Hey Chris! It was an absolute pleasure having you in town to see what we have going on down here! I hope we'll get to see ya again soon enough! Keep up the excellent work! 👏
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Hobbs. I'll definitely be back. Probably after the Summer so I can avoid all that damn Texas heat.
@stephenyoud6125
10 ай бұрын
Good for you Hobbs. I'd love to come visit you guys when we visit friends in Houston (who are looking to move up to Fort Worth, which is a bit closer). I'd tried to encourage Gene from Audioholics and Amir from ASR to take up Danny's invite on KZitem comments, but Neither seems to be interested, sadly. I wrote Danny with their replies and he wrote me back.
@hoth2112
10 ай бұрын
@@stephenyoud6125 you're more than welcome to visit anytime! Just give us a call or shoot us to schedule a time to visit when you're able! 👍
@stephenyoud6125
10 ай бұрын
@@hoth2112 😎
@mxbishop
2 жыл бұрын
When building a 2 channel audio system, there are so many variables. When visiting other people's homes, and listening to their system, the three biggest variables I notice are: speaker placement, room treatment, and the quality of the recordings being listened to. Sometimes I identify a piece of equipment that is suspect, but that is usually not the case. While I think having quality audio components and cables is very important, there is also a diminishing return that happens at a surprisingly affordable cost. In other words, spending more money on cables may not offer as much improvement in sound quality over better speaker placement, room treatment, and choosing expertly mastered/mixed recordings. There is also the subjective test: If you close your eyes, and listen to a recording on your system, and you are overwhelmed with the sensation that the musician or vocalist is in the room, playing or singing to you personally - then you have to ask yourself, can it get any better than this? When the illusion comes across as completely real, perhaps no more improvements are needed. It's a good way to know when to stop swapping out components and cables.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
The three variables you mentioned are absolutely key in my opinion.
@dannyfannyfoodle
2 жыл бұрын
Dogma always scares me, so I completely appreciate your reasoned discussion of this topic. I have, indeed, found cables to make a difference. Where I usually struggle, however, is with the justification for esoteric cables that cost any more than around 5-10% of the price of the component they are being connected to. Anything beyond that and you can almost assuredly gain far more sonic improvement by spending that money on upgrading your components, especially speakers, than any real or perceived improvement that the cables make. Nevertheless, we all choose to allocate our resources differently. So how arrogant must we be to believe that our allocation choices are “right” and someone else’s are “wrong”? It’s unfortunate that the other KZitemrs have chosen to decline, some of them rather discourteously, Danny’s hospitality. You took him at face value and came out of this experience better for it. I look forward to your next installment. Keep it up!
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Well said, Dan. I appreciate the encouragement.
@edholmwood
2 жыл бұрын
Chris, great video. As a group, we audiophiles need to chill and be respectful of each other. Do what makes you happy, period. I really liked the wine analogy. Thank you.
@joshpeters7392
2 жыл бұрын
Can't agree with you more in your sentiments! This is a great video, and audiophiles should be a little more respectful of differencing opinions. They are after all, opinions. (Except for Chris liking the evil team from up north, that is inexcusable. :D )
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
A little polite goes a long way.
@andrewwilson8273
2 жыл бұрын
Sadly though, the wines did not, I am sure, measure the same! There was no measurement of the chemical characteristics of the wines. It is the chemical characteristics that affect the taste, that make it taste as it does. I'd be very surprised I'd the oenologists who made the wines, designed the flavour profiles, did not measure them. I'd also expect that these winemakers designed a flavour profile to suit their price and production constraints while appealing to a carefully defined market segment. That's exactly what professional loudspeaker manufacturers do. Just as competent and professional electronics designers do with all the items in the audio chain. The best that one might say is that not all manufacturers and reviewers can or do perform all the testing that can be done. Just as our host did not do in his comparison of his wines. The tests are available, he chose not to make the measurements.
@westsider1442
2 жыл бұрын
The issue many people have with cable advocates isn't with the consumers but with the manufacturers. Specifically when manufactures make claims they can't back up. If a wine company claimed their wine made food taste better than other wines or their wine had health benefits that other brands didn't, then that's a problem. Preferences doesn't equal better. I prefer red to white, you won't hear me saying red is better.
@PeterGranaldi
2 жыл бұрын
I think this, by far, is your best video Chris! It came acrossed, to me, as more about the HOBBY rather than the GEAR. BRAVO!
@PatDoyle
2 жыл бұрын
I came here to say the same thing!
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Great, it's all downhill from here... ;-)
@latheofheaven
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack Sadly, we all realize that... 😕
@tcalixto4v
2 жыл бұрын
Excellent presentation Chris. Articulated, concise and engaging. Thank you so much. 👍
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
My pleasure.
@neusprach
7 ай бұрын
Too bad he didn't do proper blindtests. It's just more words. Big fail.
@robertuskoppies444
Жыл бұрын
Many thanks Chris! This is exactly what we need today and in the future: dealing and speaking with each other should be respectful and kind. Anonymity in social media has encouraged less confident and embittered people (and not only those) to show their hate, malevolence and grudge in outrageous manners. Let me quote the great Denzel Washington: ""With so many things coming back in style, I can't wait until morals, respect and intelligence become a trend again." Plus, of course the "audiophile" statement is very true. Everybody decides for themselves if they like or dislike the sound of music as it is....no judgement here, only sometimes helpful suggestions to open eyes....or ears....
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
That about sums it up. Well said.
@neusprach
7 ай бұрын
If you care about what is actually true, you have to do proper blindtests. This video has nothing but more claims. It's not that difficult: if you hear a difference, you should hear it in a blindtest too.
@tonesbones502
Жыл бұрын
Cheers Chris. I've been into hifi for 30 years. Early days I just used the cheap cables, I'm a straight shooting, science loving guy and i didn't believe they could make a notable difference to justify the money. Then you discover Gene and your stance firms. Then one day I was at a guy's house/shop buying a set of ATC 40's. He forced a few different cables into my hands and told me to go and have a play. I did so just out of curiosity (not expecting to hear much difference) but I did. Bloody hell, very annoyingly I heard better detail and a nicer, smoother sound. I then spent about $270 on cables and I'm happy that I did. I love what I have.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
Once you hear it, you can't un-hear it.
@Bigirondoug
2 жыл бұрын
The wine reference was spot on, some years ago they did a double blind test with wine connoisseurs and contrary to popular belief none of them choose the same wine as the best. Tastebuds are like ears, no two are the same so choose the system that sounds good to you and quit trying to keep up with the joneses.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's how I look at it.
@lotog692
2 жыл бұрын
The wine reference shows that you both don't seem to know much about wine, how it's made and why wines of the same grape variety can be very different. Now this is of course not a crime, but otoh it really isn't a very good example in the given context. Because even if wine critics chose different wines as their personal favorites, they usually agree on which wines are well made and which ones aren't. Since this is not a matter of personal taste, but of quality levels in the production process of wine and you can taste that. And besides, certainly are not all wines "made the same way". This would be like saying all amps are electric devices that do the same thing, so they all are the same and you would hopefully agree that this is not the case, right? Actually maybe it IS a good example, because it kind of proves Danny's point quite well about being well educated on topics that you want to speak about. Maybe the Coppola family can issue an invitation for you and you could learn some more about wine, it's actually an interesting topic and exploring it is about as much fun as exploring audio. And the two go very well together. ;-)
@adaboy4z
2 жыл бұрын
Cables matter when it's comes to proper gauge wires. Also a good quality connection matters. But $21,000 Audio cables are nonsense.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
For most of us, yes. But there are people who can afford them and like them. I just wish I could afford them ;-)
@Starch1b2c3d4a
2 жыл бұрын
Depends on your system, dude
@r423sdex
2 жыл бұрын
How do you know how resolving your system is without measurements.
@sptauto
2 жыл бұрын
Being dismissive of a product purely because of its price is puerile and callow. No doubt, the prices on a lot of things can seem outlandish to the average individual. This extends beyond the audio industry as well. That doesn't however prove anything at all. There is no empirical evidence backing the "It's expensive, thereby it must be bullsh%#" mindset.
@adaboy4z
2 жыл бұрын
@@sptauto I said nonsense not BS totally different wording.
@favorit601
Жыл бұрын
My 35 years of high end experience and diy, good sound of cables is keeping the electronic amps, sources and so on from getting sidetracked from signal by their inadequacies related to their length. speaker cables: most people think about resistance, some about capacitance. My experience is: The main problem is the low impedance of some 2 to 8 ohms, which is an all in all low value. Cable impedance in this low type of speaker impedance is affecting the signal of the negative feedback line inside the amp, mostly in frequencies far above 50kHz. Some amps get a bit on the unstable side depending on the type of cable (esp. high capacity cable like coax) because the output coil (if there is any) and the Zobel filter are not able to get rid of all of these HF-signals. So there is a small affect on the sound left. See the cable and the amp as a whole, the cable affects the feedback line of the differential input in the amp. That system amp/cable is what makes different sounds. To solve this special relationship of a special type of amp and a special type of cable with a special length, you can spend a lifetime. Every time you change cable or amp, you can start from the beginning. Only systematics and some basic knowledge help, especially because some cable producers make fancy plugs and covers, but the don‘t tell you basic electric values of their cables. Try to find out capacitance per mtr/ft of some cables from well regarded companies! In most cases you won‘t or have to measure for yourself. line cables: most line amp output stages (sources, preamps) are not low impedance enough (most cases 50ohms to 2kohms) not to be affected by phase shifts of cable impedance (in most cases cable capacity). When using a high impedance output source or pre, try a low capacity cable first. The lowest capacity cable I know are the dnm two wire cables. With a preamp with could drive a loudspeaker by pushing 1000mA in a cable, the different cable sound of different cables beginns to fade. Digital cable: this is all a question of keeping the impedance of 50/75/100 ohms from the last active electrical part inside the source device to the first active electrical part inside the following device. A wrong cable, a wrong plug or socket, a wrong soldering, a torn cable? Back to start! It‘s 100% physics and calculation + good craftsmanship + care… otherwise you have reflections of signal in the connection. This is audible.
@RobWhittlestone
2 ай бұрын
Hi Chris - I just discovered your channel, thanks to Danny. I'm impressed by your spoken work - very stylish in a literary way. In a recent video, Danny referred to your imminent visit as I'm sure you're aware, so I decided I needed to discover your channel. KUDOS! Amongst many other tweaks I've experimented with in my 53 years in this wonderful hobby of ours, cable risers is my latest and in my revealing and carefully matched system, I immediately heard a difference which I characterize as an improvement. Freer extreme highs, faster transients as well as a better soundstage and imaging. I think it's no surprise that many high-end systems have cable risers. I made my own from oak offcuts so they color-match my wooden flooring. A previous tweak is decoupling the loudspeakers from the floor, which I tried after watching Max Townshend's convincing demo on KZitem. I was gobsmacked what a difference this made, liberating the high mids and top end and cleaning up the bass. Imaging made a big step in the right direction too. Previously I had been a spike disciple. And yes, of course in this system and with ears used to 53 years of critical listening in a revealing high-resolution system, despite my ears' worsening frequency response cables DO make a difference! Wishing you all the best, especially years of musical pleasure, Rob in Switzerland
@thevinylattack
2 ай бұрын
I appreciate the kind words, Rob. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@PatDoyle
2 жыл бұрын
Back in the late 80s, I had an audiophile friend who had an amazing system. He had turned his 2 1/2-car garage into a listening room and he built his speakers, crossovers, and much of his equipment himself. To this day it’s probably the finest system I’ve ever heard in a personal home. One day he calls me up to say he’s got new cables and wants me to come over and have a listen. So I go to his house and his system sounded amazing still and he showed me the cables he made. They were cheap wire that he bought at the Home Depot. We then decided to go to my house and see how they sounded on my system. I had some much more expensive (by the standard of the day) Monster cable on a pair of Apogee Duettas. We put his cables on the Duettas and the lower end on my system just disappeared and the upper end was thin. What sounded great on his system did not sound great on mine. We then took my cables back to his house to swap them out in his system and his system was diminished. So there you have it. Expensive cables vs cheap cables were entirely dependent on the system you put them in. Money guaranteed nothing. But there was a difference!
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's what I wish I had more of around here. Other people to swap cables, have listening sessions and just talk music.
@ptg01
2 жыл бұрын
Ah yes. Apogee Duettas. Goes down to less than one ohm I believe. Sounds incredible !! David Berning’s amp was a great match back then.
@paulstearns93
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack Where is here?
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
@@paulstearns93 The Metro Detroit area.
@paulstearns93
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack If you are ever escaping the frozen tundra in Sunny S Florida, you are welcome to stop by, have beer, sip some rum and check out whatever system(s) I have at the time. I even have a turntable (currently a Technics SL1200 MK II) which I use infrequently.
@alford35
2 жыл бұрын
WOW. Finally someone who handled this “CRAZY SITUATION” correctly!! Good for you!!! I too was in the camp that “almost” all cables sounded the same until I heard the difference for myself. I had been brainwashed that good quality cables were all that one needed to transfer the signal regardless of analog or digital throughout the chain. It does not surprise me that you also heard a difference with the cable risers as there are far too many people that use them. I have never heard a difference but I admit I haven’t ever tinkered with them either.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm just a guy trying to put out a fire.
@mikewilliams6086
Жыл бұрын
Thankyou Chris for an enjoying and very human/grounded constructive video! Don't change a thing buddy. Its good to hear someone make these good points about how to treat each other. On the technical side I'm not an experienced Audiophile but have had my share of challenging faults as an electrician over the years. From interference from a lighting dimmer on modern TVs to an industrial plant being ground to a halt because of a bad connection on a PLC network cable. So your video helped remind me that what could be a fault in some situations may be not a fault but simply some kind of undetermined interference isolated to that particular installation that us hard to repeat in a different situation. Enjoyed your video and thankyou for supporting fellow audiophiles /people!
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a constructive comment.
@JR-ho5qm
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for going to visit Danny! Much apreatiated ! 👍🏻🔈
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
It was a fun trip. I'd recommend it.
@samueldarley4765
2 жыл бұрын
1st. I'd like say great video.....I really respect how you present your thoughts here 2nd. Any one who says they can hear a difference on youtube should just do a double blind test live and prove it. Danny promised to do one and it never happened. 3rd. The wine comparison lost me. Of course wines tasted different but they would measure differences as well. Chemical analysis would reveal the difference you tasted. The people that claim to taste differences in wines are called sommeliers. Sommeliers can taste all the subtle differences in wines but have to go through extensive training, testing and certification to back it up. 4th. Sonograms routinely use sound to create extremely detailed images. Those microphones are definitely better than the human ear and literally tell the "entire picture". Measurements can hear everything that "YOU CAN" and more in ultra sonics. Finally....Im not a believer or nonbeliever in cables but we can put all of the arguments to rest if all the people that claim to hear the differences would prove it just like a sommelier does. Thanks for the video.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Microphones are definitely inferior to the human ear. Thanks for the well thought out response.
@Astulock86
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack I'm on the same wavelength regarding the analysis of music versus sound, which is why I think it's safe to say we all neglect the importance of our brains. Our ears are super, but they are only receivers. The real magic happens in the gray matter. Cheers. Love the beard!
@rogerhuston8287
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I was also suspect that cables make a difference until.... I had been a closet audiophile most of my life. I had a subscription to Stereophile off and on for 30 years. On my 50th birthday, my wife said, let's get you an audio system. After a day listening to systems, I had my wife come in and give me her opinion. She is not an audiophile. In fact, she says she's heard several very expensive systems in her life before she met me and was never impressed. Her reaction to each setup was very interesting. She couldn't listen to a Prima Luna tube amp because she said the bass wasn't natural and it made her heart feel like it would skip. When we got down to the final selection, Randy said let's switch out the Red Dawn for the Blue Heaven speaker cables. He changed one speaker and while I set myself to try my best to hear a differeence, my wife spoke-up and said, change it back, that is horrible. It was at this point that Randy (the owner of the shop) said, her hearing is better than yours and mine. Admittedly, I could not hear a difference as drastic as my wife could. To me, I would need more time to try and discern maybe a slight difference where to my wife the difference was tremendously obvious. And note, she has no horse in this race. She likes to listen to music that makes her dance, she in no way shares my passion for music. Personally, I believe you need a minimum threshold for most wires and cables to be safe. Beyond that, if you can hear a difference and your purchase makes you happy, be happy! Hell, I just got some really nice custom headphone cables that are really expensive. Did I get them because I think they will make my headphones sound better? Yes, because the cables that come with headphones by default SUCK - looking at you Hifiman. But did I need to spend as much as I did - God no. I did it because I like the person that makes them and they are a total work of art. They make me happy just looking at them and holding them. So do I doubt some people can hear things others can't. No, I live with it every day. She can also smell things I can't and do I say she's wrong or take her word for it and go take a shower? I'm still married so you know which one I chose.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Woman in general have better hearing than men, so I'm not surprised she was picking up the differences first.
@jfritzy4358
2 жыл бұрын
Chris. Always found that quality matters regardless of the item in question. For my audio system always used good quality cables and wire, nothing esoteric or expensive. Built my own interconnects using quality components. Your experience at GR Research prompted me to try a simple experiment. My speaker wire is stranded copper in typical parallel configuration. Split the conductors and made them twisted pairs. Did the main speaker wire first. Can't say there is an audible difference. Secondly, did the wires feeding 2 open baffle subwoofers. What a surprise! Clarity, punch, and depth. Track after track the same. Confirmation the difference is real, no expectation bias or brain/ears deceiving me, can be seen and felt in the way the drivers respond. One track with heavy low frequency content always bothered me. Could hear, see and feel the drivers moving out of control at normal listening level. After twisting the wires that behavior is no more. What previously sounded like a muddy rumble now has clear definition. An unexpected result.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Most likely because there's a lot more to it than twisting wires.
@johngutmanis3580
8 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video! I just ordered some tinker toys too! Thanks for enforcing niceness on your channel too!
@thevinylattack
7 ай бұрын
Doing my best.
@Doegiz
2 жыл бұрын
From my personal point of view, I have long come to the conclusion that cables do make a difference, but are often negligible at best for the majority of us with affordable set ups. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. You can spend 100$ on one cable and spend 30$ on another and hear no difference at all. Yet, in some cases, you can hear a difference between two different 30$ cables quite clearly. Price does in no way automatically equate to increase in sound quality here, but if you are capable of doing the testing yourself, you can find the right cable for you at the right price. If you can't hear a difference? That's ok! Save the money, but that does not automatically discount the idea that some cables provide better sound than others. It really depends on your system, the shielding design of the cables, the length, whether the copper is solid or stranded, etc. I could keep going. You can especially notice differences with cables that often have the shield grounded at only one end when flipping the cable around. SKW cables are a good budget example of this. So yes, I do believe cables matter. The sad part is that a lot of those who say they don't - also believe that balanced designs are automatically better than single ended counter parts. I'd love to be proven wrong!
@osliverpool
2 жыл бұрын
That's an interesting take on it, and I think you're very possibly close to the mark. I can't help thinking that the cables question is one where there is potentially some truth in it and there are honest sellers out there, but it's been exploited by some unscrupulous sellers pushing things to ludicrous financial extremes.
@VinylRescue
2 жыл бұрын
I have to agree with most of what you said. I've never heard of SKW cables, but just looked them up. I discovered and love Blue Jean cables for their quality to cost ratio and they're made in Seattle, WA.
@geminijinxies7258
2 жыл бұрын
@@osliverpool If you were a hifi cable manufacturer knowing some people will pay ANY amount of money for a cable. Wouldn't you set the prices accordingly? 😉 Leaving snake oil behind I suggest anyone interested to just order 5 cheap cables of different brands and test them at home. Keep the one you like the best and then order a bunch more of said cable, use them in your stereo system and be happy knowing that price has actually little to do with how good the cable is.
@allansh828
2 жыл бұрын
I doubt if $100 or $30 cables can make any noticable difference. I start noticing overall improvement with power cables that cost over $500.
@osliverpool
2 жыл бұрын
@@geminijinxies7258 Well, yes, the profit temptation is certainly there!
@ptbfrch
2 жыл бұрын
You put into words what I've been trying to for a long time. Excellent video, well spoken, and yes, let's respect differing views on topics like this. It's supposed to be fun! Today I was playing around with different styli for my basic Audio Technica AT-VM series, the elliptical, nude elliptical, and shibata; they all sound a bit different and excel at different things. Very fun and rewarding. I have a pair of GR Research speakers, which I've spent a lot of time setting up so I can really hear the depth, height, and width beyond the speakers soundstage, without losing the vital center image. Makes it so much easier to find the details that make a difference, and it acutely increases the listening enjoyment.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's what it's about. Trying out different things to see what you like.
@TomReinerDE
2 жыл бұрын
Man. You are good. Like… really good. Thank you for this video.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you liked it.
@charliebrubach9277
2 жыл бұрын
Well said. I had a very eye opening experience at a dealer when he was mounting a phono cartridge on my TT. Told him I didn't see how a power cable could possibly make a difference. He laughed as I picked my jaw up off the floor when he swapped the standard power cable for a Nordost one. It was so obvious to me that I just stood there staring in disbelief. Listen for yourself. If you can't hear a difference, I'm jealous because I wish I didn't. Trust me I was totally biased against hearing that difference. Every brain cell told me it wasn't possible, but it was.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm kind of surprised at how many people don't seem to hear, or want to hear a difference.
@MrsZambezi
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack It isn't a question of what anyone wants, it's entirely bleeding obvious that a power cable can't affect sound quality.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
@@MrsZambezi They sure can.
@MrsZambezi
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack Not so. It isn't possible. You've been had. But you aren't the first one that fell for the power cable scam, and you won't be the last.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
@@MrsZambezi It absolutely is possible.
@iix23
2 жыл бұрын
Great video. If cables are now your bottleneck, you must have quite a set-up. I have expensive cables and was going to buy more for my second set-up in my office when I stopped and asked myself what I was doing. I realized that I wasn't listening to music anymore. I was listening to my sound system. I ended up buying just decent cables and respected the sound that was coming out for what it was,, music. I pretty much gave up on searching for sound ( I have a more than decent set-up) and began spending that money towards records that I thought too expensive when I was spending 2k on a Zu Denon cartridges ;)
@edwardgoettl72
2 жыл бұрын
We always appreciate your honest perspective. I hope your words elevate the level of discussion in our hobby. Well done.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Ed. I appreciate your support.
@EnemyofCredulity
2 жыл бұрын
"While you can measure everything you hear, measurements can't hear everything you can." Excellent point.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks.
@davidrusso4750
2 жыл бұрын
Good presentation and a GREAT BEARD. One thing to consider with your wine analogy. A famous book, by a wine connoisseur told of how at a wine tasting red dye was injected into a bottle of a nice white wine. The tasters, all experts with wine, praised the white wine with the red dye. In fact wine tastings are well known for their complete lack of reliability and consistency. Something to consider. We all hear what WE WANT TO HEAR. Then of course there is the dread "second listen" effect. No matter what is being played and what the equipment is, when a person hears a recording for a second time they hear it completely differently. As for Danny? A great guy - down to earth and somewhat knowledgeable.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's why I stick to whiskey.
@ThisSteveGuy
2 жыл бұрын
I don't have a dog in this particular fight, but it definitely makes sense to me that anything that can affect the electromagnetic field in or around the signal path could therefore affect the sound.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's what I've discovered.
@stewart73
2 жыл бұрын
Wow, what an incredible video. I've always liked a lot of what Danny says and I think he really didn't come across that well in "the video", but he's otherwise a really kind and knowledgeable guy. Most of what he says makes total sense to me. And kudos for you for actually going there with an open mind. Awesome all around.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you liked it.
@vinylrulesok8470
Жыл бұрын
Greetings from Ireland. Loving the Guinness poster behind you 😄
@Mac11700
2 жыл бұрын
This is one of the best if not the best explanation to the never ending debate... With the multitude of variances in hearing capabilities each individual has, no linear testing will ever prove what that individual actually hears. The issue is those who chose not to believe that cables can sound different have latched on to the premise of mechanical testing and in doing so giving those results an absolute answer and call anything else a " placebo effect " . I'm like you and always say that different cables may make a difference. Experiment with as many as you can to actually see if you can hear a difference.. For those who refuse to try I hope they enjoy what they use for their systems.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad it resonated with you.
@MrBonger88
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve heard differences in single ended cables, USB and speaker cables. I haven’t heard any difference in balanced cables vs other balanced cables. That being said, the differences were small and higher priced cables weren’t necessarily better, just different
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I can see how balanced would certainly change things.
@neilfisher7999
2 жыл бұрын
Great video and analysis. I sold audio back in the 80's. Since then and being an audiophile I have always felt cables were somewhat subjective. I personally believe they can make some difference but as you said it depends. It depends on many factors. Personally I have always bought well made cables that were affordable to match the cost of my equipment. It doesn't make sense to me to put more money into my cables than into my equipment. I think you have find a balance. That being said, why would you buy really expensive gear and use the least expensive cables. My analogy would be, don't put retreads on a new Corvette. Put capable tires, but it doesn't necessarily need to be the most expensive available either.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
A fair point.
@bshah4831
2 жыл бұрын
I keep power cables and signal cables apart. I find shielding is important. I also found keeping my speaker cables off my carpet on low resonance blocks. All these things made a difference. Cables on carpets result in change in capacitance.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's pretty much what I took away from them as well.
@towertone
2 жыл бұрын
As a (currently) homesick Texan, welcome's to our world and thanks for bringing some decorum (and smoked brisket) to these issues. I love both digital and analog, MQA and MP3, streaming and locally stored (whether on a hard drive or from a non-static sleeve...). Belt drive or direct drive? Oh, God here comes the Ford v Chevy slingers. It's all good, whatever you find to enjoy in your niche, experience and ability to afford. I have a nice pair of NADs (hey, I'm talking bout the C658 pre for one system and the T758 V3i for A/V...), some vintage Pioneer, Yamaha and Sansui receivers. Nice SVS towers, KEF LS50 bookshelf and vintage horn loaded 2 way Klipsch knockoffs (that sound simply incredible). Also have a crazy good 1980's Realistic receiver with some stupid good Daytons in the garage. Do I prefer my beyerdynamics wired or Beat fit pros wireless? Depends on what I'm doing. But the last thing on my mind when I'm enjoying any of my music equipment is how much smarter or better informed I am than someone else who uses something different. Yes, my favorite overall medium is R2R over a class A amp into some 10" woofers with a horn....unless I'm driving. Or exercising. Or having guest over. Or....
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you found this video helpful in some regard. I think you're on to something with just enjoying the music you like with the system you have.
@therealcyberius
2 жыл бұрын
I may be on my own here but I have always felt this topic is win, win. If I can't hear a difference in cables then great, I don;t have to spend money on them. If I can, then great. I get a system that sounds better to me. I win either way. Why people care or don't care if people spend money or don't spend money on cables is beyond me. It isn't your money or your setup. Let people do what makes them happy.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
This is an incredibly refreshing take on it. Well said.
@therealcyberius
2 жыл бұрын
@@thevinylattack As always great videos mate!
@wingsounds13
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for making the trip and posting your experiences. Feel free to make a follow up with more observations. I appreciate that your answer on 'do cables make a difference' is 'that depends'. I also back your statement that what 'you' hear or don't hear does NOT define what I can or cannot hear. Sadly, some cannot accept this and think that what they do not hear defines what others CANNOT hear and said effect CANNOT exist. Often when comparing different items (cables, DACs, whatever) others will comment on the 'huge' difference when I hear little or no change. I have come to accept this and that I cannot tell them what they are or are not hearing. Things like cable risers seem silly to many of us but I have come to accept that they may make a difference, even if I have not (yet) heard it. What IS silly is the prices that some boutique sources charge for a bunch of small wood blocks or other such things. Thanks again for this very rational response to Danny's (contentious to some) video and invitation.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
A very even tempered attitude. You're certainly right about some of the trinkets being over priced.
@stevenmichael7770
2 жыл бұрын
You tackled several difficult subjects with intelligence and grace. Well done sir!
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, that was the goal.
@brucermarino
5 ай бұрын
Thank you for the presentation. Clearly microphones can pick up some things that the human ear cannot. This is simply objectively verifiable. Hope you do well on the journey....
@jaytorr6701
2 жыл бұрын
OK, in general I agree with you about the immaturity of the discourse. But it was Danny first who was calling people flat earthers, clueless and other nice names if they don't think cables have an effect...
@9mmmike642
2 жыл бұрын
You don’t think the “flat earthers” had made rude comments before He called them that?
@pkats9093
2 жыл бұрын
@@9mmmike642 Agreed! Pretty sure Danny‘s comments have always been in response to rude naysayers. But I could be wrong and that’s OK. Not everybody has to be right all the time. Something a lot of people in this hobby forget.
@jaytorr6701
2 жыл бұрын
@@9mmmike642 nope. He was saying it in response to Amir from ASR.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Be that as it may, I'm not doing it here and I don't want others doing it either. We can certainly have polite discussions about our differences and that's my goal.
@GreybeardMO
2 жыл бұрын
Well said. A little civility in a world severely lacking. As for me, too much time on the firing line, too many rock festivals... Tinnitus has robbed me of the ability to discern small differences in audio. Happily, that means I'm fine with my $25 amazon speaker cables, and I've no reason to fight my grandkids for their tinker toys :D
@gotchagoing8843
2 жыл бұрын
I'm more or less in the same boat. Tinnitus from my war, and old age,(in my 70's). But it can't really hurt to try, especially with, and without my hearing aids,(Govt. Issue). My cd collection is around 600, so I'm definitely a music buff. But I can't say I'm an audiophile because of my hearing.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm just glad you have the hearing to enjoy the music at all.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
An audiophile is just a person who's passionate about music and stereos. It has nothing to do with budget, hearing, or a certain 'level' of gear. If you count yourself amongst the audiophiles, you most certainly are.
@Casualfulltime
2 жыл бұрын
I soldered new speaker cables directly to my speakers crossover. The sound quality difference was massive! I’ve also noticed sound difference when swapping out RCA cables
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's kind of what tube connectors do. Definitely a difference there in my experience.
@Gaming_Biker
Жыл бұрын
I would definitely agree w/ "it depends". The number of impurities/metallurgic composition determines the quality of the of the physical wire. Then it also is affected by the quality of the connectors, shielding, signal source material, EMF within your listening environment, as you mentioned if the cable is directional vs bidirectional, etc. In general, it's not that cables don't affect sound or signal qualities, it's more of an "argument" of whether the cost is worth it to the individual based on the potential depreciating returns pursuing perfection can entail. Honestly, Networking for PCs & Internet is very similar, but there are established standards for manufacturing said equipment & cables that make it easier & more common to find high quality connections, which are pretty necessary based on the part of the network you're a part of. Very well put together response to the nonsense of this polarizing argument.
@edwardcowburn2632
2 жыл бұрын
Chris, once again I want to thank you for your straightforwardness and your honesty when making your videos. I have to admit my cables are extremely cheap. I had the chance a few weeks ago to spend $60 on an audio quest cable to use between my phono pre and receiver, or spend that $60 on an audio file record. I only chose the album because I would hate to spend money and here no results. I do believe in cases different cables can make a system sound better but I have not pulled the trigger yet. When I do purchase the cables I will let you know if it made a difference. Again thank you for your honesty and your videos.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Either way you spend your money, as long as you're happy, it's a win. I look forward to hearing about your experience with cable swapping.
@puttyputty123
2 жыл бұрын
When I got back into this hobby, all the animosity between "camps" was really off putting. I am glad there are movements in the community now to at least to build bridges instead of resorting to name calling and negative labeling. I think especially the pros and experts have responsibility. What they say or don't say, and how they say it will be escalated in the comments like a mine field and things eventually become extremely polarized. Not to excuse the average person either, we need to act our age. In the end, this hobby is about fun and should not always be taken that serious. Thanks for a great video Chris, very eloquently laid out - as always.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, that's just what I was after. I'm glad it came through.
@stephenyoud6125
2 жыл бұрын
What a wonderfully lucid, well argued, eloquent and balanced presentation. I'm glad the trip was a success, I'm very envious. I've been a keen follower of Danny for a year now, so its good to get your additional data point. To be fair (and what i expected) is that his system is at such a level where these things are more clearly audible (I don't doubt it for a second). but whether my system would be capable of showing the same effects (or me noticing them) is another question. But I keep an open mind and wouldn't dispute others who claim to have found such differences, but I also don't have the motivation to persistently tinker, either, although I'm now pretty convinced that some room treatments would make a noticable improvement (maybe even over further equipment changes).
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Room treatment is always a good idea, and it can be done for less than people think. I'd definitely give it a shot.
@thehifimaster5618
2 жыл бұрын
Hey man, I'm fairly new to your channel, but I have to say, your approach to the subject matter in this video has earnt you a massive amount of my respect. I've worked in the AV industry for nearly 30 years, from both a sales point of view, and as a custom designer/installer, and have experimented for years with cables, cable combinations, cable materials, and watched the industry evolve from analogue to digital. I became keenly interested in hifi from about age seven, and started my own hifi journey at 18, moving out into my first share house, with my parents old TEAC/Technics hifi system, and building on it from there. I've tried a lot of different gear and cables over the years, and here and there have found these magic little combinations that just worked, and seemed to transcend the mere equipment. From a sales point of view, I evolved and learnt to offer my customers simply this : "Try this cable, compare it to anything else you have at home, or see fit to try. Whether or not there is a tangible or measurable difference, if you cannot perceive the difference, return it for a refund, as there is no point you spending money on something that has no perceivable difference to you, BUT you deserve the chance to find out" And, on the occasions where I've done my job well, the customer has often returned to thank me, sometimes to buy additional cables, and in some cases to tell me that the much more expensive cables they had been using, are now in a box in the cupboard under the stairs, so to speak (Those are the most satisfying). At any rate, I am looking forward to catching up with all of your older videos that I heve not yet seen, and look forward to what comes next. Thank you for having the courage to put yourself out there on KZitem and create this channel. I'm especially keen to see what you think of Danny's power cables. Cheers, Chris.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad to have you here. One of the thing that has confused me most is the simply unwillingness to try things be the naysayers. Most stores I'm aware of, offer returns on their products. Buy one, try it out, if it doesn't work for you, return it. Some people just don't want to make the effort I guess.
@dustyguac
2 жыл бұрын
I LOVE THE MESSAGE IN THIS VIDEO!!! Literally the attitude behind the subjective opinions of all the different options we have to choose from makes me so sad and almost embarrassed to be a part of the community. Thank you for reminding me there ARE level headed people that are obsessed with audio equipment, you give the community hope🙌
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Happy to be a reminder.
@tonynewman1694
2 жыл бұрын
After watching this video straight on to the subscribers list, excellent.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Welcome aboard!
@milkman100001
Жыл бұрын
that was a great way of going around the black or white question.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
I don't really think it's a black-and-white question. Hence why I said what I did.
@PhillTurner
2 жыл бұрын
Bravo!!!
@alanblumenstock7863
Жыл бұрын
Chris, that was one of the best presentation I have had the pleasure of watching on KZitem. Well done sir. "Be nice" is so spot on.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
I'm glad you liked it.
@kensellick4892
2 жыл бұрын
I’m glad you are back
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks.
@linnemeyerhere
Жыл бұрын
If a system has the resolution and low noise floor then almost any change in the system will be audible to the ear. Most changes border on slight hues and not major color shifts.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
I tend to agree.
@briancullen8506
2 жыл бұрын
I will be 70 years old in 2022. Got married in 75'...bought a total Radio Shack system with wedding money including receiver, 16 gauge speaker wire, LAB turntable and, Nova 7 speakers. I was out shoveling snow in 82' and a neighbor came over to help. The neighbor asked me if I ever heard of "The Absolute Sound" which was published 4 times a year and had zero manufacturer equipment advertisements in it.....just reviews. TAS was using words like soundstage and imaging to describe the music I was hearing. I was hooked! What was my system's weakest link???? I had to fix it! I was a janitor and my wife was a teacher....not much money left after paying bills. I worked extra jobs like being in the cook section of my local PA National Guard so I could fix the weakest link in my system. I had friends at the National guard who were trying to fix their weakest link also. Misery loved company! I discovered that my weakest link in my sound system were the interconnects and speaker cables. I bought MAS ( Music and Sound) interconnects and Kimber Kable from my local dealer. I could hear a pleasing difference in the way my favorite music sounded. The treble frequencies sounded smoother and the midrange sounded fuller. My equipment had fixed AC cords back then. Now fast forward to 2022 that has equipment with interchangeable power cords. My current system has vintage Magnepan MMG speakers, second hand Parasound P5 preamp, Crown 2502 amp, Oppo 103 DVD player-streamer that plays TIDAL and Pandora. I use AudioQuest cables and the system just sounds right for these almost 70 ears. I tell myself that my system sounds best late at night. Maybe someday everything will be wireless!
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
It's always interesting to hear how people started out.
@ericharrelson2045
2 жыл бұрын
Great vid. Thanks for sharing your GR Research experiences. I'm stealing the TinkerToy idea.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
It's an affordable way to try it out.
@rcrdsntsslv
2 жыл бұрын
Spot on comment on cables. I think people are just too loyal to their camp to try it. Personally, no. No cable swap will have a tremendous impact, as a speaker swap for example (at least not if you’re swapping between the two opposites of the quality table). But there are differences to be heard. The law of diminishing returns apply heavily on the cable topic IMO, but if you’re chasing that last 0,1% improvement, maybe that’s something you want to look into. I try to get decent cables, but I won’t spend thousands on them… there are too many records missing from my collection to spend that kind of money on cables 😜
@buttonman1831
8 ай бұрын
When you having a system over 100K you really start to notice very significant changes in cables. When I had a 5k system I didn't notice anything no matter what I tried.
@cameraplus7233
2 жыл бұрын
I know this post is two months old, but just catching it now. Loved the presentation as always & I have to say, "social media" has really become "anti social media". So much hate for someone daring to have a different opinion. As you say Chris politeness & respect goes a long way. What I never understand is that people that say cables have no effect, that it is impossible. Surely by that analogy it would mean then our actual hardware, like amps for example should all be identical in how they sound. After all, the resistors, capacitors & all the other components are simply just that, components being fed an electric current to help make a sound. If a £200.00 amp sounds "different" from a £2000.00 amp, then it is perfectly reasonable for cables to sound "different" or have an effect. Keep up the excellent & very enjoyable work.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
It's still a hard conversation to have, especially over the internet. Thankfully there are still a few good apples out there (whether they disagree or not) that can act with a bit of decorum. That's my target audience.
@r423sdex
2 жыл бұрын
Now been reviewed on ASR ! Oh boy...... Power cord.
@KrazyKajun602
Жыл бұрын
Great video, and you spot on..........
@RedSinter
2 жыл бұрын
Nice, and your articulation of the silliness and hyperbolic horse hockey concerning what you hear. And that your personal bias doesn't color your perception. Thank You.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Doing the best I can.
@Stormhawk777
Жыл бұрын
4:05 When you stare into the abyss, we stare back Chris.
@coda514
2 жыл бұрын
Another great video Chris. Well, you did it. You've shot holes in all that I believed about some cables being directional and the effectiveness of risers. I still believe that at some point cables in general are subject to the laws of diminishing returns, but your reasoning that things can test the same but sound very different has made me rethink my overall stance on the subject. One of your best videos thus far IMHO. Also, I hardly notice the cuts anymore. = )
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I didn't want to believe it myself, but it was a lot of fun to experiment. I recommend it. Glad the J cuts aren't making you nauseas ;-)
@glmaughan
2 жыл бұрын
Very well spoken. Great orientation and that I think is wonderful. I've been building speaker and interconnect cables for years, and they do make a difference. I've found that first is the cable geometry, next is insulation/dielectric, an finally is conductor material.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm not an engineer, but I've head similar things when it comes to construction.
@hciii7399
2 жыл бұрын
That scene from "Roadhouse" is one of my all-time favorites, and I use it in video presentations frequently for the same reason you did. Congratulations on yet another outstanding, well-considered video!
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I'm glad someone got it.
@IRON_PANDA
10 ай бұрын
Contempt prior to investigation. I'll try to avoid it the best i can. Thanks Chris, a man who i absolutely do personally not know, but can relate to!
@thevinylattack
10 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching.
@joseph-ow1hf
5 ай бұрын
Terrific video and commentary. You should see if you can arrange a trip to Odyssey Audio. Klaus is another great, personable guy (whom I've met) who sells some of the best bang for the buck amps out there......plus some really high end stuff from Symphonic. He also has some really excellent speakers. Not an affiliate, just a happy customer.
@gregoryhardesty6522
2 жыл бұрын
"Placebo is a hell of a drug"
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't know.
@pip5528
2 жыл бұрын
I have Morrow Audio MA-1s which are bottom of the line for them. They sound pretty good. My Nagaoka MP-110 had an obnoxious hum and radio signal for a long time until I just got a proper phono cable in the form of the PH-1 on the U-Turn Orbit end and that somehow improved the signal-to-noise ratio and solved the issue. It is still there but it is extremely quiet and not really noticeable unless you really crank the volume and don't play anything. Fidelity is debatable but in this case cables definitely made a difference in terms of hum.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'd say that's certainly a result.
@zyphryx9
Жыл бұрын
Hear! Hear! I’ve never understood how something so innocuous could generate so much animosity. This is such a subjective hobby with limitless permutations of equipment. I just can’t see how a personal choice can cause all this fuss. Especially when there are real issues at stake like choosing between silver or black finishes.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
Some people collect stamps. Go figure.
@Themanthatisi
11 ай бұрын
This is the best video and argument I have seen on cables. Great Job!!!
@thevinylattack
11 ай бұрын
Wow, thanks!
@JacobFrey
2 жыл бұрын
Good video, I'll be sure to pick up some FFC wine next time I'm at the store.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
It's damn good for the money.
@danashay
2 жыл бұрын
Brilliant. Full stop.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'd give it a B+
@finnbogimarinosson3463
2 жыл бұрын
Again. You are good. Thank you.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you too.
@stevemayner9662
2 жыл бұрын
Great vid , makes perfect sense
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks.
@LS-ti6jo
2 жыл бұрын
I never thought much of this question for audio cables, but can say w/out a doubt they do matter with video. Bought some supposed 4k HDMI cables from Amazon (about 25') for my attic conversion listening room. Worked fine with a temp monitor so had them run in the wall. But when I plugged in a new OLED, got a No Signal message. So ordered some of same length from different vendor (Blue Jeans) and they worked perfectly. HDMI is compromised by the anti copying aspects. Old composite video was much less fussy, but Hollywood won't allow that. So realized that it does not pay to pinch pennies on them. OTOH, my Kimber Kable silver streak interconnects, custom runs of Straight Wire speaker cables, etc. are (to me) as much about how they look as how they sound.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I think I'll stick with audio cables for the moment. It's a deep enough rabbit hole as is.
@johnfry4501
Жыл бұрын
In 1994 I built a couple of Audio Note parallel 300b single ended triode amps. They were called the Kit 3 - I took them over to a guys house. He had some Beauhorn Virtuosos. During listening he said I found this changes the sound. He folded some card into upside down V shapes and lifted the cable. I remember thinking.. are you kidding me… I can hear it.,not subtle. So to me cable lifters are capable of changing the sound. Will you like it, will they in your system.. who knows. Try it and see. Cables can and sometimes do change the sound
@MichaelDavitt1
2 жыл бұрын
Kudos Chris for succinctly putting to words the intelligent conclusion for salient facts about this debate. Now can we get to the important argument . . . which sounds better vinyl or digital ? And my wife queries. . . how can I hear differences in cables when I cannot hear her from the kitchen. Again it depends . . . I posit that all those counter top appliances certainly emit RF interference that in some immeasurable way counter her intelligent transmissions. Although I have come to understand when she is screaming about a spoon rattling around in the garbage disposal, it means she would rather I put my hand in there to retrieve it as opposed to her. On the other "hand" I don't understand why she doesn't comprehend my command to take her hand off the operating switch and back away ? Not telling her twice would be nice . . .
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's a whole different video.
@edwinhurwitz6792
Жыл бұрын
Very interesting video. It's nice that you brought up wine as an analogy. My wife is a perfume designer and about 20 years ago, she had a client in Napa whose husband was a manager at Beringer Estates. So, she hooked us up with a wine tasting with the really good stuff. Not your typical tourist experience. Dawn proceeded to taste the wines and blow away the experts with all of the notes she experienced in the product with which they were intimately familiar. She has done duplications, and even with her own designs, she has to adjust them due to crop and source variations. She has tried to send things off for analysis with a gas chromatograph but her nose is always more accurate. I've been a musician and audio engineer since the 80s and I'm an avowed cable skeptic, and yet, there are some cables which I run my bass through that just sound more present, which really shouldn't be the case since my basses are all buffered. In particular, I made a cable out of Cardas cable ca. 1998 and I remember going to a gig where I showed up late and set up in a hurry. All through the first set, I couldn't figure out why my sound just wasn't right. For the second set, I found the Cardas and plugged it in. There it was. I'm with you about risers, but I think I have some tinker toys in the basement. We'll see how that goes. In general, though, I think that the biggest improvements that need to be made right off the bat are to improve the acoustics of the listening room. I went through many studio monitors before treating my godawful home studio and none of them sounded like I was told they should sound. Put in a bunch of bass traps and some reflection control and voila. I realized how much money I'd wasted switching out speakers. If I'm going down the cable rabbit hole, I'm going to deal with that first. The biggest question is what is the WAF for room treatment in the living room.....
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
You're spot on about the room being the first place to find improvement. Cables are certainly the last, but I like to try and cover all the bases. I've been using a mirror analogy as of late instead of wine. You see the exact same thing (obviously in reverse) in a mirror down to the last detail. But mirrors have no depth of field. That's what a quality cable through a highly resolving system offer.
@davidparkes1508
2 жыл бұрын
This is fantastic commentary, Chris. Thank you. I have no idea if cables make a difference or not because I simply haven't experimented enough to conclusively decide. I also don't know if I trust not only my hearing, but also my ability to delineate all the subtleties that may differ from one listening session to another. More importantly, what makes this video so wonderfully refreshing is your simple, no nonsense, and yes respectful approach towards an often divisive topic of conversation. We humans desperately need to get much better at talking with each other, which hopefully includes a healthy dose of listening and reflective contemplation, and your commentary here encourages that approach in a way that is direct and unapologetic, and yet still open to the possibility of nuance and contradiction. After all, aren't the complexities and contradictions of life what make it so colorful and worthwhile? Thank you again for an extraordinary discussion.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I blame social media for the downfall of respectful disagreement.
@klaymoon1
Жыл бұрын
I used to test the signals of multi million dollar telecommunication equipment. Most everything is measurable. Soldered cable measures different from not soldered cable. Heavily soldered cable measures different from lightly soldered cable. The same cable with a silver solder vs a lead solder measures differently. The same conductors with different outer shield materials measure differently. A cable with 1/10 inch puncture in the outer-shield fails the test. People who say cables are not measurable, you are either using a toy for the measurement or you have no idea whatsoever.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
Don't say that in a crowded hifi convention room, lol.
@tjblues01
Жыл бұрын
Hi there. I'm in the same business as you are; telecommunication. And as I agree with most of what you said, I can't see connection between miles long telecom cables caring bandwidth 5MHz to 3GHz vs. few ft long audio cables barley doing 20Hz to 30kHz. Only thing that matters is an dielectric material used in cables as it's directly related to VoP. Soldering? What would be the difference? 0.001dB? It is audible? No... cheers
@thomaswachter7782
2 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it.
@tony.designresource
2 жыл бұрын
Best cable video ever.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I don't know about all that, but I am glad you liked it.
@butchgo3756
2 жыл бұрын
Great video Chris!!!! I really enjoy Danny's videos and his passion for excellence without all the hype.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you liked it.
@michaelpowell4823
2 жыл бұрын
One of the best videos and explanations I have seen on this topic. The only thing I can say you may want to look into is the digital cables. Digital cables don't carry machine code (1s and 0s) they carry a square waves; yes a digital cable carries an analog signal. So called digital music is not 1s and 0s it is still analog but a different form. DACs change the square wave into a sine wave. With the "digital" signal being a square the length of the cables matter as they can create a length that is incompatible with square waves cutting them off or creating a lot of reflection (stay below 5 feet if at all possible) Ten years ago I was on the camp that the only thing that changed music was the mixer/master tech at time of production. Five years ago I was in the camp that DACs don't matter. Two years ago I was in the camp that power cables don't matter. I actually tried different things in my system (thank you to everyone that sells their old stuff so I get it cheaper) and some I hear and others I don't. Speaker cable risers didn't matter in my cheap speaker cables; cable risers matter when I changed them to flat wire cables or silver plated. Power cables didn't matter when I ran an integrated; power cables matter for my PreAmp and DAC but not for my CD transport/Streamer/Amps (Class D). So as you said it depends.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
A good look into how things can change.
@justasimplefox
2 жыл бұрын
Even if you can hear the differences between cables (which, in fact, I also believe you can) the hardest part is to decide/conclude which one is the 'best'. It depends on so many factors, the song, the room, your mindset, the rest of the equipment,.....🤯
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That is an entirely different topic and I don't think I'm ready for that, lol.
@QoraxAudio
2 жыл бұрын
I agree - it depends... For example phono cables: With MM cartridges, the cable capacitance has an impact on the cartridge frequency response. With LOMC cartridges, cable shielding can lower the noisefloor, since the low level signals have to be amplified a lot - any noise coming into the cable will be amplified a lot too, making the noise audible. Ever had a slight hum coming from your turntable? Try a better shielded phono cable... chances are that the hum is eliminated or greatly reduced. But as long as digital cables are up to spec, they shouldn't make any difference (i.e. buy proper USB/coax cables instead of generic OEM cables, but there's no need for anything extra fancy).
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
That's what I though about USB and Firewire too. Until I heard a difference. Crazy how the little things can work sometimes.
@waltergist8923
Жыл бұрын
Exceptionally thoughtful. Pleasingly helpful. Although I've loved listening to vinyl and CDs from almost all genres for many years, only recently have I binged watched a number of audiophile sites (mainly because I'm trying to learn more about streaming high quality audio). Yours is one of a handful of sites I decided to subscribe to because of an attitude and knowledge level that command respect. I've often thought that there were three ways to objectively judge character: 1) how one behaves behind the wheel; 2) how one behaves after several drinks; and, 3) how one behaves when hiding behind a computer keyboard. Keep up the good work!
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
I don't get to hide behind the keyboard as much as most I think. I see viewers at the record store, hifi shows, and just around town from time to time. I'd like to think I'm the same person in every area. I appreciate you watching.
@scotth6814
Жыл бұрын
Haha. Over my lifetime I learned that strategy: If I really want to get to know somebody, I know I have to get them drunk. If they're still nice after a few drinks, they're good people. And no, I don't make a career out of it.
@ripjones5294
Жыл бұрын
Excellent ! Thank You.
@ericbates9753
Жыл бұрын
I am joining this channel simply because you sound like the adult in the room, thank you.
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
I'm doing what I can. Welcome aboard!
@yellow_noise3
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this great video. I fully agree of what you say, and wait for your test of Danny power and speaker cables. I wish I would visit Danny some day….
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
He's quite welcome to visitors. Just call ahead ;-)
@snowrang3r657
2 жыл бұрын
Amazing discussion on cables, you're exactly right it depends and we should act like adults. I've tried enough cables to say after a certain level they certainly matter to me. When comparing some cables and taking notes I ended up with the same thoughts as my friend without talking to him about any traits before hand, that kind of taught me to trust what I hear. I totally get some systems aren't going to show differences, or some people are going to maybe hear a minor difference but not think it's worth the cost which is totally fine too.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Pretty much my thoughts as well.
@scagooch
Жыл бұрын
So well said.
@walterpen371
2 жыл бұрын
I agree with you and I like your honesty. Very high end speakers do require special cables to accomplish how the speakers are suppose to sound. We're talking $$$$$$$. Now for most of us that have the best sounding speakers, the best bang for the buck. These are the speakers that sound just right to the owner and no other speaker in that price range will do. Also every person has a different listening range, just to be fair. Now before debating on the speaker cables, first get technical info. on your speakers. Most will never mention on the type of wire that is used to connect the drivers and crossovers??? Remove the woofer and take a good look at the type and guage of wire inside the enclosure. What is it? I opened mine after 35 yrs. just to see and WOW! OKAY! Now I know why they sound the way that they were designed for. Now you can come to a conclusion and decide from there. I still own my 1979 stereo system and it still works.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I don't think any system 'requires' any cable, but I do think there are advantages to higher end cables on systems that are resolving enough.
@fredflintstone8048
2 жыл бұрын
I can respect the results of double blind tests. One very powerful aspect of human experience that is very real both in medical settings, sound, and taste is the placebo affect. It's not something that can be measured in the science of the field involved, but is rather brain science. Regarding cables that I know for a fact makes a difference is the audio input cables, most specifically RCA cables. The signals that they carry are very low amplitude signals and shielding plays a very large factor so they can certainly pick up a lot of noise that gets pushed into amplifier stages along with the desired signal. That said the difference between poor quality cables and 'good enough' cables can be anywhere from $10-$30.
@michaelcollins2473
2 жыл бұрын
Well put, sir.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you.
@Chrisbyrne09
Жыл бұрын
Hey Sir. Greetings from a British ex-pat living in Germany! Just discovered your videos and I am enjoying the fxxx out of them. Just wanted to add my sauce to the meal. With this great hobby (yes, that's all it is folks!) of ours, we keep forgetting two things: 1. It really is the most subjective thing in the world - whether type of music, or how we like to hear it (big bass, little bass, sparkling tops etc.) 2. It's for fun! If someone says his/her listening experience is being improved by using solid gold wire cables wrapped by virgins in Mole -foreskin, let them enjoy this! Not everything we hear or see can be empirically proved. It's about enjoyment, it's not a science lesson. Of course part of this hobby is being able to prove with measurements that we are correct in our assessment, but it's not really important in the end. In the end it's about what our brains perceive is happening, and whether we like it or not. Let's spend more time living and enjoying our own Audiophile lives, and wasting less time moaning about other peoples lives and believes. Luv ya!
@thevinylattack
Жыл бұрын
Welcome aboard!
@doctormidnight
2 жыл бұрын
This is a great video. I'll say the same thing I've told guys like Thomas, Danny, and Hans: for the most part, I'm here because I really like the way you guys think about stuff. Reviews are a dime a dozen and I usually only pay attention if the person has something to say that I haven't thought about, or presents things in a way that tickles my brain. There's no way I could ever afford 95% of the hardware people are talking about, but the products are really secondary. It helps me to be better at listening, to people and speakers.
@thevinylattack
2 жыл бұрын
I'm humbled to have you here.
@The2for2true
2 жыл бұрын
Nice to see a sane, intelligent person speaking on a topic that interests me. Excellent job.
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