Sparkling topic
It always comes to tension when it comes to the topic about cable difference. There is left and right brain acceptance and dealing with things. Those prone to technical side of things will in most cases always resist with any hearing claim of the difference. Like with music performance. You cannot measure certain things, but you can hear them. Trained ears? Mileage?. Now if you hear the difference do you automatically fall into a "crazy" labelling or placebo effect? As written we have other fields of science and industry they noticed the difference and don't give a s.... about what people might say. They implement and use the technology :). This is a practical way.
Well, any non believer can take his time and ask physicist why cables produce distortion at different bandwidths. In the industry of superconductors dealings with super conducting materials their plan is a true distortionless signal cables. It's true that they pay a hell lot attention to connectors. We're still dealing with RCA's and it's 21st century... With wires and super conductor materials at 200 degrees celsius below zero you can both hear and test scientifically result at this moment. This industry don't need Randi test (it have its own history of doing the things in specific way to). Superconductors industry already invested far more then a offered Randi prize. Need I tell how they couldn't care less about him or his quest... :).
I tend to see audiophiles as an intelligent crowd. If you hear the difference and willing to pay for it why not? I agree that all logical attributes of resistance, impedance matching etc. must be there as a building blocks from the start. I found most baffling how all the ruthless bankers, managers and people with enough funds that doesn't let even once cent of their money slip without noticing it, would go brain dead when it comes to spending money on cables, amps, speakers, analog tapes etc. I have a luxury to know few of such people and their knowledge of music and gear is in the other stratosphere. A true connoisseurs. It's not only a thing of being able to afford, but a thing of culture. Its subtle. Like with the way we experience music, tone of guitars, different microphones, nuances in singing etc. For some such perception is mandatory in the focus of disturbing. I can understand this. World do move in three modes. Ignorance, passion and goodness. One falls into a certain with the way he lives and act. It's free world.
As said some people tend to embrace to death the specs and even go all egoistic about how well they hear and know without ever stepping out of their "safe" universe. In most cases i'm sorry to say that many does't even know or did ever hear the real difference between hi-fi and high-end, likely they never hear a state of the art system in a dedicated treated room, visit a high-end show to enriched their knowledge or move their buts to hear real refined systems.
It's a matter of culture and an art backed with technical wisdom, knowledge and know how. I don't say it's rocket science and it needs the mystification of adoration, but an ultra high end device be it a cable, an amplifier etc. can and do make a difference. A big one! And its simply non respectful to the people who dedicated their life long search for audio perfection in one or another way. Hey, who gives a s.... right! We western's sadly often fail in basic understanding of culture that we supposed to carry and tend to just poke and destroy things, without a true learning and sharing in the respectful way. Much more to say...
I don't really even care that much about if people called us fools when we state how cables sound different. Some fall for marketing, some for mystic appeal some for what they hear. Even a basic LessLoss power cord can make a difference to affordable system. I proved many times without making personal impact prior to listen. Do your own before actually placing an placebo effect imprint before such even even happen.
And for a religion analogy. It's alway better to believe in something greater then ourselves without any need of paying even a dime :). Most prominent names in so called human history did so. Again... we're bigger then .... right!? As I look upon the universe i still see how small, little and often of no importance regardless how healthy our ego might feels like we actually are :).
Matej Isak. Mono and Stereo ultra high end audio magazine. All rights reserved. 2006-2013. www.monoandstereo.com. ..:: None of the original text, pictures, that were taken by me, links or my original files can be re-printed or used in any way without prior permission! ::..