Crystal infused audio cables costing thousands of dollars

[Surfrat]

On the weekend I was at a presentation on crystal infused audio RCA interconnects, USB cables and power cables. They seem to be well made with good quality components. On speaking to the creator he mentioned things like "buttery sound" etc. I asked to look at an unterminated cable to see inside and was told "No, it's a secret". I told him I was an engineer and sceptical about his claims, and he said I should trust my ears.


He then proceeded to do a demo of two USB cables he had made, the only difference being the type of solder paste used on one connector. Each demo was about a minute long with a gap between them, so no instantaneous switching, and he narrated what to listen for both before and during each pass. He knew I was a sceptic, so he asked me specifically if I could hear a difference and I said no. He then asked for a show of hands, 80% said they could hear a difference, the rest said they were not sure, and I was alone with my "no".


Throughout the afternoon my bullshit meter was in the red. We left on good terms and agreed to disagree, with a few well-meant jabs at each other. The great part is, he had an awesome sound system.


The question from me is: has anyone here managed to get a cable manufacturer, making claims like these, to produce actual measurements, or to agree to a properly level-matched ABX test? And if so, what happened?

 

[kemmler3D]

has anyone here managed to get a cable manufacturer, making claims like these, to produce actual measurements, or to agree to a properly level-matched ABX test? And if so, what happened?

I haven't heard of any.

I think your anecdote is interesting with 80% of the room hearing a difference, though. I think it's actually shockingly easy to get people to hear a big difference in sound quality simply by suggesting there ought to be one. I've done it myself. Why this fact doesn't snap people out of the subjectivist mindset, I don't know.

 

[fpitas]

I haven't heard of any.

I think your anecdote is interesting with 80% of the room hearing a difference, though. I think it's actually shockingly easy to get people to hear a big difference in sound quality simply by suggesting there ought to be one. I've done it myself. Why this fact doesn't snap people out of the subjectivist mindset, I don't know.

My guess is that no one wants to admit their ears aren't good enough to hear the "difference".

 

[kemmler3D]

My guess is that no one wants to admit their ears aren't good enough to hear the "difference".

Just speaking from personal experience I think the default is to hear something when something changes that you believe ought to produce a change.

Anecdote: more than once I've heard a pretty clear (if small) difference while tweaking EQ gain or Q while the filter was actually bypassed. I was wondering why the filter wasn't working right (vs. not working at all) until I noticed.

This is humbling and also eye-opening if you pay attention to what just happened to you.

Similarly, If you go in thinking cables might actually produce a difference, your brain will tend to provide the difference on demand. I am not sure of the role ego plays, but I don't think it's required.

 

[Curvature]

I haven't heard of any.

I think your anecdote is interesting with 80% of the room hearing a difference, though. I think it's actually shockingly easy to get people to hear a big difference in sound quality simply by suggesting there ought to be one. I've done it myself. Why this fact doesn't snap people out of the subjectivist mindset, I don't know.

People think hearing is passive, rather than active, sensory perception.

 

[SSS]

Cable tales will never die. From time to time somebody stands up and thinks to make money with very special cables. Sound difference with USB cables can be if there is a intermittent contact problem. LOL

 

[Cote Dazur]

I think it's actually shockingly easy to get people to hear a big difference in sound quality simply by suggesting there ought to be one.

Particularely if they want to.
Any one there wanted to hear an improvement and sure they did.
Convincing people who think they can hear better that they should not trust their hear, that is a challenge,
Additionaly there is viretualy no money to be made by convincing them that they did not heard what they heard bacause their was nothing to hear to begin with.

managed to get a cable manufacturer, making claims like these, to produce actual measurements

The cable manufacturer know their is nothing to measure, they do not need to show measurements to convince people, all they have to do is tell people who want to believe what to hear.
Hallelujah!

 

[fpitas]

Just speaking from personal experience I think the default is to hear something when something changes that you believe ought to produce a change.

That may be. In my case, I'd expect no change, so perhaps I'd miss anything that might happen.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

I'm wondering what "crystal infused" means. The metal portion of cables is crystalline to start with. What is this infusion of which they speak.

 

[Cote Dazur]

I'm wondering what "crystal infused" means. The metal portion of cables is crystalline to start with. What is this infusion of which they speak.

Crystal-infused products feature gemstones or crystals embedded in items like water bottles, candles, and skincare to promote wellness, mindfulness, and aesthetic balance.

In my case, I'd expect no change, so perhaps I'd miss anything that might happen.

Expecting no changes would also work the same way, yes, that is hilarious, is it not?
But at least, in that case it is backed up by measurements.

 

[Room314]

I'm wondering what "crystal infused" means. The metal portion of cables is crystalline to start with. What is this infusion of which they speak.

Soaked in Cristal Champagne? That would explain the price.

 

[Redacted]

Clickbait.

 

[HalSF]

On the weekend I was at a presentation on crystal infused audio RCA interconnects, USB cables and power cables. They seem to be well made with good quality components. On speaking to the creator he mentioned things like "buttery sound" etc. I asked to look at an unterminated cable to see inside and was told "No, it's a secret". I told him I was an engineer and sceptical about his claims, and he said I should trust my ears.


He then proceeded to do a demo of two USB cables he had made, the only difference being the type of solder paste used on one connector. Each demo was about a minute long with a gap between them, so no instantaneous switching, and he narrated what to listen for both before and during each pass. He knew I was a sceptic, so he asked me specifically if I could hear a difference and I said no. He then asked for a show of hands, 80% said they could hear a difference, the rest said they were not sure, and I was alone with my "no".


Throughout the afternoon my bullshit meter was in the red. We left on good terms and agreed to disagree, with a few well-meant jabs at each other. The great part is, he had an awesome sound system.


The question from me is: has anyone here managed to get a cable manufacturer, making claims like these, to produce actual measurements, or to agree to a properly level-matched ABX test? And if so, what happened?

What’s the name of the cable maker and the product line?

 

[amirm]

I think your anecdote is interesting with 80% of the room hearing a difference, though.

This is the case at every audio show demo. It is the "after effect" as I am going to call it. You play something and folks don't pay much attention to anything because nothing is changed. Then they say they have switched to new cable, conditioner, etc. and folks start to pay attention. Immediately they perceive detail, notes not heard before, etc. All because their brain is operating differently, not because the sound has changed.

I have had exactly the same experience. Many times. Then I perform the test blind and I still "hear the difference. Yet when the results of blind tests are shown, those differences don't exist, or are in favor of the initial sample!

This is a very hard concept to accept without personal experience. Hence, the demos are very convincing and sell products.

 

[Surfrat]

I'm wondering what "crystal infused" means. The metal portion of cables is crystalline to start with. What is this infusion of which they speak.

It felt like a cable in a sheath and the gap filled with sand/small stones

 

[Surfrat]

What’s the name of the cable maker and the product line?

I would prefer not to say as I have no beef with him.

 

[fpitas]

It felt like a cable in a sheath and the gap filled with sand/small stones

Maybe the sand and stones abrade away the roughness in the music.

 

[HalSF]

I would prefer not to say as I have no beef with him.

Wow, okay. That says something pretty weird and stark about the reputational vulnerability of high-end audio cable marketing, that even a skeptic is leery about identifying the business. They conduct a public demo for a crowd of people, but they need to be granted anonymity, like whistleblowers or dissenters in an authoritarian state?

Maybe the allure of top-secret cable innards and not giving out the information people need to buy them is a cunning underground sales strategy.

Meahwhile, when you do a search for "crystal-infused audio cables" one fairly prominent suspect immediately jumps out. But amazingly they don't seems to be the only ones working this particular hustle — there's also these guys for example.

 

[Cote Dazur]

What’s the name of the cable maker and the product line?

Maybe this:

Crystal Cable by Crystal Cable​

Crystal Cable is a premium Dutch manufacturer renowned for blending advanced aerospace engineering with high-end audio artistry. Established in 2004, the brand revolutionized the high-fidelity market. Challenging the assumption that high-performance cables must be thick, heavy, and stiff. Instead, Crystal Cable produces ultra-thin, highly flexible, and visually elegant cables that integrate seamlessly. With modern living spaces while offering reference-grade acoustics.
By drawing on proprietary metallurgical research, Crystal Cable eliminates the microscopic cracks in standard wire that cause signal distortion. They achieve this by infusing pure silver with 24-karat gold or by using their state-of-the-art “Infinite Crystal Silver”. Paired with ultra-hard military-grade insulation like DuPont Kapton and Teflon. Their cables prevent micro-vibrations and keep external electronic noise strictly out of your signal path. The result is an incredibly quiet background that reveals the deepest, most delicate details of a live musical performance.

Crystal Cable Diamond Micro 2 Ground Bridge Diamond Cable (pair)​

$1,890.00 – $5,810.00

 

[Surfrat]

Maybe this:

Crystal Cable by Crystal Cable​

Crystal Cable is a premium Dutch manufacturer renowned for blending advanced aerospace engineering with high-end audio artistry. Established in 2004, the brand revolutionized the high-fidelity market. Challenging the assumption that high-performance cables must be thick, heavy, and stiff. Instead, Crystal Cable produces ultra-thin, highly flexible, and visually elegant cables that integrate seamlessly. With modern living spaces while offering reference-grade acoustics.
By drawing on proprietary metallurgical research, Crystal Cable eliminates the microscopic cracks in standard wire that cause signal distortion. They achieve this by infusing pure silver with 24-karat gold or by using their state-of-the-art “Infinite Crystal Silver”. Paired with ultra-hard military-grade insulation like DuPont Kapton and Teflon. Their cables prevent micro-vibrations and keep external electronic noise strictly out of your signal path. The result is an incredibly quiet background that reveals the deepest, most delicate details of a live musical performance.

Crystal Cable Diamond Micro 2 Ground Bridge Diamond Cable (pair)​

$1,890.00 – $5,810.00

It's not the metal microscopic structure but rather a regular cable surrounded by crystals