From: gmaltby@unpcs1.cs.unp.ac.za (Gavin Maltby)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: How can different digital cables sound different?
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 08:44:19 GMT
Organization: University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
NNTP-Posting-Host: pc047.cc.unp.ac.za

In article <3340378@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> kirk@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Kirk Lindstrom) writes:
>From: kirk@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Kirk Lindstrom)
>Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 21:21:58 GMT
>Subject: Re: How can different digital cables sound different?
>Message-ID: <3340378@hpcc01.corp.hp.com>
>Organization: Shredding the water of SF Bay, HP-OCD
>Path: ee.und.ac.za!shrike.und.ac.za!psgrain!charnel!rat!usc!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hplextra!hpcc05!hpcc01!kirk
>Newsgroups: rec.audio
>References: <726650872.AA00129@ship.wimsey.bc.ca>
>Lines: 23

>>Anyway, my point is that you should be sure to make your comparisons on
>>as bigger system as you can lay your hands on.
>>
>>Cheers
>>Gavin
>----------
>What do you mean by "bigger system"?  I've been told by some that sell
>the cables as well as make the cables that my system should be "good
>enough" to notice cable effects.
>-SONY CD player (was told I don't need a ML#30 to hear the effects)
>-Acurus L10 PA
>-Acurus A250 Amp
>-a/d/s/ M15 monitor speakers (told they were very revealing by the
> salesman and this to a guy on a budget that didn't want to hear about
> spending any more money!)

In non-esoteric systems, I've heard cable only make rather small differnces.
And you have to know the track used very well to tell these differences.
The overall nature of sound is what appears to be affected, particularly
the ``harshness'' of the high treble.

I am not familiar with the Acurus or a/d/s, but I'd guess that in your
system effects would be small indeed; ie, after extended listening with
well known tracks you'd discern small but pleasing differences---but
they're still not worth that many $$.

My system is sufficiently non-modest to be quite revealing (and bank-
breaking, so it may not stay!).  It is

Michaelson Audio Odyseuss 45W tube amp (British)
Apogee Centaur Minor (hybrid cone/ribbon speaker)
Wadia WT3200 CD transport (often used as a reference in reviews)
Wadia X32 DAC (used to be used as a high-end reference; bigger brother is 
               now)
van den Hul MC Silver from CD to amp
van den Hul Magnum speaker cable.

I can assure you that cable changes *do* make a difference here.
Interlink changes affect the overall pleasantness of the sound (eg, 
take away harshness to some extent, maybe enhance staging sometimes)
but the differences between the more expensive cables are rather marginal.
Speaker cable seems to make a big difference in my system.  The Magnum,
strangely, manages to deepen bass and perform better-than-average
elsewhere.  I recently tried Siltech Ribbon cable (very expensive, made of
solid silver) and the change was stunning!  The bass was not as prevalent
but the detail that emerged was unreal.  Instruments that used to be
spread a little in a good recording were suddenly precisely placed---
you could begin to picture quite a complete orchestra at times.  It was
the sort of finesse that people pay large amounts for when they purchase
an expensive CD player.  But was it worth the price to me---questionable,
as it would be about 1/8 of the system cost.  If I was stinking rich
I would not hesitate.

>It all handles TimeWarp just fine, thank-you
>Do I need to upgrade to Aragon to hear the difference?  8-)

I had an Aragon 24SP and 2004 on the above system.  Couldn't compete
with the Odysseus.  But it did react very violently when I tried some
(unknown) Audioquest with it.  Yuchhh.

>I seem to remember some of our UK friends posting wonders for tweaks,
>cables, etc. where the cables are worth more than their electronics!

I've never really tried these, though I might someday just out of curiosity.
I think the most sensible trick is Kontak, which cleans the speaker
bindings.  It makes physical sense.  I can't explain why cables sound
diffenrent, but accept that they do.  But things like cable burners
(to run them in) seem a bit far-fetched.  I did once met A J van den Hul
who gave a detailed qualitative description of why cables can sound
different.  It seemed sensible at the time.

>Kirk (thanks, BTW) out

Cheers

Gavin