New cables in my system

[Geoffcin]

My Audioquest GR8 cables have given me good service bt when these 4 gauge monsters became available I just had to try them. Here's a pic of them next to my GR8, and the 14ga wire I used for my inwall speakers.
http://members.aol.com/geoffcin/photos/cables3.jpg
http://members.aol.com/geoffcin/photos/cables2.jpg

[musicoverall]

I'm surprised they don't rip your speaker binding posts off with their heft! LOL!

How do they sound?

[Shwamdoo]

HAHAHA that is rediculously huge. How much were they?

[Mash]

Mr. Shwamdoo

First, your “persona name” would seem to suggest you might be from India. Well, if so, then is it possible that Indians with an interest in audio simply do not appreciate what is required to be a TRUE High-End Audiophile? Or is that Audiopile? Hard to be sure….

Still, your seeming-skepticism, expressed both here and in the vaunted Audio Lab area where you commented on wires not having any moving parts (What audacity!), seems rather out of place in this lofty realm where speaker wires…. oopps, I meant Speaker Cables… all must sound different and must, of course be broken in or burnt in, whereupon they will ALWAYS sound better. Some curmudgeon (Was it RobotCzar ??) wondered why speaker wires, DARN, I meant Speaker Cables, are never described as sounding WORSE after they are broken in or burnt in. Hmmmm- interesting question…..

You can also burn in your Speaker Cables as well as I/C if you have a bonfire handy. They may indeed sound better after they are burnt in but its darn sure they will LOOK worse after they are burnt in…..

Flexibility and creativity are the keys you must have to be a High-End Audiophile, Mr. Shwamdoo. Too bad we don’t have member photos here. Then perhaps you could identify the High-End Audiophiles by their bat-like ears that are able to hear the subtlest differences between Speaker Cables….. and their bat-like mouths that are able to swallow anything……….

But, Mr. Shwamdoo; if you MUST seem so Skeptical, then maybe you should study here
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm
Until, that is, you have progressed enough to go over to the Dark Side….

[musicoverall]

Too bad we don’t have member photos here. Then perhaps you could identify the High-End Audiophiles by their bat-like ears that are able to hear the subtlest differences between Speaker Cables….. and their bat-like mouths that are able to swallow anything.

Member photos are a great idea! We might be able to tell the non-experiential naysayers by their troll-like green pointy ears and the "closed" signs on their heads.

Mr Shwamdoo, certainly read the Roger Russell link but also, you might ask the naysayers that plunge too far off the deep end what experience with cables they have, what DBT's they've performed (I'm always amazed that most of those people who tout DBT's have never participated in any) and if they have any information that they didn't get second hand. It might prove informative. I take no issue with those that have tried cables and found that they sounded no different from each other. But those who simply tout theory without putting it to the test are basing their beliefs on faith... which is fine except their faith isn't relevant to those who don't share it.

As for cable break in, I have no experience with it since I've purchased my cables on the secondary market. In fact, the only new component I've purchased in the last several years was a CD recorder and it needed no break-in period to perform as designed. It's possible that what people think of as cable break in is them getting used to the different sound from their previous cable.

[Mash]

Mr musicoverall

Your points that "getting information second hand" and "those who simply tout theory without putting it to the test are basing their beliefs on faith..." are really excellent points. I am quite impressed!

But anyone who reports a wire test here will have a most difficult time not only documenting the proof of their results in a way acceptable to all interested parties, but also showing that their test was adequate in all necessary aspects. If the test reports a "difference" between wires then some will demand more and more documentation to prove that the "blinding protocol" was not somehow flawed. And if the test reports "NO differences whatsoever", then the problem is even worse because others will claim that the listeners' ears were inadequate, the other audio equipment used in the test was not good enough, and on and on.

Really, your viewpoints are wonderfully astute, but you need a more definitive venue to prove the philosophy behind your objections. I think I know what you could do!

We have been told, incessantly, "seat belts save lives". Do you believe this? If you do, isn't this a case of your "getting information second hand"? Wouldn't your believing these claims that "seat belts save lives" make you one of "those who simply tout theory without putting it to the test are basing their beliefs on faith..."?

Well, you could leave your seatbelts unused and you would also disable any airbags in your car. Then you could crash your car into a tree at 35 mph. The newspapers will document how you remained unscathed, and this will prove your philosophy that we should not be "getting information second hand". And no one could ever claim that your well-documented test was flawed! Another use-no-seatbelts auto test you could perform is that you would roll your car at 50 mph. The theory here, that we all so stupidly accept, is that your seatbelt keeps you in the rolling car so that you are not ejected or thrown out of the car and into the path of the rolling car and under it, or that your seatbelt keeps you from being thrown out of the car into some hard object- like the pavement. This test would definitely prove that you are not one of "those who simply tout theory without putting it to the test are basing their beliefs on faith..."

Yes sir, Mr. musicoverall, these are two definitive tests you could use to prove your astute points. Of course there are others, like the "wear a helmet when riding a bike" claims, and "wear a Personal Flotation Device (life jacket) when boating" that the Coast Guard touts. Yes sir, you have a LOT of opportunities.

B/t/w "naysayers", or Trolls as you would label them, are not permitted to be out of the Audio Lab. Mr. Shwamdoo has made some "naysayer-like", posts and we were merely trying to smoke him out by getting him to agree with our provocative points, as it were. You understand, I am sure, that we are trying to maintain purity here. You should promote your identification of "naysayers" as Trolls in the Audio Lab. I am sure the Trolls there, I meant "naysayers", would be fascinated.

[Shwamdoo]

WOW...All I said here was that the cables were huge. I wasn't trying to start a cable debate...

And, now im totally confused. What I said really had no meaning, it was just a joking comment...


B/t/w "naysayers", or Trolls as you would label them, are not permitted to be out of the Audio Lab. Mr. Shwamdoo has made some "naysayer-like", posts and we were merely trying to smoke him out by getting him to agree with our provocative points, as it were. You understand, I am sure, that we are trying to maintain purity here. You should promote your identification of "naysayers" as Trolls in the Audio Lab. I am sure the Trolls there, I meant "naysayers", would be fascinated.

Not sure what that is supposed to mean. I guess I'm not down with the lingo. Explaination?

[Geoffcin]

Please don't post anymore off topic posts in this thread. There's an entire forum for people who want to sing the praises or sins of DBT. You can argue the point till the cows come home in there.

[Geoffcin]

WOW...All I said here was that the cables were huge. I wasn't trying to start a cable debate...

And, now im totally confused. What I said really had no meaning, it was just a joking comment...

Not sure what that is supposed to mean. I guess I'm not down with the lingo. Explaination?


I wasn't trying to start a cable debate when I posted the PIC of these cables either. Some people here seem to feel they have to debate everything that's posted to the Cable Forum. It ruins this forum for a lot of people.

To answer your first question;

I picked these up when we got a new piece of equipment at work. The cable is designed for 60 amp load @ 440v/230v. It looked so ridiculously huge that I had to try them, and darn if they don't work good.

The cables weigh 30lbs a side!

[Geoffcin]

I'm surprised they don't rip your speaker binding posts off with their heft! LOL!

How do they sound?

Actually, I did have to modify the binding posts to accommodate them. They sound great, although I wish I had an amp like the KW series from Musical Fidelity so I could push some more power through them.

[musicoverall]

B/t/w "naysayers", or Trolls as you would label them, are not permitted to be out of the Audio Lab. Mr. Shwamdoo has made some "naysayer-like", posts and we were merely trying to smoke him out by getting him to agree with our provocative points, as it were. You understand, I am sure, that we are trying to maintain purity here. You should promote your identification of "naysayers" as Trolls in the Audio Lab. I am sure the Trolls there, I meant "naysayers", would be fascinated.

The troll label was for you and you alone, in this case. A troll can be someone on either side. It's someone who posts something inflammatory or provocative for the sole purpose of getting a reaction and has nothing of value contained within. Equating cable sonics with not using seatbelts might warrant you another title but we'll stick with troll for now. Wear it proudly - you've earned it!