Cableoholic,..Or,.What's Going On..?

I went from a cheap double switched sockets to MK inswitched and noticed an improvement straight away. My theory is that there’s so much sensitivity in cables, signal and power, digital and analogue and they’re all meshing or affecting each other in ways even physicists don’t yet understand. But there’s been experiments in hospitals and high tech electronic units where the scientist managed to improve power and signal quality and it was all written and noted with scientific equipment and he was a convert where previous he was a sceptic. Although there probably is a small amound of placebo in hi-fi as well esp if it’s subtle. esp in top end stuff, although i’m not discounting an improvement.
I purchased a belden canare digital co-ax cable and it blew away the cable direct one as i did an A B test through my dac, there was a big leap in clarity and soundstage yet it only cost me around 20 pounds.
I think Peder decribes the improvement in SQ as SYNERGY and it can be quite startling when you get it.

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Since I once bought a Hi-Line that was just a big disappointment I have either stayed with the included cables or made my own from decent quality parts. And my exprrience has been that the solder and soldering play a big,if not the biggest, part of the result.

This is nothing new, Jean Hiraga compared various solder in listening tests in the early 80’s. I have tried some extreme cables that were very difficult to do do a good soldering job despite having good equipment. The same goes for audiophile connectors that sometimes appeal more to the eye.

Another point is the electrical load presented by the cable. It will make the driving electronics behave/sound differently. It is seldom you see, like Naim did in the 90’s, the amp designer publish what load he/she designed for and listened to.

One should also look at the mechanical behavioue. Reduce the mechanical transfer. Start with an accelerometer app for your phone.

I just use quality wires from Mogami or Van Damme mostly but sometime more exotic makers if it is not to extreme/hard to solder… Lately experimenting silver.

You need a good temperture controlled soldering iron (I use a weller with various tips) and jigs that can hold the cable and connector absolutely still. I also have measuring tools.

I dont claim to sit on special recipe - just fun to try some ideas/tweaks from time to time.

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A dCS Network Bridge I bought came with a cheap power lead and the manual said that they assumed owners would have posh power cables already.

Peder,

What system is your friend testing/using all these cables on?

Best regards

Hans

Does anyone else find it ironic, or at least strange, that the current fascination with exotic cables is quite at odds with the attitudes towards Russ Andrews’ cables some years ago? I seem to remember at the time that the general opinion was (with some exceptions of course) that they were snake oil. Why is it different now?

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:small_blue_diamond:@Beachcomber,…With that reasoning and logic.
Well then would Naim’s Naca5,Burndy etc,etc also be “Snake Oil”…Or how :wink:.

/Peder🙂

The difference is in the cost and the claims

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:small_blue_diamond:@Beachcomber,…Your reasoning feels a little odd,.Naim’s more expensive cable-range is not directly free,.Or how.?

As well,.do you find it easier to justify a Naim ND555 with two powersupply for £30 733:- (in Sweden).
Than a good power-cord for £2100:-.
Both of them contribute to better performance (soundquality).

/Peder :slightly_smiling_face:

I am referring to a time long before Naim produced expensive cables. At that time, Russ Andrews was touting their various mains cables and interconnects, and many people derided them as snakeoil. Now that Naim (and others) is (are) producing their own expensive cables it has become “night and day”. It seems strange that things have changed so much.
Would I buy a power cord for £2100? I very much doubt it. I would have to be very convinced - though I admit that I haven’t tried any - except, years ago, a Russ Andrews power cord - which made absolutely no difference to the sound.
As for the ND555 with two power supplies - again, I would have to be convinced, but I doubt it.

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That is not a relevant comparison as one is a streamer, and I don’t know how you can compare its performance with a cable. Or did you mean to compare the cable with the second 555 power supply, £2100 vs £7000?

If the cable contributes as well to performance as a second 555PS, it would suggest that Naim is pursuing the wrong path with its power supplies… Different perhaps if you mean that once you’ve spent £30k on a streamer with two power supplies a £2.1k cable might make an improvement that is audible.

What if Naim introduced a super lumina power cable. After lengthy research and trials using the Statements at shows.
Hits the market at £2700.00 just before the annual price hike. Leaving most interested after the hoohah looking at 3K. Doesn’t seem that unreasonable.

If it gives a significant improvement in sound, and you have the money, then possibly it is worth it. But then I have to ask myself - why would a short length of cable make that difference, and why isn’t whatever is making that difference incorporated into what is, after all, a very expensive power supply? The copper itself is copper - nothing special there. If it is filtering noise from the mains then why is that filtration put into the power supply - goodness knows it’s sophisticated as it is; how can a short length of cable make any difference? If it is the plug technology, then presumably that same technology could be incorporated into the socket of the power supply.
But my question was not “is modern cabling snake oil?” but rather - why is this considered not to be snake oil, when RA’s cables were widely derided as such?

:small_blue_diamond:@Innocent_Bystander,…Here,.there were possibly language difficulties :wink:.

I just meant that both products contribute to increased performance (soundquality),.independently of each other.

But it is always discussions when it comes to cables…If it’s not Chords or Naim’s own cables.
I knew Jorma (r.i.p),.owner of Jorma Design personally,and know what incredible work it is, to research and develop a good cable

Many of Jorma’s cables became prize-winners internationally.
Also the Duality that we use in a power-cord/contact test.

:black_small_square:Here you have Darke Bears interesting tests to read about,.when he optimizes his ND555 with two power-supply with different ehternet-cables. Where the most expensive one costs £243:-.

:small_blue_diamond:@Beachcomber,…So it is always,.you have to listen for yourself to be convinced and understand.

The most important thing is to…
“Dare to be Openminded”,.and be systematic when testing.
It’s easy to make mistakes,.and get an inaccurate result.

/Peder🙂

The D H labs red wave power cable looks stunning but will it’s performance match it’s looks.

Peder,
If you cableholic friend was a true holic then he would no doubt buy and test these NCF boosters because
1 He has the money
2 They absolutely do work although i didn’t believe they would.

Surely any SQ improvements matter, all of them no matter how they look or what cost to him as i thought he was after the ultimate sound.
Henry:vulcan_salute:

A box of snake oil has arrived…

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The snakes are unleashed…

what is the new isotek which arrived ? the polaris ? i am curious of your next feedback, because my dealer stopped them…

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i think you hit the nail on the head earlier: Naim didn’t sell expensive cables then. the company’s erstwhile no-BS, “use what’s in the box” policy on these things was refreshing and helped draw me to Naim (well, the sound didn’t hurt, either).

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I had a Polaris on loan for my main system and it was a great improvement, cuts noise from MAX (1,000) to around 150. I decided to keep that for my second system in my office/media room and got a Sirius power block for the main system. That has cut noise down to 75 and lowered the noise floor more. The Sirius also blocks signal contamination from other components plugged into the box. A great upgrade, and better value than a Naim power supply and gets the noise floor lower.

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