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Speaker wire

dualazmak

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Did you conduct a double-blind test?

I (we) did quasi-double-blind type audition sessions many times, at least in my setup of the above "SP cabling board" with magnetizable screws+terminal straps compared with non-magnetizable ones. I changed between either ones many times, and my wife as well as my audio enthu friends (they did not know which was which) listened to the music; of course all the other factors/parameters remained unchanged.

I believe our audition sessions were almost double-blind, but I should say "quasi-double-blind" since I do not know how to perform real scientifically validated double-blind test under "statistically significant difference test" with statistically/scientifically strict analysis and validation; our audiences were only 3 people, my wife and two of my audio enthu friends.
 

DonR

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I (we) did quasi-double-blind type auditions sessions many times, at least in my setup of the above "SP cabling board" with magnetizable screws+terminal straps compared with non-magnetizable ones. I changed between either ones many times, and my wife as well as my audio enthu friends (they did not know which was which) listened to the music; of course all the other factors/parameters remained unchanged.

I believe our audition sessions were almost double-blind, but I should say "quasi-double-blind" since I do not know how to perform real scientifically validated double-blind test under "statistically significant difference test" with statistically/scientifically strict analysis and validation; our audiences were only 3 people, my wife and two of my audio enthu friends.
You need to do a true double-blind test and be able to identify 9 times out of 10 which is which. Alternatively, you can do 2 test recordings, one non-magnetic and one magnetic, and have software to randomize the playback or compare the difference between the 2 resulting audio files. From an engineering perspective, any effect of magnetizable components should be buried in the noise floor and thus not audible.
 

dualazmak

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Doodski

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I fully agree with you; I have been very carefully avoiding myself falling into that pitfall throughout my multichannel multi-driver multi-amplifier stereo audio project.
I must say you made a very cool audio system that I would love to have as my toy and you have done a more than wonderful job of documenting and detailing your audio gear. Simply fantastic. It serves us all as a prime example of what can be done from the hardware to the software for detailing everything. Fabulous stuff. :D
 

dualazmak

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You need to do a true double-blind test and be able to identify 9 times out of 10 which is which. Alternatively, you can do 2 test recordings, one non-magnetic and one magnetic, and have software to randomize the playback or compare the difference between the 2 resulting audio files. From an engineering perspective, any effect of magnetizable components should be buried in the noise floor and thus not audible.

Yes, scientifically you are absolutely right, I assume.

I have no further passion, however, to perform such strict tests since less than US$60 extra money already subjectively solved the issue, and I am (we are) fully satisfied with it. I spent (still spending) much much more efforts in other important aspects/factors, such as selection of multiple amplifiers, time alignments, audio sampler music playlist, etc., in my project.
 
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dualazmak

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I must say you made a very cool audio system that I would love to have as my toy and you have done a more than wonderful job of documenting and detailing your audio gear. Simply fantastic. It serves us all as a prime example of what can be done from the hardware to the software for detailing everything. Fabulous stuff. :D

As always, I thank you very much for your kind attention and much encouragements on my project.
 

DonR

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Yes, scientifically you are absolutely right, I assume.

I have no further passion, however, to perform such strict tests since less than US$60 extra money already subjectively solved the issue, and I (we) are fully satisfied with it. I spent much much more efforts in other important aspects/factors, such as selection of multiple amplifiers and time alignments, in my project.
You have clearly spent a lot of time and effort on your project. I agree that a proper test could be very time-consuming. As long as you are pleased with the outcome of your project, that is what is important to you.
 
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Typical loudspeaker cables have a constant impedance in the audio frequency band so the voltage drop in proportional to signal output and there is thus no frequency response change. Even if it wouldn't be constant it would just cause a linear distortion (frequency response change) but no intermodulation, as for this a non-linear behaviour is necessary and such doesn't exist in the cable, at least in the low frequency range we are talking about.
Let's assume a voltage drop is occurring because of a tiny cable. The voltage drop is likely happening when "the bass drops" because, well, it is the most energy demanding in the signal.

The voltage drop will be the same as attenuation of the signal in that exact moment. Meaning the bass will be muddy and the higher frequencies will be at lower volume in that moment.

I'm absolutely sure every one of us have heard this happen in a cheap boombox or ghettoblaster turned up too high on bass heavy music. Circumstantial because there mustn't be clipping taking place.
 

Suffolkhifinut

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That's what I wrote, by the way to continue the off topic the flux lines are perpendicular and concentric circles to the current and their direction can be determined with the right hand rule.
An easier way to show the direction of a magnetic field around a conductor is the corkscrew rule.
 
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