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better power cable

The woven cotton outer insulation doesn't make any difference, it's purely aesthetic on the outside.

A silly fashionable return to things past, nostalgia if you will, when electric wires were insulated with cotton because there was nothing else.

I used to see that in very old houses or flats. I even pulled out post-war cotton-insulatd aluminium wires!
I bet those sounded very bad.
 
Couldn't resist sharing one last thing with you -

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Grab yours while stocks last!

Pete



 
A little while ago I tried A/B'ing 303 and 520 Quad power amps with a pair of ESLs. After swapping them over several times I realised that this way madness lied, as I wasn't sure if I was imagining tiny differences or if they were there or if it made any difference to my enjoyment of Bert Jansch and Doc Watson albums. From a philosophical perspective, it was a real eye opener.

I'd have to have a lot of time on my hands before I start A/B'ing power cables, but I suspect it could lead one to profound mystic revelations. Are you brave enough?
 
I sometimes do A/B comparisons of recordings, different pressings, CDs vs LPs. Here you can really hear differences, they are so obvious.
But I digress.
 
foxwelljsly said:
or if it made any difference to my enjoymen
Click to expand...

I agree that this is a fundamental key point. How much difference do any changes that we make affect our enjoyment in the end? As my wife frequently says to me- 'Can't you just forget about it and enjoy the music?' Well, yes.

Happy Easter all and keep safe.

Pete
 
The key for me was early listening comparisons when I realised I could often hear a 'difference' when I'd not made any intentional change at all. To me this is not really different from finding that I enjoy a particular recording on some days but not others. This all made sense when I found out that simply hearing sounds alters our physiological and internal perception processes *and* that a small movement of the head often alters the sound.

That then set a sort of dual levels where I cannae be bothered to worry. One when no diffence is audible, the other when it is at the above kind of level of difference. Easier to just enjoy the music.
 
Jim Audiomisc said:
That then set a sort of dual levels where I cannae be bothered to worry. One when no diffence is audible, the other when it is at the above kind of level of difference. Easier to just enjoy the music.
Click to expand...


When I was in my early 20's I remember I had got to be quite friendly with one of the staff who worked at my (then) dealers. A pleasant and very knowledgeable-about- hi-fi middle-aged guy who was very into classical music and used to go to lots of classical concerts with his girlfriend.

I remember asking him one day what system he had at home, fully expecting him to reel off a list of high-end kit that I could never hope to afford. To my great surprise, and I can't remember what it was now, but it was all quite basic stuff, certainly nowhere near being high-end or even what was really fashionable (Linn/Naim) at the time. He also said that he used a pair of home-made concrete speaker stands. I think he must have seen the surprise register on my face as he smiled and said 'I have a completely different attitude to hi-fi at home than I do at work. At work I listen critically but at home I just sit back and enjoy the music'.

I don't think I quite grasped the concept back then, but now, several decades later, I realise exactly what he meant.

Pete
 
Pete L said:
Couldn't resist sharing one last thing with you -
Click to expand...

I had such high hopes, but then...

Pete L said:
When I was in my early 20's I remember
Click to expand...

TS560x560
 
YNWOAN said:
I suspect that the majority of forum members who could add to this ‘discussion’ are just tired of the circulatory arguments and posturing that always seem to ensue - so they keep their opinions and experiences to themselves.
Click to expand...

Approx 2/3rds:

https://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/the-mains-cable-poll.113613/

Maybe less nowadays, because quite a few of the subjectivists have left PFM due to the constant tormenting and inability to consider other's views (just look at the proliferation of mutual "Likes" from the 'damn sure I'm right' brigade in this thread!).
 
S-Man said:
Maybe less nowadays, because quite a few of the subjectivists have left PFM due to the constant tormenting and inability to consider other's views (just look at the proliferation of mutual "Likes" from the 'damn sure I'm right' brigade in this thread!).
Click to expand...
HI,
In a recent thread multiple people vehemently criticised the Audiolab 8000A, and this happened in another thread about 3 months ago. They got up votes too.

So, why is ok to rubbish an amplifier sound by multiple people, who get up votes too, and this is not challenged, yet when a mains cable post misusing science to claim validation of mains cables is challenged, it is a bad thing ?

It seems subjectives criticising subjectives with the same attitude as cable critiques is acceptable, but the challenge from the misuse of science to promote charlatan products is not acceptable.

Regards,
Shadders.
 
Shadders said:
HI,
In a recent thread multiple people vehemently criticised the Audiolab 8000A, and this happened in another thread about 3 months ago. They got up votes too.

So, why is ok to rubbish an amplifier sound by multiple people, who get up votes too, and this is not challenged, yet when a mains cable post misusing science to claim validation of mains cables is challenged, it is a bad thing ?

It seems subjectives criticising subjectives with the same attitude as cable critiques is acceptable, but the challenge from the misuse of science to promote charlatan products is not acceptable.
Click to expand...

OK, to keep S-Man happy, I haven't 'liked' the above post, even though it's 100% accurate.

Actually, make that 110% for the third paragraph.
 
I have lived in a property with an excellent supply using first rate engineered products totally without problems.

My existing property uses even better equipment designed and manufactured by top flight companies BUT I have had to utilise a radial, leads etc to make my components listenable.

I do not argue against science or engineer/designers but if any claim is made that the design enables the equipment to deal with poor electrical supplies.......it does not work in my property.
 
palacefan said:
I have had to utilise a radial, leads etc to make my components listenable.
Click to expand...

palecefan,

Am I to understand that you mean that leads etc. are affecting the sound of your hi-fi components? Do you not grasp what the folks here are saying? This simply cannot happen. All components are fully isolated from the incoming mains supply by their internal power supplies, so nothing untoward can possibly get through. Sorry but you must be imagining all this.

As it happens I share your experiences absolutely, as do many other people. I guess we are all deluded. If only we all believed what the many folk here do then we wouldn't have these problems would we.

Pete
 
Hi,
The same can also be said for AV amplifiers. There is a snobbery or bias against AV amplifiers, yet they are the same as hifi amplifiers.

I am sure that there are many who like music, and have equipment, and would not dare approach a hifi forum as they will get told their equipment is not really hifi, and only a 2 channel amplifier is bona fide, or that an all in one is not acceptable quality either.

The bias and hypocritical attitude amongst "subjectives" is prolific, and the "mobbing" is worse as they are going against their own mantra - it doesn't matter what the equipment is, use your ears as they are the final arbiter.

For me, the above is very funny. Subjectivists destroy their own arguments, and they don't see it.

Regards,
Shadders.
 
Pete L said:
... At work I listen critically but at home I just sit back and enjoy the music'.

I don't think I quite grasped the concept back then, but now, several decades later, I realise exactly what he meant.

Pete
Click to expand...

Yes. FWIW I spent more days of my life than I'd like to count symultaenously listening to music *and* watching an oscilloscope screen very carefully for signs of clipping, bursts of instability, or any other sign of problems. Over a period of some years. But that was when I was working on items other people might buy and use, so wanted to ensure all was as well as possible.

Quite different to now, when it doesn't bother me to use various systems that all 'differ' in their output - usually due to the speakers and room or headphones as they seem to produce difference *vastly* bigger than I used to hunt for.
 
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