Do leads make a difference?

fretmeister

Rocker said:

robinbowes said:

Oh Christ, the hifi loons have arrived! 

My friend, why did you write the above?  What do you hope to achieve?  @Robgilmo and myself were discussing our experiences with different cables - much the same as two members discussing guitars.  We differed of course but neither of us is right or wrong.  Just different.  Exactly as a Strat is the same but different to a Tele.

I would like to know why you contributed to this topic as you expressed no opinion one way or the other on the cables under discussion.  A lot of people believe that cables cannot affect the sound of a hi-fi system but some of those same individuals can stand over claims that guitar leads do affect the signal from the guitar.  I can live with that apparent contradiction.  

Wondering if on threads about watches did you write "Oh Christ, the expensive watches loons have arrived!"

If they claimed something impossible, yes then the expensive watch loons would have arrived.

Sporky

Rocker said:

A lot of people believe that cables cannot affect the sound of a hi-fi system but some of those same individuals can stand over claims that guitar leads do affect the signal from the guitar.  I can live with that apparent contradiction. 

You're the one presenting it as a contradiction.

What's actually been said is that there is no good evidence that mains cables affect the sound of a sound system (assuming they meet the basic current carrying capacity required). Some people are also skeptical at the idea that speaker cables have a significant effect on the sound.

There are sound engineering reasons (presented in this very thread by ICBM amongst others) why a guitar cable will affect the sound. There are no sound engineering reasons for how a mains cable could affect the sound.

Stop misrepresenting those with whom you disagree.

robinbowes

@Rocker - it's not an apparent contradiction. There are clearly understood reasons why the capacitance of a guitar cable can and does affect the low-level, high-impedance output from a passive guitar pickup. There are some clearly understood reasons why some cables will affect the sound of a hifi system. There is also a load of bullshit talked about elements of hi-fidelity sound reproduction, mostly by people who don't really understand what they're talking about.

R.

Wolfetone

lukedlb said:

Pretty but tone sucking unfortunately. 

Was that because of the length or poor quality or what?

Wolfetone

Rocker said:

robinbowes said:

Oh Christ, the hifi loons have arrived! 

My friend, why did you write the above?  What do you hope to achieve?  @Robgilmo and myself were discussing our experiences with different cables - much the same as two members discussing guitars.  We differed of course but neither of us is right or wrong.  Just different.  Exactly as a Strat is the same but different to a Tele.

I would like to know why you contributed to this topic as you expressed no opinion one way or the other on the cables under discussion.  A lot of people believe that cables cannot affect the sound of a hi-fi system but some of those same individuals can stand over claims that guitar leads do affect the signal from the guitar.  I can live with that apparent contradiction.  

Wondering if on threads about watches did you write "Oh Christ, the expensive watches loons have arrived!"

It's the same when some guy joins the thread to suggest "do a search on the forum because the question's been asked before loads of times". They don't contribute, they just comment. 

UnclePsychosis

Wolfetone said:

Rocker said:

robinbowes said:

Oh Christ, the hifi loons have arrived! 

My friend, why did you write the above?  What do you hope to achieve?  @Robgilmo and myself were discussing our experiences with different cables - much the same as two members discussing guitars.  We differed of course but neither of us is right or wrong.  Just different.  Exactly as a Strat is the same but different to a Tele.

I would like to know why you contributed to this topic as you expressed no opinion one way or the other on the cables under discussion.  A lot of people believe that cables cannot affect the sound of a hi-fi system but some of those same individuals can stand over claims that guitar leads do affect the signal from the guitar.  I can live with that apparent contradiction.  

Wondering if on threads about watches did you write "Oh Christ, the expensive watches loons have arrived!"

It's the same when some guy joins the thread to suggest "do a search on the forum because the question's been asked before loads of times". They don't contribute, they just comment. 

You're right, this has been asked dozens of times before.

And every single time Rocker has to have basic engineering explained to him. He's either wilfully ignorant or a troll when it comes to the topic of cabling.

Sassafras

If it gives people pleasure to spend thousands and thousands of £s on hi-fi cables, who are we to criticise?

robgilmo

Hifi cables can change the sound somewhat but not every hifi system will show this. And from my experience any changes I've heard have been very subtle. Would I spend thousands on a cable for a hifi? Possibly. If my hifi was worth tens of thousands.

Sporky

Sassafras said:

If it gives people pleasure to spend thousands and thousands of £s on hi-fi cables, who are we to criticise?

It's not the spending.

It's the superstition that some hifi people (and magazines) peddle.

Sassafras

Sporky said:

Sassafras said:

If it gives people pleasure to spend thousands and thousands of £s on hi-fi cables, who are we to criticise?

It's not the spending.

It's the superstition that some hifi people (and magazines) peddle.

If it gives people pleasure to believe a load of bollocks who are we to criticise?

UnclePsychosis

Sassafras said:

Sporky said:

Sassafras said:

If it gives people pleasure to spend thousands and thousands of £s on hi-fi cables, who are we to criticise?

It's not the spending.

It's the superstition that some hifi people (and magazines) peddle.

If it gives people pleasure to believe a load of bollocks who are we to criticise?

--- because there is a danger that the same people who think that opinion trumps reality when it comes to cables also then believe that opinion trumps reality when it comes to things like vaccinations. And the sad truth is that is a line of thinking that literally kills people. 

Sassafras

I think I'm being taken a bit seriously.
I must remember to use more smiley face emojis.

Voxman

Oh dear...and it started off as such an interesting thread. 

robinbowes

Delete all the hifi bollocks and it's still an interesting thread.

robgilmo

So I bought two different cables guys, I got a Stag 6 meter cable and a Fender Custom Shop 3 meter, I'll have a play with them tonight and let you know how I get on with them.

robgilmo

Ive played them both, swapped them over a few times and they are different but its way to subtle to worry over, the shorter fender lead sounds a little more trebley (is that even a word) than the twice as long stag lead, I'm still have a play but really the difference is marginal. Perhaps the week end is a better time to compare leads over a couple of bottles of wine.

lukedlb

Wolfetone said:

lukedlb said:

Pretty but tone sucking unfortunately. 

Was that because of the length or poor quality or what?

I couldn't say. Tone sucking nevertheless. 

Strangefan

TTBZ said:

I've been using Cleartone cables and other unbranded cable with neutrik jacks for years, I can't tell any difference between them but I like the neutrik jacks because they're sturdy. There might be a difference but my ear clearly isn't good enough to tell.

I won't use curly cables just because they look bloody awful.

For me "clear tone" immediately flags up bodge jobs, circular saws and telecaster pickups in my mind....... not sure why.???:D

Megii

Strangefan said:

TTBZ said:

I've been using Cleartone cables and other unbranded cable with neutrik jacks for years, I can't tell any difference between them but I like the neutrik jacks because they're sturdy. There might be a difference but my ear clearly isn't good enough to tell.

I won't use curly cables just because they look bloody awful.

For me "clear tone" immediately flags up bodge jobs, circular saws and telecaster pickups in my mind....... not sure why.???:D

Me too, and something about sausages as well, it's very odd... 

Rocker

In the 1970s and probably before that, there were mostly curly guitar leads stocked in shops*. Guitarists used them and thought nothing about the cables unless they stopped working! [* shops were to be found in towns and cities. They sold things for cash. No PayPal or such like. The term 'bricks and mortar shops' had not been invented. It describes them perfectly]