Belden ICONOCLAST XLR Cable Review

[BlackTalon]

It's only $1800. Buy a couple and see!

and send one to Amir for testing.

 

[fpitas]

and send one to Amir for testing.

If it didn't even keep good time, that would simply be an audiophile feature. I mean sometimes you can't measure time with instruments.

 

[Billy Budapest]

The issue with the Iconoclast cables isn’t that it doesn’t perform electrically in accordance with its design and the test results published by its designer. It does in fact perform better (or different) than other cables in terms of certain electrical parameters. But do these electrical parameters affect audio performance? Apparently not.

The problem is that the cable’s electrical performance does not affect sound measurements one iota. So, a ton of engineering and manufacturing expertise has gone into making the cable, resulting in enhanced electrical performance, but resulting in no differences in audio performance.

 

[Sal1950]

The problem is that the cable’s electrical performance does not affect sound measurements one iota. So, a ton of engineering and manufacturing expertise has gone into making the cable, resulting in enhanced electrical performance, but resulting in no differences in audio performance.

All done simply to latch on to the audiophool's love of spending large amounts of money on useless shit.
I believe it's not only an embarrassment to Belden but also Blue Jeans Cable.

They may not know it but it has had a cost to them both, at least in some tiny way.
For many years I recommended BJC all over the internet for great quality, low cost products, no longer.
In most cases today, there are other options I can recomend and now gladly do so.

 

[fpitas]

It's a shame that BJC is going over to the dark side.

 

[AudiOhm]

I am happy with a simple cable - UGREEN 1m XLR cable, roughly $10.00 USD...

Ohms

 

[amirm]

I am pretty sure Belden didn't want to be associated with this product. But has agreed to build them the cable like they would for any other customer (although letting him use their name). The designer behind this product owns a bunch of PS Audio gear and fell for the wrong impression that cables make a difference. And fell right into confirmation bias that way with his own cables. So much so that they were confident that my testing would prove the same. All good intensions. But misguided.

 

[Emlin]

I am pretty sure Belden didn't want to be associated with this product. But has agreed to build them the cable like they would for any other customer (although letting him use their name). The designer behind this product owns a bunch of PS Audio gear and fell for the wrong impression that cables make a difference. And fell right into confirmation bias that way with his own cables. So much so that they were confident that my testing would prove the same. All good intensions. But misguided.

Any chance that the price being charged on the back of false assertions and the fact that they have not withdrawn the product in the face of the truth might undermine your argument?

 

[Blumlein 88]

I am pretty sure Belden didn't want to be associated with this product. But has agreed to build them the cable like they would for any other customer (although letting him use their name). The designer behind this product owns a bunch of PS Audio gear and fell for the wrong impression that cables make a difference. And fell right into confirmation bias that way with his own cables. So much so that they were confident that my testing would prove the same. All good intensions. But misguided.

I disagree. I think the designer is selling a story for the bux. He saw an opportunity and decided why not get a few bucks while making people think they got a deal for something better.

 

[Billy Budapest]

I am pretty sure Belden didn't want to be associated with this product. But has agreed to build them the cable like they would for any other customer (although letting him use their name). The designer behind this product owns a bunch of PS Audio gear and fell for the wrong impression that cables make a difference. And fell right into confirmation bias that way with his own cables. So much so that they were confident that my testing would prove the same. All good intensions. But misguided.

The designer is a retired former senior engineer at Belden. I think that he knew the right people to talk to at Belden and they in turn humored his project.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Also, in terms of interconnects, all you really need are the “cheesy” freebie interconnects included for free with many audio components unless you are getting hum (probably induced by proximity to power cables).

Still, you might want something built a little bit more heavily. In that case, any professional broadcast or microphone cable—Belden, Canare, Mogami, Klotz, Gotham, Van Damme, Van den Hul, etc.—should do the trick. For connectors, Canare, Switchcraft, Amphenol, Mogami, Neutrik, etc., should work fine.

Personally, I like the nickel-plated Switchcraft connectors because not only are the incredibly sturdy and pretty cheap, they are also beautiful.

 

[soundtrane]

Still, you might want something built a little bit more heavily. In that case, any professional broadcast or microphone cable—Belden, Canare, Mogami, Klotz, Gotham, Van Damme, Van den Hul, etc.—should do the trick. For connectors, Canare, Switchcraft, Amphenol, Mogami, Neutrik, etc., should work fine.

I have used Belden, Canare, Mogami, Percon, Sommer and more - cables.
Neutrik (including REAN), Switchcraft (especially the DC locking jacks and miniXLR which they call MTQG), Amphenol, HIROSE, LEMO, ODU, and more connectors, .

...being in the pro audio space of things... quite different from the hifi side of things.

Oh, can I build an 'interconnect' or something with swanky sleeves (read TechFlex) and adhesive-filled heat shrink - i have done it before and it was ALWAYS because of the nature of what is needed, rather than a 'showcase'...

Maybe all i need is some marketing 'shite' and i can start making cables to sell to all of you, hahah...

 

[iconoclast]

I like the name, but that's about it...

 

[Sal1950]

The Good News is, Currently AFAIK there is no way to order, or even learn about Iconoclast cables
anywhere on the BlueJean site. I could be wrong but I thought in the past I had seen them there.
Right now the only way to Iconoclast is via that company's site.
I still won't give BJC absolution for damnation for being involved with this ripoff in any way.

 

[Martini]

You can look up the Iconoclast patent - https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/ppubsbasic.html
using the patent numbers 9748022 & 9293239 shown on post #648.

 

[SIY]

You can look up the Iconoclast patent - https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/ppubsbasic.html
using the patent numbers 9748022 & 9293239 shown on post #648.

I'm still trying to figure out the significance of this.

 

[Martini]

I'm still trying to figure out the significance of this.

The post or the patents? If the patents, I agree.

 

[DonR]

The post or the patents? If the patents, I agree.

Some people are convinced of the authenticity of innovation if a patent is granted or even pending.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I'm still trying to figure out the significance of this.

Yeah, I cannot see why they received these patents. The 1st one is just how to spiral a balanced cable with mostly air around the conductors which other people have already done in the past. The 2nd is about how this method reduces propagation delay and inductance at audio frequencies. Again don't see a patent in that.

 

[SIY]

The post or the patents? If the patents, I agree.

Some people are convinced of the authenticity of innovation if a patent is granted or even pending.

Yes, the patents. Examiners are... ummm... not always concerned with accuracy and whether something actually does anything (they have a huge pile of applications to wade through), it's more a matter of getting the claims wording to something they like. Reading the file wrappers is often instructive in cases where you wonder what the hell the examiner was thinking.