Do Fancy Audio Cables Make a Difference? (video)

[Beave]

Have you watched the video? I definitely didn’t tell you to take his words. Surely you’re mature enough to decide for yourself what words to take or not take?

No, I didn't. As soon as I saw that it was a Danny video, I knew not to waste my time. I made that mistake a couple of times in the past and won't make it again unless somebody provides a good reason to watch.

 

[oleg87]

A 40 minute video about this subject with neither timestamps nor a trace of measured data in the thumbnails does not portend a good use of one’s time

 

[BDWoody]

Some interesting points made about quality components (incl. cable) in the signal path and how it may make a difference in sound. I found some points made kinda interesting.

Apparently, quite a few people like the way he tells stories.

Fortunately, a little understanding makes it (and him) much less interesting.

 

[kemmler3D]

I KNOW that I tested in a way which in many occasions was very close to a blind test, and I know what I felt. So I know that something is different with that cable. And this has been confirmed in several reviews like I said in the previous comment.

Sorry, but no.

Look, cables generally do not work in such a way that they could make something sound warmer.

"Warmth" generally either comes from elevated bass or excess THD.

Cables can't really add bass, they can reduce treble, but generally this happens to such a miniscule extent that hearing it would be virtually impossible. We're talking -0.1dB at 20khz. To have a clear impression of warmth it would be more like -2dB at 10khz, orders of magnitude more change than what is actually observed when cables are tested.

Cables can't add THD since they're completely passive.

I don't think anyone doubts that you heard what you say you heard. What is doubtful is why you heard it. Belief that cables affect sound is more than enough to create the difference you heard, and then some. This is well-known.

Cables that actually affect the sound in the ways you describe basically don't exist, maybe except when paired with very unusual amps / headphones.

So the scientific position is not to try to run down the overwhelmingly unlikely cause of what you heard over the overwhelmingly likely cause. It's to go with the likely cause until we get some hard evidence.

Again, nothing personal, but this argument comes up constantly and the answer is always the same: "Pics or GTFO" - in a manner of speaking.