Scientific reasons why cables matter for audio

[cany89]

Have you seen this? I didn't watch the whole thing, but in short, it talks about the differences that cable impedance can make. If we get different results when the cable impedance is combined with the speaker impedance, wouldn't we see this when we measure the frequency response?

 

[August West]

Based on what I've learned here...this is garbage time.

 

[diddley]

give that man a blind test and be done with it.

 

[whereisbrian]

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Cables matter in audio. Sometimes shielding matters. Physical defects almost always matter. Sometimes conductivity matters in the sense that the farther apart the source and destination are the thicker the cable needs to me. For ordinary home installations the cheapest solution that's physically sound often gives the best performance a listener can perceive. Oh, copper wire is generally the best choice.

 

[tmtomh]

Have you seen this?

No - have you?

If so, how about writing something more than, "Have you seen this" - how about giving us a summary so we can make an informed decision about whether or not we want to invest the time to view it and whether or not we'll be likely to be okay giving that video clicks.

 

[kemmler3D]

Just FYI there's a semi-recent (i.e. not years old yet) forum rule that you have to give a useful summary of the video...

Here's my attempt:

1) My friend didn't like his speakers and then he swapped a cable and he started liking them.
2) The creator of the video immediately attributes this change in attitude to the cable.
3) Random, factually incorrect dig at ASR, indirectly claims Amir lacks knowledge and expertise regarding audio equipment?
4) (even the transcript is too long to bother reading entirely, but) It seems like they're beating the phase distortion horse's corpse some more while (as always) not acknowledging that it's irrelevant at audio frequencies. Lots of talk about how impedance, capacitance, and inductance apparently vary wildly across the audio band? News to me...

If they are arguing that frequency or phase response changes a lot at the speaker when you swap cables, they could point a mic at their speakers and show us. They wouldn't need to post a lecture on circuits. But apparently saying this means I lack expertise and don't know how audio equipment works. Oh well, back to toiling in ignorance...

 

[mglobe]

No - have you?

If so, how about writing something more than, "Have you seen this" - how about giving us a summary so we can make an informed decision about whether or not we want to invest the time to view it and whether or not we'll be likely to be okay giving that video clicks.

I generally don’t feel the need for a summary of a video, but in this instance I agree. Give us a sense of why they claim cables matter and then I’ll decide if I want to spend any of my time on the video.

 

[Audiofire]

From ChatGPT summary: Galen Gareis wants you to buy the super-fancy Iconoclast cables, because he worked for Belden apparently. We already have a logical fallacy called argument from authority.

Now, we look at verifiable information: By doing a null test, we know that cables do not add distortion to an audio signal. We can see the linearity in graphs, so there is no distortion in normal audio cables. Heard differences are from ridiculously bad flaws in audio cables, or psychoacoustics (cognitive bias).

From a review, I found that the capacitance is rather high for the ridiculous price, so you are paying extra for confirmation bias and worse performance apparently.

 

[mhardy6647]

1) My friend didn't like his speakers and then he swapped a cable and he started liking them.
2) The creator of the video immediately attributes this change in attitude to the cable.

ahh, like studying statistics!

source: https://xkcd.com/552/

 

[Audiofire]

This ChatGPT summary from the YouTube transcript also concludes it is the amplifier and speakers that make a difference (whole system for audio):

Key ideas explained simply​

1. Phase shift = timing errors

• At audio frequencies, cables introduce phase shifts (timing differences between parts of the signal).
• Low frequencies are delayed more because cables behave like capacitors (they store and release energy).
• This creates distortion or “smearing” of the signal timing—especially across different frequencies.

2. Impedance varies wildly with frequency

• A cable’s impedance isn’t constant—it can be hundreds of ohms at low frequencies but much lower at higher ones.
• This is a huge mismatch with speakers (typically 4–8 ohms).
• Result: the amplifier, cable, and speaker form a complex, imperfect system that affects sound.

3. Low frequencies are the biggest problem

• Music carries more energy in bass frequencies, yet:
  • That’s where cables have highest impedance
  • And the worst mismatch
• This explains why cable changes often affect bass response and weight the most.

4. Cables + amp + speakers = one system

• You’re not “hearing the cable” directly.
• You’re hearing how the cable changes the interaction between amplifier and speaker.
• Different cables = different electrical behavior = different sound.

5. Measurable differences between cables

• Real measurements show:
  • Different designs → different impedance, phase, and resistance behavior
  • Geometry, materials, and construction all matter
• Engineers can improve performance, but cannot eliminate physical limits.

6. Design trade-offs are unavoidable

• You can optimize certain aspects (e.g., reduce impedance or phase error), but:
  • Improving one area may worsen another
• There is no perfect cable, only better compromises.

7. Audibility depends on the system

• Some setups reveal big differences; others barely any:
  • Simple/resistive speakers → smaller differences
  • Complex/reactive speakers → larger differences
• That’s why opinions on cables vary so much.

8. Price vs performance

• More expensive cables may measure better—but:
  • They won’t always sound better in every system
• Best advice: test in your own setup
  • Stop upgrading when differences become inaudible

---

Final takeaway:​

Cables do behave differently in measurable, physics-based ways, especially in how they handle impedance and timing across frequencies. These differences can affect sound—but how much they matter depends heavily on the specific audio system.

 

[cany89]

No - have you?

If so, how about writing something more than, "Have you seen this" - how about giving us a summary so we can make an informed decision about whether or not we want to invest the time to view it and whether or not we'll be likely to be okay giving that video clicks.

Alrighty, 1h is too long, I admit. I watched 15-20 mins. with skipping. Will be more informative if I post a video again. Thanks. (Edited the post as well)

 

[Audiofire]

If we get different results when the cable impedance is combined with the speaker impedance, wouldn't we see this when we measure the frequency response?

Now, you're talking and that is why we use 14 or 12 AWG. Speaker cables are part of the whole system for audio, so resistance matters. You don't need a ridiculous price, just buy big cross-sectional area for speaker cable conductors to get low resistance.

 

[Rick63]

 

[Audiofire]

 

[kemmler3D]

Now, you're talking and that is why we use 14 or 12 AWG. Speaker cables are part of the whole system for audio, so resistance matters. You don't need a ridiculous price, just buy big cross-sectional area for speaker cable conductors to get low resistance.

Good reply. Something good to think about here.

Stereophile posts frequency response measurements of speakers, as well as straight-faced reviews of how cables sound. A rare combination.

Have you EVER seen them re-test a speaker's frequency response with different cables to show the difference? Since supposedly they make a big difference? In all the years they've been testing speakers, they just forgot that cables play a big role in how speakers sound?

Assuming cables materially affected frequency response, not ONCE did a manufacturer demand they re-test with a certain cable? EVER?

And, as a publication that obviously has the ability to measure frequency response and correlate it to subjective listening, they just never thought to do this with cables? In how many years, this never occurred to them?

As a publication that backs the controversial view that cables materially affect sound, they just never bothered to show us instead of telling us? Not ONCE?

And furthermore, in all the tests of all the speakers on the market, among all the reviewers to point a mic at a speaker, we've somehow never seen a discrepancy in frequency response (or any other metric) that was found to be caused by choice of cable? EVER?

Could it be... cables make no difference in practice at all? Nahhhhh...

 

[Somafunk]

No - have you?

If so, how about writing something more than, "Have you seen this" - how about giving us a summary so we can make an informed decision about whether or not we want to invest the time to view it and whether or not we'll be likely to be okay giving that video clicks.

It’s a passion for sound/lachlan video, we don’t need a summery outside of “clickbait shitbait shitshow”

 

[Ropeburn]

This ChatGPT summary from the YouTube transcript also concludes it is the amplifier and speakers that make a difference (whole system for audio):

Given how much and how often ASR threads on these topics are the very first search results, it stands to argue this forum is training AIs in good ways.

 

[eddantes]

 

[Timcognito]

Why cables matter: in most cases somewhere something has to be plugged in to get power to send a signal out often by a cable to something else that's plugged in.