The myths of speakers

Home Theatre

Do cables really make a difference?
Do speakers really sound better after a warming up period?

janmike

According to my ears, YES. My amp gets better after it has warmed up for a while (20 - 30 min).

mmcgehee

Cables can indeed make a difference.

janmike

Here's the deal. Don't listen to other people, check it out for yourself. This is an EXTREMELY controversial topic and "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" if you catch my drift. I personally beleive that with the proper gear (amp, speakers processor...) cable can make a difference. This post will go on and on and there is only one to check it out - Buy, borrow, beg some cables and find out for yourself. I have only spend modest amounts on IC's and speaker cables (maybe $1000) and it made all the world of difference in my system. Good Luck.

Beekyman

Yes on both accounts!
All things operate better after a warm-up or break-in period...even humans!
When I first got into this hobby, I personally thought that wire is wire and you were crazy to spend extra for some fancy packaged wires or interconnects.
After a little bit of experimentation I found out for myself that good sounding wires and ICs and gear need not be expensive but they do need to to perform to your specs! What sounds awesome to me may be totally flat and lifeless to you! Have fun with experimentation and dont be afraid to try brands that others may disregard...you and your wallet may be pleased in the end!

Early B.

Yes to both, but the improvements much more discernable on good gear.

heiney9

Affirmative. Could you be more specific and tell us why you ask? This has been discussed ad-nauseum on this and every other audio board. If you are truely looking for an answer to your query then use the SEARCH function. You could read the posts for days, there are that many.

H9

Frank Z

The only correct answer is.....

Can YOUR ears hear an improvement?

audiobliss

Ha, this is a much better 'start a fight' thread. LOL

janmike

Frank Z wrote:

The only correct answer is.....

Can YOUR ears hear an improvement?

Dead on the money!

Toxis

if you A-B two different speaker wires and don't hear a difference, there's a problem elsewhere IMO. Speakers need to break in, not warm up. Equipment warms up.

gregure

I agree that hearing is believing, but I would find it hard to believe if a person didn't hear the difference.

It's all a simple matter of physics, undisputable physics at that.

A source signal can be no better, ever, that the signal itself. Unfortunately, the signal the speaker gets is never as good as what is initially sent out. A better speaker cable can only seek to minimize distortion and degradation of the signal from source to speaker. The better the signal is conducted and shielded, the better it will sound on the speaker end. Better speakers and better amps will help make this difference more apparent, but you should hear a difference of some kind on any level.

Likewise for the speaker break-in period. The drivers have been constructed and placed within the speaker cabinet, but they haven't had time to settle and stretch. Once a speaker has been played for many hours, the drivers reach their maximum extension, and thus sound a bit clearer, bass a bit deeper, etc.

Hope that takes some of the mystery out of the myth for you.

tonyb

audiobliss wrote:

Ha, this is a much better 'start a fight' thread. LOL

We have had this fight sooo many times.:)
.

johnADA

Anything that moves, gets moved needs a break in period. Things need to seat, settle and so fourth.

Cables make a difference???, depends. Gauge size and shielding/ insulation, yes, but nothing else.
What makes good and bad???? Weak minds!!!!

Copper wire is only produced by a limited number of manufacturers worldwide. If its made in the US, Europe and Japan, its made with the newest method, its good wire. If its 3rd world then pockets of oxygen can be in it and make it bad wire.

Going super think in insulation/shielding does nothing. Too thin can introduce breaks easier.

If it uses a NAME, it still uses the same wire, from the same manufacturer, just boughten in low quantities and low quantities cost much more than large. If you bought 100 pounds of copper wire at 12 gauge, you have trucking costs and other costs involved in the price per foot. If you bought 10,000 pounds of the same copper wire, those costs added are spread out further within the weight and the larger commodity on the manufacturing end also does the same thing!!!

Same wire, same type of shielding and insulaton within reason will have the same performance. Selling small quantities under a AUDIO/VIDEO PHILE NAME just costs more, gives weak minded peace of mind only!!!

SCompRacer

johnADA wrote:

Gauge size and shielding/ insulation, yes, but nothing else.
What makes good and bad???? Weak minds!!!!

LOL

What would a strong minded person that speaks in absolutes have to say about cables with passive networks?

shack

Yawn..........

RuSsMaN

I wonder if there is some weird pattern to it shack, the lunar cycle? Potted meat on sale at the local grocer?

SCompRacer

Full moon on the 4th. I can post one right now, but it could get me banned.

johnADA

SCompRacer wrote:

LOL

What would a strong minded person that speaks in absolutes have to say about cables with passive networks?

Your talking between changing the cores to create a wanted outcome.

Were talking a generality that says if 2 things are made the same design way, same materials, it'll perform the same. This applies to your passive network also.
Names associated with being Audio/Video phile and costing ten times more wont change its performance!!!

SCompRacer

OK. Thanks for the explanation.

RuSsMaN

Yeah, thank goodness John is here to enlighten us all.

audiobliss

Aren't you supposed to be dropping something off at a local UPS drop-off?

SCompRacer

audiobliss wrote:

Aren't you supposed to be dropping something off at a local UPS drop-off?

No nagging! He could be off today.

johnADA

RuSsMaN wrote:

Yeah, thank goodness John is here to enlighten us all.

Somebody has too!!!!!

If I went by all the crap I see posted on Audio Video forums of how this is soo much better than that and anything along the likes, really dug it, believed it was all so factual,I wouldnt own Polk Speakers, because according to those terms implied by such, there nothing but junk!!!

holtzd

Here is a link to an article on Blue Jeans Cable's Web site named "Does Wire Matter?" that is very strait forward.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/doeswirematter.htm

They have several other articles related to cables that are interesting as well.

audiobliss

RuSsMaN wrote:

Yeah, thank goodness John is here to enlighten us all.

Nice edit, too.

F1nut

johnADA wrote:

Were talking a generality that says if 2 things are made the same design way, same materials, it'll perform the same. This applies to your passive network also.

That's one of many mistakes you're making. They're not all the same!

johnADA wrote:

Names associated with being Audio/Video phile and costing ten times more wont change its performance!!!

And this you know because you've tried them all, right!?! :rolleyes:

johnADA

I dont need to try them to know that its snake oil, nor waste the money on them.

Once you get to a certain level of core properties, insulation and shielding you merely just start to begin to pay for things like NAMES.

You seem to think there are hoards of manufacturers making these cables which is just not even close to the truth. There are few cable makers with hoards of assemblers, and sellers which brand them as their own.

Blue Jeans which was mentioned is a good example. No where but on their website does it mention who's cable they use. You dont see it on the cable itself, just its type along with shielding info and such. I got there cables because it more than met the basic construction of such cables and the main reason was custom lengths. I dont want 6 foot of cable where 3 1/2 does it right, so I got 3 1/2 foot ones and paid more than I should have, but your fancy dancy Audio/Video phile cables of the same construction carrying $100+ amounts arent gonna make it any better!!
There is a point where cables wont add, cost cannot be justified, but yet those whom bought them will stand behind to to make peace with themselves justifying the cost.

I like what I once saw posted and the guy was getting hammered like I am. You stick one high end costed, name branded, piece of cable, between what that company and or you consider as substandard, and honestly say it improved it. Yeah OK!!!

shack

RuSsMaN wrote:

I wonder if there is some weird pattern to it shack, the lunar cycle? Potted meat on sale at the local grocer?

I'm guessing sunspots....given the high density of the magnetic fields and such.

RuSsMaN wrote:

Yeah, thank goodness John is here to enlighten us all.

Amen to that. And just in time too.

F1nut

johnADA wrote:

I dont need to try them to know that its snake oil, nor waste the money on them.

Thanks for proving you don't have a leg to stand on.



Your thought for the day: Mediocrity.

RuSsMaN

Hey Jesse, if they are happy in it, let them soak!

John, best of luck on your crusade - save us from ourselves and good sound.