A collection of anti-hifi [ripoff] information
Reply #41 – 2003-09-19 11:47:48
I *do* see references to "conductivity" quite often, but what would an example of conductive variance between different quality cables be? And, again, does poor conductivity mean fewer electrons being sent at once? Are electrons transferred in parallel or in series. If it's the latter, then there is no "at once". So it would then be a matter of only speed for determining conductivity? 1. conductivity is the reciproke value of electrical specific resistance 2. "speed" is not a problem ... alternate currents travel without any significant time-shift OK, serious ... there is more to cable than simple electric (in terms of pure Ohm) resistance ... besides inductivity and capacity which can affect high and low frequencies by losses (if I & C are high enough - that's what impedance is all about), there are some other effects like e.g. the "skin-effect" (high frequency currents are pushed towards the surface of the cable, reducing effective conduction diameter) which can make cables sound "lower" (could be a good idea to use cable with a lower surface area, if your speakers sound a little too analytic ) I agree with 2bdecided that any major manufacturer could easily produce devices with matching electric specifications of their in- and outputs which would make any cable discussion (regarding capacity, inductivity etc.) absolutely useless ... there would be one good standard cable for all circumstances ... I also agree with you guys that most people are not able to seriously ABX a difference between normal cables and overpriced so-called High-End-stuff ... but modern HiFi magazines state that as well and point out that no cable can significantly affect your stereo system's tonal balance (like different loudspeakers can) ... that's why ultra-expensive cables never get a "best buy" recommendation whatsoever ... what these magazines state is that you can influence certain characteristics of a stereo system in a marginal way that might be determined if listened very closely and concentrated. My point of view, regarding mechanical components (like plugs) is based on my personal opinion as well as my engineer knowledge ... good-old mechanical properties are too often regarded as negligible ... that's why I wanted to point out that a proper plug's connection (this concerns optical toslink cables as well) is far more important (regarding future stability/reliability as well) than slight differences in cable material. Edit: removed some errors in orthography ...