Surely a cable cannot improve the original signal, but a lesser one can deteriorate it.
Location: Seaford UK
Posts: 1,861
I'm Dennis.
Surely a cable cannot improve the original signal, but a lesser one can deteriorate it.
Absolutely spot on Dennis.
Once a cable transparent enough (well matched to your system?) is used the full potential of the kit can be enjoyed.
It's amazing how a lot of speaker cables, for instance, block the full potential.
All cables have a negative impact on the sound. The best we can do is to pick those that offer the least detriment. Some cables, for speakers or interconnects and even for digital use can make a system sound a bit grim, it pays to experiment, although that does not necessarily mean spending a fortune.
It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
I've sat with three to four people in front of my own system with Atlas Equator and Atlas Hyper interconnects and all present found the difference blindingly obvious. Yeah, so there was a substantial difference in price too. We didn't find that speaker cables gave the same magnitude of difference though.
Of course, a cable can't "add" anything, but a good cable will minimise how much is "subtracted" from the signal.
Ben Duncan mains conditioner
2022 MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro 10/16/16/16
Samsung QE75Q90T 75" QLED TV
XMOS DSD Async USB to Coax converter
RME Audio ADI-2 FS (AK4493) DAC
Chord Clearway XLR interconnects
Audioquest Crimson USB interconnect
QED Quartz Reference optical interconnect
Edifier S3000 Pro active speakers
Atacama SE24 stands
Location: Seaford UK
Posts: 1,861
I'm Dennis.
Depends what you mean by "add", it may add an odd frequency response.
In that it can't add anything to the signal.
Ben Duncan mains conditioner
2022 MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro 10/16/16/16
Samsung QE75Q90T 75" QLED TV
XMOS DSD Async USB to Coax converter
RME Audio ADI-2 FS (AK4493) DAC
Chord Clearway XLR interconnects
Audioquest Crimson USB interconnect
QED Quartz Reference optical interconnect
Edifier S3000 Pro active speakers
Atacama SE24 stands
An unscreened speaker cable can pick up RFI, if the installation is close to a radio transmitter, or to an airport. This unwanted RFI can then feed back into the ouput stage of the amplifier, where it is de-modulated and then intermodulate with the wanted audio signal. So it can, under rare situations, add to the signal.
Barry
Location: Middlesex, UK
Posts: 4,482
I'm Alex.