AudioNervosa
Electro Stimulation Ward => Signals and Noise => Topic started by: Emil on April 10, 2016, 09:21:27 AM
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Say you have 2 or 3 interconnects in your system. Can you really properly audition a new interconnect by replacing just one? I'm assuming you should replace the one closest to the source.
Can ya? Huh, can ya?
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If it was me I would audition it in the position that you intend to us it in. The cable needs to be a synergistic match with the equipment on both the source and the terminating end. Just because a cable sounds good in one place in your system you cannot automatically assume that it will sound good everywhere. I have used pretty much exclusively MIT Interconnects in my system since I first got into high end gear in the late 80s. Over the years I have auditioned many cables and always ended up back with MIT. (There have been cables on occasion that I thought were a bit better than the MITs, but no enough that I felt it was worth laying out money for that much improvement.) However going all the way back to when I first got the ARC SP-9 preamp and VPI Hw-19 turntable MIT cables just did not cut it as the input to the phono stage. I have used various cables in the phono section over the years (Mostly Monster) an even though I have has several incarnations of MIT in the system over the years, none of them have done overly well in the phono section. I have never figured out why, but that is what my ears have always told me.
So back to my original comment, the best place to test an interconnect is in the exact place you intend to use it.
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Emil
The combinations of I/C's in your system can turn this into an exercise of exponential proportions. I suggest you try and borrow a pair or two of I/C's from local like-minded audio crazies and start auditioning.
Assuming your system is a CDP > DAC > Pre-amp > Amp
(3 pair of cable.)
Take borrowed cables (A) and try them in each position. Start between CDP > DAC with whatever "test" track you desire. Take notes on the Pros/Cons of the borrowed (A) cables vs. your original I/C's in that spot. Then put your original cables back in place and try the borrowed (A) cables between the DAC > Pre-amp and repeat the process; and so on...
You may very well be surprised that the borrowed (A) cables make no difference in one spot, but make a great improvement in another or sound absolutely horrible in a different place in the chain.
Slow & steady. Trial and error. Keep notes. If you find a worthwhile improvement in overall sound in one particular place in the system and it's worth the outlay of $$$ to buy a pair of those same borrowed (A) cables, then mission accomplished... if not, move on to the next (B) set of borrowed cables and start the process all over again.
My 2¢
SN
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Evening
Here is what I did when I was auditioning 2 sets of cables side by side. I ran signal to both pairs of cable using a Y RCA splitter from a single source for about 2 weeks without listening to them. Just had a signal running through them for over 200 hours so when it came time to audition they would be broken in.
Then I took that y splitter and the cables to the system I wanted to have the new cables in. In my case I wanted to change cables from source to preamp. Luckily my preamp had multiple inputs that I could switch to via remote so my lazy butt wouldn't have to get up from my chair to make changes. I would switch back and forth from the different inputs and makes notes.
I used the radioshack version of this y splitter.
(http://i5.walmartimages.com/dfw/dce07b8c-1584/k2-_c79c76ab-11ef-43c1-b060-c70f0eaea45b.v1.jpg)
For preamp to amp that was hard. I had to employ SN's method of auditioning ICs. It got annoying after awhile though for me.
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...Luckily my preamp had multiple inputs that I could switch to via remote so my lazy butt wouldn't have to get up from my chair to make changes. I would switch back and forth from the different inputs and makes notes.
SG24 - I like YOUR way better from source to Pre! :thumb: SN
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SG24:
Why couldn't you just reverse the order and run from two different outs to the single in the amp?
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I only do one at a time. It could be I am cheap. If all signal cables are junk it's probably use ful to to do the source first but not necessarily.
Get a nice one
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If I understand what you are doing this means that you would have both cables connected to output of the source end and then use cable at a time at the preamp end. This concerns me in that even though the unused cable is not technically in the signal path, it is connected as an open ended stub in parallel with the cable in use. Stubs like this are used extensively in radio frequency work and in fact are even utilized in audio cables such as the MIT Shotgun series. So in theory it is very possible that even if only one of the cables is being looked at by the preamp the two cables connected terminated in a y adapter a one end might sound different than just running the used cable to the pre all by itself.
This is all theory and on any given combination the effect of the y connection may be negligible, but I would try listening to each of the cables solo vs y connected before I started doing any serious a/b comparisons, just to be sure.
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SG24:
Why couldn't you just reverse the order and run from two different outs to the single in the amp?
:duh :duh Ugh. I need to remember this for next time.
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One at a time. takes time and patience. When an IC is removed it will not sound as before until it settles again. My advice as a cable tester would be leave in for three days each IC and just listen. Trust your ears. You will know which you prefer aftr listening to familiar music.
In and out is only good for sex not comparisons. Stay away from special connectors as they will alter EACH cables performance DIFFERENTLY.
Takes time Emil and it is fun nd very educational. I have several for you to try if you like. JPS, TWL, Mad Scientist, Kronenberg, Audio research,Lenihan, etc.
charles