New forum member chiming in with my experiences...
Cable differences are not a "belief system". They're a listenable / verifiable fact. And it's not just a function of conductor material. Cable design/architecture, dielectric material, etc are variables that matter as well. With that said, I fully understand those who loathe cables and especially the exorbitant pricing these days. I look at cables one of two ways. I prefer my cables to be as open and uncolored as possible as a starting point. Since I prefer tube gear, I will add body, texture, dynamics, etc via tubes. On that front I prefer the preamp to have detail, attack, and dynamics. Then I try add body, tonal coloration to taste, and texture as needed with my amp tubes. At that point, I may, over time, tweak the final sound with cable changes. The first point is usually the interconnect between the phono and preamp, working towards the speakers as needed. Power cables and power outlets are further tweaks. Furutech offers a GTX-D line of outlet in rhodium or gold plating, and they DO sound different. If I feel the need for a faster sound, rhodium does the trick. A more laid back and slightly smoother sound - then the gold. Similar affects come about with the Furutech power cables using either gold or rhodium plated connectors. These are fairly easy to DIY with a crimping tool. Anyhow, point being, there is no "best" cable out there and cable upgrades should be brought in to one's system late in the game to achieve a final desired balance. Don't buy a cable based on recommendation. Listen to cables first. Various vendors have generous return policies. Cable Co has a lending library. Etc.
Regarding break in. Yes, it will affect most cables. As a EE by education and profession, this one was harder to stomach. There are plausible explanations, but I prefer to avoid objective analysis on this topic and try to stick to my senses instead. So, I've recently been "renting time" on an acquaintance's cable cooker, which makes quick work of the "burn in" job - usually 48 hours for most non-garden-hose cable gauges. And the before/after affect is not at all difficult to detect. Most recently, I'd constructed DIY Furutech speaker cables for a nearfield rig using their midline cable (Alpha S-14) and rhodium connectors. Brand new, these cables were a bit sharp and sizzley. Two days later after cooking, the sibilance had disappeared, and more to my dismay, so had a good amount of the mid bass! In this particular case, the difference while notable, was not necessarily the desired outcome!! Post-cooking, and after further regular playing time, things do seem to have evened out. It's hard to tell on it's own because listening time occurs in short bursts over long periods of time, but I've kept around a particularly bassy/muddy interconnect as reference simply for its thick bottom end. And while I thought I heard some of that mid bass coming back over time, it became easier to verify in A/B trials over time with this particular reference point. Bass detail did seem to slowly (but surely) return. No noticeable affect on "openness", staging, etc. But these other areas for certain.
Cable differences are not a "belief system". They're a listenable / verifiable fact. And it's not just a function of conductor material. Cable design/architecture, dielectric material, etc are variables that matter as well. With that said, I fully understand those who loathe cables and especially the exorbitant pricing these days. I look at cables one of two ways. I prefer my cables to be as open and uncolored as possible as a starting point. Since I prefer tube gear, I will add body, texture, dynamics, etc via tubes. On that front I prefer the preamp to have detail, attack, and dynamics. Then I try add body, tonal coloration to taste, and texture as needed with my amp tubes. At that point, I may, over time, tweak the final sound with cable changes. The first point is usually the interconnect between the phono and preamp, working towards the speakers as needed. Power cables and power outlets are further tweaks. Furutech offers a GTX-D line of outlet in rhodium or gold plating, and they DO sound different. If I feel the need for a faster sound, rhodium does the trick. A more laid back and slightly smoother sound - then the gold. Similar affects come about with the Furutech power cables using either gold or rhodium plated connectors. These are fairly easy to DIY with a crimping tool. Anyhow, point being, there is no "best" cable out there and cable upgrades should be brought in to one's system late in the game to achieve a final desired balance. Don't buy a cable based on recommendation. Listen to cables first. Various vendors have generous return policies. Cable Co has a lending library. Etc.
Regarding break in. Yes, it will affect most cables. As a EE by education and profession, this one was harder to stomach. There are plausible explanations, but I prefer to avoid objective analysis on this topic and try to stick to my senses instead. So, I've recently been "renting time" on an acquaintance's cable cooker, which makes quick work of the "burn in" job - usually 48 hours for most non-garden-hose cable gauges. And the before/after affect is not at all difficult to detect. Most recently, I'd constructed DIY Furutech speaker cables for a nearfield rig using their midline cable (Alpha S-14) and rhodium connectors. Brand new, these cables were a bit sharp and sizzley. Two days later after cooking, the sibilance had disappeared, and more to my dismay, so had a good amount of the mid bass! In this particular case, the difference while notable, was not necessarily the desired outcome!! Post-cooking, and after further regular playing time, things do seem to have evened out. It's hard to tell on it's own because listening time occurs in short bursts over long periods of time, but I've kept around a particularly bassy/muddy interconnect as reference simply for its thick bottom end. And while I thought I heard some of that mid bass coming back over time, it became easier to verify in A/B trials over time with this particular reference point. Bass detail did seem to slowly (but surely) return. No noticeable affect on "openness", staging, etc. But these other areas for certain.
Last edited: