High-End Line/Speaker Cables, Caps & Coils: Sci-Fi or Science?

[dped90]

Have forums like ours here debunked the “high end line and speaker cables are way audibly superior” myth? Or is it a myth? If not, then DIYers shouldn’t moan over Jupiter oil cap and Duelund coil prices. Certainly, with caps, choice of dielectric and purity of same, terminal construction and quality control impact performance and thus price.
https://www.dadaelectronics.eu/uplo...ctronics-papers/Picking-Capacitors-W-Jung.pdf

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[Speedskater]

I think that if they were to rewrite that Walt Jung & Richard Marsh article some 43 years later, it would be a much different article.

 

[SSS]

Of course there are differences between cables, the connector quality and so on. Question is how much this influences the sound in a specific application?
Bad things are plugs not fit tight or are able to corrode. With speaker cables the main problem to me is not the wire if the conductors are thick enough for the needed current but it is the plugs or spades which may be of low quality. Therefore I build the cables DIY with good parts where I prefer banana plugs for hi-current applications. Phono and line cables need to be as short as possible. There the capacitance might have an influence which can be measured. Capacitors, there the application makes most difference. Is it for a loudspeaker crossover with high current flow or is it in a preamp circuit. In general best capacitor is where there is no one needed. In transistor circuits often electrolytics are used. There may differences between different brands and type. But this needs to be checked just in the intended application in a circuit. There no general rule is always true.

 

[fpitas]

I used to just pose one question to the true believers: will any cap, no matter how expensive, add something good to the music?

It's a trick question, of course. When the sensible ones admit they can't, I ask why they don't go full active

 

[dped90]

I think that if they were to rewrite that Walt Jung & Richard Marsh article some 43 years later, it would be a much different article.

Why?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I used to just pose one question to the true believers: will any cap, no matter how expensive, add something good to the music?
It's a trick question, of course. When the sensible ones admit they can't, I ask why they don't go full active

Sure, it's a trick question. Nothing can add anything good to the music.

 

[fpitas]

Sure, it's a trick question. Nothing can add anything good to the music.

It has been a good conversation stopper when the subject is boutique caps

 

[hnash53]

I've been a member of this forum less than a month... and this thing about "high end cables" has been beaten to death... emphasis on "death."

 

[fpitas]

I've been a member of this forum less than a month... and this thing about "high end cables" has been beaten to death... emphasis on "death."

I'd say expect plenty more trolltastic threads.

 

[dped90]

Sure, it's a trick question. Nothing can add anything good to the music.

Putting aside the quality issues of "boutique" caps and coils, as you are no doubt especially aware, the lamp cord and Belden coax vs. "high end" speaker and line (Cardas, Audioquest, et al) cable debate has raged for decades now. Am I wrong or has Audio Science settled that debate purely with measurements rather than listening tests? Or can they in fact measure harmonic distortion produced by cable A vs cable B? If yes, would that be because Jung & Marsh in the (Aug. 1980 AUDIO) article cited above measured different amounts of harmonic distortion of sine waves among difference capacitor dielectrics?

In any case, I'd still like to know why all Stereophile and most other professional reviewers use this either something this https://www.ebay.com/itm/325444103983
or cables 2x, 3x or more expensive instead of something like this. https://www.belden.com/products/cable/audio-cable/analog-audio-cable/8451

 

[BDWoody]

the lamp cord and Belden coax vs. "high end" speaker and line (Cardas, Audioquest, et al) cable debate has raged for decades now.

Yes. There are still many who won't bother to learn the basics.

Am I wrong or has Audio Science settled that debate purely with measurements rather than listening tests?

Since you can't really prove a negative, all we have is what evidence exists. First step is to understand it. A bit of searching this site should show many versions of this conversation.

No need to keep beating this dead horse.