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Cable consensus - asking too much?

Thanks for all responses, I am really grateful. It seems my ears have not been deceiving me. But,... just in case you chaps have been lying, and just want to get a good deal on my MIT reference digital interconnect,... how does a hundred and fifty quid sound?

Thanks again.
 
FWIW I think the best method of comparison is to live with the new/upgrade cable for an extended period (several weeks) and then
revert back to the original cable.
If the difference/improvement isn't immediately evident then move on - c'est la vie!
 
Brian S said:
Thanks for all responses, I am really grateful. It seems my ears have not been deceiving me. But,... just in case you chaps have been lying, and just want to get a good deal on my MIT reference digital interconnect,... how does a hundred and fifty quid sound?

Thanks again.
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To answer your original question: Yes, it is asking too much.

If your question was to validate your choices only you can say how that worked from 24 responses.
 
I'm sure there are people that would argue the toss but I find it amazing to think that some people believe cables can alter/change the sound when carrying a digital signal, its data, I don't see how the cable can effect the sound personally. If the cable is faulty, connections on the interconnect or the socket end of item then yes I would imagine this will result in poor sound or intermittent problems.

With interconnects between sources and amplification as with speaker cable I'm pretty sure there are differences in sound, mostly silver cables bright copper cables less bright. I'm not one for fussing and farting about with cables I'd sooner listen to the music. I have Chord Rumour Install speaker cable and used to use Naim Nac A5 and honestly couldn't tell you if I heard any obvious differences between them.
Interconnect wise I'm using standard ones that came with the Naim stuff to connect it all and from the CD player to the pre i'm using one my uncle gave me in about 2001 it's red and I think it's a Chord one but there are no markings or writing on it and I believe my uncle got it from Derek Whittington at Sound Advice when he bought his Naim CD player. It works and works very well I have no intention of buying a very expensive cable just because the CD player was 'expensive'.

I worked in a shop and know how much mark up there is on cables hence how they can give them away with systems etc.

I know this doesn't help but changing to expensive cables will not be as dramatic as changing a source component or other electronics and speakers if I've wanted to upgrade I've changed the items and not tried fettle and improve with other means or to coin a phrase to polish a turd so to speak!
 
I make my own usually with Van Damme and amphenol connectors!
Also use Van Damme Speaker Cables!
I have listened to other cables and couldn’t here a difference I’m sure someone will come along and tell me my system isn’t resolving enough or I have cloth ears but I would rather spend the money on steak and wine!
 
AKG said:
(1) Digital cables : a different animal from Analogue cables entirely with high degree of associated skepticism for 99% of them.... including me.
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On the particular subject of digital cables I once read a comment by a respected audio engineer that a digital signal was in fact a form of analogue signal. I wouldn't know myself but after changing a digital cable on one of my systems (for no particular reason other than I was swapping some things around) I heard drums on a particular piece of music with which I was quite familiar, but coming from the left hand side of the stage whereas the drums had always previously been on the right hand side. I initially thought I had re-connected some cables left to right. The music was on video blu-ray & when I looked at the screen I saw that there were drums on both sides. The digital cable was the only change I had made & to the best of my knowledge the volume was set at the normal level for that piece of music.

What I cannot understand is that some people readily believe that everything else can make a difference to the sound but for some reason cables cannot. Now to me that is just not logical but maybe they are expecting everything to sound different, which is unrealistic & certainly not the same as some passages of music sounding slightly different. You could try looking at the subject from the other direction & if you believe one cable cannot sound better than another cable, then you must also believe that one cannot sound worse than another, & I certainly don't believe that.

The point has been made that shielding makes a difference, which is a fact. Also cable positioning, when you have an interconnect running parallel to a power cable & then separate them, well if you never experienced that then you have been very lucky. The only area of cable differences on which you are likely to achieve consensus is that manufacturers exaggerate it - but that is surely what you would expect from a marketing department.
 
Brian S said:
Is there any agreement on which cables - power through to speakers - have the greatest impact on sound?
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No. Certainly not in the context of this or any other forum.

Where would the cable sceptics put their money when buying the cables for a system?
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A fiver on eBay to wire the system and the rest in Nordost shares presumably.
 
Blind test them, if they are different you will hear it, if not you won’t. The very last thing I’d do is take anyone else's word for it! It is a subject that draws trolls and ideologues like no other.
 
I’m guessing the average earnings on a forum like this is at least £50ph so you could spend 4 hours blind testing a few cables or spend £200 buying a few you like the look of.
 
jules68leo said:
I'm sure there are people that would argue the toss but I find it amazing to think that some people believe cables can alter/change the sound when carrying a digital signal, its data, I don't see how the cable can effect the sound personally.

If the cable is faulty, connections on the interconnect or the socket end of item then yes I would imagine this will result in poor sound or intermittent problems.
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And there you have it, in my view, if you take the time to talk to cable makers, like Paul Coupe or Mark Grant, they'll both tell you it's not about exotic materials, it's about care in manufacture and, particularly with digital, using plugs with the correct impedance (fit for the purpose).

I think that all cables are more or less faulty, i.e. They work, but they are not perfect, it's not a simple broken or not. I can't rationalise the difference I have heard with the 4 different digital cables that have recently passed between my digital source and the dac.

Speculation, sure, but I am OK with it.
 
I'm like most generally skeptical about cables. Having said that I have some pretty high spec RCA cables acquired second hand at Audio jumble and British Wireless shows that I am happy to use as good quality cables. Recently my position on speaker cables changed when Jon Espley who makes my speakers recommended some silver PTFE coax as speaker cables with length kept to a minimum. Definitely tighter bass as a result. So I'll keep an open mind but won't be buying over priced stuff from A**hole companies like Monster. I welcome suggestions on a USB cable that might be worthwhile as I know for all the digital cables don't matter talk some aren't even made of copper.
 
screened mains do need to cost very much at all, slight chance they may improve . well constructed , quality plugs ,loss LOSS L.C.R cable again not expensive for other cables . the ones who say cables improve the sound may hear a different one but is it better i use balanced cables feeding mono blocks with the only short EXPENSIVE chord speaker cables. yes a improvement whether its the short speaker cable run ,XLR balance run or the fact that power amps are mono are sited away from other equipment cant say. maybe it a bit of all of them. balanced cables from the dac and vinyl phono stage seems a positive too..... on the pc /streamer/server side ive used the same QED CABLES throught out
 
Alex S said:
I’m guessing the average earnings on a forum like this is at least £50ph so you could spend 4 hours blind testing a few cables or spend £200 buying a few you like the look of.
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I don't hear the difference between cables and that's OK, but now I feel poor as well as aurally challenged, thanks!
 
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