Speaker Cables Really Don't Make Much of a Difference?

Рет қаралды 349,094

3 жыл бұрын

In this video I actually measure cheap vs expensive cables using very precise test equipment connected to an amplifier and resistive loads as well as a loudspeaker to show the amplitude and distortion differences. The results may surprise you. Have you been sold a placebo when it comes to "high-end" cables? Watch this video to find out.
0:58 Test Equipment
2:31 Speaker Cables Under Test
4:10 DC Resistance of Cables
4:47 AC Resistance of Cables (Rac)
6:22 Inductance of Cables (Ls)
7:12 Capacitance of Cables (Cp)
7:59 Reference Equipment
9:22 Frequency Response & Distortion of Various Cables with 8-ohm load
12:19 Frequency Response & Distortion of Various Cables connected to Loudspeaker
14:30 Placebo Effect and Listening Bias
15:30 Burden of Proof is on the Cable Manufacturer
For tech articles on AV cables:
www.audioholics.com/audio-vid...
Audioholics Recommendations Amazon Shop: www.amazon.com/shop/audioholics
Audioholics Recommended Cables:
250ft CL2 12AWG Speaker Cable: amzn.to/2vwS9QH
Locking Banana Plugs: amzn.to/2ZQt15x
9ft 4K HDR HDMI Cables: amzn.to/2WiIXeD
Canare 4S11 Speaker Cable: amzn.to/2QxGvmk
Fancy 4S11 Speaker Cable: amzn.to/3lTvWpd
Audioholics Recommended Subwoofers:
SVS SB-1000 Pro: bit.ly/3c0rwsf
SVS PB-1000 Pro: bit.ly/3aWzdAg
Audioholics Recommended Electronics:
Denon AVR-X3700H 9.2CH AV Receiver: amzn.to/31UOD3Q
Yamaha RX-A3080 9.2CH AV Receiver: amzn.to/2VzA03v
Denon AVR-X6700H 11.2CH AV Receiver: amzn.to/38zHjMr
Audioholics Recommended Speakers:
SVS Prime 5.1 Speaker / Sub System: amzn.to/2GWoFCn
Klipsch RP-8000F Tower Speakers: amzn.to/2Vd8QQn
Pioneer SP-FS52 Speakers: amzn.to/2n7SyIJ
Sony SSCS5 Speakers: amzn.to/2ndEn56
Follow us on:
Patreon:
/ audioholics
FACEBOOK
/ audioholics
GOOGLE PLUS
plus.google.com/+Audioholics
TWITTER
/ audioholicslive

Пікірлер: 2 800

@joemarz2264 2 жыл бұрын

I was once present in a Kimber demostration with Ray Kimber himself presenting his cables. He setup his demo with one pair of speakers laying on the floor and connected to an amplifier via cheap cables, and another identical pair of speakers on top of them and connected to the same amplifier using Kimber cables. Sure enough, when Ray A-B switched both pair of speakers there was an audible difference in favor of the speakers connected with Kimber cables. When I remarked that the audible difference was most probably attributable to frequency response differences caused by the different positions of the speakers, he flatly denied it. I then asked him to switch the positions of the speakers so those connected with Kimber were on the floor and repeat the test, which he reluctantly did. Now the speakers with Kimber cables were at a disadvantage, and at that moment most people present understood we were being fooled by a high-end cable manufacturer and left the room.

@Audioholics 2 жыл бұрын

That's as bad as the Monster Cable demo that compared the brightness of light bulbs using their 12awg cable vs generic 18awg. People wee in awe not realizing they were being duped since both set of cables, although the same length, were different gauge in favor of Monster.

@ck23j Жыл бұрын

Kimber Mountebank

@WSS_the_OG 7 ай бұрын

"I then asked him to switch the positions of the speakers so those connected with Kimber were on the floor and repeat the test...." That was a stroke of genius on your part. Hats off to you.

@emalior5000 4 ай бұрын

To make sure both speakers were truly identical internally I would have asked him to swap the cables around along with the placement of the speakers.

@bunzinthesun Ай бұрын

I was at a audio show where Monster Cable was demonstrating the difference between lamp cord and their cable, each connected to a separate Dahlquest DQ10 speaker. Sure enough, the speaker with the internal treble volume control turned down sounded muted. How about that!

@tomahack1 3 жыл бұрын

Audiophiles are super humans with the power of super hearing but like all super heroes, they have one weakness..their super hearing goes away the moment their vision is blocked

@Nirvi1 2 жыл бұрын

Epic comment right there 😂❤️

@kaufmanat1 2 жыл бұрын

Nailed it...

@MacNifty 2 жыл бұрын

There is a lot of people who consider themselves audio files but like people who wear glasses their ears are not in tune like their eyes are not in tune. It's amazing the percentage of people who do not have a flat band and foreign listening capacity with their ears as tools and it limits everything after that point.

@honestlyforreal6304 2 жыл бұрын

🤣

@Stan_the_Belgian 2 жыл бұрын

It's like food, visuals is 50% at least

@billsmith8339 Жыл бұрын

I am glad I came across this video! When I was setting up my system, I was telling the sales guy that I could not hear a difference between the $3k cables vs the ones for a couple of hundred. He blasted me with all this gibberish (like you pointed out) of floating highs, thundering lows, yada yada yada ... so I switched the cables myself when he went to get a different CD, and low and behold, he kept pointing out how great the cables were, until I pointed out that he was really talking about the cheaper cables HAHA I then went to a different store to buy my stuff HAHA Incidentally, I think the same way about some of these wine guys who can taste the wind in Chardonnay in April when the sun was partly obscured by 3 clouds over the knotted oak barrel that had some rust on the steel hoops HAHA

@jianhuang0124 11 ай бұрын

I would not be man enough to tell him the truth...too embarrassed to myself

@nathanielbolden5053 10 ай бұрын

You’re a legend dude!

@watsonanthony8438 10 ай бұрын

When it comes to car audio the cable matters such as ofc vs cca. Non ofc power wires causes voltage drop to big sound systems and distortion to speakers wired at ohm lol

@johnholmes912 10 ай бұрын

With wine it MIGHT be true, with cables never

@XeroShifter 8 ай бұрын

There was a study published in the journal Brain and Language (2001) where 54 wine experts were given two glasses of wine and asked to describe the flavor of each glass. One was white, the other red. The experts identified the flavors of the wines, describing them as you might expect of a red wine and a white wine. Unfortunately for the experts, both glasses of wine were actually the same white wine, but one had been dyed red using a tasteless food dye. Wine terroir is almost certainly less important than what kind of wine it is, and if the color can have such a strong effect on the experience of the drink as to override what type of wine you're drinking, you can be sure that the difference of a particular year, or one farm vs another, etc, is made up garbage, and the "experts" are just sniffing their own farts because the culture has convinced them to do so. @@johnholmes912

@Bruh4reel Жыл бұрын

As a professional audio engineer, I know this to all be true. I also knew this over 3 decades ago as a 12 year old with a budding interest in audio (and a subscription to an audiophile magazine). Some people just prefer the buttery smooth sound of their own voice when they say how much they overspent on speaker wire.

@michaelrobinson9643 Жыл бұрын

Well said sir. I wish some would place the thickest of veils over their mouth or other methods of expression and cease feeding a market of BS that is actually holding back geuine advancement in fidelity of audio reproduction.

@jobinjon Жыл бұрын

But it sounds much better when they have gold plated teeth.

@michaelrobinson9643 Жыл бұрын

@@jobinjon That gave me a good laugh. Perhaps we can get the music industry to recognise this and have all singers gold plate their teeth. I'm a Dental Surgeon and I endorse this for my financial health and love of music! :P

@niro750 Жыл бұрын

Willy wavers!

@kevinkarbonik2928 10 ай бұрын

Pro audio engineer here as well for over 20 years... our company just used Belden 10-12 gauge wire for all of our massive PA systems.... The machines might give you some differences,,,, it's all the same.... ears won't hear the difference.

@frankenstudio22 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the Video. 14 years Electronics Technician in the U.S. Navy Submarine force. Gene, you are spot on with your measurements and explanations. People who dislike this video and message are in denial. Most likely because they overspent on speaker wire ~ Peace.

@infooptimalfitness7720 2 ай бұрын

In a blind test I hear changes in cables on my system every time. For better or worse... Explain that.

@katie_0258 2 ай бұрын

@@infooptimalfitness7720 Whatever you can assert without evidence, I can dismiss without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens.

@voiceofreason9238 3 жыл бұрын

Speaking as an audiophile, that was the most clear, useful and to-the-point 17:13 speaker wire audio analysis on KZfaq. Ever.

@bgphilippines8318 3 жыл бұрын

Exactly..good thing am new to to this stuff and learned this early

@MacNifty 2 жыл бұрын

The fact that he talks about measuring the wire itself and looking for many of the needed qualities of a quality speaker wire. I think the basic principle whether you are audio file or electronic Guru it basically all needs to get to the principles of electricity and Signal installation and that is with a foil sleeve and ground separated. Also have ESD sleeve. A science with different strands of wire as well as the core to the strands. I have not yet seen anyone make a speaker wire with the way I think they should be done. I am still waiting.

@superheaton 2 жыл бұрын

@@MacNifty awesome insight. You pinpointed out something special about grounding. Sheathing could connect to a small battery or large capacitor to soft release the energies. Am I getting that correct?

@altchavez 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, i turn on the close close caption in English to try understand better as my first lenguage is not english , can you help me to understand better what he said , just a little resume, i will appreciate a lot!!

@craigmorris4730 2 жыл бұрын

I agree!

@chrishanley1853 Жыл бұрын

The best youtube presentation I’ve seen. Thank you for your clear, concise and logically presented explanation of speaker cables and their electrical characteristics along with the quantified results and test equipment used. Being an Electrical Engineer, who was a NATA Signatory and Calibration Facility Registration Holder of a Lab that could measure Electrical parameters from DC to daylight, it’s a real pity there are so many snake oil salesmen in the Industry where so much misinformation can be presented without any form of evidence.

@mikeinmontana8875 2 жыл бұрын

I have been reading and watching your reviews and technical know how for years. Since I purchased the Yamaha rx-v2700 back in 2007. Purchased after having read your review. I still have this receiver as the main source in our 5.2 family room. On almost daily since new and never a single problem. This cable video is just one example of so many honest, well explained videos and writings. Just wanted to pass on a big thank you Mr. Dellasala All the very best to you and yours. ~Mike in Montana

@superd222tube 3 жыл бұрын

Finally! A credible source who has the courage to measure it and say it! Thank you.

@edgeecards 3 жыл бұрын

Calling the Denon PMA-A110 state of the art is a joke. My $2,999 Benchmark Audio AHB2 amp has orders of magnitude less distortion and noise than this run of the mill amp. And yes, the less noise and distortion results in a cleaner, clearer sound.

@edgeecards 3 жыл бұрын

Forgot to mention the AP analyzer shown is at its noise and distortion limits when measuring the Benchmark amp output according to 2 independent tests.

@curly1002 3 жыл бұрын

@@edgeecards it doesn't matter you can't hear the difference in the measured distortion it's beyond the limits of human hearing that's all that matters.

@vintageflanker7096 3 жыл бұрын

@@edgeecards The A-110 shows extremely low THD+N for an amp of its kind: traditional Class AB Integrated. Since you invoke measurements by AP (as such, tested evidences), you should know that you wouldn't be able to hear any difference between both if level matched. As you wouldn't between the AHB2 and Purifi. AHB2 measures better (and better than any amp out there) but both will be equally audibly transparent. Also, the noise doesn't reach the limit mesurable by an AP (x555) at all. Distorsion yes, but SINAD is pulled down to ≈112dB only because of the Noise. Still the best performance measured so far.

@thomashobbes8786 3 жыл бұрын

@@curly1002 cite please.

@ShakyTraveler Жыл бұрын

Thank you!!!! I'm an electrical engineer and have know this all a long. I remember once walking into an High end audio store to buying a amplifier. The sales man started talking about speaker wire. I let him ramble on for a few minutes and then I told him I was an electronics engineer. He immediately stopped trying to sell me the expensive cable and handed me a spool of 10awg. I get asked this question by my friends all the time. I just tell them to go to the hardware store and get the multi-strand 14awg or thicker wire. Sometime they don't listen to me. Sometime they will start talking about what the sales man tried to talk them into buying. Now I can point them to your video ..... Thanks!!!!

@WilliamRobinsonislostinspace Жыл бұрын

I came across your video recently because I have just started getting into the home audio/ home theater scene. What impressed me the most about this video was the level of depth you went into analyzing the scientific data. You didn't just present a surface level overview of the studies, but instead delved deep into the methodology, sample data, and statistical significance of each study to draw your conclusions. Overall, I found this video to be an excellent example of how science can be effectively communicated to the general public... Thank you! (and Thank you for saving me my hard earned money)

@tarzanfixjane Жыл бұрын

i have a BAS in electronics engineering, and maybe 22 years in the field. I really like how you did this video! REALLY informative, and you are obviously educated in this field as well

@tarzanfixjane Жыл бұрын

Not many people know what inductance, capacitance, susceptance or a decibel actually represent.

@MasterMark5 3 жыл бұрын

Mad respect gene, you show actual measurements and flat out say there is no audible difference. There are alot of people on KZfaq that will say there is a difference even though they know for a fact there is none. Now if you want to buy cables because they look nice or alot of effort went into making them go for it. Love the content, keep it up!

@robertbreish8182 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent work Gene! Thank you for putting in the time and effort into this! 🙌🏻

@michaeldorman9190 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for this video Gene. I've been into home theater and audio for over 20 years and no one has ever given me a better explanation about cables than this. Please keep up these great and informative videos.

@kingofgrills 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to run these comparison tests and for making this video. It’s extremely helpful to have empirical tests like this without the overly artistic audiophile commentary found in so many other channels and publications. FYI, this is a great video length for you too. I love the info you provide, but I rarely have the time or attention span to sit through your normal 1-2 hour long videos.

@ZoranJager 3 жыл бұрын

Finally somebody explained this properly! Kudos for your time spent to make this video! 👍🏻

@allanbriscoe4487 3 жыл бұрын

Superb informative and honest video, well done Gene, i've been saying more or less the same thing for 52 years. Hats off to you

@paulhausser3852 2 жыл бұрын

excellent video. Love the fact that you actually took the time and effort to do the tests. Your scientific method seems solid.

@richardwestmoreland4796 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Gene for explaining this audio topic in a clear and concise manner that even a schmuck like me who has practically no education in the field of electronics and electricity can almost understand. Touche' and keep up the great work.

@rcdude86 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing!!! You just told me years of your research! Knowing that this test equipment is still around and being used i hope younger people want to learn this and continue it on. Everyone this is great info!!! People need to research and learn and ask questions, if you get a mean answer then keep asking till gene or someone trustworthy sees it! Great work Gene!! Really great work! I hope people see more outta this!

@savagefrieze4675 3 жыл бұрын

Always glad to have my hearing and sanity affirmed! Thank you, I can hear differences in systems and setups but haven’t hear differences in cables. Thank you.

@dfronda2708 2 жыл бұрын

I did all this testing back in the late 90's and came up with the same resaults, I even ran some blind test with a friend who managed a Hi Fi shop with some clients. They thought they could hear something, but looking at the resaults they were random. we did trick them by telling them they were on the expensive cable when they were not.

@thomprd 2 ай бұрын

You did a blind test where you tricked them?

@andrewlim7751 4 сағат бұрын

It's actually audible, not everything can be measured in life, and if good sound is measurable by equipment, one don't need dedicated engineers to produce so many pairs of speakers.

@NosEL34 6 ай бұрын

Every couple years i get antsy when i dont have a new piece of gear i want or need to buy and start looking at expensive cables. After spending a couple hours looking at different cables I'll eventually watch a video like this or read a measurements forum. Brings me back to reality and reminds me my current cables are already of good quality and i need nothing else. Thank you

@jonnyo2121 Ай бұрын

You're chasing that dopamine hit moment of when you first heard a nicer system. Now that you have that nicer system, there really isn't any new audio experience that is going to wow you like those early BIG moments and upgrades. That's why people go chasing this kind of snake oil.

@NosEL34 Ай бұрын

@@jonnyo2121 I think you described the situation perfectly 👍

@philexile2954 3 жыл бұрын

Great job. I’ve been waiting for this to drop.

@lexiewilkinson9703 3 жыл бұрын

Gene Thank you again for this video, peoples must stop thinking cables are magic and those videos need to be reposted often to show the reality up there! in the past i use to buy audioquest cable thinking i had the best sound possible spend a fortunes on those. now i use regular knukoncept cooper and old monster cable i had left over to realize that the '' Sound " remain exactly the same. thank you

@jamesharcombe3358 4 ай бұрын

15:23 - real nice pun there. Slipped it in and didn't even blink. Great info and in-depth work on the cables as well - thank you!

@williamvezina1944 2 жыл бұрын

Glad I found your channel! Found others, most say the difference is very little. But with your equipment, makes it clear. Thanks again! 🤘

@JesusMartinez-mk6fc 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Gene! I love how you put your SOTA audio test equipment to use, unlike some other YT audio reviewers that have them sitting in the backgroung accumulating dust while they blabber away unsubstantiated claims and fooling themselves into thinking that their aging ears can hear things that can't be measured.

@joedirt6222 3 жыл бұрын

Gene's voice came through my samsung s20 speakers very airy and chocolaty. Must be magic.

@michaeldelaney6256 3 жыл бұрын

baahahahaha!!!

@davidmoran5431 3 жыл бұрын

I disagree: to my ear, over my precisely calibrated and completely accurate system, it was thin and wan and sluggish, until I changed cabling, when it became like rich corinthian leather

@alangross2277 3 жыл бұрын

LOL! Chocolaty...ya gotta love that audiophile term!

@jarodreddig63 3 жыл бұрын

Must be all the chocolate 🍫 he eats lol

@waterlover 3 жыл бұрын

Must be the power cable your cell is using

@ramram-ti5zh 2 жыл бұрын

You answered all the questions I had in mind. Thanks for the great video.

@77rommel 2 жыл бұрын

I bought Kimber Kable 8TC just because of your videos for my Martin Logan Classic ESL9'S AND NAD M22'S . I wanted a great cable that was worth my money and to know my speaker cable would never be a weak link. Thx for all your great videos!

@Carl-bd1rf 3 жыл бұрын

Finally someone who does a common sense test of speaker cables.

@shannonharris2816 2 жыл бұрын

So cool, Gene. I love the open testing and 'real world' explication.

@deltarogue7009 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely fantastic! Well done review. The depth and detail you present is so concise and useful/beneficial to make an informed decision. Your reviews have evolved and this type of information in this format "putting your cards on the table" so-to-speak, is for real and much appreciated! Thank you!

@ridebmx1983 Жыл бұрын

Great Video! Thank you very much! Finally some real testing in a Cable Video! Best regards from Austria!

@Leprecano64 3 жыл бұрын

Gene says the most sensible words I've heard in a long time, "we need more science in audio". Amen. Massive cred to Gene for doing this. My biggest Audio Hero, PWK, also had a great line about this (you probably know it already), "if it isn't based in science and physics, it's Bull$#!t". He also liked to insist on measurements because "if you don't measure, you can't possibly know what you have". These tests lend credibility to those of us who recommend generic OFC wire, and to manufacturers like Kimber, who actually STICK to the science and physics of it. Just makes me wish that the more nefarious peddlers of reptile juice could be shut down by the FTC for making false claims.

@MacNifty 2 жыл бұрын

For years they have been treating the consumer as fools. Is always with gimmicks and features. Fancy looks and fancy slogans. Fancy prices and fancy brick and mortar display centers. quality materials fine. We really do need more science with audio just like we need more science to tell the people on the media about the science they go with for about this disease and vaccination schedule.

@friedmule5403 2 жыл бұрын

I do in a sort of way agree with you, but allow myself to be skeptical about our scientific capability. Imagine 200 years ago and the newest science then, it did in no way measure radio waves, and still did radio waves exist. Electricity has also been outside science, so has infrared and lots more. Also, he did at no time measure the sound, only the electrical properties. :-)

@ReubenAhing 2 жыл бұрын

@@friedmule5403 What you seem to misunderstand is that the sound which you’re referring to is exactly what was measured. What’s being heard is actually electronic values of an electrical signal which comes out of the wall socket and processed by your audio system, and which fools your brain into think that music is being played in you room which actually has no instruments or musicians. IT’S ALL ELECTRONIC SIGNALS NOTHING MORE.

@friedmule5403 2 жыл бұрын

@@ReubenAhing Yes you are in a way right BUT:-) What you have is a signal in and out where you can measure every degree of distortion, noise and whatever. What you do not have is the human ear. If we do take a tube-amp signal and a solid state signal and measure both, is there no doubt of what signal would look like somebody had purposely destroyed the signal. Still do many prefer the tube "sound", that meaning, noise, distortion and so on, in not the only factor in what the human ear likes. Therefore, do I suggest putting the debate to rest, while truly measuring the sound, in the same way audiophiles have done it for a decade. An alternative is to find out what différance there is between a great sounding distorted amplifier and a bad sounding clean one, EDIT: Forgot to say, you are at no moment fooling your brain in any way, your brain is 100% doing what it is supposed to do. What your brain does is to convert pressure waves to sound, and it dont care if it is produced by speakers or instruments, it just translates what it gets. This is also why the question: "if a tree falls in a Forrest and nobody is around, does it make a sound?" is stupid, because sound is only there if you have something to convert the air movement to sound. :-)

@lassesaikkonen501 2 жыл бұрын

@@friedmule5403 The human ear has no relevance in this conversation. This whole video is about cables. The only function of cables in this scenario is to transmit electrical signals. And the only value of the cable is to transmit the signal as close to the original as possible, from one end to the other, that's it. Everything else is putting lipstick on a pig.

@steveneric2298 3 жыл бұрын

Love the videos and the research Gene! Keep up the good work. Thank you for being honest and helping to educate us all.

@Zopf-international 3 жыл бұрын

Nice post Steven. Respect brings respect. I'm on the hunt just now for some cables. Hence.. Regards from Valencia Spain.

@burliesanford1863 2 жыл бұрын

That is probably the best information on speaker leads I've ever heard . Thank you .

@grzegorzgrab3190 2 жыл бұрын

you've nailed it - this should be referenced on each and every forum as subject closing punchline. sub+like

@michaelcoles907 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent, Mark Waldrep, PH.D., professor of music production at Dominguez Hills in California would love your approach, he calls out smoke and mirrors as well, but not to disparage others, but to speak the truth about audio. Well done.

@georgeandrew8388 3 жыл бұрын

Steve is officially competing with Steve Gutenberg for the craziest shirt award of 2021.

@Paxmax 3 жыл бұрын

I just hope Genes ceiling came out nice after painting 😁

@thomasmleahy6218 Жыл бұрын

Gene's shirt is way way out there, light years in fact.

@johngreen1683 2 жыл бұрын

Bought into the snake oil of Monster Cable years ago and switched to Audio Quest and Blue Jean products. I enjoy listening to your show and can't thank you enough. You've saved me alot of money.

@Mike-hb4pc 2 жыл бұрын

Super informative! It's what I thought, but this confirms it. Thanks

@bobbyDig 3 жыл бұрын

I love to see you do a comparsion between an "expensive" unbalanced cable compared to a budget XLR cable.

@johnholmes912 10 ай бұрын

balanced would only bean advantage if you had a very very long cable run

@paulmaricic 2 жыл бұрын

Gene is the man! Keep up the great work! In our modern world of sketchy information, it’s great to have someone give you real facts with no BS! 👍

@kmidst_kn6329 Жыл бұрын

I am so happy that this guy actually went into sound electrical theory to prove his points. Instantly liked and subbed just because of that.

@2012lmfao Жыл бұрын

Just the video ive been looking for . Thanks

@cruzingrsx4484 3 жыл бұрын

Interesting video Gene, all my speaker cables and interconnects are from Mogami. They have a very good reputation and are not expensive. Thank you for the service you provide to the audio community

@Audioholics 3 жыл бұрын

Mogami makes great cables, snake oil free.

@timbuktu7753 3 жыл бұрын

I use mogami gold guitar cables. Great stuff with lifetime warranty.

@mag290 3 жыл бұрын

Gene, did you send your speakers to Danny at GR-Research for an upgrade? Maybe you'll hear the difference then

@SlardybardfastUSA 2 жыл бұрын

@@mag290, tweaking the speaker CAN'T make a difference to the "sound" of the cables. Did you watch the video?

@thegoat164 Жыл бұрын

@@mag290 🤣

@sven3892 3 жыл бұрын

Great explanation, supported by some well described and decent research. Highly appreciated!!

@jmarcguy 7 ай бұрын

This gives me peace of mind. Just moved and was getting ready to setup my system and wondered if I needed to get new wire. Maybe better wire. Great video as always!!! 🔈

@jamestyrer6067 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. I'm using 22 year old fms audio wires. In a bi wire set up. Zero on the bottom and diode for the upper. Very happy and still then for another 22 years

@Hanssone 3 жыл бұрын

Reading speaker cable reviews is gold

@thomasmleahy6218 Жыл бұрын

A more apt color would be 💩

@onemandiy 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Gene! 👍Glad you showed some excellent measurements! I made my own DIY (and DIY video) 10ft pair of cables for about $60-70 😎. I’m super happy with them!. I do like a bit of an eye candy and good durable construction.

@draxxthemsklounst 4 ай бұрын

Awesome. What a terrific video. Very well constructed and dumbed things down for us non-audio engineers. Thank you for doing this stuff!

@dalewilliams8001 4 ай бұрын

Thanks Gene. I appreciate your testing and reporting on this. These are things that I've long been wondering about, and you have clarified it greatly. I enjoy many of your other videos. They are all very informative. I am also subscribed. Bell notification is also on now. Thanks again.

@christopherkent6512 3 жыл бұрын

Very nicely done. Great to see a realistic and scientific approach to making a meaningful test. So happy I didn’t buy in to the overly expensive cables. I did buy what I think are good cables.

@stevehill5913 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Gene I think this is the correct way to go is measurements rather than emotional conjecture that can tell the true story. Keep up the good work

@dj.paulieb Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the tests. Much appreciated 👍.

@hughoneill6716 Жыл бұрын

Great job - explains why I have always been surprised my system sounds so good with my el cheapo cables. Thank you for saving me money!

@reggieburris 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gene. I normally use 12 gauge CCA cable. I splurged and bought some generic OFC 12 gauge cable from Amazon, which is still cheap compared to so-called high end cable. Thanks for validating something I always felt. I will never spend thousands on speaker cable but I will start using a better grade of cable just because I have invested a bit into my systems.

@keithmoriyama5421 Жыл бұрын

That's the key. Use the very best CHEAP cable. Even though it probably makes no difference, I make the leads as short as possible and the same length.

@AALavdas 3 жыл бұрын

This is such a breath of fresh air. Science vs snake oil! Thank you!

@Musicforyourears100 2 жыл бұрын

My ears feels good with 4 cables per speaker with inner diameter 1.2cm with cross each same pole from the other and in tied. So don't believe anyone and make some cables to feel if it is a difference.

@friedmule5403 2 жыл бұрын

Maybe, but what if the measurements can not show what you are looking for? :-) He is trying to judge if they sound different, but has absolutely no instruments that measures the sound. It measures the electrically properties, and even that does in some few test show a big difference. I think his result is like if you send water trough two pipes with the same diameter and measures no différance. Nobody has tasted the water, if it tastes the same. :-)

@James28R 4 ай бұрын

look up blind tests.. @@friedmule5403

@leiflindqvist9095 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent! In the 1980s, I built and sold speakers ... as a hobby. Later I was a product developer and R&D manager at Telecom for a few decades, I know a little about transmission lines. Very good video, thank you. I have had interesting (and short) discussions with sellers who want to sell me a lot of copper at sky-high prices. Sellers are usually quite limited in technical fact discussions 😁. Great to see someone who makes a good measurement effort and presents the result. 👍

@evgenyevichamadou9559 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for taking the time to do the tests and explain it to us. Most of all, THANK YOU FOR BEING HONEST AND STICKING TO THE TRUTH DESPITE THE HEAT YOU MIGHT GET!

@RockmanLabs 3 жыл бұрын

after seeing all your videos, I've stopped using expensive cables and instead going for copper 12 AWG generic cables. Thanks for doing actual science!

@jackryder6732 3 жыл бұрын

I thought the same, I had my flagship arcam and Canton reference book shelf with oppo player hooked to regular bestbuy speakers wire with no conditioner power supply and reg hdmi cable. Base not great and clarity was also not the best. I thought I need to upgrade my amplifier. More power required. Then I was advised to look into wires, hdmi and power conditioner. Did some research and purchased van den hul ultimate hdmi 4k cable, then same company mid level speakers wire and Puritan conditioner. Ask my wife to listen before after difference. One simple answer. Big difference, base went up, much refined sound and distortion was gone. I used to hear mild noise from arcam tridol power supply now that is gone. Thats my take on this. Personal and family experience.

@mattw3406 3 жыл бұрын

@@jackryder6732 lol oh boy...

@PeteNice29 2 жыл бұрын

@@mattw3406 This is the typical snide reaction from people claiming to know it all yet look like they just fell out of a Goodwill in terms of personal appearance. You really don't know what the difference was, or whether it had an effect.

@James28R 4 ай бұрын

haha, the guys smoking crack. the hdmi didnt do anything, the other ones didnt either. but people believe what they want to believe, its why these cable companies continue existing@@PeteNice29

@GingersKing 3 жыл бұрын

I just became a supporting member. Your time, effort and attention to detail are a much needed and appreciated addition to this expensive and complex hobby we have. Thank you for all you do!

@stickmonkey23 2 жыл бұрын

I have no clue what you are saying...but I'm fascinated with sound. Thank you for making this video and for loving what you do.

@leoanthony7281 Жыл бұрын

Love the honesty backed by science. Excellent.

@berlyfredy7153 3 жыл бұрын

Finally finally someone doing a relevant cable testing. I had commented exactly this test on Danny's inductive coupling SnkOil cable test.

@jackryder6732 3 жыл бұрын

@berlyfredy7153 3 жыл бұрын

@@jackryder6732 i would be pleasantly surprised to hear a difference. But the irony is that people say they hear but nothing shows up on freq sweep recorded on a measurement mic. And fact is that measurement mic is far superior than ears at registering a difference if any. Again i cant reject anyones experience but as long as i did measurements like in this video no difference showed whatsoever.

@jackryder6732 3 жыл бұрын

@@berlyfredy7153 I totally get it and for many years didn't bother to change my hdmi or cable wire or conditioner. Honestly my sysyem didn't sound good as I am picky and thinking spending again to upgrade powerful amp. I have Arcam avr850, quite a powerful beast. After doing my own research and staying away from Amarican brand, I found European brands like van den hul or puritan to be better quality and honest. Yes, 100% I found the difference. My rear speakers had weak base now its much better I can hear it, much refined sound even if I put the sub to zero. Its not complete subjective but one has to experiment.

@berlyfredy7153 3 жыл бұрын

@@jackryder6732 maybe there is an objective element to your rear speaker that the long distance wiring increased resistance beyond speaker impedance so that you were losing signal.

@baronzemo78 3 жыл бұрын

I use monoprice 12ga. I had long runs for some bi amped speakers and I used double runs to effectively increase the speaker gauge. Thanks for the continued great content Gene.

@jessestone785 Жыл бұрын

Mono price cables are copper clad aluminum (CCA)! Essentially junk.

@GammonMaster-PcP Жыл бұрын

They have pure copper also

@timmotel5804 Жыл бұрын

Excellent. Thank you so much for your hard work on this video test. Very informative and eye opening. Best Regards and keep up the great work. Love it.

@leonardleichnitz5867 Жыл бұрын

Great work. Appreciate the time and effort you put into this

@boydrijkvan6500 3 жыл бұрын

This kind of objective science in audio cannot be repeated enough. It gives me the ability to make well informed setup decisions, which is really valuable to me because I can spend my money only once. Great video, thanks for all the effort!

@legrandmaitre7112 Жыл бұрын

Wrong....

@stephenharding428 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Gene thank you for an excellent review. What is the maximum length of speaker cable you would recommend, and does the gauge matter if you need a longer cable? Many thanks Stephen

@glaflamme Жыл бұрын

I’ve always wondered but couldn’t find a good source. I had been using audio quest wire at like three dollars a foot for the last 20 years and when I moved to a 11 channel system, I wasn’t about to lace all of that through the walls. I went to a 12 gauge copper strand wire and I’m enjoying my system immensely. Thanks for taking the time and effort to invite science into the conversation

@kennethdarby6783 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome presentation with a very candid and thorough explanation of audio cables from the cheapest to the ridiculous, thank you kind sir.

@tonyc1956 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent Gene, that should shut the snakeoil believers up. As a long time follower (email newsletter since before KZfaq) I appreciate cold hard facts over hype. I'm just running 12 gauge with banana plugs to the center / mains and 14 gauge to the rears as it was a cost saving for the longer runs. I don't recall such attention to detail in your previous cable articles so the top notch measuring equipment will leave no room for doubt and should shut any naysayers down. Thx for putting this topic to rest, especially for all the newbies. Thumbs up.

@ghostrecon3214 3 жыл бұрын

The plebs rejoice! It is nice to know my finite budget can safely be distributed elsewhere in my system.

@jimmythefish 3 жыл бұрын

Spend your money on speakers. Done.

@ghostrecon3214 3 жыл бұрын

@@jimmythefish I have a denon e300, KEF C60 (sealed bookshelf with 8" drivers) and an SVS NSD sealed 12. These speakers don't thrill me, it is hard to tell if they need more headroom or my receiever needs better speakers, I suspect both honestly. Midbass isnt there. So I was thinking, get another sealed SVS 12, get a decent amp, speakers and room treatment.

@drdelewded 3 жыл бұрын

On $15000 USB cables..

@BubbaBearsFriend 3 жыл бұрын

@@jimmythefish And room treatments. Gene did mention room treatments.

@davidteague3849 3 жыл бұрын

@@ghostrecon3214 I have the C30 kefs. Sadly the midwoofer doesn't have midrange clarity. Partially a symptom of a polycone woofer

@jakedunnegan Жыл бұрын

Joined your patreon - just b/c you have some seriously helpful, common sense information on your channel. Thanks!!

@philmastman2490 Жыл бұрын

This is brilliant. As a longtime fan of generic 14-gauge Home Depot cable, you’ve confirmed what I’ve always believed about high-priced speaker cables. It’s “jewelry”.

@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw 2 ай бұрын

I agree! I bought a 100 ft roll of RCA brand 14 gauge copper zip cord at Home Depot ($30) six years ago. Now unavailable and replaced with spools of "speaker wire" for double the price!

@blanchbacker 3 жыл бұрын

Always love a new cable video lol

@hawkeye2266 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gene. I always thought that was the case with cables.

@mikem4633 2 жыл бұрын

Using Canare 4S11 cables by BJC, ultrasonic welded terminations was my main attraction. I had Much more expensive cables that were thicker and nicer to look at. When I changed my system configuration I needed shorter cables and tried these, sold off the hoses and never listened back. This was a very down to earth informative video. Subscribed & 👍🏻

@SdeGat 3 ай бұрын

Outstanding test and report. 👍 Thank you. 🙂

@jaimegarch 3 жыл бұрын

I'm just waiting for the next argument that the differences can be detected at the quantum level by those with clean auras and a highly meditative sonically induced trance state. So the next audiophile product would be a meditation chair, Himalayan seasalt lamps used by monks, and aura enhancing essential oils. Hehe. Good video!

@RangerLaila 3 жыл бұрын

Van Den Huul actually makes makes health rings (bracelets) that they claim also can help improve the sound of your system.

@tony9554 3 жыл бұрын

LOL

@hugobloemers4425 3 жыл бұрын

Or it just gets dismissed by the "listen, don't measure' religion. I find the best way to counter cable snobs is not to argue the merits of the cable but to ask what else you can do with the money they cost. Like, those cables cost $600,- I can upgrade my phono cartridge for that or tube roll my amplifier. Don't you think that is going to make a bigger impact? The nice thing is, you can play this game indefinite.

@voiceofreason9238 3 жыл бұрын

"So the next audiophile product would be a meditation chair, ...(snip!) Funny you should reference that, I actually own a meditation chair! It's enhanced with plenty of reading material to expand my mind, and I flush when I am done.

@boeing757pilot 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, there are huge difference in the cables. It's just that all of us on this page lack the golden ears that only the cable manufacturers seem to possess. Lol 🤣🤣

@danryan4272 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gene. As an ASR fan, I already agreed with your conclusion, but you do an outstanding job of demonstrating, and then arguing for truth, and I learned some things from your demonstration. Most of my systems use plenum cable or lampcord with tinned leads, but my main system uses a 12AWG extension cord dressed up nicely with heat shrink, techflex, cable pants, etc.

@engjds Жыл бұрын

Brilliant!, what I have been saying for years is confirmed in this video, at last someone has made proper tests, full credit to you for taking the time and obtaining the equipment to show all those audiophile Wayne Kerrs out there). I think this pretty much debunks low level cables as well since they drive practically zero current so will have even less effect on the sound.

@mattschwartzstein3159 2 жыл бұрын

Really appreciate this video. Thx for doing the work.

@SticksTheJon 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. I’ve long suspected this is the case, good to see some hard evidence backing it up. When you consider how much you can spend on high end cables, it’s always felt to me that this money would be way better spent on the rest of the kit.

@seniorstube6683 Жыл бұрын

“You long suspected this…” It took you someone else to tell you for you to believe it, really? How American.

@SticksTheJon Жыл бұрын

@@seniorstube6683 I'm not sure how else I'd confirm what my ears were telling me without owning a lot of test kit. What would you suggest? Oh, and I'm not American.

@Ryan-yi6su 2 жыл бұрын

Hey man this is a great video I love the amount of detail you put in it. including all the equipment that you use you use and the graphs You are the real deal I have a few suggestions for videos if you could use that testing equipment to let us know a good better best scenario External Dacs , rme, modi, soncoz, topping, denafrips Audiophile power cables And even skw speaker wire Keep up the good work

@m.j.s.3838 2 жыл бұрын

Nice test. You have recommended the very cables I am currently using. nice!

@SCsq1 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for putting good information out there!

@ze_german2921 Жыл бұрын

23 years ago, I purchased my first surround system, it was a 5.1 Kenwood with a 10" sub. The cables were 16g pure copper. I remember saying to myself how tiny they were but the system always performed so well. The only difference in quality of sound that I can honestly say is going from RCA to Optical from my DVD player to the receiver.

@robinkleinsteuber5217 2 жыл бұрын

Memories! I came across the Kimber cables from years back when I was a more engaged audiophile, endlessly searching for THE system, whatever that was! As an EE as well as an audiophile, the Kimber were the only specialty firm speaker cables that impressed me as having bon-fide engineering applied. I had a rare respect back then for the Kimber team.

@tvtime1505 11 ай бұрын

Interesting to see the Kimber performed better. More interesting to see that it doesn't matter for audio at all. Imperceptible to human hearing.

@robinkleinsteuber5217 11 ай бұрын

@@tvtime1505 Yes, true!! 😉

@frankcousins7655 7 ай бұрын

So basically what you are paying for is the how the cable looks rather than how it sound, it’s a bit like choosing a gold bar as a door stop

@robinkleinsteuber5217 7 ай бұрын

@frankcousins7655 Yes, practically speaking, the Kimber cables do look nicer than regular zip cable, sure. Of course! But they are well made and so do instill a long-term confidence in them also. All without the expensive voodoo oil hyperbole. Actual engineering was involved. And regarding the doorstop scenario, hey, wow, a gold brick as a doorstop would look rather incredibly impressive!! But with the economy diving the way it is, definitely no, to using it as such. It's better to squirrel gold away in a vault as one of many means of protecting wealth. I'd use a mason's brick as a doorstop instead! Cheers, and good day! 🍺