This audio cable business is getting out of hand...

[invaderzim]

Great looking cables.

I guess that is a way to make them 'feel' more high end while at the same time getting the lower end buyer indoctrinated into the audiophile way.

A common topic for awhile on youtube videos like PS Audio was how to get more people into audio and what I finally realized is they weren't interested in getting people into better quality audio like spending one or two hundred to make a huge leap up from listening on a phone speaker; they were wanting to get people into chasing the imaginary improvements.

 

[MZKM]

Gullible consumers are why these myths still exist. I saw a recent post on Audiogon of someone looking for a new digital BNC interconnect, with a budget of $4000, I had to double check that he didn’t accidentally add an extra 0 or two.

$4K for a short length digital cable, man I wish I was as rich as these people.

 

[reza]

I do have burn-in. The problem is sometimes burn-in brings out things you don't want to hear.

Nah, that's just jitter. You need a separate clock for that.

 

[Sal1950]

that used Canare Star-Quad cable and Amphenol connectors for just $22 shipped.

Whatever way you look at it, USD$22 for 4 Canare RCAs and some cable, already made up is good value.

It sure is, almost a "too good to be true" price. Amir, did you inspect the product closely to ensure they're not some kink of fake knock-offs.
I'm really uncomfortable with the numbers.

 

[restorer-john]

I'm really uncomfortable with the numbers.

They look real. Buying in huge quantities from Amphenol they do get pretty cheap. Even just buying 100, they are only AU$4 or so each for me.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...u-use-in-your-systems.5398/page-2#post-119727

 

[Daverz]

I suspect they included that burn-in message because they had too many returns.

 

[GGroch]

I'm suspect they included that burn-in message because they had too many returns.

While that is possible...the product listing page says "If you are not pleased with the cable after the 175 hour Burn-in Time, you have passed the Amazon Return window, Amazon refuses to accept the return; Please send us a message via Amazon’s “Ask a Question” from the Seller, button and we will accept the return and pay for the Return Postage as well)"

Plus...my link in the 2nd post indicates they have never had any negative customer feedback on Amazon...all 2000+ customer feedback has been positive....and I see no negative feedback on the product either.

I think being skeptical is a good thing...but it looks to me that they may have $5-$7 in product cost for a 1ft pair. If they are made in China (Perhaps by the same people who make Ghentaudio) then while these are not typical PSAudio AC cord margins...you can make a profit at that level.

 

[restorer-john]

I think being skeptical is a good thing...but it looks to me that they may have $6-$7 in product cost for a 1ft pair.

It looks like a company who is making a good product, putting a decent, but not excessive margin on cost and working on quantity sales. Good luck to them.

 

[MZKM]

Canare Star-Quad cable and Amphenol connectors for just $22 shipped.

They also have one using Mogami 2534, 2549, and 2964. I think you should get buy all and measure any differences .

 

[Daverz]

While that is possible...the product listing page says "If you are not pleased with the cable after the 175 hour Burn-in Time, you have passed the Amazon Return window, Amazon refuses to accept the return; Please send us a message via Amazon’s “Ask a Question” from the Seller, button and we will accept the return and pay for the Return Postage as well)"

Plus...my link in the 2nd post indicates they have never had any negative customer feedback on Amazon...all 2000+ customer feedback has been positive....and I see no negative feedback on the product either.

I think being skeptical is a good thing...but it looks to me that they may have $5-$7 in product cost for a 1ft pair. If they are made in China (Perhaps by the same people who make Ghentaudio) then while these are not typical PSAudio AC cord margins...you can make a profit at that level.

Yes, that's very decent of them to still provide returns after the burn-in period. And I'm not saying their product is in any way sub-par. The burn-in message may still reduce the rate of returns, something that could easily make the difference to their cost margins. Burn-in is so widely accepted in audio that it's probably seen as a harmless way to reduce the cost of returns.

 

[cjfrbw]

I found female cables intertwined together in a questionable manner. Should I report this to my pastor?

Never buy green, saffron and purple cables with secretary glasses. They are a lot noisier and often don't work.

 

[SEKLEM]

Excellent chance for Amir here. Right now before using them, do a full set of measures with your very best DAC you'll have on hand for awhile. Run it a couple hundred hours and retest for differences. Also might be worthwhile to record some music both times and use Deltawave on the files.

It should be with a known quantity that is already infamous for snake oil.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

So, I guess we can expect a month's hiatus before ASR measurements are again scientifically valid.

I do not think either Canare or Amphenol recommend burn in, so it must be the "Proprietary Nitrogen-Assisted soldering process" than requires stabilization.

They do seem like an excellent value, comparable in price/quality to the ones I get from Ghentaudio on ebay from China and have to wait a month for. Vendor's reputation is excellent for a product type that usually has some quality control failures. The listing includes a lot of technical performance details. I'll try a pair.

Me, Ill stick with Ghent. For low cost, high quality, they are hard to beat.

 

[g29]

"... Male connector at one end, female at the other ..."

That would not be gender neutral, I think. It's difficult to keep up with all of the new mercurial nomenclature these days.

 

[amirm]

Amir, did you inspect the product closely to ensure they're not some kink of fake knock-offs.
I'm really uncomfortable with the numbers.

I looked just now and it all looks legit. The fonts on the cable are beautiful and the Amphenols look like the real deal. I opened a couple of them and soldering is decent too.

The only issue I have with them is that the Amphenol RCA connectors are very long and torque smaller devices fair bit. So make sure you have solid RCA inputs before hanging these from them.

Otherwise the cable is very soft and has a great feel.

 

[Nango]

I got tired of using my long RCA cables to interconnect small DACs and Amps so decided to get a short one. Saw one on Amazon (by "World's Best Cables') that used Canare Star-Quad cable and Amphenol connectors for just $22 shipped. My time was worth much more than that to make one so I ordered it. It came promptly. When I opened though, I was shocked to see this massive sign in there:

View attachment 27076

Are you kidding me? Even a low-cost cable using proper material spreads such a myth?

It is one thing to see this on multi-thousand dollar cables but on a $22 one?

Inside there is an instruction sheet and it says that again. To their credit they acknowledge that such burn-in will take out of Amazon's 30 day return window so they provide instructions on how to still get a return.

The danger here is that such practices will spread to the general public, not just high-end audiophiles.

Yes, it is also "directional" although here, it is due to the way they utilize the shield at one end so that bit is fine.

What a waste of energy and ressources, stop burn-in nonsense ahead of climate change!!!

 

[Snafu]

Nowadays i mainly buy cables with matching colors (i do measure that they are ok technically) ):

 

[Gabs]

Hi,


I would ask to every cable makers to sell already burned-in cable. If thay know exactly the time needed to burn-in a cable, they would also know how to properly burn-in them. So why buy a cable that I have to burn-in myself ! I'm sure thay also could sell "system burned-in cables" !

haha

 

[trl]

I'm suspect they included that burn-in message because they had too many returns.

Ehhh...not 100% sure of that, I really think it's more audiophool related folks. The burn-in message may sound more like a good commercial to them.

 

[sourplum]

I wish people had a burn-in time so after, say, 25 years, their head operated rationally.

Is this not the case already?
Except the outcome is a bit unpredictable.