Belden ICONOCLAST XLR Cable Review

[SaltyCDogg]

As always I thank Amir for his excellent and tireless work.

@amirm Do you see a point where you would consider areas like cables a completely solved issue or do you see the value in continuing to debunk these audio myths on a regular basis? I can see the additional value here as a new test was introduced.

No one who is a regular here could be in the least surprised by the outcome. As there is only one of you, with only so many hours in the day, I feel like beyond a point this is not the best use of your talent.

The reviews that excite me the most will always be finding the (Wharfedale) diamonds in the rough

 

[AudioSceptic]

I thought BJC was above this sort of high priced stuff.

So was I when I first read about this product. I can see that it would cost more than their "standard" cables, but at this price it looks like a rip-off and can only damage BJC's reputation.

 

[nyxnyxnyx]

It still seems decent, the only main complaints I've read in this thread are about the price and the subjective claims from the company.
Those two are not directly correlated to the actual performance of this cable. It performs fine (like it should), looks very durable, thick and hard (some audiophiles have a thing for it), I can see this sell well enough if they have some sensational reviewers hyping it up

 

[Nango]

Just sounds like another overpriced cable....

It sounds always like "you want it to sound" if we were talking about a blinded blind testing it could reveal a different result or experience, of course not saying which one is right or bad sounding.

 

[astr0b0y]

@amirm I’ve re-read the review intro as I as not clear as to why you purchase this cable in the first place. Did you need another one or was it simply just for the sake of a review? Typically you review items supplied by or requested to be reviewed by members and seeing that we’re all pretty clear here on cables being either transparent or broken it seems like quite a spend to retest the cable debate (and luckily you didn’t end up paying).

 

[Nango]

If we know that different conductor materials DO react different once exposed to electricity (this is fact!!) but we measure always the same results, it is more and more clear to me Amir's APx2555 is NOT the proper approach when testing cables ......

Could this different behaviour of the cristalline structure of cables/materials translate into however which but different sound experience or measurements? Think this should be the question to get focused on.

 

[Blumlein 88]

If we know that different conductor materials DO react different once exposed to electricity (this is fact!!) but we measure always the same results, it is more and more clear to me Amir's APx2555 is NOT the proper approach when testing cables ......

Based upon what?

 

[DSJR]

At least this cable does what it's supposed to do - and then some possibly... Thing is, there are people for whom this high price won't matter at all and if they've spent lord knows how many grand on each component, it makes sense to spend on the wires too. We paupers can stick to th elikes of WBC and so on, made with well known and respected cable and trusted plugs.

I bought some XLR cables from BJC many years ago and they came to the UK nicely boxed and beautifully made up and price was still reasonable despite shipping from the US. I still have them although they're not used currently.


P.S. I remember an old friend and once colleague of mine, who used to work in a prestigious London audio-salon raving about the 'cheap' Transparent Audio mains cable. It 'only costs £760' he told me. I had to retort by describing my own home made three core IEC mains cable (standard IEC plug which I soldered the connectors to), cable off the drum from our hardware store (1.5mm?) and an 'MK' 13A mains plug and costing a tenner or so in parts...

 

[Purité Audio]

These perhaps,


Keith

 

[Nango]

Based upon what?

Based on science, of course.

 

[Purité Audio]

Or one of these,


Keith

 

[Blumlein 88]

It still seems decent, the only main complaints I've read in this thread are about the price and the subjective claims from the company.
Those two are not directly correlated to the actual performance of this cable. It performs fine (like it should), looks very durable, thick and hard (some audiophiles have a thing for it), I can see this sell well enough if they have some sensational reviewers hyping it up

Electrically it performs identical to any other cable. It costs hugely more, is stiff and not user-friendly, and may damage plugs over time. There's not one single advantage vs pedestrian cables and a few negatives. It is thicker and non durable. There's no reason to buy it.

 

[Deleted member 46664]

Strike 1 ... the ridiculous price.
Strike 2 ... the stiffness of the cable
Strike 3 ... that it makes no measurable difference.

Stiff cables break connectors...
It's what I've been telling my clients all along ... "If you want to pay me to replace the broken connectors in your equipment, go right ahead and use that ridiculous cable."

 

[Blumlein 88]

Based on science, of course.

You will have to explain.

 

[DSJR]

If we know that different conductor materials DO react different once exposed to electricity (this is fact!!) but we measure always the same results, it is more and more clear to me Amir's APx2555 is NOT the proper approach when testing cables ......

Could this different behaviour of the cristalline structure of cables/materials translate into however which but different sound experience or measurements? Think this should be the question to get focused on.

I think perhaps some of us feel our ears are actually better than the test gear and that we don't fully understand how our ears or sound-waves work. I'm increasingly amazed that the susceptibility of our minds to all manner of preconceptions beggars belief really and we're so easily fooled. Once you yourself have been fooled in non -sighted (or sighted, where you forget as to which is which...) comparisons, I suspect like me, you'll start to question audiophiledom in general and ignorant-arrogant audiophoolery in particular.

I've made up all manner of RCA based wires with bog standard and well respected pro cables and to be honest with you, I'm damned if I can tell a difference. The fit of the plugs (not loose and certainly not socket-wrenching tight) and overall length for tidiness is the most important thing for me now!

 

[Nango]

You will have to explain.

Once under electricity not all atoms on different materials react identically. Silver atoms need longer to get aligned, other don't but lose their structure sooner once desconnected. This could translate into different listening experiences. Or at least other kind of measurements than what Amir is doing.

 

[Deleted member 46664]

If we know that different conductor materials DO react different once exposed to electricity (this is fact!!) but we measure always the same results, it is more and more clear to me Amir's APx2555 is NOT the proper approach when testing cables ......

Could this different behaviour of the cristalline structure of cables/materials translate into however which but different sound experience or measurements? Think this should be the question to get focused on.

Signal Out == Signal In. No difference.

If the signal is not changed, you will not hear a difference... no matter what exotic materials are used.

 

[nyxnyxnyx]

Au contraire!

This is a case where blind testing will .......wait for it.............blind you to the differences. The pricier providers definitely provide superior eye candy. Whether the other sensations are the same or not doesn't overcome the additional sensory feedback. And if you believe in free market economics, well that in itself qualifies the pricier item as the better item.

it appears that there is no reliable and and easy way to pull off a proper ABX double blinded test at home unless one has extensive knowledge and equipment to perform it.
the debate of "testing with scientific approaches" and "testing with your own ears" are widely debated back then and still now. even those older articles where they show results of controlled testing still cannot be relied as pure evidence because the sample size is small.

to me the very crucial part in any of those testing methods is the participants must be completely honest about their finding(s) AND know the difference between what they "think" of the sound versus what they "heard" of the sound during the blind test.

imagine if participants started guessing, doubting and thinking instead of just listening and report whatever they feel, the validity of their answer will null the test itself.

 

[Nango]

Signal Out == Signal In. No difference.

If the signal is not changed, you will not hear a difference... no matter what exotic materials are used.

Again, can you prove that? How?

 

[Nango]

I leave this discussion here but after countless tests of different materials with always the same results might be we are not doing ok. Arguing only from the science perspective.