Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Anti-Cables (and hello!)

Welcome Spish.

In general, we do our best around here to allow those with differing opinions to express those opinions. Yes, sometimes, to our shame, the discussion gets a bit more heated and insulting than it should. I hope this discussion will not deteriorate to that level.

There are many here, myself included who believe that $1200 speaker wire will provide no audible difference from well constructed, relatively inexpensive speaker wire. We base that believe on scientific study, after double blind test, after scientific study.

There are some here who believe, as you do, that spending a great deal of money on speaker wire can make an audible difference. To the best of my memory, the only evidence I've seen which supports that position has been anecdotal testimony. I have seen no concrete, scientific proof to back that belief.

There is a forum member who takes a lot of unnecessary abuse (and hands it out sometimes, as well) because he is a believer in "trust your ears." I've always been puzzled by that statement. If that means that when you hear a product that sounds "right" or "good" to you, then that's the product for you, I'm in complete agreement. But, if that statement means one's ears, working with one's brain, are infallibly incapable of being fooled, or is not influenced by one's own bias, then I most heartily disagree.

In one of your posts, you said "you listen with your ears, not your eyes." May we then assume your belief that speaker wire will make an audible difference based upon double blind testing, thereby removing your eyes from the equation? If not, then your eyes, and the knowledge that those speaker wires cost $1200, could very well be a factor in your conclusion.

I am not trying to talk you out of your belief. Meaning no disrespect, I am not concerned about you. I am, however, concerned about those who are new and inexperienced, and who come here just looking for some help in figuring out this bewilderingly complicated and expensive hobby. I do not want them to think it necessary to spend $1200 on speaker wire to experience wonderful sound. Therefore it is incumbent upon those of us who think differently from you to state our opinion as often and vociferously as those who hold a differing opinion state theirs.

Once both positions are presented, the inexperienced are free to believe what they wish, to spend as much or as little on speaker wire as they chose, and know that their decision, at least, was based on balanced information and was their own.

Jack
As always....... WELL SAID!

Quote:

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the beer's on me should you decide to come over!

-s

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Cool


Where do you live?

Spish, I totally agree with you, everybody should trust their ears. I also think that we all have a budget in mind when purchasing our equipment. If you think that a certain cable sounds good to you, and you can afford it, then go ahead and buy it. Nobody has the right to tell you not to. Aren't we all adults?

This is what I have from SignalCable.com It costed me a little less than $200.00. I also have 2 pairs of SilverCats Interconnects from CatCables (you can see the price there)

I know many people may feel this is way excessive, but it is good enough for my ears AND my budget.

Jack, just amazing. You truly are an asset to this community. Thank-you.

Spish, you are a brave man to offer auditions to skeptics. The same factors that Jack was referring to would still apply. Unless the skeptic listened "double blind", his preconceived negative bias toward the cables would skew his perception of what he hears.

ugh... i think only one or two of you actually answered my original question! (thank you!). i bought the Anti-Cables because they are cheap and people are saying good things about them. it just so happens that (gasp!) they changed the sound of my speakers. there is no denying that fact. like I said, come over (with an open mind) and we'll have a few drinks. I'm in Toronto.

for the rest of the haters: no offense but i don't care about your beliefs. i didn't make up the differencs I heard between cables, the cables made my speakers sound better. period. maybe you're just jealous that I could (at one time) justify $1200 for a set of cables and I could still afford to go out to dinner that night, I don't know and frankly I don't care. with all due respect, the wannabe scientific, so called, "audiophiles" need to get their heads out of their asses long enough to actually LISTEN and forget about applying the scientific method to what they are HEARING. you're clouding your judgment by continually comparing and contrasting what you are hearing to a bunch of crap someone has written, scientifically proven or not. I can't explain it, I don't care to, nor was my question, "could someone please explain the sonic and scientific differences between 14/2 Romex and Kickass Super Duper Sound Cruncher 4000 cable?".

When I get my Axiom's I will listen to them objectively and with a couple of different cables and I'll gladly report back to those who care. However, I'm sure there are many of you who will throw their lamp cable argument in the ring because, I dunno, maybe it makes you feel intellectually superior to we cable "believers".

I'm going to agree to disagree here, which is pretty much how these kind of things always end if they don't end in all out war.

If anyone else cares to answer my original question about Anti-Cables please chime in. Otherwise I'll go post some controversial stuff elsewhere on the board :P

cheers!

-d

(oh boy, this should get interesting now. and i'm sorry if we all got off on the wrong foot here. i'm really not a post-whoring troll, honest!)

[hijack] Jack For President!!! [/hijack]

I am amazed, that this subject STILL creates so much "drama".

Look, let's use logic, and common sense.

OBVIOUSLY, for "high end" speaker cable manufacturers (like Monster, etc.) to STILL be around after all these years...(I got my first set in the 70's)
MEANS,.....that there HAS to be something to it.

IF they, and all the other brands,types, and configurations, did NOTHING.....then the very cables some of you guys seem to loath, would not exist.

Eventually, word of mouth (the very thing that promotes "exotic cables") would have LONG, LONG, ago, done in the concept.
So-called "snake oil" products come, and go (key word here is GO) all the time....BUT EVEN MORE brands, and types of "cables" are with us today.

Although, I have NOT heard any sonic benifits from my interconnect cables.....
I HAVE, (as stated in the past here), heard minor, pleasing, sonic benifits from my bi-wire speaker cables.
I personally, cannot justify spending hundreds, or thousands of dollars on ANY cables, but I can't say (not having heard them) that all the different types out there don't work, or have NO sonic value.

EVEN IF my cables did nothing for the sound quality.....I would STILL buy them, (or a similar brand, and type) for the factory ends, wire gauge, and gold connectors,....... CLEARLY a superior signal pathway/connection.

I think using almost ANY type/brand factory cable, with gold ends, is still FAR better, than ANY lamp cord.

They call it lamp cord for a reason........it's for LAMPS, NOT AMPS.

I respectfully disagree with you. What you have stated is little more than "Argumentum Ad Populum".

“You can never underestimate the stupidity of the general public.”
- Scott Raymond Adams (Dilbert)

"Blame not on stupidity what is best explained by ignorance." - Heinlein