh and blood" versus the other cables. The bass was more prominent and present versus other cables in this roundup.
This made me think, are these AQ cables "coloring" the sound, or are the other cables taking something away? Hard to say for sure, but interesting to think about.
From a realism standpoint, the Red Rivers are easily the winner of this shootout. Sounds such as acoustic guitar, flute, and female voices all sounded tonally accurate.
In terms of soundstage, I feel that they have greater depth at the expense of some width. That being said, the soundstage width is by no means "bad", but it's not quite as good as the Monoprice. Likewise, while they are able to provide 3d imaging effects, they are not as abundant and frequent as the Monoprice cables.
Going into some other unique characteristics, I notice they had extraordinarily good rhythm and musicality, with plenty of foot tapping going on. I realize this is a completely subjective observation, but it is one that I reliably and repeatedly got with the AQ cables, so therefore I feel it's worth the mention.
Also uniquely about the Red Rivers, they seemed to cause a fatiguing sensation to my ears when I first auditioned them, but this went away after subsequent listening sessions and more time in my system. This isn't the first time I've noticed this trait about Audioquest interconnects, but I'm not sure why they seem to be more affected by cable break in versus the other cables in this roundup, which did not seem to present a fatiguing sensation at any point.
I listened with the following cables, in this order: Monoprice Premier, Kopul Quad Pro, Audioquest Red River, and RapcoHorizon SilverHog. I used them to connect my PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell Preamp to my PS Audio S300 amplifier.
My testing/listening methodology was to listen to each cable in my system for 7-10 days, and then swap to the next one. After listening to all four, I then went back and rapidly swapped out each one over the course of an hour or so, listening to the same 5 test tracks. This quick swapping helped me confirm and validate the findings I had noticed, and the notes I had taken during the longer testing periods.
Overall, it was a very interesting experience, and the main take away for me was that even lower end cables can have big sonic differences between them. Additionally, it's nice to know that solid and enjoyable performance can be had with reasonably priced cables.
Let's get on to the shootout!
First up is the Monoprice Premier XLR, which retails for $11.18 for a 3ft pair.
These have a straightforward feature set, a very "no frills" cable: 16awg stranded copper conductors, 97.5% coverage (braided) shield, and gold plated connectors. The price is certainly right, coming in at the lowest dollar amount per foot!
I found that the Monoprice cables presented a incredibly cohesive wall of sound, with abundant 3d imaging effects. They also offered great soundstage width, that did not make the speakers at all sound "localized". The highs were smooth and not fatiguing, with the bass being slightly "lean" sounding.
The major strength of this cable is definitely it's imaging performance. They provide an expensive "wrap around your head" type sound, very impressive. This makes them perfect for electronic music, or any type of music with complex passages and huge dynamics.
One critique I have with them is that at times they sounded a little unnatural or fake when listening closely to the timbre/tone of an instrument like an acoustic guitar or grand piano.
Overall, the copious amounts of 3d imaging, cohesive and quick sound, and generally pleasurable listening experience really impressed me with these Monoprice XLRs!
Next, we have the Kopul Quad Pro Premier 5000 XLR, which retails for $18.99 for a 3ft pair.
These have a different approach vs the Monoprice, in that they use a quad conductor design and a twisted internal geometry. Their specs are: 24awg oxygen free copper conductors, 99% Tinned-Annealed Copper (TAC) Braid, and Neutrik XX gold connectors. They also specify a nominal impedance of 44 Ohms and a conductor DC Resistance of 0.082 Ohms/ft (Up to 3'/1 m).
While I did not find any huge shortcomings or obvious flaws, the Kopul cables did seem to present a more localized sound, at times sounding a bit "flat". That being said, they had better and fuller low end performance vs the Monoprice. Additionally, they had good realism in general with voices and instruments sounding tonally accurate for the most part.
There isn't one obvious thing that stands out about their performance, but they present an inherently listenable sound, with good musicality and rhythm. I would say the price to performance ratio is still good at under $20 for a .5m pair.
However, they simply don't present as cohesive of an image as the Monoprice, or as many 3d imaging effects - which is disappointing.
Moving right along to the Audioquest Red River, which retails for $149.95 for a .5m/3.2ft pair.
I realize we just jumped WAY up in price with the inclusion of this cable in the shootout, but it's still considered by Audioquest to be an "entry level" offering. I believe it's performance is still relevant in this context, especially since a lot of people might be interested in what a more expensive cable brings to the table. Thanks again to @joecoulson for generously providing this cable to me, otherwise it wouldn't have been a part of this shootout.
Taking a look at the specs is a little tricky as Audioquest doesn't provide conductor gauge or shield material information. I'll just link to their product page, so that you can read for yourself.
The first thing I noticed about the cables was that the there was a difference in overall tone and character. The best way to describe this would be to imagine the "boldness" adjustment in an image editing software, or perhaps on a vintage CRT television. Unrelated to traditional EQing of the sound, this is something beyond that. Lush, rich, and slightly warm characteristics were noticed when listening. There seemed to be more "flesh and blood" versus the other cables. The bass was more prominent and present versus other cables in this roundup.
This made me think, are these AQ cables "coloring" the sound, or are the other cables taking something away? Hard to say for sure, but interesting to think about.
From a realism standpoint, the Red Rivers are easily the winner of this shootout. Sounds such as acoustic guitar, flute, and female voices all sounded tonally accurate.
In terms of soundstage, I feel that they have greater depth at the expense of some width. That being said, the soundstage width is by no means "bad", but it's not quite as good as the Monoprice. Likewise, while they are able to provide 3d imaging effects, they are not as abundant and frequent as the Monoprice cables.
Going into some other unique characteristics, I notice they had extraordinarily good rhythm and musicality, with plenty of foot tapping going on. I realize this is a completely subjective observation, but it is one that I reliably and repeatedly got with the AQ cables, so therefore I feel it's worth the mention.
Also uniquely about the Red Rivers, they seemed to cause a fatiguing sensation to my ears when I first auditioned them, but this went away after subsequent listening sessions and more time in my system. This isn't the first time I've noticed this trait about Audioquest interconnects, but I'm not sure why they seem to be more affected by cable break in versus the other cables in this roundup, which did not seem to present a fatiguing sensation at any point.
Comments
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Lastly, the brings us to the RapcoHorizon SilverHog, which retails for $45 for a .5m pair.
Taking a look at the specs, these feature: 24awg silver-coated conductors, silver-coated, braided shield with 95% coverage, and Neutrik XX connectors with pins that appear to also be silver coated. They claim that "Silver coating helps increase speed of transfer, for lower attenuation and greater clarity than with pure-copper materials". Is there any truth to that? Let's find out!
These cables have a lively and dynamic presentation, with slightly accented highs. There is a noticeable "shimmer" to some of the high frequency information. It seemed as if the soundstage was pushed forward, with somewhat of a "magnifying glass" effect on vocals. I also noticed that it seemed like these cables had a "higher gain", in that I had my volume setting slightly lower than where I had it with the other cables in order to get the same listening level.
There was good depth of sound noticed, as well as good width. Hate to say it, but still not as wide of a presentation as the Monoprice cables. Imaging wise, they are capable of 3d stereo imaging effects, but they're more prominent with specific frequency ranges within the music.
To expand on that, what I mean is that certain elements of the sound like upper midrange, and some low treble information are not localized to the speaker at all. It just sounds like it's coming from the room itself, or directly from the area immediately to the left and right of your ears. This frequency specific 3d imaging sensation is effortless to hear/notice when it happens, and is unique to these SilverHog cables. It creates an expansive and aurally exciting listening experience.
Ultimately as I listened further with these cables connected, I quickly realized that they had drastic issues with realism. Instruments and voices simply sounded very unnatural. I found this poor realism was most prominent and noticeable with well recorded piano jazz. The tone of the piano and the saxophone were not "correct" to me, it just didn't sound real. They have an entirely different tone versus the AQ cables, with different elements within the music being accented and featured.
Again, it does make you wonder "Which cable is taking away, versus which cable is adding/coloring?", but to my ears, the SilverHogs are simply not accurate.
In summary, to my ears, on my system, in my room, I prefer the sound of the Monoprice Premier, followed closely by the Audioquest Red Rivers. Coming in a distant 3rd are the Kopuls, then (despite their crazy frequency-specific 3d imaging effects) in dead last, the SilverHogs.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my experience with some inexpensive entry level XLR cables. I encourage you to experiment with your own Preamp to Amplifier interconnects - especially if you are using XLRs - as there seems to be prominent and profound differences between them, even at the lower end of the price spectrum! -
Based on your descriptions the AQ should have been the clear winner, tone is king. Any cable that presents, "a little unnatural or fake" sonic signature should be ruled out immediately.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Great Review again Drew
Easy to read and understand your findings.
Thank You -
Great review Drew! If I ever get balanced gear, I will almost certainly start off with those monoprice cables to get a baseline idea. Thanks!Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
Any interest in adding additional budget friendly options to this review (provided someone sends you them
) ? I'm curious how Signal Cable and Cullen cable XLR's fit in the schema here.....
Realized I have some Wireworld cables I could send as well.....Post edited by EndersShadow on"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Based on your descriptions the AQ should have been the clear winner, tone is king. Any cable that presents, "a little unnatural or fake" sonic signature should be ruled out immediately.
Well (and FWIW), I concur -- but it should (I'd opine) be borne in mind that de gustibus non est disputandum.
I mean, heck, folks buy RAM pickup trucks*, you know?
____________
* Or KIA SUVs, or "Minis", or Teslas... or whatever makes the analogy 'work' best for one
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Doc. Have you taken your pills today!?
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I just realized I made a mistake when describing the price per length for the AQ, I incorrectly converted .5m - it should be 1.6ft, not 3.2ft.
And the Rapco SilverHog is $37 for a 1ft pair, $39.90 for a 2ft pair. -
Glad you left 'Professional' out of your title this time. Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
EndersShadow wrote: »Any interest in adding additional budget friendly options to this review (provided someone sends you them ) ? I'm curious how Signal Cable and Cullen cable XLR's fit in the schema here.....
Realized I have some Wireworld cables I could send as well.....
Possibly! I'm pretty comfortable now with my testing methods, so I believe I could easily swap in different XLRs in this preamp -> amp position and hear differences.
I actually purchased additional 1m pairs of the Monoprice, Kopul, and Rapco cables, so I can try running them from my CXN V2 to my preamp. It'll be interesting to hear if they impart as much of a sonic character in this part of the signal chain as well. Currently using AQ King Cobra RCAs for that connection.
But yeah let me know, I'd be happy to cover the shipping to send them back to you. -
Based on your descriptions the AQ should have been the clear winner, tone is king. Any cable that presents, "a little unnatural or fake" sonic signature should be ruled out immediately.
Thanks for your feedback and commentary.
Just to help clarify, please notice I used the descriptions "at times" and "a little" when discussing their tonality: "One critique I have with them is that at times they sounded a little unnatural or fake when listening closely to the timbre/tone of an instrument like an acoustic guitar or grand piano."
Meaning it was not always completely evident and noticeable on every recording, like it was with the Rapco cables, nor was it as dramatic. -
Glad you left 'Professional' out of your title this time.
I thought it was well done. Much better than most of the nonsensical garbage feedback we get from some of the members here. -
joecoulson wrote: »Doc. Have you taken your pills today!?
Funny you should mention that! Thanks for the reminder!
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joecoulson wrote: »
I could be wrong, but I think he was referring to the description (exploring professional cables) of the cables? -
AH, well I will back down then I guess....cautiously
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good review! - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Nice work, Drew! I have a question out to Doug about some possible DIY XLRs. If I get them over the goal line, maybe we could do a swap for you to test them as well."This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon -
I can send you the Wireworld s. Right now they are sitting waiting for another project to finish...
Word of warning..... they are friggin long if memory serves lol....."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Hah, how long are they? I was using all super short lengths for my tests, but I don't think length would negatively affect the sound, especially with XLRs, would it? Seems like the only thing it would affect is shipping weight/cost.
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These would be hard to beat for the price of $70.
https://www.musicdirect.com/cables/audioquest-king-cobra-interconnects-05m-xlr-demo -
Hah, how long are they? I was using all super short lengths for my tests, but I don't think length would negatively affect the sound, especially with XLRs, would it? Seems like the only thing it would affect is shipping weight/cost.
They aren't as long as I thought..... 2m Wireworld Oasis 6's..... realized I actually have 4 of them (from 2 separate transactions with Skip lol)....
And Doro's 6ft signal cables that are for sale are also tempting....."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Great comparison @Clipdat .
PM me if you want to try one of the Mogami Neglex/Rean sets I put together. I'd like to see how they stack up in the comparison.2.1: PC>Schiit Gungnir MB>Schiit Freya Noval>NAD C-270>Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1, HSU STF-2 5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0 -
These would be hard to beat for the price of $70.
https://www.musicdirect.com/cables/audioquest-king-cobra-interconnects-05m-xlr-demo
Already tried those and they got returned, check out my original thread. -
joecoulson wrote: »Great Review again Drew
Easy to read and understand your findings.
Thank YouGreat review Drew!good review!Nice work, Drew!
Thanks guys, appreciate it! -
Great review Drew! You certainly have the knack!
I like your approach. Detailed, and the comparison of attributes was consistent. Hard to do, I'm sure, cause music can be so emotional at times.
Now where did I put those AQ XLR's I got from @joecoulson ? Hmmm. Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
Another thing that got me thinking about this review, and others like it, is that there are great pieces of equipment (new) for bargain prices!
Yeah, we'd all like to have a complete MIT Oracle, Shunyata, or TOTL WW's or AQ, etc., in our setup, but as I am constantly reminded, this is a journey.
I love the journey! Incrementally stepping toward audio utopia! What fun!
Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
Well said, Dave. One of the things that I wanted to convey as a result of this review is that there's still good cable performance to be had, even at lower price points. As can be plainly seen by the results of my listening tests, there are clear and dramatic differences in the $100 and under cable options.
This is fantastic for people with a limited cable budget, as they can still try out various brands and get an idea for what flavor works best in their setup. Furthermore, it shows that inexpensive cables can certainly "scale up" to the nicer gear that they are connected to. -
Recently, I've been comparing two different pairs of XLR cables being used between a preamp and amp.
Cable A is $76 for a 1m pair, Cable B is $160 for a 1m pair.
With Cable A, the performance is admirable and nothing is objectionable or offensive about the sound quality.
When I switched to Cable B, bass response was noticeably increased or bolstered.
I confirmed this by switching back to Cable A, bass response was decreased and more lean.
This scenario persisted with two different sets of speakers I tried.
My question(s) to those with more experience than myself is the following:
Is Cable A detracting or "harming" the bass response, or is Cable B artificially accenting it?
Or alternatively, is Cable B letting the bass that was always there come through naturally, whereas Cable A is coloring the bass response and thus making it reduced or lean.
I'm just trying to wrap my head around which cable is actually more accurate in this context. It's something as obvious as bass response changing this noticeably, so I'm just trying to understand what's taking place here.
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If you find the bass of Cable B to sound natural, that is not overpowering or bloated I would have to say that is the better cable.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Nice thread by the way, interesting your takes on what you hear and are learning about all these cables your playing with.Recently, I've been comparing two different pairs of XLR cables being used between a preamp and amp.
Cable A is $76 for a 1m pair, Cable B is $160 for a 1m pair.
With Cable A, the performance is admirable and nothing is objectionable or offensive about the sound quality.
When I switched to Cable B, bass response was noticeably increased or bolstered.
I confirmed this by switching back to Cable A, bass response was decreased and more lean.
This scenario persisted with two different sets of speakers I tried.
My question(s) to those with more experience than myself is the following:
Is Cable A detracting or "harming" the bass response, or is Cable B artificially accenting it?
Or alternatively, is Cable B letting the bass that was always there come through naturally, whereas Cable A is coloring the bass response and thus making it reduced or lean.
I'm just trying to wrap my head around which cable is actually more accurate in this context. It's something as obvious as bass response changing this noticeably, so I'm just trying to understand what's taking place here.
A cable should pass along the signal without taking anything away. It should also not pick up anything on the way. What I mean is EMI or RF interference. A cable can easily become an antenna and pick up stray signals in the air and play them as sound. Amps don't care speakers don't care what they play so they just play what comes to them.
When you listen to 2 different cables and one sound different then the other like in your case the bass seems increased in one and more of a flat response in the other it's amazingly hard to know without having a reference cable that does everything right to know which one of these cables are coloring the sound.
If you put the Audioquest cable in your system and compare cable A and B vs it that could be your reference base line to see how the other 2 cables differ. Why I say use the Audioquest cable is they go for a flat response. Their goal with all their cable is to pass along the signal as pure as possible within the limitations of materials used at a given level. Entry level to Reference levels they all tend to try to achieve this goal.
Now given this is a hobby and most especially on this forum enjoy colored cables. Many use them to EQ their system to their taste. I use to be one of these people until I really learned about cables and decided that I don't want my cables to EQ my system or give it flavor if you will. This is a personal decision I made many years ago. Nothing wrong either way as we all have our preferences.
I'm not clear on your goals as I can assume your looking for the most accurate cable as exploring this path will teach you many things. Sure you can come in here and listen to others but the only true way to learn about cables is exactly what you are doing. What's amazingly frustrating is the wild differences in opinions and smeared facts on what cables do and don't. So you're basically on your own to determine what you want in your system.
I have worked in this industry for over 20 years and you would not believe the amount of different opinions on this very topic and what you are doing. BUT one nice thing about being in this industry is I have been blessed in the ability to meet hang out with the top engineers in this field and really learn about how they feel about all this madness. It really helped me form my opinion.
Harming the Bass as you put it is an opinion my friend. Remember when a cable is TUNED or EQ'd the intent of the brand is after a certain sound. Technically the ONLY thing a cable can do is TAKE AWAY signal they have NO ability to ADD to the sound. The signal passing through it can only lose frequencies not improve them. The goal with a cable is to preserve it and try it's best to get that signal where it's going.
The challenge for everyone is to figure out what cable is doing it right or to you your right and what cables doesn't work correctly. Without being an engineer and having test equipment to measure the signal coming out of the source and then measuring it at the end of it's path to see if it's been changed in any way will really be the ONLY way to know IF a cable is doing it's job correctly. Now remember correctly is very subjective as the person listening to these cables despite if it's correct or not will judge that cable based on what they want to hear and disregard the measurements. Again nothing wrong with that this is a hobby and it is not written that we all must have accurate cables or you have poor quality cables. All cables made do their job as intended. Some just do it right and others color the sound to taste. Why do you think there are so many different speakers on the market that can play the same exact sound but sound incredibly different? Which one is right and which one is wrong? Again that really depends on the person judging them.
Thanks for your efforts man.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
