Lee T
pfm Member
A cable such as the 2 i use are designed to do this, remove as much RFI as possible entering the equipment, to supply the equipment with a clean power supply, to maintain as low an impedance as possble, the test needs to measure the output of the equipment with the stock lead in place & then with the after market lead in place to see if the measurements change for better or worse or not at all.Maybe I'm being a bit too pedantic (I tend to...) but shouldn't we take a closer look at this testing process and define a few aspects:
1) What are the objectives of this exercise?
a. To develop, based on the tests, a conclusion?
b. To identify, based on tests & results, what else needs to be done?
2) What "deliverables" do we want to come out of the process?
a. For "subjective assessment"?
b. For "objective assessment"?
3) How the desired deliverables influence the methodology of testing?
a. Subjective testing criteria and "scoring"?
b. Objective testing criteria and required measurements?
c. Do we need to use absolute or relative assessment techniques?
d. If absolute, do we need to define "result-to-score" logic
e. If relative, what do we use as a baseline?
f. etc..
If we fail to reach consensus on the above, it is highly likely that we will battle to reach consensus on any interpretation of the results - which will likely make the whole process a waste of time and effort for those involved (apart from any lessons learned in the process...).
Also, we are fast approaching New Year and thereafter it's going to be "back to the grindstone" for most, so the window of opportunity to get this done during the holiday period is effectively closed. This means that any testing process will have to be done once all are back at work - when spare time is even more precious.
I also don't think its fair on whoever gets lumbered with the testing to expect him/her to tackle any process which lacks structure and defined outcomes - in rugby terms, it's something of a "hospital pass"...
Or am I seeing problems where none exist?
PS: Please note careful circumnavigation of any mention of cricket...Well done, England - a deserved win!
Anyone buys such a cable for the reasons mentioned above, the test would show if they do as stated, after this process, if for example it showed nothing, then there is nothing, if it showed a change then they do as stated.
Any outcome from this is then down to a subjective view, if it improves sound quality is down to the individual but it would at the very least show if they have an effect, be it a positive or negative effect.
Obviously the details would have to be bashed out, no regenerators in the path, no form of filtering etc,, it needs to stripped bare for a test such as this as any of the aforementioned could affect how such a cable works, & is how & why people buy them, in my case it is anyhow.
I would imagine such a test to be quite straight forward for any competent electronics engineer to carry out, if, after spending time on previous cable threads are any measure for competence in this area.
