Best high end cables for monitoring

[Froombosch]

Originally Posted by jojamba

can you really hear a difference between those cables?


maybe im just a newb but i really cant tell the difference between the high end ones -


sorry .....

It all depends on the weakest link. If the cables are pretty decent and the amps are not or the listening room is bad or the recording you are listening to is bad, you will not hear a lot of differences. That is why some people call it BS, because they can not hear it in their environment.

[soundgeezer]

Originally Posted by monomer

Did you clean the plugs before you did the test?

I vacuum-cleaned the whole studio

[monomer]

Originally Posted by soundgeezer

I vacuum-cleaned the whole studio

LOL.

I was refering to possible oxidation of the plugs.
Older plugs have more oxidation on the surface.
Newer ones can be expected to be cleaner.
Oxides usually hinder the flow of electricity and can degrade the signal.
In a plug they are a direct barrier between the wires being connected.

So the condition of the plug can make a big difference to the quality of the signal being transported.

[Froombosch]

When starting a session I unplug and place back the xlrs on my speakersystem to be sure that the corrosion does not influence my speakers. I hear a lot of difference before and after unplug/plugin. I was amazed how much influence this has.

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by backindauk

The biggest things affecting cable quality are the amount of copper/conductor in the cable - that is the expensive part of the cable. Anyone who says his $5 per 100m cable is the same as a 6 gauge chunky copper cable is full of it.

snip

The reason we see a difference between a yum cha "el cheapo" cable like Hosa and a good quality cable such as Mogami is simply that there is much more conductor in the cable.

Not at all true in my experience. Some of the best sounding cable, both small signal, line and speaker level, have been the thinnest. Whether due to skin effect or not, the proof is, as usual, in the pudding, where it belongs.

Originally Posted by backindauk

Another thing: Power cables. Your mains power came hundreds of miles/kilometres from a powerstation through dodgy copper or aluminium wire, through filthy and poorly maintained transformers and then into some dodgy copper cable into your house or studio building. A $1500 IEC power cable made from Silver extracted from the earth by the last 6 remaining Monks in some desert and assembled by Zeus will not make your speakers "come alive". It will certainly make you $1500 poorer though and that is guaranteed.

Obvious common sense, but, in the end, proved irrelevant by the fact that power cords do make an audible difference. Go figure.

Originally Posted by backindauk

In my opinion, please use a good quality cable: Mogami, Belden etc but rather than using extravagant esoteric and hideously expensive cables, treat your room better and improve your acoustics. That will make a far bigger difference to your final product.

True but it ain't an issue of either or.

Bottom line, and this goes for any gear, regardless of marketing hype, theory or price, if it gives you better sound, and that improvement is worth the asking price to you, and you have the money, then... end of story.

Incidentally, IME, there are lots of cables that are perhaps better but unremarkable, especially compared to the remarkable ones. I can't personally guarantee that the reasons why they sound better are the same reasons the manufacturer/designer states, but damned if they aren't amazingly and bafflingly better.

Also, IME, there are some cables that are indeed pricey by some standards but are relatively cheap compared to the WAY more expensive cables that they improve upon. There are also some truly shockingly expensive cables that really are better. How much better, and at what cost, and is it worth it to me, and do I have the money, and would that money be better spent elsewhere? Doesn't mean they ain't better.

[Piedpiper]

Originally Posted by monomer

So the condition of the plug can make a big difference to the quality of the signal being transported.

thumbsup+1

And we're not talking visible oxidation necessarily. Of course, there are cleaning products such as Deoxit and ProGold from Caig, as well as some interesting and effective silver bearing oil contact enhancers, that are advisable as an annual regimen, in addition to simply unplugging/plugging on a weekly basis. Putting pots, faders and switches through their paces before every use helps as well.

[sameal]

deoxit is the shit. im a fan big time. saved boards and gear for me. i buy used all the time, so deoxit has been my right hand man. most times a little soder and some deoxit goes along way.


ive also noticed on my soundcraft, if i dont play with the master fader a little, the left channel will go out on the studio outs. i have to jam the fader all the way too the top and slide back down to get it back. this might be the cause, or possibly something else.

i deox'd it recently. maybe shes due for another.

possibly better faders. i heard the stock alps werent really up to snuff.

[Rickard Bengtsso]

Ha ha ha
YES YES YES, start digging!

Originally Posted by soundsundergroun

Why stop there? You would need to replace all the lines going from the power plant to your house with Monster's brand of copper formulation.

[Audiop]

Originally Posted by monomer

Just out of curiosity, how does one go about properly testing a power cable?
I mean, ABX would be difficult because you cannot use the same output gear.
So it would be impossible to say if any difference is due to the cable or due to the differing gear.
Maybe a very fast power line switch?

ABX is not necessary but that could be done to. The crux is that there will pass some times between swapping and that can reduce the sensitivity of the test. BUT since the believers can hear the difference when swapping themself in open tests the time factor shouldn't change anything.

I'm not saying there can't be audible differences on cables (of any sort) but poor engineering don't impress me. What I'm saying is a skilled designer can make boxes and cables which are not affecting the signal audibly "interfacing-wise".


/Peter

[212121]

So why are people still trying to say that a 30€ cable is worse than a 300€ or 3000€ whatever cable?

I tried to find the tests of the guy who offered $10,000 to anybody who could hear the difference between between a power chord and high end speaker cable, but I could not. He conducted these tests in various cities for years, and nobody ever won the money. But this is the same point.

and

Audiophile Deathmatch: Monster Cables vs. a Coat Hanger - Audio - Gizmodo