Propeller Head Plaza Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics.

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Re: tongue in cheek response from someone in the "cables make a difference to me" camp

Posted by rlindsa (A) on February 18, 2005 at 06:35:41

In Reply to: Re: tongue in cheek response from someone in the "cables make a difference to me" camp posted by Lynn on February 17, 2005 at 17:07:15:

I'm glad there are people who want to understand the science involved in designing and manufacturing cables (and other stuff). REALLY. Without them, we'd have no advances in sound recording and reproduction. And I believe in the scientific method (4 years at Caltech). I just don't believe it's the only method of describing things, especially things as subjective as "my enjoyment of music". I can (in theory) write a set of equations for an acoustical wave that accurately represents the sounds produced by my system playing back some piece of music. But I don't think I'd get the same experience looking at the acoustical equations for Bach's Brandenburg Concertos as I do from listening to them. They could both be "beautiful" (I do appreciate the beauty of science and mathematics), but in different ways.

Just because DISCUSSION of DBTs is banned in the Cable forum doesn't mean those who participate in the Cable forum are banned from DOING them. I for one DID do a DBT on several different cables (ok, it was more of a SBT - I didn't know what cables were being used, but the person swapping them out did, but he said nothing during the evaluation) and heard quite obvious differences in the music I was listening to. Of course, price/performance is a very subjective thing - it's one thing to be able to say, "I hear a distinct difference in my music's sound when I use Cable A versus Cable B, and I like the sound with Cable A more"; it's another thing to say, "This difference in sound between Cable A and Cable B is worth $X to me." Measuring the various electromagnetic properties of different cables doesn't help me know which I like better - if the electromagnetic properties of Cable A differ from those of Cable B by some percentage, does that mean that Cable A is X% "better" than Cable B? And does it mean I'm willing to pay Y% more for the "better" cable? Electromagnetism and sound are (I think) objectively quantifiable phenomena - I don't think my "enjoyment" of those phenomena when used to reproduce recorded music is. Unless one quantifies it by the amount of hard-earned cash I'm willing to part with to get "greater enjoyment".

Now having said this, I'm going to bow out of the discussion. Just like many of those who enjoy the Cable forum don't want it cluttered up with debates on the scientific merits/demerits of various cables, I'm sure many of those who enjoy the Propeller Head Plaza don't want it cluttered up by people who say "but my enjoyment of the sound is all that matters!"

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