Don’t buy expensive cables!

[@D1N02]

I only use really old cables because they are very experienced with all kinds of music so they can handle it better.

[@angelvip2474]

😂😂

[@azariahdenver3450]

i dont mean to be so offtopic but does someone know of a tool to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot the password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me.

[@D1N02]

@@azariahdenver3450 you can always reset your password. Just click the forgot password link.

[@azariahdenver3450]

@Louie Barrett i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process now. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@azariahdenver3450]

@Louie Barrett it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thank you so much, you really help me out :D

[@MatijaVabec]

it's too subtle to hear the difference on a cheap system or just bad system.. deal with speakers, position, room.. first things first..then try more subtle things like cables. that's my logic

[@zulumax1]

@Richard Lawton Boy! You left yourself open on that comment. To what degree are you fussy about cables? Some are happy with hardware store 18 gauge lamp cord, but then you can go up from there. Interconnects require good RCA ends, solder type, raw wire type and a knowledge of what effects what, capacitance, shielding, dielectric properties etc... You can make poor quality or you can make good. Just like we built our own speakers back 40 years ago, sometimes good sometimes bad.

[@zulumax1]

@Frank Winkhorst Copper? don't you know you need Uridium, Platinum or Unobtainium?

[@patricj951]

Matija: I think you are right here.

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

it's logical but not true.in a cheap system you get crappy cables so upgrading them will help to solve problems and noise issues. upgrading a cable is usually cheaper than upgrading a component , it can solve some problems and it's very easy to do . you have to face your biggest problem considering budget as well.

[@dell177]

I think a great cable can make a difference on a really good system but I'm not convinced you have to go to the $1k price point to get 80+% of that difference. The cables that come in the box are really the cheapest things you can but,a well made cable does not have to cost a fortune. Try the entry level cables and see if you hear a difference, if you do maybe it's worth listening to a more expensive one - just make sure you can return it if it doesn't pan out.

[@jacksonredstone9530]

As an electronics engineering student, I can tell you there are simple formulas and many articles which can give you a ball-park idea of the importance of certain cables. the 2 enemies here are noise, which comes from energy around the cables, and resistance, which comes from the cable itself. things like reactance are insignificant because of the nature of a moderate length piece of wire. Speaker wire is not sensitive to noise, and just needs to have a very low resistance. line level signals such as the ones through RCA cables are more sensitive to noise and sometimes benefit from shielding, but it isn't usually a problem unless your near something like a circuit breaker or a stove. a longer signal cable is more likely to have noticeable amounts of noise. digital/data cables such as one used for a USB DAC are not sensitive to either of these, as the logic circuits inside correct small voltage differences. there is no excuse to invest in a luxury version as long as your bandwidth and durability requirements are met. I saw an audiophile recommend a 400$ silver usb cable and it really made me mad.

[@NathanComstockFuzzyWuzzy]

EE grad here, oh hi friend! I second what you're saying, and have three more things to contribute from a decade working in pro sound. Balanced (XLR) analog signal cables and optical digital signal cables do an excellent job of shielding noise pre-amplifier, if you have equipment that supports these cable types then use them! And with respect to speaker wire, resistance change from temperature increase is an actual challenge that I have heard happen in systems, especially low resistance and high power drivers (ie JL subs). In addition to selecting low resistance cable, you should also choose large enough gauge cable that will be thermally stable at the load you are trying to drive. And lastly, ground your equipment properly, and route your power cables away from your signal cables! Makes a big difference to the noise floor!

[@Roosville1]

I'll add to the speaker cable, yep pretty much I agree with you, but if you look at a FM dipole antenna, and then at your speaker cable (this supposes a single amp centred between two speakers) you will see that the speaker cable does look a lot like your FM dipole construction. So the take home is that speaker leads can act like a dipole antenna and pick up RF. Your speakers will be immune to this as the frequency is too high and the amplitude to low. BUT at the other end is your amplifiers negative feedback point. It can then produce IMD (inter modulation distortion) within the amplifier which will drive the speaker.. Now is this enough for you to hear, very very doubtful, unless you live close to a long wave transmitter, but it is measurable, and exists, so it trumps 90% of the pseudo-science given as tech info I read.

[@johnnemesh5459]

Get a job for a few years designing audio gear, then I will trust your opinion. You have absolutely NO IDEA what you are talking about here. You can read quite a few books on the subject, if you look. And yes, digital cables and digital audio signals ARE subject to noise and cables for digital signals DO make a significant difference in sound quality.

[@jeromemeyers7079]

@@NathanComstockFuzzyWuzzy Last night I was listening to some music on my new system and I heard a lot of noise when I turned the volume up on a particular track. My power cable was basically wrapping around and touching both my speaker cables and my rca cable. I organized that mess and listened again and the noise was significantly less at the same volume level. I didn't even disconnect any connections - just sorted cords and descended the power cord directly to the floor while letting the other cords stay well away.

[@matthewxracer]

@@johnnemesh5459 people like you will believe anything if it’s sold to them good enough. If you’re worried about interference just move signal cables away from ac cords. That’s a free fix.

[@daviduribe3111]

AMEN, Steve! I assembled a $10K audio system during the 1970s, and bought my speaker cables at the local hardware store.

[@tpr299]

I always wonder how hard the owners of the expensive cable companies are laughing.

[@stanstanly3812]

I worked for a major aerospace company where I built thousands of cables and terminated millions of wire ends! Standard made in China RCA cables are fine for just about everything. For those with high end products - go with a cable that's been hand terminated, has excellent EMI characteristics (well shielded) and is made from quality material.

[@justins.1283]

I'm 40 plus years of dealing with home car and commercial audio I found that as long as it's a quality wire and you use the proper gauge for the length and power for speakers and well shielded interconnects they don't have to be expensive

[@Dankzzz]

Yeah, but what is expensive is a relative question..

[@robertkat]

Please expain to us "Shielded Interconnects!" What are your qualifications?

[@zulumax1]

@@robertkat RCA cables patented by RCA in 1948. One signal wire and one return/shielded wire.

[@zulumax1]

@@robertkat Balanced cables which have two signal wires which are out of phase with each other and a braided or foil Faraday shield to capture electromagnetic noise and convert it to electricity and carry it away to earth ground or a large metal object like a car frame or chassis.

[@NavinBetamax]

@@robertkat .....I got to ask Captain America......?!

[@firebladeclements]

My experience with interconnects over the last 2 months, please read on if your so inclined. My rig is worth about 10 grand and had never used anything other then stock cables. A year ago I purchased used audioquest evergreen cables (their lowest priced cables). They did improve everything across the board some, to a point where I was happy with them. A couple bucks well spent. That being coax, rca, and optic cables. After hearing debates and such and with a fairly resolving system, it appeared that perhaps the bottleneck in my system could be cables, one never knows until you try! On the used market I bought 3 coax cables- cardas, silnote, and mit for between streamer and dac.All running around 200 bucks each. Also bought 3 sets of rca cables, running between dac and intergrated amp. Cardas, silnote, and audioquest. All running around 300 bucks. Would I notice much difference? Ohhh ya is all I can say! Huge! Glad I took the plunge. Mixing and matching these cables goes from small (between speakers) soundstage to room filling soundstage. Tight well damped to sloppy over the top. Artificial stringent to turntable analog smoothness. The set I preferred together came to 400 bucks with an analogish, huge soundstage, forward (almost horn like) presentation. Very musical! My system is nothing special, a Naim supernait 2, smsl m400 dac, a node 2i, and b & w dm3000's (36 year old 90 pounders) for reference. Naim naca 5 speaker cables also. Moral if any, walk the walk yourself as it's the only way to realistically know. Interestingly enough the most expensive cables of the bunch (the cardas) were least satisfying in the rig. Between the speaker soundstage, crystal clear without much energy. I could see how with other equipment they would be killer, just not mine. Oh and I have some used cables for sale, gently used and looking for a new home where they will match up perfectly through someone else's system and ears. Damn that was too long!

[@uselessoldman7964]

yip its not about the brand label nor the price its about the listener their sound system and what cable suit their taste in music best.

[@cnhhnc]

I think a number of people below have it right. On real world systems, you won't hear much if any difference. On higher end gear, on more resolving gear, maybe. I'm an academic by profession and our engineers and hard scientists just smile when such questions come up and they have millions of dollars of testing equipment and a lifetime's worth of knowledge on material analysis. The Placebo effect in medicine is REAL, it works, why should it not also work elsewhere? As for me? Yes, I've tried a number of speaker cables and, this IS important, what sounded like a difference the first day or two did NOT hold over a longer exposure. In the end, there was little if any difference. Now, I should add, most of my gear is vintage/used so not in the Hi End pool. Can't speak to that sector. Maybe in the adult area of the pool things are different. But the subjectivity there is legendary almost religious in nature. If you want to DOUBT your sound just listen to it several days in a row. You will start to wonder?

[@210195111]

Well said sir .

[@BVcello]

Exactly my own experience. Best comment I've read in years....

[@sidvicious3129]

Or maybe you won’t wonder and just enjoy what you are hearing for a lifetime.

[@zulumax1]

Thank you for typing the response for me, my feelings exactly, except I am just a blue collar technician. More blind testing our emotion, brain, and ears lie to us.

[@JonnyEBow]

Could it be that changing interconnects means breaking the presumably inevitable corrosion between the old connectors and providing a nice clean path for a few days?

[@joshpeters7392]

Steve, the reason the controversy is out of control is because one camp insists there is a difference, and the other doesn't. Either there is a value to it, or people are being ripped off. This is a hobby where technical, objective details are measured, tested and published. The trouble is, we are often told of subjective details that are also published, that one camp claims isn't measurable, but still audible. And the other camp claims it isn't audible at all. So, here is a simple test. Have some audiophiles for a day over to your place. Get 1 super cheap, 1 middle range, and one blisteringly expensive set of interconnects. One person can swap out the cable while the "test subjects" are blindfolded. Take turns. Record the experience. And let us know what happens. NO! This isn't a perfect ABX test. But, its better than anything we have so far from anyone that says they can hear a difference between cables. (That isn't done in a companies show room where they inherently have a bias in the way they want it to work.) But you haven't, Zero Fidelity, who claims he can hear distinct differences across 9 different interconnects that are obvious, hasn't done this. New Record Day hasn't done this. But if the differences are so obvious, why can't anyone produce a video, proving this either way, once and for all? Finally, what is the value proposition in this? I can certainly see some merit going with well made cables that cost between $30 to $100. But how MUCH better is a $1,000 cable? If you guys can record a test session where all listeners say the difference is drastic, and all test subjects can hear the difference and identify each interconnect, then it might be something worthwhile. On the other hand, if the differences are so subtle, or even non-existent, then what's the point of something more expensive? Just my thoughts... I truly hope that some reviewer out there will do this someday. Either way, I enjoy your videos and wish you the best.

[@esquiremoderator32]

Here is a blind test (technically single blind, but good enough because a true double blind doesn't make much sense in this scenario - somebody needs to change the cables, after all) of dozens of people who were able to tell the differences in cable. www.stereophile.com/content/minnesota-audio-society-conducts-cable-comparison-tests-0 Cables were put head to head and "The win loss records represent a clear ranking in that no cable defeated a cable ranked higher than itself." That isn't luck, or coincidence, people. You can clearly hear the difference between cables. I've heard the difference in my system and I find that people who swear they don't haven't done it or don't want to accept that either their system or their ears are not accurate as others. The oscilloscope tests are laughable. Most importantly, they can't hear and test only one variable in a format with dozens of variables. When thousands of people experience a phenomenon and your test cannot produce the phenomenon, then the problem is the test, not thousands of strangers who have no interest in wasting their money. No industry has existed for 50+ years that is total BS, it is silly to think this one has. Of course there are some products out there that have worthless features. That exists with anything and smart shoppers buy the good stuff and the BS dies off.

[@esquiremoderator32]

@My Name [Video debunking null test linked below] Did you watch the video? You didn't, because he says that there are many differences between wires, but claims that humans can't perceive some of those differences. He has no medical training, nor has he tested those factors. He admits it matters a lot which wire is used in a phono cartridge, so he admits that you can hear the difference between wires. He said he used "good wire" in his Null testing machine and admits that certain standards must be met - that are NOT met by all wires on the market - so he says it DOES matter which wire you buy. Also, if a wire cannot effect sound, antennas wouldn't work, Yet they do and sound can be altered by altering an antenna. Your listening room is full of radio signals (especially now that everyone has wifi and bluetooth) of course different wires will pick up those signals differently, or not at all. Point is, he left a ton of wiggle room and didn't conclude what you say he concluded. On top of all this, the video is a commercial for his products, so he has a monetary interest in this, which means he has the same bias as the people who sell cable. EDIT: Someone already made a video debunking the null test: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWG9gnuKr76pb6s

[@scottwallace1]

With respect, here’s one reality of blind testing. You can make incremental changes to a system and people will swear the difference is either negligible or nonexistent. But...if you compare the last of many steps and immediately compare to step 1? Minds blown. Point being? Blind tests are not the be all end all proof of concept they’re sometimes made out to be. And those things that at first seem subtle???...that’s often what you miss when you don’t have it. The threshold where that is meaningful to someone can certainly be different.

[@joshpeters7392]

​@@esquiremoderator32 - did you read this study? Because after making wildly inaccurate interpretations of the data, it directly states at the bottom that "it is not possible to demonstrate that one set of cables was found to be superior to any others in an objective sense." Furthermore, the analysis of the data is laughable. When directly comparing a $3 to one costing $1,200, 59% of people either preferred the CHEAP cable, or they could not hear a difference between them. In the second test, 52% of people preferred the cheap cable to the one costing $1,200, or could not hear a difference. The "win / loss" record is also laughable because the author ignores no preference. When that's actually taken into consideration, the cheapest cable wins 3 out of 4 times. And finally, while I appreciate these guys trying to test the cables, why did 37% of people in attendance decide to NOT turn in their voting sheet? When more than 1/3 of your test subjects don't complete the test, you have to answer for that which the author does not. Did they not hear a difference? Did they not want to be the guy who saw the emperor without clothes? I'll go back to my original question.... While I appreciate Steve not trying to convince me of cables, can a single reviewer out there just do a simple A/B test with some people, record it, and see if 5, 10 people or so can really hear the difference? With many reviewers saying that the differences are dramatic, it shouldn't be that hard!

[@esquiremoderator32]

@@joshpeters7392 It's a simple test - SO DO IT! Whatever is posted you'll find something wrong and insist that somebody else must do it all over again for you. This as simple as going to a friend's house or a store, but you expect a documented scientific test put on your lap? You wont get anywhere insisting that the internet perform a test. If you don't like the conclusion of the 5, 10 people, you'll insist they were "in on it and told what to say". This is a ridiculous demand.

[@Mean_MrMustard]

I don't use the cables in the box. I upgrade them, but lets be reasonable. Blue Jean cables or Belden interconnects, and Canare/Mogami speaker cables. Done.

[@Gary_M]

Mr. V Yes, he always goes for the straw man of "use free cables", "use some cables you found in the gutter", etc. Like the only choices are that or $10,000 cables. He doth protest too much, methinks.

[@Adriana21709]

He is making a point that people make too big of a deal about cables. The one side that thinks $10K cables are ridiculous are vicious towards people who don’t believe this and vice versa. The point is if you think $10K cables are pointless fine if you think they make a difference fine. People get into vicious arguments about the subject and it is quite frankly stupid to do so.

[@cuttinchops]

I agree! I use only scrap belden or canre cable and reused neutrik interconnects from a tv station...sounds great! Come to think of it, lots of recording studios use the same stuff. “True to source” lol

[@randyjones180]

Was reading some comments on an expensive cable review yesterday. One comment was I bought these high $$ cables and after about 150 hours of "Burn in" they really sounded Great. I had to smile......

[@tomahack1]

Audiophiles are super humans with the power of super hearing but like all super heroes, they have one weakness..their super hearing goes away the moment their vision is blocked

[@Paxmax]

*cough cough coat hanger cough interconnect*

[@scientificaudiophile]

You are right about audiophiles having super human hearing. Blocking vision actually increases hearing capabilities.

[@googoo-gjoob]

i employ a full complement of *CARDAS Cables.* their Clear line for most. Clear Beyond XL for power cables. over a dozen individual A/B tests w/friends. _every one_ of them stunned by the difference. i fully agree. BUY CHEAP CABLES...... unless you want the most out of your system.

[@brianruhl7761]

Love the video I find your presentation amusing. Don't call each other names but the issue of the day is cables. Lol. Awesome.

[@chrisbarnhart7944]

i didnt hear a word.. i just sat back , did a doobie and jumped right into that shirt.. WHOAAA i met and talked to thomas edison , convinced him that yes, cables did matter, even proved it by hooking up some APhile cables to his new invention, the phonograph.. BLEW his mind. He loved our new "legal" herb by the way also.. all in all a PHENOMENAL day! I owe it ALL to Steves shirt..... now to do a little tune up and i am ready for the race track for round TWO of steves shirt...... I will have to get me one of those... :) Love ya Steve....

[@a.s.2426]

Well, not very funny, but okay.

[@chrispendergast7792]

Quality terminations on the cables and materials used in them are what’s most important to me

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

Check out DH Labs air matrix interconnects with locking RCA terminations.

[@thepracticalaudiophile]

I heard from many people that said if the copper wire is over 99.9% pure, the measurement differences become obsolete.

[@hoygising1]

What I noticed over the years was the balance interconnect is better than the rca interconnect.

[@rodster44]

I've never been able to hear a difference between quality budget cables and high-end cables. But I appreciate good quality equipment. Sturdy connectors, good parts, nice aesthetics. I really like components with super sturdy RCA connectors. You don't need to spend much money to get quality cables.

[@kx8960]

Because there IS no measurable difference, let alone one audible to humans.

[@jonaskromwell4464]

I've had thin cables allow interference into the audio signal. I upgraded, not to the most expensive, but to something with thicker gague and better insulation. It helped significantly.

[@NeverTalkToCops1]

No. You have no data.

[@jonaskromwell4464]

@@NeverTalkToCops1 Yes, I have data, just not something you want to hear. The thinner gauge caused distortion. The thicker gauge did not. Not a lot of complex analysis needed.

[@MrsZambezi]

@@jonaskromwell4464 Cables don't cause distortion.

[@jonaskromwell4464]

@@MrsZambezi Wrong. They "cause" it because they're not well insulated enough. They pick it up. Argue all you want about it. It made all the difference to get larger gauge with better insulation.

[@MrsZambezi]

@@jonaskromwell4464 Absolute nonsense.

[@mpitogo]

Agree with your sarcasm. I have bought expensive cables but didn't hear a difference. Balanced XLR AQ Mackenzie $180pr vs standard black XLR$24 from amazon couldn't tell a difference connecting a McIntosh C47 to an MC452. Maybe the AQ wasn't exotic enough and should be $2K/pr or $10k/pr, diminishing returns on investment? At what price point should a cable make a difference over a standard XLR from Amazon used in the audio recording industry vs high-end audio cables?

[@michaelwright1602]

Agree... I use the Monoprice XLR cables, Amazon, they work and are inexpensive.

[@mpitogo]

Michael Wright used monoprice cables as well, they have a nice premium line ompared to their entry level but still costs much less than what maybe considered “high-end”. This brings up another question at what price level does high-end start vs standard cables.

[@michaelwright1602]

@@mpitogo I use the Premium Monoprice XLR cables too. They are around $3 a foot, which is hard to beat, and they use heavier cable, 16 AWG vs the higher priced competition at 24 AWG wire. Same with HDMI cables, around $2 - $3 a foot, or less for the longer lengths. I mainly use 3 foot HDMIs, they run around $9 a cable. Which is plenty for those, good ends is all I ask. I buy mine on Amazon. My interconnects (RCA), I'm down to around $3.50 a foot for Mogami cables and premium ends, which is not bad. They are very flexible, and are available in some oddball lengths, which I need. Where does the line get crossed? I think $5 a foot is about my limit on anything audio related, anymore than that and I am looking elsewhere. I would rather spend my money on things like the Schiit Audio Loki or their Freya tube amp. Much better return on the investment. Cable technology has come a long way over the years, as has the gear it feeds. Some decent cable with decent shielding with good ends gets the job done without breaking the bank. Just my .02

[@GameGuideClassic]

I would say you are half right. There are differences between a really cheap, poorly constructed cable and a good one. This is the case with almost everything. However, with all things, there are diminishing returns on them after a certain point in time. In general, I'd suggest people try them and see or in this case, here the difference or lack thereof for themselves.

[@pauldemara7633]

What I've noticed with interconnect cables is low quality cables ,depending on the gear, can roll off the a bit of high end. This is most likely due to a few more pico farads of capacitance. I therefore go for the shortest lowest capacitance cable. Additionally good shielding matters (e.g. foil vs mesh copper) to maintain a low noise floor. Easiest way to notice the sonic signature change is with headphones to take the room out of the equation. Additionally higher price does not always equate to sound you'll like better. It's a trial and error kind of process.

[@MrsZambezi]

You aren't going to get any audio roll off on a line level interconnect that's only a metre long.

[@a.s.2426]

Very strange reasoning. You select your cables based on the exact property you conjecture makes them sound better. But on what basis would you have any meaningful confidence your conjecture is correct. Why not just listen to some cables and choose the best sounding?

[@PaulDeMara]

@@a.s.2426 Good point. I've actually listened to high end million dollar+ systems with the best of the best cables at CES in Vegas... I would say this. The most noticeable difference I hear between different cables is the noise floor. This make complete sense to me as I've been professionally trained in electronics and transmission line theory at British Columbia Institute of Technology in the early 80's, I would suggest that the quality and engineering design of shielding is probably one of the biggest critical factors in eliminating RFI (Radio Frequency Interference and EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) Thing is you have to have the problem in the first place to eliminate noise. Not every system has noise problems so some may not notice much of a change when trying different cables. Same kind of issue for AC power conditioners. Many audiophiles indicate with better cables they hear more details. I would put it this way, with better cables you hear less noise which allows you to hear nuance details that maybe masked by noise. As well, the louder you listen, the more you'll likely notice a noise floor reduction. As a final point, IMHO it's not so much about how much the cable cost but how it was engineered to eliminate EMI and RFI. Noise is one of the main enemies of audiophiles. 🙂

[@a.s.2426]

@@PaulDeMara Yes, I have noticed the same thing about the noise floor. I have also noticed, however, other differences -- mainly in tonality, in clarity and in transient response. Of course that my subjective experience based on unstructured testing. Interestingly, I have noticed cables seem to retain their respective sonic signatures in these terms when I have taken them out of my speaker-based set up and tried them on headphones where the differences in sonic signatures are even further noticeable.

[@joelcarson9514]

In the late 1970's a friend who was an electronics tech, who had a scope, a signal generator and some other gear decided to see if we could determine if speaker cables made a difference in the sound. We tried 16, 18, and 20 gauge stranded two conductor wire (Sometimes referred to as zip cord or lamp cord) 14 gauge 2 wire solid Romex and there was no difference we could tell via test equipment or listening tests. When we tried two steel wire coat hangers that we had straightened out, the frequency response dropped on the low and high end and it sounded different and worse to our ears. Moral of this story? NO WIRE HANGERS! WHAP-WHAP-WHAP!!!!

[@kx8960]

EXACTLY. My dad was a degreed EE (Bachelors and Masters from RPI) working for the Navy in antenna design specializing in microwave circuitry (where signal path is WAY more critical than at audible frequencies), and he said all the crazy claims made for speaker wire and interconnects was 100% bullsh!t. Good quality 12ga finely stranded copper wire for speakers was more than enough, and good quality signal cables with good connections is all you need for that. Done. Just don't use wire hangers LOL.

[@hifiman4562]

I wrapped my $2 cables with $20 bills. Now they sound really expensive.

[@jeffkelly5972]

Thanks you made my day with that one.

[@Bluestreak2020]

I wrapped my speaker cables with $100 bills, now My cables sound more expensive than Yours. Ha ha win!

[@CopperleafCLC]

I sharpied ‘Cardas’ on my cables and omg they sound insanely good. Night and day different.

[@DKbananas]

I use cut vacuum cleaner power cord from the curbside. Flexible, good length and free!

[@jackwezesa1081]

Funny!

[@Hondaguru1122]

How do these companies get away with selling these interconnects and speaker wires etc, for thousands of dollars, with no scientific creditable proof? I have done research over the years and I still have not pulled the trigger on expensive cables and speaker wires

[@60zeller]

Tommy Economides you don’t have too. They have 3o or 60 day return policy. Also places like the cable library when you can try several out.

[@Reyfox1]

Because people are willing to buy them. As Steve said, try them in your system. If they don't "float your boat", don't buy them. But I personally have not listened to cables that cost thousands of dollars so can't comment on them. Especially if they were in my system. I read all the comments about high priced "snake oil" cables, but I would want to hear for myself and make the judgement call for me.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Same as religions get away with not paying taxes with no scientific proof. Where's your "faith" in the 5k cable? If you don't have faith that it will sound better, then it won't sound better. ;)

[@ianyates7742]

Tommy Economides because people will always have to have the best and have money to burn 🤪🤪🤪🎶

[@Reyfox1]

@@crazyprayingmantis5596 it goes both ways. If you don't think it sounds better, it won't....

[@Cartier_specialist]

On speaker cables I find that solid core copper wire makes a difference otherwise I don't hear any difference with stranded copper no matter how expensive or how many 9s they are. On interconnects I find stranded copper with silver plating to sound better. That's my experience.

[@koalameat9523]

Civility amongst audiophiles is common until it comes to cables , good topic steve but my system is still better lol , cheers .

[@Audiojunkabus]

now that's some hi-end sarcasm :)

[@zulumax1]

Todd Robbins, I took it as live and let ignorant live. Damn! Why didn't I take the blue pill? Ignorance is bliss.....;)

[@Dankzzz]

As the subectizts don't have sarcarsm. They always have....

[@dwightballard3868]

@@Dankzzz ha!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Happy to see so many of you do believe cables make a difference, just that you have a problem with expensive cables!

[@esotericaudiophile3884]

With my 6 patents, I don't have to buy any expensive cables! I can easily convert a stock cheap RCA-RCA to sound better than any cable worth $3,000 a meter. I have the technology, but I feel bad releasing it! It will surely affect the exotic cable companies. At the same time, anyone will be able to DYI... cables that clearly "Sound Better" for a few dollars...

[@gregzakaluk6278]

Hi Steve you are very diplomatic. way to go!! Im retired engineer and driven crazy with all the hype about so many audio tricks sold. theres a waste for every fool and his dollars in audio and in muscle cars as im also into. as long as minimum specs are met no ear will ever hear a difference in the freq 0-100khz. not harmonics or intonations. Ive worked on aerospace,neclear,microwave B1B jamming and hold several patents for semiconductor hole/electron doping and signal transmission in all respects including particle accelerators and such. also a musician for 45 years on violin,guitar,bass,keyboards etc, so i know whats "real" and sorry I never got onto the sale of the hyped audio equipt to fund my obsessions. Ive got insane equipt from pro and govt and research that shows "all" human intellegable things. yes even brain wave electro grams. response to "sound" ive used forpatents of brain neurotransmitters triggered by externally recieved waves to replace dopamine,serotonin etc.. so its all recorded and "proven" that most things like wires above a certain minimum spec make no difference whatso ever to the human brain. i did 100s of double blind tests. Its crazy what expected outcome can influence in the human condition. anyway enough ranting.

[@marklong8608]

You are correct. A number of years back several of us spent many hours listening to cables on several very high end systems among various friends. Our conclusion for interconnects: professional microphone cable got you 99% of the way to the results of the high dollar stuff. Better to take that extra $ and put it elsewhere in the system. The el-cheapo cables you showed at the beginning of the video did indeed sound noticeably bad.

[@gregzakaluk6278]

oh I also forgot to mention my dad was involved in vacuum tube dev way back in brooklyn where he and his brother developed radioactive metals in the plates and cathodes to enhance emission of ionic charges thus minizing the total operating plate voltage. like I did on the MOSFET transistor base to turn on at 1 volt or less. so its like a stray static charge from walking on a carpet will change your sound????too. Haaa. N Tesla will turn in his grave with all this AC hype.

[@karltodd2518]

I'm not sure blind listening tests are the best way to judge the impact / changes cables make to a system. Personally I just listen to the music for " MANY" hours with a new cable and my criteria is simple....did I enjoy my self more with the new cable. Not scientific but hey I'm ok with that!

[@janulik9535]

I have to smile many times whatching your reviews,...love this sence of humor :), makes me happy

[@gregoryjolly1734]

I've been using Tara Labs cables for the past 10 years when I first wanted to see or hear a difference in my system. They made a big enough difference so that I haven't shopped for cables for my system at all no matter what equipment changes I've made,just mid grade cables.

[@67amko]

My new JBL Stage A190 floorstanders (and a Cambridge Audio SR10 stereo receiver) came without cables. I have a set of StraightWire 4-in-1s which I purchased along with my old JBL XE4s - 30 years ago. I've single wired these StraightWires to the new speakers, after first chopping off an inch at each end and re-wiring (naked wire to speaker terminals). The cables sound just great, even after 30 years. I now want to bi-wire the speakers, since they come with two sets of terminals per speaker. I bought a set of QED Original bi-wire speaker cables with QED Airloc Forte bananas from Futureshop in the UK and am waiting on delivery. Steve, as you say in this post, I am curious - curious if bi-wiring would really make a difference, since both JBL and Cambridge Audio manuals mentioned an improvement in midrange and soundstage. I'll keep you posted.

[@ST-pn5nu]

Don’t buy the expensive cables to test them. Borrow them, so you can give them back when you realise they sound the same.

[@denniswaske8705]

cables probably can make a difference. but so can moving your speakers 1 inch to the left.

[@colinme2672]

Totally different thing we're talking transparency, tonal accuracy, working dynamics, frequency seperation, imaging etc. Moving speakers just lets them work better. Less booming and better seperation

Moving the speakers would make a difference, no argument there.

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

Go ahead and move your speaker 1" to the left. If it's a highly resolving system it will make a difference but I will guarantee that it will not be as satisfying a difference as getting a really good set of cables. Speaker placement won't make your highs sound more refined but some cables can do just that. Speaker placement should be the last thing you do once you have all the proper gear in place. Cables can be a night and day difference unrelated to basic frequency response whereas minute speaker location adjustments make minor frequency changes. Today it seems to be the de rigeur to give much credit to room EQ like it can transform a crappy system into an amazing one. Not so. Once you have heard the really high end with yes, really high end cables, everything else is a disappointment. The best ingredients make the best tasting foods.

[@ziqfriq]

Yes. So will moving from seat E13 to F15 in the concert hall. But which is right, or better?

[@FOH3663]

@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt Hey Carlos "Speaker placement should be the last thing you do..." No! Audio discussions (especially cables) aren't often served well with absolutes. However, to suggest determining which cables to use is of greater importance than speaker placement is just NOT true. Given any set of loudspeakers, NOTHING has a greater effect on the resulting sound than speaker placement. The speaker/room interface is the most important, most impactful element to system performance. The science is well understood; the room's acoustic transfer function entirely dominates the playback experience of the listener. Also, when considering the range of approaches toward system optimization, there's several effective steps between speaker placement at the top, and any improvement cables may bring down at the bottom of the list. These steps include adjusting listening position, acoustic treatment of early reflections, damping LF decay times, etc.. Gotta go after the low hanging fruit before diving into the minutiae of cables.

[@amdenis]

I generally agree. One instance though with a guy who worked at Audio Breakthroughs who was so anti high end cables who shorted out his few thousand dollar amp from using 24 gauge wire . He was stupid in that he blew the amp’s fuse one too many times and put in a higher value fuse. Like Andrew said, it’s a matter of getting the right cable.

[@thomasmleahy6218]

Think an assessment by an electrician would be more enlightening as to the cause. Usually shorts are easy to find and assess. Blown fuses are indicative of a problem elsewhere, the fuse was not the problem.

[@danidingo977]

This sarcasm doesn’t stand here. Just because somewere in the middle of those “free” cables and “audiophile” expensive af (snake oil) cables there are some GOOD cables and some a bit BETTER cables for a little more $. There isn’t just shity or snake oil.

[@pinxpinxpin]

I agree with you im most parts, when you use short cables. You dom't need to spend thousands on cables, but keep in mind there are quality differneces in cables like it is in every thing too. Espacially when you need longer cables. Take care of enough quality. Interconnect cables should have a good shield. All cables shoulh have a minimum elctrical resistance, which means they have to be thick enough and made of the right material. Use Copper (OFC) and not Alluminium. The plugs should be decent. That all costs a little more than standard cabling and gives you a lot more fun a sound quality.

[@gagamoola]

maybe not so much the raw materials but more so quality of the ends or plugs.. quality of construction and durability is truly a thing.

[@michaeldeboard6496]

Brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from Christopher Hitchens. "That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."

[@UberPilot]

Michael DeBoard Is rather quote Socrates. The allegory of the cave. No two people have the same sensory abilities.

[@EclecticApotheosis]

Define the word "evidence." When one person looks at that star in the handle of the Big Dipper and sees two stars (observation), and another person looks and can only see one star (observation) -- is this cause for one to make or deny a claim that there is a binary star there? With a telescope, perhaps the dispute between observations can be resolved. The problem with audio is, there is no standard "telescope" to resolve these disputes. We have only observation -- the sensory impressions of different people with differing auditory sensitivities and listening experience. I would say part of the problem is knowing what to listen for. But even then, some people will not be able to hear subtle differences. And then, as Steve says, the job is done. You can live happily ever after with your dime store cables. Nirvana!

[@catified2081]

You don't believe your own ears? Remember measurements are for your eyes, sound is for your ears. In my own system moderately priced cables and interconnects made a significant improvement. As for Hitchens the agnostic, why does God need to prove to man that he exists? There would be no free will if God shined in the sky like the sun.

[@bananasplitbrain476]

So true as with all relativist audiofoolery!

[@rbhis000]

@@catified2081 Christopher Hitchens was not agnostic. Not that it's related to the subject.

[@nhk403]

My new sexuality is "cable curious" hahaha. Thanks for another great video Steve!

[@notthatguy2753]

I've definitely noticed that different xlr cables make a difference with microphones. The cheap one (which broke) was bright and the nice one was warm

[@notthatguy2753]

@Çerastes yeah 100% not a placebo effect. Different cables do make a difference especially when you're dealing with a weak signal from a mic and then amplifying it. The assumption that one sounds better because it's more expensive is where this video is stemming because although the cheaper one was brighter it didn't sound worse. In fact it could sound better in certain situations

[@stuartneil8682]

Tried 15 or was it 26 amp mains cable (£1.20 per meter) between a moderate price valve amp and quarter wave horns; it worked wonders for the bass (big and open) gave great separation of layers in the mids (you’d have thought I changed the amp for a much dearer model) but softened the sound overall, and the treble was a bit splashy on cymbals. Still, I happily lived with it for over a year. Upgraded to ribbon cable which was better balanced and cleaner in the high treble but lacked that open layering in the mid bandana the generous bass.. It cost £15 per meter at the time. It was better but even at that relatively low price, not that cost effective.

[@billgjura2620]

Tested this....monster cable vs mains extension lead cable....no difference.

[@jekken333]

I never bought high end cables. However, I buy good quality ones not because they improve sound quality(which is a negligible difference if there are any) but for longevity.

[@jaakanshorter]

From personal experience. It's easier to spot a bad cable Or under An spec cable than the difference between a well made cheap cable and a ultra high end cable. Some 1k+ and even 20k+ cables I was lucky enough to test out didn't sound any better than a random $30 cable I got on Amazon in one case they sound worse. I'm not going to call out an brands. I own cables ranging from $10 to over $500.

[@billdunn8542]

Hello Steve, everyone else. I was lucky. I started listening to cables long before the controversy began. Or became so prevalent so as to intrude into my life. I was free to believe my own experience without the ideologues preaching their disdain for my open minded approach. 28 years later, coming face to face with the controversy surrounding cables, baffles the hell out of me. Trust yourself in your own journey of building your system. Keep an open mind and most of all, have fun.

[@ig8___]

Steve you are AWESOME. Thank you :) Great video as always.

[@russelhaxby6194]

It took me about 20 seconds to decide that a $9 Amazon Basics interconnect sounded better than what I had been using. So far I'm up to Blue Jeans, and happy, but curious about Audioquest.

[@912582]

It's chinese - try it again next year :P

[@Bluestreak2020]

Dear Audioquest, how can you sleep at night with your ridiculous (audio jewellery) prices. Shame shame.

[@tpr299]

I just watched a reviewer dissect Audioquest cables, and connectors. They were pretty much the same internally from top to bottom, and the cable to connector attachment wasn’t very strong, or durable.

[@RickRoberts_simplyrick]

Loss in a cable is current x resistance squared. Interconnects are basically antenna, varying voltage potential as a function of time. Both have varying resistance, capacitance, and inductance. Guess what, that variance is a filter circuit. Filter at frequency points, and at varying amounts across the spectrum in amounts in real time. Especially transient response and accuracy.

[@tnksknt]

I like your channel, so thanks for the content. I wanted to add that I think it's good to do a blind test with an assistant to help you. Otherwise, it's too easy to have a placebo effect. I know it's hard to set up, but for all the technical theory people talk about, it's also good to not forget pyschological theory as well. I think I get the value of good interconnects and speaker cable, limiting factors, and diminishing returns. I have more doubts about digital cables. But for that, I guess going optical should put an end to that debate, right? The one I find most frustrating is power cables. I get the theory. But I have my doubts. To your point, an emperical test is a good way to go. But if it's something a subtle as a power cable, I seriously think we need to demand blind tests before making a statement one way or the other.

[@stefanfrankel8157]

I actually had a pair of cheap digital cables where the cable would fall out of the jack. There _are_ other factors operating besides the wire itself. When I replaced the cable with a shorter, more expensive (per foot) one, there was a noticeable improvement in the bass response, to the point that I thought I had screwed something up. I am almost positive this had to do with the poor termination of the original cable and not any improvement in the wire itself.

[@henrikvl1704]

Some points concerning cables, for the non believers: > Used an ordinary RCA cable to connect my cd transport to a DAC, the sound always dropped out for a second when I turned off the light. Replaced it with a shielded 75Ohm digital connect of 30 USD and I can turn on/off lights as much as I want... and it sounds better too (got rid of a certain harshness on some tracks). > An old amp from the eighties (without gold plated connectors); at a certain point bass was sounding a bit distorted... a few weeks later no sound was coming through the right channel at all. How did I fix it? Cleaned the connectors/terminals with Deoxit (cotton swabs were green from the copper oxide). So if bad connections can lead to interruptions of the signal, why could a decent cable not have a hearable influence? > If you are in doubt, put some decent cable on your the left channel on your system (and standard cable on the right), clean your left channel connectors with deoxit, strip the ends from your left channel speaker cable (get rid of the oxidized ends), put a nice track on and listen (you can play a pink noise signal if you are in doubt). Do not think cables should cost more than 10% of your system. Before buying better cables, make sure you optimized the position of your speakers.

[@Kaiggg75]

What I would do is buy one expensive cable and see for myself with MY system. And if it changes great, but it doesn’t, we’ll then I got a nice premium cable that should last a good 20 years

[@EthanWiner]

Audio is a science, so "believe in cables" is a bad way to put it. Better is to ask people if they understand enough about electricity to know that RCA wires all pass audio the same, as do all competent speaker wires of the same gauge. The real issue, as I've explained to you more than once, is the frailty of human hearing. *THAT* is why people think they hear a difference even when no difference exists. That, and room acoustics that really do change the sound at locations even 2-4 inches apart.

[@scientificaudiophile]

Great point. It’s why I use non-rca cables that convert the signal from rca to optical, then to coax, then back to rca only at the final connection to eliminate the issue of rca cables all sounding the same. It’s what it means to be a Scientific Audiophile.

[@dallasreynolds9828]

For the past two years, I’ve been focusing on building a decent hi-fi system. Recently, I decided to experiment with cables. Bi wiring wiring made a very small difference. However, upgrading cables made significant improvement. Power chords were grittier and more separation between the instruments. I originally had basic speaker wire. Built my own cables with better connectors, larger gauge and better copper quality. The difference was undeniable.

[@TheEchelon]

Undeniable is when you did a controlled blind test. Your ears, or rather your brain, are extremely easy to influence.

[@superd222tube]

Thanks for the permission to relieve the stress of cable selection and choice. Good idea!

[@scottmanus4290]

Steve, thanks so much for singlehandedly making the world of high quality stereo fun again. And I really appreciate the direction you have taken your show in, which seems to me to encouraging people to have fun again with stereo equipment. I bought, because of your excited review of them, a pair of Klipsch R-51M Bookshelf speakers. They really do bring an "aliveness" to music. I have a pair of Dynaudio DM 2/6's, and though they do everything good, that's kind of why they are boring. I'm a psychotherapist up in Cambridge MA, though I grew up in Great Neck, Long Island. Isn't it funny how "audiophiles" are endless "yearners" rather than serial monogamists with their stereo's. You know, in psychology they have used a lens to identify people who are more and people who are less likely to be happy in their relationships, and it struck me that it's the same dynamic in "Audiophiles", the term is "Satisficer's vs Maximizer's. Where the maximizers are never content with the women they have married or paired with, thinking something better could be out there. Whereas "Satisficers" are happy to be content. Imagine that - happy to be content, whereas "Maximizer's" only get a charge by endlessly "tweaking their systems." In love and speakers there are those who need to dream of what they could have but don't, and those that are happy to be happy with what they've got. Anyway, thanks for making Stereo Equipment fun again!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks Scott!

[@onepieceatatime]

How about vibration-dampening platforms under every component, even DACs? How about sitting / standing on a vibration-dampening platform when listening to reduce micro distortions coming in to your ears through your body? How about drinking a lot of water so your ears are properly hydrated? Yes, everything matters, a little or a lot.

[@oysteinsoreide4323]

That was very diplomatic of you. The most important is to enjoy music. And you certainly can enjoy music with standard cables. That was all we got at home were I grew up. Only standard cables. And I got interest into music nontheless. I am a bit more into cables and stuff today. But I am not going to buy big money for it. Just enough for me to enjoy the music.

[@Hare_deLune]

You were lucky to have standard cables! We had to get by with old hairpins that we scrounged from the dustbin and under the sofa. That's what we used, and we were happy to have 'em! XD

[@evowhite777]

@Oystein Soreide....EXACTLY! Vinyl For Ever........

[@oysteinsoreide4323]

@@evowhite777 I didn't say anything about vinyl, but whatever.....

[@KenHill]

@@Hare_deLune Old hairpins? Luxury! We had it tough.......

[@colinme2672]

Of course your right. I have an Oled flat screen TV because my old cathode ray TV no longer gives me the picture I desire

[@JenniferEliseAtchiso]

I think its important to get QUALITY cables(better than your hardware store has) but I also don’t believe in going crazy about it. I tend to use SVS cables. Quality conductors mater... quality connections matter more... quality shielding matters most. A properly shielded cable will have the shield grounded on ONLY one end... The SOURCE end, so a good quality shielded cable will always be marked which direction the signal should flow through them. Shielding is important, it prevents interference from other cables... if a company says their cables are shielded, but do not mark the signal flow direction, then they have no idea what they are doing and should be avoided. Having said that other factors can make a difference too, the size of the wire influences its impedence(ie: how much of your amplifier’s power is being used up by the cable instead of your speakers). The longer the cable, the higher the impedence also. Multiple conductors react as capacitors between conductors which limit frequency response, also wires are inductors which also limits frequency response. Get a quality, shielded cable, as short as you can get by with, with good connectors(gold plate! Other metals oxidize over time and the connection suffers) and make sure right and left cables are exactly the same length for speakers. (A cable is a resistor, a cable is an inductor, and a cable is a capacitor, if right and left are different lengths, your right and left speakers will have different frequency response, different levels, and different timing) but all these requirements can be filled for $100 (US) or less... don’t go crazy!

[@anyscaleclassics6880]

For years ive used whatever wires I had available, but my setup has slowly developed into something that is now full of decent quality gear (nothing special, just decent). I thought it would be worthwhile upgrading the speaker wire to something of the same level. I went to my local audio specialist and bought some expensive speaker cable. It was their 'entry level' cable, but it was still expensive to me. I was shocked at the difference it made, I always understood that good quality cable would improve things, but this was the first time id heared it for myself. So the following week I thought it might be worth trying the interconnects. Wow. In the whole scheme of things I havnt spent that much, but the difference is incredible. Having now looked at the prices of some of the top-end stuff, I honestly cant imagine its worth it, however decent quality, even if its just entry level, makes a big difference over standard wires.

[@kozmiczian795]

I did one brand from input to output . . .

[@nicksardone3190]

The music lover that pushed his speakers up against the front wall, in a room with tile floors, 100 inch projection screen, sitting 20 feet away will agree. The audiophile that spends more time on speaker placement and room acoustics then reading measurements will disagree.

[@cpk313]

Your comment is 100% accurate. The catch 22 of highend audio is the more time and effort spent setting up your system, the more it revels, the more you are able to discern differences, the more ANY changes you make in your system can be heard. I have been in the highend audio industry for 30+ years, and I would venture to say that even people that have dedicated 2 channel systems don't have them setup well and their rooms optimized. People who don't do this whether it is a highend system or not will not be able to hear the difference or they will be so subtle that it will seem moot. Even a midfi system really dialed in, you're ability to perceive things in a recording are greatly improved. I would take a $2000 dollar system totally optimized over a $20,000 system just plopped in a room any day of the week. Case in point. A one point when I was doing a lot of R&D I had a pair of Revel studio II speakers. An excellent transducer for letting you hear every minute detail of a recording, probably the ultimate studio monitor, though they didn't make my toes tap but that's another story. I could never hear the effects of various footers well, maybe there was a change, maybe not. Some seemed to overdampen the sound but in general the effects were mostly subtle enough that I didn't put much time into the matter. After getting the Revel's I would joke to my friends and colleagues that they were the audio version of an electron microscope. I could easily hear differences in things, like footers, that I couldn't previously and that's were the rub is or can be. The more high resolution and well setup your system is the more things matter and make a difference. I can certainly understand people who say cables or other things like footer etc. don't make a difference but I would venture that almost all of those people are making that determination with a system that those things are not really perceivable in the first place.

[@rickbanasik4734]

O

[@MrsZambezi]

@@cpk313 I expect your system is so resolving you can hear differences that aren't even there!

[@oo131193oo]

I recently spent around 100€ on a handmade cable from Arachne Audio for my Sennh. HD 650, not for Sound reasons, but for the reason that the original cable always broke and i needed something of better build quality and something that looks and feels nice which makes me happy.

[@Stikibits]

Check out what's inside of your speakers before being ripped off too much on cables. They'll have 50cents worth of standard wire in there, so unless you're rewiring your speakers too ( I admit I have), then I don't see why you'd care that much.

[@michaelwright1602]

And what is running behind the drywall to the electrical outlets...

[@Stikibits]

@@michaelwright1602 Cheap, old wire.

[@a0r0a7]

Very well said 👍

[@EddyTeetree]

That’s what I just asked too. I opened up my cabs to get at the crossovers and running from the back of the posts to the crossover box was large gauge but ordinary copper cables, then from the x-over to the drivers those thin electrical wires like in a power plug so I can’t see how blah blah $$$$ cables will change anything. Reminds me of how the DMR builds a multi lane freeway that still becomes a single lane at some point with the same or even worse congestion.

[@beornthebear.8220]

The place I use higher price cables for are for plugging my guitars/basses into the amps and pedal boards. This is because with the repeated tugging, plugging and unplugging. I want heavy-duty 1/4" male plugs, as this is where they repeatedly fail, so I bought a Monster cable. A couple of other heavy-duty Monster cables I have are from my DVD to my TV, and I have a few pretty good (not bottom of the line ) USB 3 cables, which I bought because my PC to DAC/headphone amp was jittering horribly (I'm talking a pause of a second or more), but he issue was apparently the PC, which would jitter even if I killed all unnecessary services. I replaced the PC with an iMac, which I'm currently running through a USB into a guitar pedal board. I haven't tried them into my DAC/headphone amp yet,. The only other cable concern is that the speaker cables are heavy enough not to cut out high frequencies, but my current cables are pretty heavy, and I bought a spool at a low cost. I don't believe changing them will cause any audible difference.

[@michaelwright1602]

I have played around with cables, I will usually spend a little on better cables, mainly for how they look. LOL! Honestly, the only time I have seen or have heard a difference with cables is dealing with a TT, and also back in the day with the old L/R/Video cables, you remember, the red, white and yellow cables. Other than that, I do not see the need to spend a lot on cables. Not that I use the cables that Steve started out with, I like a cable of good quality and looks. I think we are well past the days of $500 RCA inter-connects, any subtle differences in such a cable I will never hear or see vs my $30 Mogami RCA inter-connects. And I still use 12 ga copper stranded speaker cable, just dress it up a bit. I could not tell the difference vs my set of SVS speaker cables. But, that is just me... I would rather save the money for better gear. If you think your cables are so so, head over to Schiit Audio and pick up a Loki. That made more of a difference in anything I have done to date. It is something that does make a dramatic difference in sound, in a good way.

[@drbarney1000]

See my questions on the physics of speaker cable claims and I think this will show you why there should be no audible difference between your choices of cables and 4-figure price cables.

[@michaelwright1602]

@@drbarney1000 Skin effect? LOL! I always have heard that, and other things you have mentioned. Few if any of these manufacturers claims are audible to the human ear, just so minute, but some guys fall for it. I figure if I am paying more than $5 a foot for any type of cable, I am more than likely better off shopping elsewhere. The manufacturing processes have improved so much over the years, there is really no need to spend $100 + a foot for audio cable. Like I said, my limit is $5 a foot. Right now I am hovering around $3.25 a foot, and these are short runs, 5 feet and or less for audio cables, less for speaker cable @.40 a foot for 12 ga oxygen free copper strand with a very nice and soft jacket. Same for HDMI cables, 3 foot is $9 on Amazon. And Monoprice XLR Premium cables, around $3 a foot for 16 AWG cable, that is a steal. I'm good.

[@drbarney1000]

@@michaelwright1602 I think you are right, more credible than manufacturers who want to make a maximum profit by questionable marketing of poorly done physics. I like to buy connectors which have such features as collars which screw tight and solder them to coax cable and I also like the reasonable priced physically well-built cables.

[@michaelwright1602]

@@drbarney1000 Exactly, the construction of the cable, at least to my mind will have the greatest effect, maybe not so much on the sound, but on the overall lifespan and usefulness of the cable.

[@johnhoffman8041]

I did two tests. Kimber 8PR and Crutchfield house brand 14ga. No diff to me. Then I tried no cables and then I noticed a diff.

[@bayard1332]

I considered making a youtube channel just to make this video... Reasons different cables may not be for you; 1. Your system is not good enough to take advantage of it. 2. Your ears may not be good enough to hear the differences. 3. You just might not care. 4. Your room acoustics are so shitty that nothing will make a difference until you sort the acoustics out (perhaps the biggest reason) 5. You think cables are supposed to make a night and day difference and you don't hear that so they are shit... but the reality is that often the differences are very small, but on a great system in a great room that very small amount can be the difference between highs that are wonderful vs highs that break up or are grainy etc or... which leads to 6. You don't know what you are listening for or how to do critical listening... so you are still listening to the song, not the sounds... 7. you think better cables means $3k for a 3 foot interconnect, but really, what it means is working your way up the food chain from the free shit until you find improvement and then until you find the point of diminishing returns for your system (and finding cables that work for your ears and system, they all sound different and not all are great, which is OK because we live in a free market society). All of my vastly improved cables cost between 30 and 70 $s, except for 1 longer power cable that was like $150. Not giant money, and well within reason for a stereo system that cost maybe 5-6k... and taken in whole the amount of sound improvement is something like going from a dull shitty sound to overall excellent sound (meaning there are no remaining weak points, none, but also understand, every. single. detail. of my system has been sorted out, not just the cables)). But hey, my room underwent extremely detailed acoustical treatment and I am deeply moved by sound, so to have a system that makes achingly beautiful sound is important to me, so it's worth it.

[@zulumax1]

They don't know what to listen for or how to listen , that is it in a nutshell.

[@cranestance8316]

All excellent points... it's a shame that more people don't consider these before going on a rant about 'snake oil' and '$10,000 cables'. I'm guessing that over 99% of hifi enthusiasts don't purchase $10k cables, however, a lot of naysayers seem to mention them!

[@tpr299]

I’ve noticed a positive difference going from hand made Bi-wired speaker cables to no -name manufactured cables from Amazon that cost around $65 for a pair of 9 ft. Length. According to reviews I’m not alone. I would never spend hundreds, or thousands of dollars. That flies in the face of the laws of diminishing returns. That money is better spent on other components…. Or food.

[@rusedgin]

I believe different cables sound different. It's just my brain that can't notice it.

[@cuttinchops]

I agree! I use only scrap belden or canre cable and reused neutrik interconnects from a tv station...sounds great! Come to think of it, lots of recording studios use the same stuff. “True to source” lol

[@francois-xaviergonnet7216]

Give me a $10000 pair of interconnect... in my system he will be treated exactly like any $100 interconnect. He will have to pass the same test, and will face the best cables I already have. If it's better, good, otherwise... the door ! The price tag is never a clue for cables...

[@adotopp1865]

Mr. Gonnet I 'm not going to give away my $10000 interconnect to anyone!

[@francois-xaviergonnet7216]

@@adotopp1865 : Few hours ago I was looking at some hifi shops online and I was like... What is that brand ? Never heard about !! WHAT !!! $4000 for and XLR pair... but WHO are you guys to ask $4000 for a pair of cables ? Who is ready (or stupid enough) to gamble so much money on a brand from out of nowhere ? I can "understand" somebody who spend $10000 in cables, even if I think it's far too much for what it's, but I don't considere that's the kind of product any company can produce from scratch. If you pay $4000 or $10000, you buy more than a cable. You buy a cable, a brand and an expertise. If you are new in the business, your brand = zero and for your expertise you need to prove it first... So 4K or 10K it's really expensive for just a cable and nothing around ! What's your $10000 interconnect ? Just to know !

[@adotopp1865]

@@francois-xaviergonnet7216 As we know anyone can ask whatever price they choose for the purchase of anything. I look at ebay where someone will be selling a newAug-Line Horus NEO XLR 1M pair for £4800. I've not heard of it before but I still don't know what its like and I don't really care. But I have tried some cables in my system that do give as much improvement as a buying a new amp (transparent Audio music wave + and Nordost blue heaven come to mind) I would seriously consider these if the situation came up . I have bought some Van den hul the first interconnect because it had exactly the right sound solution I wanted between phono stage and amp. I bought it used but was still expensive for interconnect- but not expensive for the solution to my system. I don't have any $10000 interconnect- It was my little joke I always try to listen to things before buying if i can , and will stick with a dealer if he has what I am looking for, often the price will be better than online and the backup and customer help can be invaluable. Thanks

[@francois-xaviergonnet7216]

@@adotopp1865 : Actualy Van Den Hul is the main cable brand in my system... I use the 102Mk3 and I'd like to try the 3T technology. I'm curently testing different setting with various cables sets, and my ear is the only judge after weeks for every configuration. If it's not better, I just return to the previous setup ! As you say, yes anybody can sell what ever he wants, at any price... but ones again, who are you to claim so much. I can open a restaurant and ask the same price as a 3 stars one... but I will not fool people easily and my business will fail for sure. I often see some really expensive unknown stuff for sale in second hand... so good luck guys !

[@victorcheung2868]

Yes. it is all up to you and that is part of the fun for this hobby. With or without all up to you there are so many components in a system already.. it is all about mix and match in order to achieve better sound.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Anybody claiming that they can hear a difference in cables please make a video and "SHOW IT". Show how you can consistently pick out one cable out of a bunch of different cables blindfolded. It should be easy, after all you can clearly hear the difference right? So show me, I challenge you!!! Leave the link to your video in your reply to this comment. Good luck. (This will be interesting, I bet my balls we don't see a link left)

[@Saboda53]

Seems to me all that’s important is whether or not YOU can hear a difference. If you can, use expensive cables. If you can’t, don’t. Hey, I can’t tell the difference between $20 and $200 bottles of wine. Doesn’t mean others can’t! “Live, and let live”. Perhaps you should consider that.

[@dksculpture]

@@Saboda53 Who said that good sounding cables cables have to be expensive? The first question, as The Audiopheliac pointed out, is whether a person can hear any difference. If not, just use what you already have and continue to live in sonic satisfaction.

[@tomlathrop4094]

Crazy prayingmantis You would trust a video showing the ability to identify cables? You would surely lose them if anybody actually wanted your balls

[@Hare_deLune]

@@tomlathrop4094 Of course he wouldn't believe it! He only made the challange because he knew he was right and everyone else was wrong. Self-fulfilling prophesy, as they say.

[@tomlathrop4094]

@@Hare_deLune I appreciate your comment but my point is it would be easy to show in a video the ability to identify the cables regardless of the subject's ability to hear the difference. To your point it always amuses me when people will claim someone can't hear the difference in cables. We just don't know enough about the brain to relate physical performance measurements to the brain's ability to perceive.

[@petrofski88]

I've not really tried to swap cables to hear the difference, but I'd add there are other factors such as helping against interference, longevity, and even design. But I think like many have said before... first get the system you want... then cables can be part of the end game. I do think there are some cables that are not worth the price, even if they would make the sound different/better and look great (subjective) and assure longevity... it's also a matter of what one is willing to spend on those potential extra gains. For example I bought a ViaBlue optical cable to connect my Klipsch headphone amp to my soundcard, and a matching custom cans custom XLR4 cable to connect to the Klipsch HP3... mainly because it was just beautiful to see it all combined. And when I look at it daily... and I value aesthetics of my surroundings, then I'm willing to pay more for that. And it's like a lot of technology... you can for example buy a 4K computer screen for $200... or you can buy one for $2000. The difference might be a few percentile better in color accuracy which might be irrelevant for most people, higher update frequencies which might be irrelevant for most people, the brand, the bezels, the features, the connectors, etc. The ONLY cables I've seen that I think I won't ever even be interested in trying is Nordost cables. The prices are just SO insanely out there that I wouldn't even be interested in exploring the gains. But again, it's subjective. If someone can easily afford them and loves the design and does perhaps hear a relevant difference... maybe they are worth buying for that person.

[@xraylax]

Buy 1 very expensive cable. Take a good long look at that very expensive cable. Analyze and/or dissect the very expensive cable. Buy the different parts separately From there on build your own very expensive cables for a fraction of the cost! If you did a secure job! From there on, what ever is wrong with the sound it’s definitely NOT the cables.

[@moto-rambler]

Keep 'em coming, Steve! The problem is that "expensive" is relative. Secondly, any "gains" from expensive cables are also relative and are often perceived or self-justified -- "...the $500 USB cable to my DAC 'must' sound better than the $25 cable...".

[@thesean68]

I must admit I wasn’t initially convinced but then changed speaker cabled to Chord Signature and boom, couldn’t believe it - an improvement hands down. However, I do firmly believe that unless you are running good quality hardware and speaker to begin with then yes, I think it would be a waste of money.

[@beginner_electric_guitar]

I did over the past year or so gotten only the slightly better cables than the RCA cables you showed at the start of the video. Not so much for the sound factor, but more for reliability, some are gold plated, I thought maybe reduces the possibility of crackle since the wire and sheath are heavier. I did however get a sort of high end power cable, because it looked cool and was longer and heavier than the all black generic ones.

[@PatCrowe]

Electricity travels from the pole to the house on Home Depot cables through a $1.67 receptacle but for the last 2 meters on $600 Nordost power cables. Yeah, that's going to make a difference. LOL

[@alancrome3684]

Well, audiophiles have found a way around that xD One man literally installed a pole that connects directly to the main line to get around the shit stuff lol

[@mnoble247]

I've never seen 3 foot of religion fix 100 miles of sin

[@philcibley1804]

I've been rolling my own since the early '80s. Canare or Mogami cable with Neutrik or Switchcraft connectors and have been very happy. For speaker cable, I just make sure it's 14 gague or thicker.

[@artcoffeejeff]

I love your no nonsense approach to audio Steve! It's refreshing to hear from someone who knows you don't have to spend a fortune on equipment to enjoy music. Then on the other hand, if you can spend more, then by all means, buy the best you can, and enjoy that too! You might be THE Audiophiliac, but you're an open minded audiophiliac as well! Keep up the great work!

[@anthonydefr]

I got me some pretty nice cable's off Amazon for like 70.00 a set I'm pretty happy with them.

[@Lasse3]

"All cables are identical and sound identical" -some deaf person

[@a.s.2426]

Right?

[@NoEgg4u]

When I tested my stereo with Quicksilver interconnects, there was an improvement, and I purchased them. When my local audio store loaned me Audioquest Sky interconnects, the improvement increased again (and I wish I had never heard them, because they are expensive, but they walk the walk).

[@shaolin95]

Lol you believe you heard improvements. Even the most sophisticated machine in existence cannot measure the differences because they do not exist! Of course we are talking a decent cable not the cheapest crap next to all power cords

[@NoEgg4u]

@@shaolin95 "Even the most sophisticated machine in existence cannot measure the differences because they do not exist!" The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. That a machine is not capable of performing an evaluation does not mean that the item of interest cannot be evaluated. Our brains are able to measure things that no machines (as of this date) can measure. "Lol you believe you heard improvements." I do not "believe" I heard improvements. I "know" I heard improvements. Not a struggle to hear. It was obvious -- especially when going back to the interconnects that I was using (downgrading is even more obvious). Cheers!

[@carlosbauza1139]

Great approach. If it works for me, I'm done. Whatever works for you: glad for you.

[@sarahX..]

Cable loom setup is a Art. Takes a long time to get it right through allot of trial and error allot of different cables (same AND different brands of X- amount cost) allot of different configurations and ultimately finding the right synergy.

[@drbarney1000]

I look for badly done physics in the manufacturer's advertisements. one example is the claim skin effect increases the resistance at higher frequencies so you should buy speaker cables which are ribbons or litz construction to solve this problem. But 10 feet of 8 gauge wire for a 5 foot pair of speaker cables has a DC resistance of about 0.006 Ohms. Skin effect which is easy to calculate with a simple integral and skin depth reveals at 20 kHz is 0.012 Ohms. Put this in series with a 4 Ohm speaker in the middle and the high frequency roll-off at 20 kHz nobody can hear is about one hundredth of a db. Did the manufacturer not do the homework to dispense with litz or ribbon construction and not know better or did they know better and choose to take advantage of "A little knowledge (by the target audience consumer) is a dangerous thing?" With interconnects, the electric field between the center conductor and the shield is far below any threshold volts per milometer which could introduce non-linear changes in the dielectric constant of the insulator for almost any reasonable dielectric. Does copper really form semiconductor cutoff resistances at very low voltages in a cable at milo-volts? If so, what about micro-volts in antenna cables? Could the sound of a cable depend more on the mechanical structure of the connections and the use of materials designed to last rather than on this physics that does not match what graduate school texts and engineering papers tell us? I have tries silver wire cables and they did not sound any different to me. I also tried ribbon speaker cables and they too sounded no different to me. Could some people experience a placebo effect which justifies extremely overpriced cables? I stumbled across something else interesting. My pre-amplifier stage had a potentiometer consisting of a collection of pairs of premium resistor pairs; what all the audiophile books esteem as the ultimate volume pot. But it sounded dull on every setting below 100%. I replaced it with a Japanese plastic pot with a wiper and this theoretically inferior design brought the sound to life at all volumes beyond my expectations. This taught me you have to listen and make your own judgment, something you insist upon doing. Just because something costs more does not always mean it is better. You can't count on "You get what you pay for."

[@machintelligence]

Placebo effect and confirmation bias are nothing to sneeze at.

[@drbarney1000]

I don't make enough money to be able to afford the consequences of it.

[@McgarickWAstate]

The best system I have heard to date was by a tube junkie who made his own tube amps and highly modded horns. It used lamp cord. Cables are a tone tweek mainly. Sometimes that can help with system mating. Bright amps and or dark sounding speakers. or bright sounding speakers etc...

[@Nerdrific]

About 29 years ago I listened to music through a JVC component system with 3D bass attached to a DCD 620 Denon CD player attached via a standard rca cable. It sounded pretty good! One day at the local AV store I noticed they were selling Audioquest interconnects at a discount. So I purchased the medium grade $50 "Jade" ones to just see if it would improve the sound in my system. Upon installation, the sound on my system "opened" up! Ever since then I've been a believer

[@andrewdorow9895]

Jades are my favorite Audioquest interconnect actually. I had a similar experience.

[@chuckfinley3542]

The only interconnect or speaker cables I use are the ones whose gauge is so large and shielding so thick that they can stand upright when placed in a corner. Since the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, I want the straightest cables between my preamp and the components, or between the amp and speakers. By the way, I’m legally deaf.

[@wesspangler]

Couple more things to add, you definitely need to have good enough gear to hear differences and do it last to fine tune.

[@MrsZambezi]

All you need is a good imagination.

[@garyjones5947]

I was a cable sceptic. No longer...changed my bundled rca cables for qed xt40i...I’m converted...sounds significantly more beautiful.

[@birgerolovsson5203]

I found a cheap brand that sounds good enough so I don't need better or more expensive cables than I have. Yes, the brand on the cables I use is Nordost.

[@marlonhouston6685]

😮

[@acronus]

Just go one step up, the monoprice premium cables are still cheap, $4 for a 3ft rca. They're co-axial so they have a bit of shielding, and the ends are more durable.

[@TR6Telos]

Don't neglect the connection.Good metal to metal contact is vital. Best volume pot I used was cermet, it has good contact properties (unlike carbon sliders) and the difference between cermet and carbon pot was like night and day. Much more dynamic ,clear , and detailed.

[@jimbojet8728]

You make good sense. Thank you.

[@endofanera1983]

I’m not against better cables. I’m sure the day will come when I can invest in some. For now I spend my money on equipment on my priority list. There’s always room to upgrade and I enjoy the learning process. It’s amazing when you upgrade and notice a sound improvement. That’s the fun of it for me. I know the day will come when I can start exploring the interconnect realm and I think I will have the same upgrade experience. Thanks for your content and videos.

[@christopherspiro9857]

Steve ! Your great! Enjoy your system and the music !