Are cables the weak link in your system?

[TDC Genesis]

Originally Posted by JerryDelColliano

I know two TOP engineers in the AV industry (one considered one of the BIGGEST legends of all time) who use Radio Shack stock cable when designing gear.

They don't belive in good cable and I belive them to be crazy at least on that level.

All it takes is a little time listening to hear the difference. What's right or wrong isn't THAT important. Just like if you LIKE a wine but it is "oaky" or "bricky" doesn't mean its bad. All that's important is YOU like it.

More importantly - high end cables (not even expensive ones) make better connections for your gear. Weak connections cause problems and lose performance. Its that simple.

Hi,
What do you think of braided CAT-5 cables? Are they "lossless"? Where can go to I learn how to make them? I am learning, building and upgrading my system.

Thanks

[Silver Supra]

Originally Posted by TDC Genesis

Hi,
What do you think of braided CAT-5 cables? Are they "lossless"? Where can go to I learn how to make them? I am learning, building and upgrading my system.

Thanks

A friend of mine makes and uses CAT-5 braided cables. I've never heard them in my system so I really can't give an informed opinion of them but he likes them.

As for "lossless"... there is no such thing... until things get really cold anyway.

[The Kipnis Studios]

Frankly, cables do make a difference, and they all sound and measure a little differently. But unless you are listening for timbrel and spatial accuracy with the goal of reproducing recordings as though they were reality (the audiophile experience), little if any difference is likely to be perceived.

This is also true of digital, video, and power cables. So again, if your scrutinizing the playback for absolute quality and believability, you will definitely see and hear a difference. Some designs are certainly better than others.

But in the end - you first need to have clean, tight connections.

Otherwise, any improvement becomes nothing more than a crap shoot.

[Captain Stereo]

Originally Posted by TDC Genesis

Hi,
What do you think of braided CAT-5 cables? Are they "lossless"? Where can go to I learn how to make them? I am learning, building and upgrading my system.

Thanks

Anyone who uses Radio Shack cables and actually thinks that that is an ok thing to do has no business designing anything. All the cable haters here who think it is snake oil, do yourself a favor - Go to your local high-end specialty retailer and ask to hear a comparison of one brand's cheapest cable and that same brand's best cable on the same system. If you can hear a difference - and if you are open to this at all you will - then you must concede that there are smaller but real differences all the way up and down the line.

People who say cables don't make a difference are the same people who say that digital is "just 1s and 0s". These people should be locked IN Radio Shack and not allowed back out.

[GrtGrfx]

You know, digital IS just 1s and 0s. What else CAN they be? And Radio Shack makes some very nice 12G speaker cables. So there. Wow, go back to that castle in the sky where you can see and hear things the rest of us can't...

OK, that was a bit insulting. All I know is that I don't see a difference between an expensive HDMI cable and a $3 off-brand. And I don't hear a difference between a $200 Monster interconnect and a Radio Shack gold-series cable. And I think that I have very accurate hearing, because even with cheap cables, I see and hear all the distortion and recording problems that are present in otherwise "clean" recordings.

It's a pity, however, that I am over 50 and my nice, accurate hearing is bound to go before I can afford to buy the super-premium high-end electronics that are sure to let me hear even more of what is locked in all my favorite recordings. Sigh.

[Captain Stereo]

Originally Posted by GrtGrfx

You know, digital IS just 1s and 0s. What else CAN they be? And Radio Shack makes some very nice 12G speaker cables. So there. Wow, go back to that castle in the sky where you can see and hear things the rest of us can't...

OK, that was a bit insulting. All I know is that I don't see a difference between an expensive HDMI cable and a $3 off-brand. And I don't hear a difference between a $200 Monster interconnect and a Radio Shack gold-series cable. And I think that I have very accurate hearing, because even with cheap cables, I see and hear all the distortion and recording problems that are present in otherwise "clean" recordings.

It's a pity, however, that I am over 50 and my nice, accurate hearing is bound to go before I can afford to buy the super-premium high-end electronics that are sure to let me hear even more of what is locked in all my favorite recordings. Sigh.

Well, apparently at 50 you bypassed getting educated on what it is that cables do and how they can contribute to the signal as the signal passes through them. Ever heard of speed-rated HDMI cables? Ever wonder why you get to a certain length after which virtually every manufacturer says it won't guarantee signal? Wait, it's just digital!!! But bottomline, if you enjoy your Vizio by way of $3 cables, then live it up. Careful though, I hear that tornados are hell on the trailer park you live in, and I'd hate you to lose your Vizio TV, $3 cables, and all that cheezwhiz in your minifridge.