Sorry but what is a 'semi balanced' cable, by definition a phono lead is unbalanced. This is 'snake oil' at it's best, unbeleivable. Even in it's own description it is basically described as a length of coax cable with a phono plug at each end. I'm sure I could go into many euphemisms about a 70p nickle lead and make it sound as good, particually in the knowlege that no one could hear the difference. So I know what to do if I get a bit hard up, buy in a nice looking cable from China, write some complete nonsence about it, write some phoney reviews, and make 1000% mark up. Money for old coax !!
you are dead right about these cables!!!! also a lot of top end hifi is just mutton done up as lamb most of the components inside are cheap chinese stuff its just rip off!!!
Sorry, don't knock the Chinese, they may make a cable for 20P that does not make it any different from a British one at £20, don't knock the Chinese for a different scale of costs, their work is as good as any, their cables are as good as any, the fact that they get 'rebranded' here and sold for a few hundred pounds is simply 'the stupidity of the market' and nothing to do with the Chinese makers.
A cable is a cable, if it gets two conductors to the other end then it does it's job. most do the job fine, even a twenty pence 'out of the box cable' does it fine. Weather it's Chinese or American makes not one jot of difference, if its Chinese then it may cost 30p if it is American it may cost £20 if it is 'High End' British it may cost £90, well so what, they all get the signal down them just the same, there is no audible difference.
Next to politics and insurance scams, cables must be the biggest 'rip off in life', the most absurd mis-truths ever encountered, the most lies ever encountered, I bet no one can tell the difference between an 'out of the box' phono lead and a 'designer £90' one. I am so convinced that I will wager £1000 to anyone who can reliably tell the difference.
The joke is on the audiophools that buy them. Of course a short length of screened wire used on a lowish to medium impedance signal can make no difference. I really don't understand how this tosh born of ignorance has taken such firm root.
Quite right Fred, nor do I. Having spent most if my life at the 'cutting edge' of audio - never having taken cables into consideration, should I now forget that background, no of course not.
Cables are a 'non starter' a make believe marketing vehicle, as you say at the impedance involved, it makes no difference.
However we have the likes of Dave Oliver, editor of this site, offering a 'cable test day' a day that many can visit, and play around swapping things in and out with no scientific records.
I have previously offered a proper ABX test box to conduct such tests, but that has been deemed too serious, I have offered £1000 to anyone who can reliably hear the difference.
NO ONE HAS COME FORWARD.
I do believe that I have the answer, no one can tell the differences and no one is up to being tested.
The greatest reason why Dave's test did not happen is IMO not the venue, not the date, non of these things, but the fact that no one can tell the difference, therefore no one is prepared to be tested!
If anyone can prove me wrong then I will listen, not only to their argument but also to the cables. After all I do think that I have pretty sharp hearing, I can hear the difference between digital 128K audio and FM radio, the difference between MP3 and original CD, I can see the difference between a good analogue TV transmission and a digital one, I can visualise a rooms size by its acoustics. With that background I should be able to tell cables apart, but I cannot. The reason is that there is nothing to tell apart!
Recently I had to leave Ikea, the reason, their sound system drove me mad, to the point that I could not stay there any longer, must write to them about that because if having a sound system that drives me to leaving then I wonder what it does to anyone else?
Cables are a 'non starter' a make believe marketing vehicle
And when combined with the time factors demanded by "burn in", you are successfully selling a product that everyone must have, the efficacy of which is, by definition, unprovable.
John, we simply had a problem with the proposed venue, which is being refurbished, as stated, nothing more, nothing less - our cable test will be taking place early next year and you're welcome to attend.
O.K. Dave, am I having a go at you, no, so don't get angry at me, I know what you have said, I understand what you have said, but IMO I don't think the 'cable test' will happen. Not through any fault of your own, but by the very nature of the test.
Again IMO none of the cable 'gurus' can prove anything, therefore they will avoid all such tests at any cost, they will always find an excuse not to be proved wrong. If that is not possible then they will just not 'show up', then they will have the excuse of 'I didn't think it was worth going to' or something like that. Please Dave understand me, I understand some of the basics of life, and this is one of them.
You have already poo poo'd a true ABX test, one that could prove if anyone can really hear a difference, that to me is like saying 'I want an outcome that is not conclusive' I'm sure that is the outcome you want, then we can do it all again. Now that is not science, that is not the 'professional way', no the professional way is to conduct a test that has a defined result, and that result gets published for all to see, that way we move forward in the world rather than 'messing' around.
Sorry to come across as a bit hard here, but that is what science is all about, if we go out to prove something, then lets prove it, no doubt, no uncertainties, lets prove a point.
Once proved we then have a new fact, one that can be shown, and can be stated, something like 'interconnects make no difference', now that is a statement.
Unfortunately humans have a strong desire to stick to their own beliefs and will do anything to continue to that sticking, even if it means falling out with others, even if it means 'leaving the site', anything is better than changing a deep rooted belief.
Just follow some of the threads here, you will see many not even discussing a point once, it digresses from the 'comfort' zone. I have even seen you do that, we are all, it seems, frightened by the 'unknown', the 'new' the 'interesting' the 'rewarding', these areas are all unknown and maybe dangerous, best therefore avoided!
It is outside of this normality that I come from, that is why I can wind people up on this site, it is not because I have any desire or reason to do such, it is a side effect of being me, I have no desire to wind anyone up, I have no reason to upset anyone, but it is sometimes a side effect of just being me, I did not ask it to be that way. Only last night I registered the web site 'www.pissoffpeople.com' now that may be handy in the future, no idea what for, but maybe someone else would like it.
John...
P.S. when it comes to websites, I now have a new hobby , and that is getting names, last week with the emphasis on property we got 'www.fisherflats.com' a ring or what,
Then in a moment of drunkenness a new one 'www.fulfilment-sucess.com', shame about the spelling, but mistakes are there to be made, went for another tonight 'www.threapycouncilling.com'. I really should not sign up for websites and pay for them at T2/3 down.
John, it's not always that people are scared of the 'unknown' or the 'dangerous', sometimes they just get bored or disinterested with topics that happen to be of interest to you.
O.K. Dave I do look forward to it, not so much for a 'cable test' but a chance to meet others, however IMO people are so scared of the unknown that they will do anything rather than face it. I have fallen out with friends of twenty years, simply through questioning their lifestyle, simply for suggesting an alternative. I have seen first hand the power of fear, that is fear of a different life, a fear so deep rooted that rather than even listen they just say 'you're mad mate, I'm not going to listen to you', and slam the phone down. Often only to reappear later and say 'I understand you are a property developer now, 'how on earth did you manage that'. Answer - by not being frightened, taking a chance, trying something new, trusting the world. I rest my case.
