Speaker Cables

[Hifi_swlon]

I spent a couple of weeks with nearly ten sets of cables thanks to a very helpful dealer. They weren't all current issue - some a previous generation - but ranged in price (when new) from about £200 to well over £1,000.

I wasn't sure what to expect, I've had minimal success before but did think cables made a reasonable difference.

Some brands I knew, others not, but I didn't really have any preconceptions about what each 'should do' or sound like. Some were like trea-trunks, some thinner than my current. Some had fabric sheaths, and others had strange looking plugs. Some looked expensive, others cheap. Some looked complicated, others simple.

So I worked through them in the evenings, with a playlist I made for the purpose.

There were points listening to a couple that I though 'oh my god, these are beautiful'. I called my wife to listen to a track through one pair. But then maybe they did something I didn't like. I wasn't sure.

I moved through them all, and narrowed down to a few. I then settled with these for a few more days comparing. I felt two were pretty close so I could barely tell them apart, one of which was the ones I made my wife listen to.

I made my decision and was about to place an order. But then I put my original cables back in. They sounded exactly the same! I then got help to swap cables without my knowing which was which, and I couldn't tell my favourites from the rest. So I decided not to buy any.

This isn't made up or premeditated, this is what happened!

My conclusion being, in my system, my room and with my ears, there wasn't anything really separating any of them. Certainly not anything that would make me spend such sums.

I've felt this sensation before and I honestly think (for me personally) if I listen for things, I can hear them. I assume it's my brain working harder to 'try and hear' and the same would happen if I 'tried to hear' just as hard with my existing cables. I don't know if this is placebo, or expectation bias, or another mechanism, but whatever it is I think I've convinced myself there's more than a degree of made-up-ness about cables. Or my previous part-scepticsm stopped me finding a difference? Anyway, whatever, I then found some reviews of some of the cables I tested, and couldn't believe what I was reading. These same cables had moved some reviewers practically to tears. I just couldn't see how that could be possible.

Anyway, the short of the story is, I'm sticking with my existing, and I've now properly convinced myself that I don't need to waste efforts there in my search for a better sound. I'm better off buying electronics.

It's made me want to go and do another sanity check on my digital cables, which I will do at some point.

I could be deaf, but I don't think so. My high frequency is definitely reduced (I'm over 40) and I've got mild tinnitus, but I reckon i can pick out the treble setting on the D to a dB, maybe even 0.5bd on the right track. So I think I'd tell. I've got a hearing test soon so will check for sure then.

Anyway, not saying anything to anyone about cables, other than what I experienced. No point getting into a debate - I've been on both sides and it's meaningless - all that's important is that everyone's happy and enjoying their music. I've saved quite a bit of cash there, and will put it toward something else (no doubt something I've already paid for).

[btw just to be ckear this is in no way a reply to the post above - I just chucked it in this thread. I only just read the one above so thought I should clarify in case it looked that way as its kind of an opposite view]