The Good vs. Bad cable debate rages on...

inspiredsports

xcapri79 wrote: »

Let's assume there is an improvement, everything costs money and there is a tradeoff in performance per dollar spent. Let's put everything into perspective.

As a percentage of the system cost, for a typical main room audio home system what % of total system is reasonable?
Is there a difference in percentage between low, medium and high-end systems?

1. Source Equipment (SACD, CD, DVD-A, Tape, Turntable, Tuner) %?

2. Pre-Amp/Receiver/Amp %?

3. Speakers/Subwoofers %?

4. Power Conditioner/Bar %?

5. Equipment and Speaker Interconnects %?

You've posed a question that can't be answered the way you want it to be answered.

The very definition of synergy allows that any one of your variables can ultimately make 100% of the difference in reaching it.

messiah

Ok, so we go through this every month or so, right? I think people should be able to pass a hearing test to even be able to comment on it lol!! I use my girlfriends unbiased help to help me in figuring out what cables sound best in my system. She understands good sound, but doesnt pay for any of it, and doesn't care what I pay for it, so when I ask her for her opinion, she is honest. Cables make a difference, all of them.

steveinaz

Actually I have significant hearing loss in my left ear, yet can hear differences not only on RCA analog cables, but digital as well. Don't ask me to explain "how" as I have no idea.

No need to win anybody over on this topic, it's your dime, and your system--do what you want.

superjunior

I followed danz advise and just picked up a set of mit terminator 3s for 125$
seems like a small investement for any type of improvement in sound quality

Rivrrat

steveinaz wrote: »

Actually I have significant hearing loss in my left ear, yet can hear differences not only on RCA analog cables, but digital as well. Don't ask me to explain "how" as I have no idea.

No need to win anybody over on this topic, it's your dime, and your system--do what you want.

Yup to all of the above including the hearing loss in my left ear (yrs of driving trucks)

When I showed up here I already knew about speaker wire, thanks to the shop where I bought my first Polks, but not so much on IC's and digital cables.

I've tried out enough IC's now to know, and I'm thinking I need to try running my Oppo with a coax to see if I can hear a difference between optical and electrical digital.

sTiLlLeArNiNg

Rivrrat wrote: »

I've tried out enough IC's now to know, and I'm thinking I need to try running my Oppo with a coax to see if I can hear a difference between optical and electrical digital.

I would assume the optical to be better

steveinaz

IME, optical gives you a dead quiet background, but treble can sound a little rolled-off and an overall very neutral, almost sterile presentation. I liked the little extra spice that coaxial has in my system. Toslink is great when you have a source with a ground problem, noisey, or mediocre analog output. I run my Direct TV HD receiver via Toslink for these reasons. My BluRay and CD transport are run via 75 ohm coaxial.

Rivrrat

I run my Dtv HD reciever on optical too, right now my dvd (Oppo 981) is on optical, and that's what I'm going to play with.

My cd is on analog IC's, because I just like the sound of a digital cable on that player.

vc69

Rivrrat wrote: »

I run my Dtv HD reciever on optical too, right now my dvd (Oppo 981) is on optical, and that's what I'm going to play with.

My cd is on analog IC's, because I just like the sound of a digital cable on that player.

Errr... what?


I find toslink to work best when a ground isolation is desirable. Otherwise, I prefer digital coax. I have no scientific basis for this, just my ears.

heiney9

kawizx9r wrote: »

When I had the aric audio, rolled through baldwin and some mullard 12au7's on it. Got rid of that and got the import tubed pre in my sig and have already bought some philips in place of the 12ax7's and rca clear top side getters for the 12au7 slots. Rectifier tube is a cheap chinese tube, not sure if it'd make a difference replacing that or not.

In my experience a rectifier can make or break a tubed pre-amp. I've tried several in my pre and finally settled on a couple I like.

HUGE difference. More than anyone would think.

H9

Rivrrat

vc69 wrote: »

Errr... what?


I find toslink to work best when a ground isolation is desirable. Otherwise, I prefer digital coax. I have no scientific basis for this, just my ears.

Err what? Yeah, oooops...I meant to say DON'T like the sound:p

A digital cable on that piece of eq sounds like fingernails on a chalk board :rolleyes:

sucks2beme

On another forum they had a whole argument on why tubed gear couldn't
possibly sound good as solid state. Most of the tube bashers had never owned any glass.
I now tune out about 90% of the people out there.
Why should I have to run all these lab experiments to see what sounds good?
Hell, even if it's my imagination, it makes me happy. And no, the expensive stuff doesn't
always sound best. I spent a week with a Halcro preamp. Boy, am I glad
I could get my money back on that deal.
This is a useless argument with no beginning or end.
Less filling, great taste, Less filling, great taste.

madmax

hearingimpared wrote: »

Yes I do Chuck. Scroll up to post #99.

So you do. I swear I looked at the time because I was wondering what you had and couldn't find it. Who knows what I was looking at.

concealer404

So i've wasted my money.... that what you're attempting to convey?

This is exactly why i stay away from audioholics. Because it's inhabited by morons who insist on trying to brainwash the people who DO hear a difference. Ridiculous.

madmax

The room itself is probably 40% to 55% of your overall sound depending on the speakers used yet none of us spend much on it. Its just not that exciting.

concealer404

Neither of those are in line with my opinion. My opinion is to not worry about percentages in terms of money. At any time. Worry about what sounds good to your ears.

treitz3

xcapri79 wrote: »

That was a good example of synergy.

You have much to learn. That also explains a lot.

concealer404

xcapri79 wrote: »

Yes, there is a big difference in the sound between my larger main room with its cathedral ceiling/tile floor and the master bedroom even though the principal components are the same or close to the same.
I found a significant difference with the sound from the subwoofers.

I found for example that using 4 LSi15's with one in each corner of the master bedroom system really amplified the bass response to my listening position. That was a good example of synergy.

That's not really synergy as much as it is a lesson in basic acoustics...

treitz3

You are welcome and I'm not joking.

everpress

And this still goes on?!
Seriously?

I think whoever said "A lot of the "can nots" here are from those who "have not"." is pretty close to the truth.

I can't comment on the differences between the big boy expensive cables and my own because I can't afford the big boys. And if I went to someone's pad that could, their gear so far out shines mine that I don't think the cables would be the determining factor in the sound differences.

That said, I know that any POS boom box I ever had as a kid was sporting 20 gage wire, and I feel my speakers now are at least worth 14 gage.

Face

Multichannel Music=Cacophony of Sound.

megasat16

Face wrote: »

Multichannel Music=Cacophony of Sound.

LOL:D Are you talking to me? $hit! You must be talking about me.

megasat16

xcapri79 wrote: »

The earth is still flat right? Well the Beatles in mono is pretty good, I'll grant you that!

Sorry but I don't think he meant mono or stereo! 5.1 or 7.1 is Multi-Channel.

I wouldn't paddle the sinking boat. It just sink deeper a lot faster!

concealer404

I think he was more referring to running four lsi-15s, once in each corner.... i can only imagine how terrible that must have sounded, to be honest.

treitz3

xcapri79 wrote: »

Using basic acoustics is part of system synergy. Synergy is about using each component in an optimal manner to maximize the end result.

FAIL, again.

The best thing to do is learn the one thing others have mastered. Not preach to the choir what you do not one damn thing about.

treitz3

You got it right.

Lord Vader

xcapri79 wrote: »

The missing word is "know" Yoda.

I KNOW Yoda personally, and he is most displeased with your apparent lack of intelligence.

concealer404

xcapri79 wrote: »

Sounds awesome for me. But then again Yoda says I need to have my hearing checked.
I enjoy the sound of my LSi25's and LSi15's over other speakers I've listened to so I must have some reasonable hearing.

Didn't someone say, "let your ears be the judge"? Maybe that was in Audioholics or AVSforum?

I'm sure it sounds good for a party... but again, that's just my opinion. Being that most recordings will be reproduced in a traditional 2-channel left/right format.... just picture what you're doing to it. When i'm at a live performance, i'm usually not in between two identical groups, one in front of me, and one behind me.

If you like it, that's great. I wouldn't dream of doing it.

Face

lord vader wrote: »

i know yoda personally, and he is most displeased with your apparent lack of intelligence.

lol!

Lord Vader

xcapri79 wrote: »

Too bad Vader, it was checkmate.

I don't play Chess... I prefer duels, and my lightsabre... I will DESTROY you!