Quote:
alan monro wrote:
 Mark Don't wast your money on special cables, these cables are being sold by lying greedy salesmen who most know that speaker and mains cables make absolutely no difference to the sound . The government should send them to jail for 'deception' I dont know if in USA there is such a criminal charge??? Alan |
There is much vehemence and recriminations regarding the matter of cables of all types. The fact is that most who comment on the matter have an opinion and make lots of assumptions but have never actually done any objective testing nor made a significant attempt at any science regarding the matter. I suggest that we keep the tone of the discussion civil by discussing facts when available, our experience when it may prove helpful, and theory and hypothesis without emotion.
There is nothing criminal about selling overpriced products to people who believe that they actually hear a difference. Some of the claims made in advertising are certainly outrageous, but there is no need to make all salespeople and businesses who sell higher end cables out to be criminals. Most of them simply don't understand the technology any better than their clients.
I have done some objective testing of power conditioners, speaker cables, and interconnects, and have seen enough to know that the issue is more complex than the naysayers would like it to be, and that most of the noted effects are far more due to expectation bias and placebo effects than the proponents would admit.
Speaker wires and interconnects can make an audible difference in some systems under some conditions, but they are very minor compared to what people are expecting to hear or want to hear. Their experiences are "real" because their perception includes the biases that they are conditioned to have. They may not relate to what can be attributed to physical differences in the sound. On the other hand, to say that cabling cannot make a measurable difference based on assumptions that one understands all the variables involved is simply unscientific, and IME, wrong.
Power cables are hard to make a case for, as long as the connections are solid and the size is appropriate for the current used. Noise may be a factor in some cases and shielding may be useful in some cases, but these are rare. Power conditioners do often make a measurable reduction in noise, but it is rare that this noise makes it past a typical power supply. Common mode or ground noise may have an effect in some systems, however, and some noise does pass through a conventional power supply in some systems. Inter-component noise can be an issue that filtering can affect. For most people, the effects of expensive devices and cables are not meaningful in any objective sense.
That said, and all based on my experience and measurements, BTW, many people do experience differences that THEY feel are meaningful. Some may not like the fact that they report them, but here at HTS we WILL discuss the matter in a civil and respectful way, or moderators will take action. That is the way we do things here...everyone gets to state their views, experience, and knowledge, but we keep it civil, without demeaning anyone. Be helpful, respect others, and keep the tenor of the discussion moderate. Stick to facts as much as possible and understand that your opinion is just that until you support your assumptions with facts and/or measurements.