Kimber KS 1036 Silver RCA Cable Review

[Madlop26]

Perhaps the amount of time/effort and exclusion of other science in that pursuit? Besides, we're still somewhat in the dark ages medically in so many ways....

I do not know what doctors Amir has met, but I know hundreds. Some may have weird ideas, but the vast majority will swiftly accept the facts when strong data is shown. Regarding a 'dark ages medically'—hardly. If all diseases in the world were to be eradicated today, life expectancy would only rise by 10 to 15 years, so medical science has to close that small gap to call it a job done. Then the quest for eternal life will begin as a bonus.

 

[Hayabusa]

There are not different using uber sensitive equipment to measure, why would anyone need to listen to it? If you could hear any difference is only placebo. No other explanation would apply.

Indeed! My sarcasm was not strong enough it seems

 

[HeadBanger]

I can get a 17" subwoofer that puts out 2800 watts RMS and weighs in at 165 pounds for $3000, or this cable for $4500.

You really should get both. That sub will then sound so much better. Even your neighbours will notice the difference.

HB

 

[jareinertson]

They stand on the shoulders of giants though. Decades of snake oil marketing, that Kimber certainly had a part in, but is only one of hundreds. Their main profit comes from the sum of built up myths and delusions.

Sad but true …

 

[jareinertson]

Decades ago, I had hard-wired some of the cheaper snaky braided Kimber speaker interconnects to a pair of Mission bookshelf speakers. A thousand veils were lifted (not!).

Please excuse me, that was snark.

Once the prices of audio gear reach six digits, it all turns to magic.

For True High-End cultists, everything else is mid-fi.

This is the interconnect of choice for True High-End cultists.

My 40 year old original 4PR Kimber Kable speaker cables are still lifting veils everyday! I bought them when they were first introduced when I was working stereo retail.

 

[jareinertson]

Amir must by now have an impressive collection of audio snake oil gadgets and cables

Kimber is kind of worse than others for using completely unshielded rca cables , like the original pbj cables .
And digital cables that deliberately did not conform to any impedance standard.

If memory my memory serves me . It seems to have begun with speaker cables 4TC and 8TC or similar, with a twist pattern that reduces inductance, in theory this should be better . Prices where not totally horrible.

But all these businesses seam to meander towards more snakeoil and higher prices all the time .

They started with the original 4PR then 8PR. The variable diameter copper stuff came next I think. Then it got really weird. ‍

 

[jareinertson]

I know a lot of people who are into this and they come from all walks of life. A lot are doctors actually. That is probably the most common profession which I find so odd given their training to believe in controlled testing.

Are they also the doctors that smoke?

 

[Mart68]

I wonder with the medical professionals if it is that they are accustomed to reading journals and papers written by experts in their field and so they assume that hi-fi magazines are written by similarly qualified professionals?

So if an expensive cable or whatever is recommended they buy it without really thinking about it. Most of the older ones have a lot of money so a couple of grand spent once in a while isn't a big deal, they don't need to ponder it.

Aside from which medicine possibly attracts most of their intellectual attention; and I also think there's a general tendency to compartmentalise audio playback as its own world with its own rules. Aerospace engineers, for example, do not design aircraft or aircraft functions based on belief but they don't necessarily carry that rigour over to audio.

 

[Robin L]

They started with the original 4PR then 8PR. The variable diameter copper stuff came next I think. Then it got really weird. ‍

Was looking at images of 4PR and 8PR to jog my memory. Mine looked like 4PR but in brown and black. This must have happened around 1985.

The biggest stupid wire expenditure of mine was on some MIT interconnect; I did spend a bit for Blue Jeans cable 10-gauge speaker cable in 12-foot lengths. I'm really happy with the "WBT" World's Best Cable" I found at Amazon—could get a 1-foot length to connect my Topping E30 to the L30. Excellent termination, good looking, on the cheap side, pricewise. The most interconnect I've owned and played with is Canare Star-Quad, microphone cable designed to reduce mains hum over long distances. I'd make up 50' runs terminated with Neutrik XLR connectors. Also soldered some to RCA connectors, worked just fine as standard interconnect for audio gear.

One more thing; in Fresno (Ca.) in the early 2010s a lot of audio gear started showing up at the thrift store I'd always go to. There were big tubs of Monster Cable near the cash registers, like impulse items at a grocery store. The highest price I can recall was $15, the lowest $3. Not the highest end Monster Cable. Seems like folks were jettisoning their 5.1 audio gear, probably from A/V systems. Still using some of those interconnects.

 

[AudioSceptic]

No it doesn't, and the vast majority of us don't understand cables. I suspect most people designing cables don't understand them.
The part of industry that makes audio cables relies on us either:-

a) believing lies, often called snake oil.

or

b) hearing differences and judging for ourselves.

or

c) being drawn into believing that if it looks expensive with lots of bling then it's probably worth it!

I know this:-

It's very easy to set up a double blind listening test that makes it almost impossible to reliably hear differences.
You just make sure that the audience is feeling slightly uncomfortable and under pressure to perform, then play unfamiliar music changing samples frequently ensuring the 'subjects' are almost getting a bit of a handle on that sound before another sample.
These tests are completely unrelated to how people listen to music for pleasure - ie. in a relaxed atmosphere and able to let the music flow over them.

True there are some people who think they have to be able to hear every detail and end up with bright systems which probably bring on listening fatigue, but that's not all of us.

So, you believe something to be true despite the complete absence of any objective supporting evidence, and also refuse to accept the validity of a simple test that will show you how unreliable your (or anyone else's) subjective evaluation is? That must be an "interesting" world to inhabit, full of magic and mystery, where science is just another set of beliefs no more valid than any other...

 

[Mnyb]

So, you believe something to be true despite the complete absence of any objective supporting evidence, and also refuse to accept the validity of a simple test that will show you how unreliable your (or anyone else's) subjective evaluation is? That must be an "interesting" world to inhabit, full of magic and mystery, where science is just another set of beliefs no more valid than any other...

Especially the transfer of audio bliss with the magic cables without changing any actual sound waves ?
Wonder what the mechanism are ?

 

[AudioSceptic]

Especially the transfer of audio bliss with the magic cables without changing any actual sound waves ?
Wonder what the mechanism are ?

Well, obviously the *sound* waves must be different, even though we can't measure that difference in the *electrical* part of the signal transfer. ;-)

 

[AudioSceptic]

Results as expected and insanely overpriced. Were the 3 who voted "Great" being ironic?

Forgot to ask the obvious question: regardless of the results, what in the materials and construction could possibly justify the price? Silver is currently around £1.70 or $2.25 per gram.

 

[Bob from Florida]

I did not care at all for the WBT connectors on the Kimber. Their locking is not very secure and the plastic tabs could break. I forgot to mention that the shell that rotates to tighten or loosen, can completely fall off, rending the cable useless! I thought WBT made good products but this one isn't one of them.

A number of "high end" interconnect cables use these. Forgetting to unlock them can result in "disassembling" certain chassis mount female RCA's. As you mentioned, less than reliable, connection wise. The Eichmann bullet plugs are surrounded by a fair amount of "hype" detailing lack of eddy currents and other esoteric BS. However, I had been commissioned to make some cables for an audio friend and the Eichmann bullet plugs were what was desired for terminations. I was astonished at how well these plugs performed from a firm solid connection and ease of use perspective. Liked them enough to make a few cables for myself using them. Being able to plug and unplug a RCA cable easily and have a repeatable good connection is a worthwhile quality.

$60 a set now through Parts Connexion

KLEI Classic Harmony Phono/RCA plug

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[Ropeburn]

A number of "high end" interconnect cables use these. Forgetting to unlock them can result in "disassembling" certain chassis mount female RCA's. As you mentioned, less than reliable, connection wise. The Eichmann bullet plugs are surrounded by a fair amount of "hype" detailing lack of eddy currents and other esoteric BS. However, I had been commissioned to make some cables for an audio friend and the Eichmann bullet plugs were what was desired for terminations. I was astonished at how well these plugs performed from a firm solid connection and ease of use perspective. Liked them enough to make a few cables for myself using them. Being able to plug and unplug a RCA cable easily and have a repeatable good connection is a worthwhile quality.

$60 a set now through Parts Connexion

KLEI Classic Harmony Phono/RCA plug

Buy KLEI Classic Harmony Phono/RCA plug from Partsconnexion. Get the best prices with fast shipping. Order today!

partsconnexion.com

That's nice and dandy, but to put the price into perspective, 60€ is what I paid for a nice 4x12" box set of the Kraftwerk Minimum-Maximum live album. And that was rather expensive even back then. The same for 4 plugs... nah. Enjoyment per money is hardly in the same universe.

 

[Bob from Florida]

That's nice and dandy, but to put the price into perspective, 60€ is what I paid for a nice 4x12" box set of the Kraftwerk Minimum-Maximum live album. And that was rather expensive even back then. The same for 4 plugs... nah. Enjoyment per money is hardly in the same universe.

For comparison WBT locking set of 4 - $431!

WBT-0152 Cu RCA Connector

Default Description

www.thecableco.com

 

[VientoB]

Perhaps the amount of time/effort and exclusion of other science in that pursuit? Besides, we're still somewhat in the dark ages medically in so many ways....

Medical doctors don't tend to do any research themselves.

 

[Ropeburn]

For comparison WBT locking set of 4 - $431!

WBT-0152 Cu RCA Connector

Default Description

www.thecableco.com

Good gods.

Blasphemy! Am I supposed to mark a pair DIY style or what?

 

[lordhumungous]

I see the GREAT vote has moved from 2 to 5 ! LMAO.

 

[testp]

i can't remember where i heard this, but there's a saying about money: poor ppl do almost anything to get it, rich people do almost anything to lose it

- or smth in those lines.