Author Topic: My take on the cables debate  (Read 16335 times)

Offline rollo

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #15 on: November 10, 2015, 07:54:53 AM »
  Neither IMO. It is price of such. Not complaining about price so lets kill that thought right now.
   Back in the day 10% of system cost was suggested for cabling which started the whole shabang. Those "High End" guys strike again.


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Offline P.I.

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2015, 01:14:21 PM »
Rollo pretty much nailed it.  Of course L/C/R come into play.  So do:

Magneto electrostriction
Dissipation factor
Dielectric absorption
Jacket material
Jacket density
Velocity of propagation
Materials purity
Conductor finish
Build geometry
Length/gauge ratio
Fixing type (screw, solder, crimp, weld...)
Plug type
Plug finish

This is part of what goes into the design of "a cable that matters."  A great cable is a dynamic system and has to be approached in that manner.

Dave
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Offline steve

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2018, 03:15:56 PM »
Decades, and decades ago, I performed some listening tests and the results surprised me. Wanted to see if there was a difference in ics back then, as was advertised. Kind of a different test, but somewhat simple to implement.

I made two pair of ics, same copper wire, same insulation, same capacitance, inductance, and resistance. Output impedances (Z) and input input Z of amp were approximately 2k and 100k ohms respectably. Ic capacitance ~40pf.

One pair of ics had plugs, one end plugged into my source jacks and the other end into the 10A line preamplifier jacks.

The other pair of ics was bare wire ends soldered to the source jacks (inside chassis), and soldered to a different inputs jacks on the 10A (inside).

The selector switch was used to select between the two different ics.

The sound was different, quite different between the two different ic pairs.

The entire system was common to both pairs of ics except the ic connection techniques.

I then compared two different type plugs with common termination techniques, different sound, so plugs make a difference.

I then compared two different termination techniques on same type plugs, so termination techniques also make a sonic difference.

Lastly, a listening test was devised/setup to check  ics for accuracy in absolute terms. (The small variable is the jacks that the plugs mate to.)

Ics, make a sonic difference alright. 

cheers

steve
« Last Edit: September 17, 2018, 03:39:14 PM by steve »
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Offline jimbones

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2018, 09:43:04 AM »
I figured since I just got a new pair of speaker cables I'd share my experience. I just bought a pair of MIT Matrix HD38's. The way I would describe the improvement is like sharpening the focus of an image like a camera. The whole spectrum improved bass, mids and highs. Spatially, depth etc. It was a very significant change and not subtle at all. This was witnessed bu another AN member as our jaws dropped.
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Offline Nick B

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2018, 10:04:30 AM »
I figured since I just got a new pair of speaker cables I'd share my experience. I just bought a pair of MIT Matrix HD38's. The way I would describe the improvement is like sharpening the focus of an image like a camera. The whole spectrum improved bass, mids and highs. Spatially, depth etc. It was a very significant change and not subtle at all. This was witnessed bu another AN member as our jaws dropped.

What brand did these MITs replace?
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline jimbones

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2018, 12:56:07 PM »
Older MIT
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Offline malloy

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2018, 06:14:24 PM »
Are MIT's very different from Transparent Cable?

Offline tmazz

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #22 on: December 16, 2018, 08:57:53 PM »
Are MIT's very different from Transparent Cable?

Back in the day (1980s) Transparent was the US distributor of MIT cables. At some point (i really don't know when, but the early 90s seems to ring a bell with me) MIT decided to take back US distribution and do it themselves. It is my understanding that back then MIT used to ship the raw cable stock and the connectors to Transparent, who did the final assembly here in the US so they would pay a lower tax in importing raw materials as opposed to finished goods.


Right when the companies split their products were very similar. I am not sure how they have diverged in the years since then.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2018, 09:00:26 PM by tmazz »
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Offline jimbones

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #23 on: December 18, 2018, 12:22:00 PM »
I am sure they are wayyyyyyy different now. Bruce is the brains behind MIT. They don't have that at transparent. I think they tried to emulate him right after the split but now there is an ocean between them.
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Offline malloy

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #24 on: December 18, 2018, 05:13:24 PM »
I am sure they are wayyyyyyy different now. Bruce is the brains behind MIT. They don't have that at transparent. I think they tried to emulate him right after the split but now there is an ocean between them.

Hmmm. Did not know this. I've only auditioned MIT's once when buying RCA's a long time ago.  Went with some XLO's instead which turned out to be too bright, eventually.  :lol:

Are the top tier MIT's still considered state-of-the-art?

Offline jimbones

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #25 on: December 18, 2018, 05:22:30 PM »
Not sure about the I C s but the speaker cables are awesome
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Online Folsom

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #26 on: December 19, 2018, 07:23:23 PM »
Decades, and decades ago, I performed some listening tests and the results surprised me. Wanted to see if there was a difference in ics back then, as was advertised. Kind of a different test, but somewhat simple to implement.

I made two pair of ics, same copper wire, same insulation, same capacitance, inductance, and resistance. Output impedances (Z) and input input Z of amp were approximately 2k and 100k ohms respectably. Ic capacitance ~40pf.

One pair of ics had plugs, one end plugged into my source jacks and the other end into the 10A line preamplifier jacks.

The other pair of ics was bare wire ends soldered to the source jacks (inside chassis), and soldered to a different inputs jacks on the 10A (inside).

The selector switch was used to select between the two different ics.

The sound was different, quite different between the two different ic pairs.

The entire system was common to both pairs of ics except the ic connection techniques.

I then compared two different type plugs with common termination techniques, different sound, so plugs make a difference.

I then compared two different termination techniques on same type plugs, so termination techniques also make a sonic difference.

Lastly, a listening test was devised/setup to check  ics for accuracy in absolute terms. (The small variable is the jacks that the plugs mate to.)

Ics, make a sonic difference alright. 

cheers

steve

But no conclusion on preferences?

Offline steve

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Re: My take on the cables debate
« Reply #27 on: December 27, 2018, 12:14:25 PM »
Decades, and decades ago, I performed some listening tests and the results surprised me. Wanted to see if there was a difference in ics back then, as was advertised. Kind of a different test, but somewhat simple to implement.

I made two pair of ics, same copper wire, same insulation, same capacitance, inductance, and resistance. Output impedances (Z) and input input Z of amp were approximately 2k and 100k ohms respectably. Ic capacitance ~40pf.

One pair of ics had plugs, one end plugged into my source jacks and the other end into the 10A line preamplifier jacks.

The other pair of ics was bare wire ends soldered to the source jacks (inside chassis), and soldered to a different inputs jacks on the 10A (inside).

The selector switch was used to select between the two different ics.

The sound was different, quite different between the two different ic pairs.

The entire system was common to both pairs of ics except the ic connection techniques.

I then compared two different type plugs with common termination techniques, different sound, so plugs make a difference.

I then compared two different termination techniques on same type plugs, so termination techniques also make a sonic difference.

Lastly, a listening test was devised/setup to check  ics for accuracy in absolute terms. (The small variable is the jacks that the plugs mate to.)

Ics, make a sonic difference alright. 

cheers

steve

But no conclusion on preferences?

No preferences between the soldered and plug types. In fact, never thought about it, nor could I test for accuracy anyway, not until a listening test setup was created. I always like to have two different ways to listen test. At the time, some 25-30 years ago, the point was they "sounded" different. Almost all use plug type ics anyway, so I worked with plug type ics in the lab.

Next question was what type plug, termination techniques to use, wire, needed to produce an ic that "passes" the musical signal accurately, making an "invisible" ic. Did I need to modify any parts, and/or termination techniques etc? Yes. Took a lot of work to find the answers.

cheers

steve
« Last Edit: December 27, 2018, 07:12:10 PM by steve »
Steve Sammet (Owner, Electron Eng, SAS Audio Labs, Ret)
SAS "V" 39pf/m 6N copper ICs,
SAS Test Phono Stage
Acutex 320 STR Mov Iron Cart
SAS 11A Perfect Tube Preamp
SAS 25 W Ref Triode/UL Monoblocks
2 way Floor Standing Test Speakers