wow, what fun!
This thread started talking about mains cables and interference, which I think is different to signal cables, and to be honest, interconnects are probably different to loudspeaker cables.
With a mains cable, you have no audio signal, yes both are AC, however, mains is 50hz, and is then stepped down by a huge inductor in the name of the power transformer.
This alone rolls off a lot of line noise and inteference, then it gets converted to a pulsating dc by the recitifers, smoothed by the capacitors into a hopefully flat DC.
this can then be made REGULAR, by a voltage regulator, which both makes it hopefully totally flat, and negates the effect of voltage drooping ie the dc becoming say 35 volts instead of 40volts by being lost in the resistances of the power supply when lots of current is drawn.
My own listening leads me to some conclusions, however I am not so dogmatic that I will say nothing makes a difference, I will generally now say suck it and see, however I have seen £30 k cables, which really is the subject of scorn.
Especially when companies just bring them out and you think it must be good cos its that expensive.
I get SOOO weary of seeing another pornographic item in a hifi mag, that costs £10k, and the reviewer is wanking and orgasming all over it. It is £10k, and is brill, better than anything before. that is why I am for bllind test, so you don't know the price. I believe in you get what you pay for, but now in our money greed society designer stuff is coming out that you simply pay to have the name and the product is a secondary issue....madness really.
They fail to give good reasons, too for the cost. Sure if it took 20 years of intense scientific R/D and extensive listening, but then, the rational mind would say, where is your evidence...its one thing to spout claims, they need some backup, and for a company to say 'trade secrets ' just makes me think that either they are talking bollox or ought to share REAL breakthroughs in science and discovery for the benefit of womankind.
To offend James, the mana effect is a bit like russ andrews obscene quote saying in a catalogue, rf inteference is reduced by longer cables, so buy as much as you can, put your speakers as far apart, and spend spend spend on RA cables!
To have 9 layers of mana strikes me as the same type of thing, however, if you think it works, fine, I haven't heard so cannot say.
James...why not simply use some silicone type electrical glue on your cables and sockets, you can pull it of easily, and it will 'seal' the connections for stopping the vibrations...cheaper than layers of racks?
quote earlier
Naims credibility in not overcharging for their cables....that's cos they way overcharge for their simple circuits:duck: :ffrc: :ffrc:
electrons in ac don't actually flow, they just vibrate back and forth at the frequency of the mains.
So mains is 50 hz sine wave, and audio is 20-20khz, of alsorts of waves normally.
If the mains becomes dc in the psu, how can directionality in mains cables matter, and indeed affect the dc?
I can hear differences in interconnects, but it defies prices in general, so I really am cynical about expensive cables. I have heard naff pricy stuff and superb cheap ie tandy and maplin stuff which I use.
It really pisses you off tho; when you hear the maker spouting absolute dogmatic claims based on psedoscience and find a cheap thing to be better. Makes you cynical.
I like WM coming informing about his background a role, very illuminating, much more credibility than companies who just package up cheap stuff expensively. why do you think they are so protective and secretive, as if you really knew the truth, the bubble would burst, and you'd realise you paid £30 a meter for a £15 drum of 100m from the maker.
what complicates the issue is that I change...my tastes my hearing, my systems sound....I have no explanation for this, sometimes sounds great, sometimes naff, depends on my mood, health, etc., this also leads to questions like mains quality at certain times, so tis logical that should be investigated, normal thing michalab so no regrets, same with supports.
Some of the stuff that does get marketed as audiophile stuff really is akin to superstitions like putting corks under your bed or similar.
i can't tell the difference between swiching displays off, James, but it could have some bearing on circuit interference so is not COMPLETE tosh. Confusion everywhere you have to really know about the way everything works to come to an informed judgement, and your average guy cannot do that. So he has to go by word of mouth, marketing, gut instinct, testing, etc...
Though caveat emptor, maybe the industry should be regulated to prevent wild claims without backup....hearing is in the ear of the beholder, and is SUBJECTIVE, sensory based, individual,
only a consensus of scientific fact can prove something, so maybe 'great sound quality' ought to be banned.
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well at least with most of your post, where we differ is how/when we listen to equipment we are interested in.
