what do you all think about high end cables - more specifically those who spend great amounts of cash on them? i recently made a video discussing some thoughts about this and wanted to share to add another perspective. it’s only about 3 mins and explains a bit about percentage and how cost may or may not be relative. i think this is an interesting thought that will lead to some equally interesting discussion
here’s the video:
I like a tidy well built cable that’s where it ends for me…
agreed - monoprice call it a day…!
This vid helps put some stuff in to perspective I am really glad you made it!
after $100, unless we’re talking extended lengths, it’s all snake oil.
His wait times are alittle long right now as he’s been getting more orders then what he anticipated
Copper has a price. A length of copper with a certain diameter costs a certain amount. That amount (without connectors) scales linear with length.
So a 2x 6mm² (9 AWG) is a fat heavy cable, and it is expensive because the copper is expensive (6€ per meter/3ft). You need that conductor when pushing tons of power over long distances to big speakers and oply then!
For normal use cases, 2.5mm² (13 AWG) to connect a 200W speaker to an amp is plenty.
Analogue cables, between mic, guitars, preamps, DACs, etc., there is very minimal current flowing. So even a LAN cable with its measly 0.22mm² (24 AWG) is PLENTY (there are splitters to push multiple mics through a LAN cable as analogue signal).
So, with that puny conductor, you are looking at 1€ ($1) per meter (3ft). Add good Neutrik, Hicon or Cliff connectors (2.50 bugs a piece) and 6€ for a finished 1 meter cable.
What about heavier shielding? How much does that raise the price?
Cents, if any. Because shielding is where you don’t need rubber.
i believe this is way so many people opt to make their own cables. i find cheap wire at thrift stores for pennies. literally pennies. long term you would save hundreds of dollars makin your own. if you can’t, the used market is always decent. i was mainly trying to provide another perspective when it comes to WHY these people do what they do. quite frankly it’s because of their financial situation, not because of proper research/reasons. in my opinion at least.
In the 90’s I read academic papers on whether the perceived audio in differences in wires has any physical basis, and the short version is no. There is nothing to changes in resistance, or impedence or wires acting as filters because of the inherent resistance and capacitive properties, it’s all way to small to make any measurable never mind audible difference.
Pick a cable that isn’t a pain to deal with looks good and has decent connectors on it.
DIY vs buy, assuming you have adequate soldering/crimping skills is really just a question of what your time is worth to you.
I always thought of people buying high end cables as an “insurance policy” of some sort. They buy perhaps more expensive cables then they need in order to ensure the cables are not a problem or weak point in their mind. I’m mainly talking about people who have very high end systems
A lot of Hi-fi magazines and stores used to push differences in cables pretty hard, I think it’s just been repeated enough times that people buy into it, and then just push it on others.
Hard to convince someone who’s already spent $1000 on a cable that there is no difference to a $10 cable.
Yeah, I mean you really can’t change opinions at that point. And I’m not going to judge either, as if it makes them happy to have, why should I try to take that away? I personally won’t really recommend high end cables, but if someone really wants to get them after being informed, then so be it
in a video on youtube Paul from PS Audio discussed his experience with the listening room. he went on to mention that the USB cable a tech was A/B testing made a perceivable differences in the quality of bass. this is what got my curious of cables all to begin with. i wish i could find that video. i will start digging now lol
start from 2:20
I personally have heard a difference in cables. On a half million dollar system. At that point it matters. For 99% a decent cable will do them just fine lol
