Jimbos Audio ramblings

[Macca]

Reckon lawnmower cable wouldn’t sound as good as the cables used in Jimbo’s mate’s system?
Maybe a reason he spent the money, just saying’

that said,
be fun to compare!

I think he's a dealer so he probably didn't spend the money, at least not personally.

£24K on speakers and amps and £60K on cables for them, regardless if you think cables matter or not, that just doesn't compute - for me anyway.

[Barry]

I think he's a dealer so he probably didn't spend the money, at least not personally.

£24K on speakers and amps and £60K on cables for them, regardless if you think cables matter or not, that just doesn't compute - for me anyway.

I agree! More than that, I cannot see how you can sensibly spend £60K on cables anyway: hence my sarcastic post earlier.

[Jimbo]

I think he's a dealer so he probably didn't spend the money, at least not personally.

£24K on speakers and amps and £60K on cables for them, regardless if you think cables matter or not, that just doesn't compute - for me anyway.

I personally have only ever spent modest sums on cables but I do think they make a difference. Not so sure about ultra expensive cables as the law of diminishing returns sets in pretty quick. I would always rather spend my money on speakers. I have auditioned some exotic cables at exotic prices and quite often I have preferred the cheaper end in my system.

[Macca]

I personally have only ever spent modest sums on cables but I do think they make a difference. Not so sure about ultra expensive cables as the law of diminishing returns sets in pretty quick. I would always rather spend my money on speakers. I have auditioned some exotic cables at exotic prices and quite often I have preferred the cheaper end in my system.

I think they can make a difference if their LCR is extreme in some way (you can buy cables with those little boxes attached that contain zobel networks that probably do something) or if there is an impedance matching issue between components in the system.

But in my system/room I cannot perceive any difference between several hundred quid's worth of thick as hosepipe, super pure copper, six separate conductors, with top dollar connectors speaker cable, and some generic 79 strand with the crappiest, worst looking plugs you ever saw, that I bought used for a tenner.

I just use the expensive one as it looks the part. And yes, before anyone asks, my system is 'very revealing', probably one of the most revealing systems I ever heard. Ofc it could just be my hearing is shot...

[Jimbo]

I have borrowed all sorts of cables from different folk to try in my system over the years and I believe I can hear the differences between copper and silver/plated and the differences between plug types but the margins are fine compared to different amps and speakers.

[Barry]

I dont believe plug types make any difference: regardless of whether they are bunch pin; O-Z, or a single cylindrical tube with a side pressure spring wire. They either make a low resistance connection, or they don't.

[Macca]

I dont believe plug types make any difference: regardless of whether they are bunch pin; O-Z, or a single cylindrical tube with a side pressure spring wire. They either make a low resistance connection, or they don't.

If they don't make a low resistance connection then they may make a difference though. Plus other factors like the gauge of the cable and how long the run is. Thin cable over a long run you are going to get losses that might be audible at the frequency extremes. But that will be a frequency response error and nothing to do with inherent 'quality' of the transmitted signal.

There's always some edge cases if you look for them.

Have to say even if I accepted there were benefits to spending a lot on cables, sixty grand surely goes way, way past the end point of diminishing returns. I mean it's a wire, how good can it possibly get?

But then the big mark up on cables makes them the sweetest plum of any hi-fi product sale, so there's a conflict of interest there.

[Pigmy Pony]

It would be a shame to "invest" £60k on speaker cable, only to have all your efforts ruined by allowing them to come into contact with your £5 per metre contract cord carpet and all the static it generates. So you're gonna need some of these:

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiksLKkgbiHAxVPlVAGHaFVAN8YABAW GgJkZw&co=1&ase=2&gclid=CjwKCAjw4_K0BhBsEiwAfVVZ_6-DggV6I-PYUxEzEilHIswzg2AWBQhUF7Duv7tUNu8s97LXSKjjGxoCeNAQ AvD_BwE&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVeD2IAG2a640s TwvFwpKT0jY0FsS3BAh61bf0JRGyRpkcGVGmiCKbPTIsYl67MI TS6YYxj14jTsnMcXhKq9UDw2MO7BK5ykZ72VOGSKVBDSTtVwrV GI&sig=AOD64_0H-pPDhB5FMgM2Celk7TCJNh8fZw&ctype=5&q=&nis=4&ved=2ah UKEwjO_q2kgbiHAxW4RkEAHcuND5MQ9aACKAB6BAgDEDE&adur l=

Ok they may seem a bit pricey, especially as £798 only gets you one, and you'll probably need a few. But then they are made of Krion and Panzerholz wood. And held together with Japanese thermoplastic screws. None of your Chinese crap here.

[Barry]

If they don't make a low resistance connection then they may make a difference though. Plus other factors like the gauge of the cable and how long the run is. Thin cable over a long run you are going to get losses that might be audible at the frequency extremes. But that will be a frequency response error and nothing to do with inherent 'quality' of the transmitted signal.

There's always some edge cases if you look for them.

Have to say even if I accepted there were benefits to spending a lot on cables, sixty grand surely goes way, way past the end point of diminishing returns. I mean it's a wire, how good can it possibly get?

But then the big mark up on cables makes them the sweetest plum of any hi-fi product sale, so there's a conflict of interest there.

I was talking about the plugs, not the cable. Obviously 'bell wire' will have a higher resistance per unit length than, say, a cable of 20A rating (such as QED79). When I replaced the 5A lighting flex feeding my speakers with QED79, the resistance was roughly halved, and for a given perceived volume level, the volume control on my preamp did not have to be turned as far.

[Macca]

I was talking about the plugs, not the cable. Obviously 'bell wire' will have a higher resistance per unit length than, say, a cable of 20A rating (such as QED79). When I replaced the 5A lighting flex feeding my speakers with QED79, the resistance was roughly halved, and for a given perceived volume level, the volume control on my preamp did not have to be turned as far.

I know, I was just mentioning cable gauge and length as potential factors in 'cable differences'.

Poorly soldered plugs can increase resistance, noise and distortion - but like you I am sceptical that the material they are made from makes any change to the signal, let alone one large enough to be audible.