Ultra High-end audio cables demo and do cables make a difference?
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2019
- Guys, nothing I say will justify a $23K USD cable so let's not debate it. Just watch it for fun.
Do speaker cable make a difference? In my experience, yes.
Transparent Opus interconnects.
Hi Everyone, I know I might lose subscribers for making this video but I like to make videos without worrying. This is truly for fun and please, no negative comments toward my friend. I know nothing I say will justify a $23k interconnect and that is why just watch this video for fun. Life is too short to take everything too seriously.
@Michael Frilund well said. 😎
You can't see that as "fun", it's not fun at all, someone is taking your hard money on the other side, it's not like it's innocent.
(And I'm not unfollowing you! ;p)
Thomas & Stereo entertaining and informative as always; you find that balance between giving a good mix of details and opinions while still staying fairly concise. I find I’ll watch your videos in their entirety, whatever the subject.
Not my money ;)
@Club Soda interesting you mentioned that. People at work has told me the same.
Wow, now I know what was inside Marcellus Wallace's brief case in Pulp Fiction. Ultra hi-end interconnects for his reel-to-reel tape player!
psych0s15 he probably had a gold plated HDMI cable before it was technically invented.
“They’re all apples”
Brilliant
I couldn't have said this better myself. Wait, did *I* say this?!
That was fun Thomas, like giving us a tour of the inside of your friends Ferrari if you had a car youtube channel. Thanks for not shying away from cable conversations, I know its been a journey on your channel. I think the analogy of apples is a great one.
Thanks, I also did make a video on the system itself with sound demo if you have not seen it yet. I think it's ok to make video on things we are interested in and wish that the conversations that follow can remain civilized.
@@ThomasAndStereo Fully agreed. I think its helpful to delete comments that don't add value and create an atmosphere that stifles constructive conversation to uplift and elevate our collective understanding. Its not about everyone agreeing, its about being civil in our discourse and being mindful of our language. I have not seen the video.. Is that an older video that you did of your friend's system? I must admit that I personally, as an electronic engineer (at lease in how I process physical reality) don't care for sound demos - adds way too many variables to make an objective assessment.
@@HoomanR17 yup, nicely said. I am open to discussion as long it is done in a civilized manner.
ua-cam.com/video/VedRT3dCDnk/v-deo.html
This channel need so much more attention.
Even if my own system is far less qualified, the points are really valid to future upgrade paths.
Great video Thomas, cables do make a difference in a revealing system imo. Would be cool to be able to hear the systems you get to hear I only have a couple of friends who have very high end systems and it is a treat every time I get to go over and listen . Keep up tye great videos and looking forward to seeing more.
I charged myself a small fortune $$$ for the DIY cables I made for myself They sound amazing!! ;)
I want to terminate my own cable some day 🤙🏼 that’s awesome... I did a pair of balanced headfi cables and it didn’t turn out too bad
Brilliantly done. I love the way you flipped the placebo effect argument.
I’m really digging these latest videos of yours man! 👏👏👏
Thanks, I think I found my formula and style.
Very appreciative of what you do. I certainly cannot buy such expensive equipment but it is always nice to know how those who can ......feel about their purchase after spending that much amount. It brings many things into perspective.
I just wanna get to the point where I can even start to think about spending $23k on cables.
Loving your approach to this... 👍
Great video as always! Simply put...You nailed it.
A fun little experiment I did was connect my Chord Mojo and Poly directly to my speakers with a short set of pure silver wire. The Chord Mojo and Poly are battery powered. So the only cable in the entire system was the short length of speaker cable. My speakers are have high sensitivity so it was able to make decent volume levels with just one watt per channel. The best cable is no cable!! It sounded great!
I totally agreed with your opinions . I love transparent high end and extremely hi end products. Just to look at it, it makes me feel delighted and exciting.
I just own the reference XL series cables for my pre and mono amplifiers. To go up to opus level that is something go to the moon kind of thing. Opus series are a many steps that is Beyond truely audiophile expectations.
Keep filming the ultra hi end products Thomas. Love your videos.
At your level, I find that you’re very humble & honest and for that I do believe that your skill even higher than you express. … like that very much.👏👏👏
Enjoyed the video i was using cheap 16 gauge speaker cable so I bought more expensive 12 gauge speaker cable and heard a big difference better sound staging mids and highs where more crisp vocals had that feeling of you where there
I don't think I ever tried 12 gauge cables, I should one day.
Hi Thomas, I enjoy your videos. As far as cables go you mention two things that are necessary ....guidance and experience. For me, it is hard to get experience because I live in a small town and I don t have access to friends who can lend cables, nor are there any audiophiles near by that I can go to to listen. I do go to dealers when I travel but I find it hard to translate differences that I hear in a showroom into actual results at home. Plus , of course , all cables seem to be expensive so it is hard to build up a stable of cables that I can try,
The way I deal with the issue is to reduce my reliance on experience and I concentrate on guidance. The way I deal with guidance is to pick a manufacturer and go with their guidance. I have all Naim components and digital sources. I am in the middle of the Naim pack...not entry and not super high end. I use Neat speakers because Neat and Naim have a reputation for working together, Naim recommends NACA5 standard 3 meter speaker cables for my system. Naim also supplies proprietary standard DIN interconnects for all components as part of the component purchase. They design all of their components to match the impedance and resistance of these cables.I use the standard cables to provide a reference and then I upgrade just my components from the second hand market until I am satisfied by the sound I hear. After 12 years of component upgrades and changes I had never changed either my interconnects or my speaker cables. I only concentrated on the components. About two years ago I ran out of capacity to hear improvements from Naim component upgrades. I am totally happy with the components I now have. So I tried cables. First was the electrical supply to my power amp. I purchased a new power cable for $600. I still have it in place but I could hear no difference. I kept it because it looked better and the sound was just as good as before. I had disregarded my guidance strategy by buying a Non-Naim cable and I suffered a no improvement outcome. Last month a pair of Naim Superlumina speaker cables came up (second hand ) on the Audio Mart here in Canada. The cables retail for $6,500 and I purchased them for $2,600. This is about half the price of a typical component in my Naim System. The result was amazing and I was easily able to discern an improvement. So this is my story and strategy. I stick with a good manufacturer and rely on them to give me the best sound possible. I don t have good experience with third party suppliers so I don t waste my money and I wait for the second hand market to offer me the cables from Naim. Eventually I will buy some Superlumina interconnects because that is the Naim upgrade guidance.
Thanks for your videos. My biggest issue now is maintaining my hearing after the age of 70. You are young and you still have that to look forward to. Make sure you spend some money on hearing protection when doing mundane tasks such as mowing the lawn and operating hair dryers and power tools.
George
Wow! That blew my mind! The case it comes in is crazy!
I bought XLO Electric interconnects and speaker cables many years ago, and have never felt the need to change them.
Great video. Your friend has a great setup
Great advice Thomas. You'd have to invest in many types of cables to settle on one that suits your setup or to be able to notice a difference. That's why I choose neutral cables where possible such as the jps labs range. Anyway happy birthday for a couple of days ago.
Thanks James. Yeah, my main cable I am using now is pretty neutral.
@@ThomasAndStereo I think what might be useful Thomas is a guide to cables where, (based on your experience) you could perhaps explain the relative properties of cables and the associated sound expected from these. i.e pure copper vs silver etc. Perhaps include some well know affordable brands and then discuss which cable in the chain has the most effect on sound reproduction. This is a process that many of us just either don't have the time or money to be able to experiment on.
Happy birthday Thomas! Seems like you're getting plenty of likes for a cable video. Keep the stories coming!
Hi Thomas & Stereo, I like your video very much. Very informative, honest and mature. Greetings from Jakarta, Indonesia.
My parents are from Sabah, not too far from where you are. Miss asia and the food.
Beautiful system
Thank you
For cables connecting the output of my Dynaco Stereo 70 power amp to my speakers, I have a 1920's Western Electric asbestos telephone line cord for the left channel (the asbestos is coated with rubber with a layer of linen or cotton on top so it's not exposed) and a 1950's Automatic Electric telephone line cord for the right channel. These cables are spare parts as I also collect old telephones, and I have been using them as speaker cables for almost 20 years without any problems.
This topic is real easy to put into perspective. In entry level systems you may or may not hear a difference in cables. Thats why some people swear “CABLES DO NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE” and they would be correct. On the flip side of that people that do have higher end systems they swear “CABLES DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE” and they would also be correct.
It’s all relative to the resolution of your system. Its that simple.
Just as a side note Transparent Audio Truth Link is a good cable to start with.
The apples-to-apples chart comparison was BRILLIANT on multiple levels:) I don't know what you do for a living Thomas, but if I had to guess I'd say you have a background in statistical analysis.
I have a degree in statistic and worked as a business analyst for over a decade.
@@ThomasAndStereo My kind of person:) May god bless you, and shower you and your family in good fortune for all times to come.
Hey Thomas thank you for the video but a bit short I´d like to know your opinion on thiese cables. I like your high end reviews (or opinions) very much!
Thanks, yeah I was worried no one would care about a cable like that so I purposely made it short.
I just watched a video where you were trying to decide if you want to cover expensive and weird things. It was the r700 and ls50 video. Thats what im here for!
yeah, next few videos I might be talking about high end gear.
@@ThomasAndStereo how do you like your r700? Ive had the goldenear triton 1s for a while and would like to buy some more lively speakers to try out. Ive always liked a sparkly top end. Was thinking klipsch rf7ii or the r500 as they are similarly priced in the used marked.
I had the triton 2 and what stands out is the power with it's built in sub. If you are looking for a sparkly top end, the R700 is acutally a bit dark. It depends how much you want. Now, one speaker I am currently trying is the 703 poik audio, the 707 which is on crazy special price now is something you should consider. The top end sparkles as well as my KEF LS50 and the bass is incredibly good for a passive. If you are in the states and you have a good return policy, add it to your audition list.
I will do some research on the polks! Did you find the bass on the tritons at all bloaty? I think this is might be my rooms fault more than the speaker.
@@89vainius My room can handle the bass because I have bass trap and I don't push the bass volume really high. Just enough. So in my room, the bass is pretty impressive. Now, it is a bit slow and I wish it was more tight the bass.
(Based on "Hydraulic analogy" and "Mechanical-electrical analogies")
Let's look at hooking up speakers. The connection between the output transformer and the speaker connector is the deciding factor.
Using a cable which has different properties than this internal connection, you will only notice a difference when the cable is worse then then PCB/internal wiring in your gear.
It will sound worse (theoretically).
Using a better cable is not useful at all. It doesn't enhance your signal whatsoever.
The worst denominator is the deciding factor, in speaker connectors.
I'm undecided about other interconnects.
Two thumbs up, especially that this is supposed to be FUN!
Two questions I have about cables I would like to hear you address....
Which cables, and in what order would you recommend when you start upgrading?, and
What percentage of the total system investment should cables represent?
I would go with speaker first, then interconnects. I don't usually talk about cable because it really depends on the issue and what you are trying to fix. Sometimes , a $1 cable is better than a $500 cable. This actually happen to my friend recently. So to put a cost on itis hard for me. I would not worry too much about it and only deal with it once your system is completely done.
Once again, you have taken a commonly discussed topic and added a unique perspective. The example of variations in apples was spot on. Great video Thomas. Cheers! 👽🖖"Na-nu"
Thanks Frank! I try my best to make my video somewhat interesting.
Good video Sir...was just wondering...what bookshelf speaker do you have in the background ?
Those are Polk 703, if you are in canada and usa with a good return policy, drop everything and go get a pair now.
Hi Thomas , I was wandering , since you treated your room , how much did that improve the listening experience?
It wold be very nice and informative if you coul make a video about your room treatment, and what materials did you used , and of course if it is worth it. I think this is a very important subject that is often not taken very seriously. Thank you and keep up the good work,greetings from Austria
Yes I will be soon. Thanks
Very nice said! You have a great talent explaining stuff. And a calming voice. I strongly believe that some cables are better than others. I have tested some cables, and sincerely I've noticed some (a lot) of differences! But (please don't laugh) the most expensive RCA interconnect cable that I own had a price tag of "only" 200 US $. But boy ouh boy vs my old one, like I said before, there's a lot of difference! So, I'm imagine that quality exponentially expand with the price tag. Of course, like U said, there are placebo factors, the "must have" factors, the financial potential etc.
10x 4 the video!
Thanks! I believe that the most expensive cable is not necessary the best cable, it is the right cable that is the best cable. Recently, my friend had to use a $1 cable as opposed to his $1k cable because in a specific setup, the $1 cable was a better match.
I bought some used Focal 826 Ws with matching CC and they came with set of MIT cables that cost $1,700.00, I'm going to sell the cables and CC and cover the cost of my initial purchase:) So yes, they make a huge difference!
Hi Thomas-love your videos. It’s really easy to be a cable denier. There’s not many dealers left. Most of us don’t have the time, money and patience to do the a/b testing. Quick question-I’ve got Focal Aria 936s looking to upgrade to Kanta 2s. Did you get to compare them with your vintage friend? Is it worth the upgrade? Did you like the 936s?
Yes, we did an extensive test. No comparison, the Kanta is a significant upgrade. First with the berylium tweeter, the top end is smoother and not as 'hard' sounding as the 936v. You can tell it's a more refined speaker with the Kanta. Next, one issue with the 936v is that it lacks bass weigh. It has speed but a bit too light for my taste. The Kanta solves the problem. You have both speed and punch. The 936v is ok but it's not a speaker I would live with. The top end is just too bright for me.
Thomas I have gone back to alpha core tq2 xlr sliver in my setup. it is not a bright cable at all but it is detailed and sweet on top. Is silver a very component dependent cable? I may use different cables not as tone controls but to counter act the type of amp I am using. Example, I would never use that cable with a Bryston amplifier and klipsch speakers, but I will try it with a good tube amp and the klipsch
Yeah, to say all silver cable are bright is also wrong. Most of the one I tried do but there are some that don't. I don't know if it is component dependant,
Power cables make the biggest difference. Like a nitrous injection to your amp as it can get the full power it needs instead of the low gauge crap that comes in the box. I would say interconnects are the next big difference but speaker cable is subtle especially if you have the aforementioned interconnects and power cable already in place. Interestingly some cables with grounding boxes actually add warm pleasing RF distortion (similar to vinyl) by acting as antennae’s. So just trust your ears as if it sounds better to you it’s not expectation bias or placebo
I totally agree here. I do also use cable as some kind of EQ to alter the sound signature. I would like to hear a complete set of silver cables. Not that i would believe it would be the best sound it was just to get the experience.
Yes, just because it is all silver does not mean it sounds better. Depends on the system.
I have noticed that the biggest differenced in sound is gotten from changing speaker and power cables. I have limited experience with interconnects, but I stick with balanced if I can, but nothing fancy. At least not yet. At the moment I'm not using any analog interconnects, only digital. I believe that for digital, the critical thing is more about each end and less about the transportation of the signal. I have very nice sound in my system, even if I'm using an old cheap USB cable. The sound would probably be better if I upgraded it. But my isolation pads under my speakers did an enormous amount of difference. I'm not sure if I will get that extreme difference on a usb cable. But I will wait for upgrading it till after I have moved things around in my living room first. So I'm getting the right length.
I think with USB cable, the length is something you have to be careful with. Not too long. It's better to get a longer XLR interconnect . Thanks for commenting.
Not certain how I missed this video, but it is in fact "Fun" LOVE THE BOX OPENING
Yes, Thomas, cables DO make a difference. After trying tons of different cables over the past 30+ years or so, I construct my own cables to suit my preference for a neutral sound and my system. Cheers!
What brand of cables do you have that mixes platinum and silver? And I’m with you cables make a difference if the system and speaker are good enough and like you said choosing non similar similar cables.
You make a very good analogy with the apples. I would demonstrate cable differences to a skeptic using super smooth Van den hul the first vs Nordost which I find emphasises treble more. I usually put this down to differences in capacitance/resistance/inductance between some cables. I would love to see a null test done with the two cables extremes to see if there is a measurable difference. If there is a difference then that indictes cables can sound different at least at the extremes (a red and a green apple) but if there is no difference then the null test must be unreliable. I also believe the double blind test is flawed for audio as differences often become apparent over time and with experience not necessarily in a quick A to B under pressurised conditions to "perform".
Yup, you have experience and know how to demo cables.
I'm a firm believer in the "10%" rule. 10% of your audio budget should be spent on cables. $2000 speakers, $200 cables. $200 speakers, $20 cables.
Same here but that also depend how well the speakers are made, for example I seen a $10k speaker xover with very very cheap caps, inductors, resistors etc and top of that the manufacturer used cheap internal wires probably $13, in my opinion is not right to the buyers who's spend that kind of money on speakers the manufacturer should be shame themselves.
Also my friend just sold the same raidho speakers and a pair of wilsons, in exchange for the raidho flagship monsters :) ive gotten a chance to listen to both raidho speakers, and the first set as in this video had a bigger effect on me as that was my first raidho speaker ive heard. It was breathtaking. Jeff rowland dac and mcintosh pre and amp. Currently hes got a very nice t+a preamp. At the end of the day i happily went home to enjoy my 'mid end' ps audio/bryston/goldenear serup :)
Your 'mid end' is very good. I also play in the 'mid end' zone and it's amazing what they can do. Raidho...one day when I win the lottery.
@@ThomasAndStereo not sure whats going on with your picture post replies but i cannot read any of your replies lol. So after some time with the lsim707, something happened, not sure if placement or some burn in time, but today i moved my triton 1s to the sides and im very much enjoying the 707s. To the point where i might sell the triton 1s and free up some cash for possibly a 2nd system.
Glad to hear that. On the community page, I was mentioning about break in. It will change the sound drastically. I heard the Triton 1s at the Toronto audio show and I have to say it's really impressive and it was paired with highend passlab gear. Compared to my Triton 2, it's a big jump up. I did an AB test against the Triton 2 and the 707, my friends prefered the 707. Keep me updated.
Man, all these tone deaf people that think cables don’t matter SMH. Next thing you know they’ll tell you WWE is fake.
It's most likely they have not heard different cables that sound different so I do understand them.
IDK, you guys keep listening to your cables, I'll keep listening to the music. Mkay? ^^b (but I still have my Van Den Hul "The First" RCA's and they sound...different O.O, ).
And the Earth is flat. Apples do taste different, because they are different. Cables have to meet a narrow range of specs or they don't work. I don't believe snake oil scams because three years of electronics say they don't work. its not unlikely, its impossible.More chance the moon is made of cheese. But people waste money on all kinds of junk, its your money to waste.. I would rather spend my cash on stuff that really makes a difference. If I want to be lied to I will join the Democrat party. Or get married
@Larry Niles
One word is underused in this discussion and that word is impossible. It's simply impossible for a cable or power cord to make any kind of difference. Balanced interconnects can be slightly quieter, better quality cables can have their advantages, but changing the sound is quite impossible.
I recently just experienced swapping a better cable is a right choice. Cables can affect sound significantly about 20%. Soundstage, bass, mid, etc all are improved at once.
Yes, it's quite an AH HA moment when it happens.
Love this video. Albeit, I never been able to hear the difference between an $25.00 pair of Monster cables over $250.00 pair a MIT's. I really appreciate that you put yourself on a limb and shared your findings with us. In this day an age, I think there is too much importance put on how things measure. Love the fact, that you are drawing your conclusion by comparing and contrasting what you are hearing... in a real room, with your own gear. I greatly believe measurements are a very important tool, but they should never supersede listening. Be well.
Thanks, I am very happy most people are ok with this video. Usually people go to war when it comes to a video on cable.
NASA just called,they want their cables back :-)
They need Them for soon calling from Mars.
Thank you for your thoughts I think the materials are kind of noticeable my self Silver vs Copper. P.S. Happy belated birthday
Thanks for the birthday wish. Yeah, silver is one extreme sound so it's good for showing cable differences.
One area where cables may make 'some' difference than others are the interface or connecting points. ie, contact areas absolutely clean and tight fitting vs looser fit on dirty or slightly corroded ones, and materials used, ie gold vs stainless steel on the terminals or amp inputs and how prone to oxidization they may be.
Thank you Thomas.
I had purchased much higher end cables than what I traditionally was using and noticed a significant difference on three different amps and speaker combos. I didn't buy them to get clearer sound, I did it because I wanted better RF shielding and they definitely improved that. The biggest difference was on the high-mid to high frequency range (i.e. 2K hz to 15k hz). There was so much more of it in content and probably about a 2.5db gain in that frequency range vs the regular cables. Some of this I could contribute to better conductive materials in the high end cables, but if that was purely the case, bass signal would have also been more pronounced. Since I tried this with very different types of speakers, I knew it wasn't increasing the coloration inherent in at least one pair of those speaker. So, I had to conclude that there was a capacitance affinity in those high end cables which tilted the signal response to the bright side. Ultimately, I did not like the sound of the high end cables and found other means to resolve RF interface issue I was having with a power conditioner. That being said, I greatly appreciated the excellent build quality of the more expensive cables, but since most of my speakers are bright to begin with, those cables tended to make the sound overly clinical and lacked warmth. That is not to say that this is true for all high end cables, but just happened to the case for the ones I got. I still like high end cables in general and will try another set some time.
yeah, I completely believe that it's not the most expensive cable but the right cable one must get for the system. Sometimes , the cheapest cable is the best solution. This actually happened to my friend recently, used a dollarstore cheap cable and it was better than his super expensive cable for that specific setup.
Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean that I'm not open to listening to your opinion; it's always good to open your mind and see something from someone else's perspective, especially on controversial subjects. It's just a bit of fun!
Thanks for commenting politely and hanging around even if you don't always agree with me. That is the kind of audience I want.
I really need this to match my 200 euro Marantz PMD 320 cd player, from 18 years ago.
I may not be able to afford cables this high end, but I have experienced badly made/cheap cables and I can tell you there's a difference. With everything else you buy, it depends on what you're trying to achieve and what's important to you personally...that's it. Thomas, thanks for sharing!
Thomas
Every audiophile should watch this video.I worked in a hifi shop years ago and when the cable reps came in you just had the sinking feeling that it was utter BS.One magician trying to tell another magician "no it's not an illusion it's real magic".They would say "Oh yeah you should tell a customer to put up to 25% of a budget for a system in wire".Well of course they said that.And my boss was cool with it because it was an add on to the budget and wire had a higher margin than just about anything else.The question is how much return do you get?Yes there is a difference between cables but like you said you have to go to extremes to discern it.Silver is more tipped up and brighter than copper.We had one brand (they will remain nameless but the letters were very similar to a prestigious technical institute near Boston Ma) and the blocks they put on the cables would roll off the frequency extremes so the listener would say "Hey there's better mid range" but in fact what you were getting was ACCENTUATED midrange not more.It's that overall you were getting less information so the mids seem to pop.Overall you get something respectable,well made (I think Speltz Anti Cables are a good deal or just well terminated Belkin) and put you money elsewhere.If audio is a cupcake than cables are not the cake,they are not the frosting,they are the sprinkles on top mostly color and tasteless..Put your dough elsewhere
Nicely said Charles. Thanks for sharing.
Hope you had a great Birthday!!!
I'm skeptical in respect to digital interconnects, but have clearly heard differences when using cables of a different capacitance ratings to connect turntables (with mm cartridges) to phono stages. The tonal characteristics of some mm cartridges can change significantly as the total capacitance figure ( derived from the arms internal wiring, plus the interconnect to the phono stage, plus that added by the phono stage itself) changes. The differences are quite distinct and can be easily noted if you have a phono stages that has selectable capacitance levels that can be changed on the fly.
ah, thanks for sharing your experience.
Phono cabling is used for exceedingly low-level signal, which in combination with the characteristics of the phono cartridges and the preamp, will matter. Generally though, lower capacitance is better (for signal quality, maybe not for subjective opinion).
just wondering .. cables need some warm up time right ? so the first impression would be "nah its not better" , till you past a view songs ...
You mean break in, hmmm....some of my friends believe that, some don't.
@@ThomasAndStereo nah like a time to get to best performance like a tube amp 20-30min) or so .. i never had the chance to try diffrent cables .. the only thing i can tell is that the really low end cables ( the stuff you get for free with in the box ) really sound like crap compared to my self made van damme cables .. but i cant tell how real quallity cables compare to them
You can't pass a blind test, but the placebo effect is real.
Off topic here but I noticed you have a set of Polk Audio LSIM 703s. I don't recall you ever talking about them in past. The reason I'm asking is because they are super cheap at the moment ($449/pair). I was thinking of adding them to my arsenal. How do you like them?
I just got them 3 days ago. My advice, run and go get them before they sell out. BEST $449 you can spend and I have heard all the 'hot' budget speakers. Infact if you can afford the LSIM707 and you have the room, get them. They scale very well, with my classe, they are like high end speakers. I dont' know with budget gear as I have not tried them with budget gear.
@@ThomasAndStereo Sweet. Thanks for the quick reply. I have room in home but they are not wife approved. LOL. Will you do a review/discussion on them? ... wondering how you like them when compared to klipsch rp600m or even buchardt s300(400?).
I don't know if I will because I have to return to my subscriber in 2 days and i have not listened to it with any budget gear or compared it to other speakers. I am enjoying myself with it. I would say, it will not lose against the other speakers you mentioned above depending on your taste. If you want sparkling top end and powerful bass with that feeling of big sound from a bookshelf, these speakers are it.
@@ThomasAndStereo I appreciate the feedback. Thanks again.
It has been my experience that audio cables act as tone controls on your system. It is important that your system is resolving enough to discern any difference! Systems without tone controls are best to use when comparing. Listen for better definition, soundstage, dynamics, and bass that is taut.
The same applies to detachable power cables!
Also use caution when mixing different cables which can affect the tonality. Lastly, live with the new changes for a period of time to confirm your impressions. Cheers!
Thanks Thomas
yes! imagine you put a copper cable a silver cable and some gold plated nickel cables in the same system, the sound would be almost unlistenable. the "tone control" would be spinning it's little head off with all that warmth from the copper clashing with those bright high end shimmers you get from silver and not to mention the mushy tone from that nickel......yuck!
At least the gold would keep things under a bit of control offering its punchy tightness and sophistication.
I had my cable experience 4 weeks ago, all I can say is that they make a difference and I would bet on myself in a blind test. It was easy to hear but I changed cheap cables to mid priced (wich I got for free).
LOL, that is a very nice suitcase, Thomas!😁
I do wish I was the guy that came up with Nordost cables, dude is a very very rich genius. Heard they're getting ready to launch a line of wireless cables called "Fulla Loki"
hi Thomas, when you test those polk behind you? i will appreciate that.thanks
check out my post on my community page. I just posted my suggestion.
Thomas, I made a few different cables from the same wire and just messed around with the geometry..they all sounded drastically different!! In fact the ones i made that i was sure would sound the best actually sounded the worst. In the end I ended up buying some Kimber cables and just threw in the towel.
Ah I see. My own reference cable is actually DIY Litz cables. Very neutral.
Great video. IMHO, everything matters when u have a super resolving system. EVERYTHING. And it’s all relative...if u have a $200 system, obviously don’t buy expensive cables. But if u have an expensive system, people spend big bucks trying to squeeze out those last fractions of a percent off their recordings, and good for them
all hifi gear is interesting, i like to think that someone spent time and effort in making something good. higher the price usually more interesting :)
Hi Thomas, I see the Polk Audio Lsim 703 speakers in the background, how do you like them,....your thoughts?
Go get one now while they are still available and on liquadation price. You can return if you don't like right? Amazing performance. If you have the room and gear to drive it, get the 707.
Thomas & Stereo I’m so glad to hear that, I currently have the 707 in my room. I recently brought out my separates to try it with and am quite pleased vs using a receiver. Now to be fair I’ll go back and to a better A B test. Keep up the good work with the videos...Cheers!
I honestly thought you were going to pull some lamp cord from the box, that you were pranking us, because of the dramatic build to the box opening. No problem. I've plowed through hundreds of forum debates about cables that usually end up being closed by the moderator. I understand where you're coming from, hope everyone else does too.
Yup yup, l really want the comment section in my channel to be civilized. Hmm...that would be funny if I pull out a lamp cord.
So can you tell me for sure which speaker cables allow more definition all silver or all copper. Thanks
Well the detail are all there with both. Just silver tends to tilt up the treble and give the illusion things sound sharper. The danger is that it can be too good of a thing and one end up with listening fatigue.
I love cables!
Power, interconnect, and speaker cables.
Each I have tried in my system make their own different sonic character.
Ah, you must have a very revealing system.
I do now but during the early to mid 1990’s I didn’t. I had just an average intro high end system. Cables sound differences could still be heard with that system, especially between cables with wider sonic characters like Nordost and the silver Kimber cables versus warmer or more neutral kinds like Audioquest or FMS (relatively unknown high quality brand that’s now out of production).
I remember hearing sibilance (very easy to hear) with the fast silver strand cables.
@@techrider2088 I hear you, my vintage friend fine tune his system with cables too and those are not really revealing systems. He has the hearing of superman though...
The Transparent cables I have had, power and speaker, both had low noise floor-a darker background.
Ultimately I preferred sound of my $160 power cable over the $2200 Transparent power cable. Ironically.
Yes, tuning can be done with cables. The discriminating listener must be aware though, interesting because many times what I thought was a sound character of the speaker or other components I was using was actually more of the character of the cable I was using.
You really made me smile with this one. A anti-uptight video on cables. Brilliant. Please people, get the message here: hifi is fun. Rummaging around with equipment is fun. Look for a job where you can use your talent and fascination for measurements. Then come home in the evening and have fun. With your friends and fine music. Thomas, you are so right on this.
IMHO it stops being fun when cables are sold at $23,000 or even $230 - it becomes criminal fraud.
Man, those Raidho speakers are something special..
As a baseline, OFC cables are pretty darn good - after all that's what the speakers are connected with at the stereo store where you fell in love with the speakers. Tin coated lamp wire is also a very affordable option and because of the tin, great to use as bare wire for long runs at pennies per foot. The real question is whether the price to performance ratio for expensive cable is one that is acceptable to you. If so, great! But honestly for the price of the really expensive cables, you could have extruded gold or platinum wire. Funny that they don't offer that, instead it's treated copper and silver, due to very large profit margins on those fancy cables. So I say, start at the bottom; make your own rca interconnects yourself out of 22 gauge magnet wire and wait 3 months. I did that and wound up replacing all the expensive interconnects with the ones I'd made, because to me they sounded best. You may feel differently. But if you don't try it out, how will you ever know?
Yup, only way is to try. I do have tons of DIY cable myself and my reference speaker cable is actually DIY.
Thomas!!! I see the Polk LSIM703 in the background! I own them. Curious about your take on them. Especially for the price you can get them for now. Are you going to be doing a full review on them?
They are amazzzzzzing for $700cdn. I am waiting for the 707 and will make a video on those instead....might still do the 703 because they are very good.
@@ThomasAndStereo Nice!!!!! I'm very excited. Thank you for your response!:):) I would love to hear your review on the towers in the United States you can get the towers for $1,100 shipped which to me is insanity
Hello, I too have had the 703’s for the last couple of years. Would love to know how they compare to the other bookshelf speakers you have talked about.
They can easily compete with my other speakers I have tried. For $700cdn, they probably is the best value compared to the other ones.
@@ThomasAndStereo cool!! Was so curious what you might think of them:):):):)
You can not lose a debate if you are correct. You can only be shouted down. It does not alter the facts.
The experience of discovering subtle differences apparently takes time, sometimes eons. (Stereophile editorial)
In this discussion of cables, preferences can overwhelm rational discussion. Some folks like the filtering effects, "I" don't.
This saves me a lot of money.
Been a while since we've seen those lovely Mark Levinson amps and diamond speakers 😍
I'm surprised how close to the wall he's got them setup , have they been moved since last time?
Nah, it's put in the same spot , could be the camera angle. He plans to move the whole rack to the side eventually.
@@ThomasAndStereo maybe my memory is broken 😂😂
Even if cables are a placebo effect, isn’t that worth something. Love what you said “ if you can’t hear a difference then you can’t hear a difference “ love it.
Thanks, at the end of the day, we have to be honest with ourselves.
Just my 2c: spend at least a few hundred on cables, don't skimp out completely. Beyond that, you're on your own.
nice video thomas.keep the great job.good to know you help out the subscribers.where do you live?would love to visit you for a listening session with you and share some thoughts & questions .
Ah, I live in Montreal. You?
@@ThomasAndStereo i live in san francisco.when i come to montreal i will definitely visit your listening room.what would be an email to get in touch with you? mine is web.hari@yahoo.com
The only cables I like are Ansuz cables for high budget and Audiance Ohno for medium budget applications and Blue Jeans to get started on low budget with nicer ones. Not a lot of others impressed me. Blue Jeans cables is fine until you can afford ansuz as well. I am not a big fan of audioquest for the money I can beat them for less with these other brands.
cables can alter the frequency balance , just like speakers. I make my own and they sound fine and neutral :-)
Could you tell me where did you find that meme about cables ? Cheers.
A subscriber sent it to me. If you go to my community page, I shared it there if you wanted to save an image of it.
I'm thinking about making my interconnects with 99.99 cryo treated silver cable, pure copper gold plated connectors and some kind of geometry a la kimber kable pbj. Costs should not exceed 150 bucks each. Thoughts?
I don't have experience with building cables but forsure the best bang for buck is DIY.
I haven't personally heard a difference with cables. But do I think they make no difference? I can't say for sure, I haven't heard enough examples. Thanks for sharing.
Yup, it means the cables you heard are so similar sounding that there are no difference.
At that price the cable could have come within a car rather then a suitacse :)
lol, true true.
Sir thomas thank you for the reviews. Sir i need your help. I am planning to buy sterio speaker and i dont know what to buy. Please help me. Please
I made a video on what speaker to buy, check it out. Or just ask your question here. Thanks
Happy belated birthday! 🍎🍊
The fact of the matter on my researches, each cable will behave differently from equipament to equipment ; you must to try with one will works better for you(your equipment); and the difference it’s very little , if you don’t have good ears you can’t notice. Comes up in the nuances of the music.
Well said. A bit of training on how to listen goes a long way too.
Provided the cross-section is big enough and the cable isn't overly long, the electrical signal is transferred without alteration. If you still hear a difference, it lies somewhere else.
I wonder what they actually cost to make, must be some SERIOUS profit making happening.
So true. If you want to hear a difference you’ll hear a difference if you don’t want to hear a difference you won’t. I think bottom would be is you need to have an open mind or open ears - negative or positive.
Yup and I understand completely when people say they can't hear a difference with cables. Thanks for commenting.
hello thomas sir can you do a video explaining sound of different kind of tweeters, pros and cons etc
Sadly I am not technical enough to do a video like that. You need speaker builder experts to answer these kinds of questions.
Thomas, I would add that the whole silver cable thing is where a lot of people get their noses out of joint, largely courtesy of the predictable forum response that anyone who cant handle silver cables just hasn't spent a thousand hours (!) burning them in. Add the burn-in debate to expensive cables and you may as well be standing in the middle of a field waving a large red flag ;)
Unlike electronics and speakers, where there is usually some sort consensus re the sound quality (and equally importantly reports from people who have had reliability or customer service issues),, cables are a black hole for mere mortals like myself - we tend to opt for something like Audioquest simply because everyone has an AQ cable. Given the price of an airfare, almost anyone can conceivably hear those at a dealer's showroom (or occasionally at a show) - you are far less likely to have a dealer spend a morning swapping cables in and out for someone who has just walked in off the street. When all we have is some seriously OTT marketing from the cable companies, equally OTT reviews from the magazines and constant bitterness on forums, who is going to plonk down thousands of dollars on an unknown quantity ? I know - we need to cultivate friendships with audiophiles in our town - and I commend you for being willing to practice what you preach in that regard.
Thanks Arthur, I don't usually frequent forums but I can guess debate is quite heated over there. You raised many solid points. Never thought about why AQ cables are so popular and that is one reasonable explanation. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughs. Appreciate your contribution.