Is the snake oil slowly retreating from the Hi-Fi industry?
- Thread starter Gimpymoo
- Start date
Well, as a 62 year old 3 times married personage...................the whining your refer to has nothing to do with hi-fi or snake oil. It's just a natural ability that all women have......................if and when you get to my age you will know this as a fact. It also will never change for the better, no matter how much you spend on a USB cable
You are only a youngster - you wait till you get to my age - 76
Old at 62 
God I wish I was 62 everything was going so well. 
My home office studio monitors are using Van Damm Silver Lo-Cap 55, and Russ Andrews YellO Power cables. Better cables equals improved audio hygiene.
Of the above the most difference is the Van Damm Silver Lo-Cap 55's, these cables are very transparent with no notable roll off but without sounding bright, lows to high's everything sounds accurate. I changed my other full HiFi stack with these cables also. I've also own Van Damm XKE cables but there not as good as the Lo-Cap 55's.
Another improvement is my studio monitors are susceptible to minor background inference, and the Van Damme Silvers reduced this. An RCA cable is an aerial and the Van Damme Silvers are extra shielded over a typical budget cable.
Regarding the Russ Andrews YellO power I was open minded before trying, the improvement however is better sound quality, the cables are plugged directly into a wall socket (wall sockets directly over my mains consumer units), the amplifiers are working better, it's subtle but the difference is there.
I recommend trying interconnects first as they make the most improvement, then power cables. Those who think cables don't matter are normally the type that won't even use speaker stands or isolation foam. Just be careful once you invest in cables you go down the rabbit hole and won't go back!
Of the above the most difference is the Van Damm Silver Lo-Cap 55's, these cables are very transparent with no notable roll off but without sounding bright, lows to high's everything sounds accurate. I changed my other full HiFi stack with these cables also. I've also own Van Damm XKE cables but there not as good as the Lo-Cap 55's.
Another improvement is my studio monitors are susceptible to minor background inference, and the Van Damme Silvers reduced this. An RCA cable is an aerial and the Van Damme Silvers are extra shielded over a typical budget cable.
Regarding the Russ Andrews YellO power I was open minded before trying, the improvement however is better sound quality, the cables are plugged directly into a wall socket (wall sockets directly over my mains consumer units), the amplifiers are working better, it's subtle but the difference is there.
I recommend trying interconnects first as they make the most improvement, then power cables. Those who think cables don't matter are normally the type that won't even use speaker stands or isolation foam. Just be careful once you invest in cables you go down the rabbit hole and won't go back!
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Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Aug 2006
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- Pembs, Wales
/me off to buy some Chord cables.
I bought a £200 1mt gold HDMI cable 8 years ago, 8k 120hz looks fantastic on my c9.
Them & Monster Cable. There's no way in hell I'm paying £60-70 for a 3m HDMI lead from them when I could argue that even the own brand basics equivalent from the rainforest is 10% of that price & do the same for me at 1080p, which is the resolution at what I watch my content on my hardware. Even at 4K thats expensive.
You think cables are fun.
If you look at the high end DIY scene..
£770 for a volume control (actually a 32 step attenuator using naked Charcroft naked resistors - so each resistor is about £15-25 each). The reason this is about the best you can get is down to the noise level of the resistors which add absolutely zip to the sound (well below your hearing anyway). Things like silver wire for audio output transformers, £700+ each.. Speaker drivers (just a pair) - yours for £4,000+ (for inclusion into your cabinet along with anything like tweeters etc).
It's funny that things like THD and SNR quoted by manufacturers are typically a load of tosh as they are derived in such a way that you would never get that good with a signal.
My humble amp simply takes better than average components but after considerable time spend researching. Most of the time the eedjots are using over produced/compressed/canned media streamed through old cheap designs (tube amps) into expensive high impedance headphones...
If you look at the high end DIY scene..
£770 for a volume control (actually a 32 step attenuator using naked Charcroft naked resistors - so each resistor is about £15-25 each). The reason this is about the best you can get is down to the noise level of the resistors which add absolutely zip to the sound (well below your hearing anyway). Things like silver wire for audio output transformers, £700+ each.. Speaker drivers (just a pair) - yours for £4,000+ (for inclusion into your cabinet along with anything like tweeters etc).
It's funny that things like THD and SNR quoted by manufacturers are typically a load of tosh as they are derived in such a way that you would never get that good with a signal.
My humble amp simply takes better than average components but after considerable time spend researching. Most of the time the eedjots are using over produced/compressed/canned media streamed through old cheap designs (tube amps) into expensive high impedance headphones...
You don't have to spent huge money to get a good improvement.
Break down of improvement's I've done.
Desk speaker stands £35
Isolation foam £20
2 x 3m Van Damme Lo-Cap 55's £60+
2 x 1m Kimber cables, I paid £80 the pair pre-owned.
So that's less then £200 for above.
Then purchase some reasonable decent speakers + reasonable quality sound source, then take time to setup and position speakers, and you have some good audio.
Break down of improvement's I've done.
Desk speaker stands £35
Isolation foam £20
2 x 3m Van Damme Lo-Cap 55's £60+
2 x 1m Kimber cables, I paid £80 the pair pre-owned.
So that's less then £200 for above.
Then purchase some reasonable decent speakers + reasonable quality sound source, then take time to setup and position speakers, and you have some good audio.
Feels to me like snake oil has been mostly replaced by net-hype. Just look at the sheer number of new DACs now available that all seem to be able to be “game changers”, “punch above their weight” and other similar hyperbole.
Tarun is worth subscribing to if you're into audiophile stuff I could never afford most of what he reviews but his insight in the subject is very informative, his latest video is on Pro vs Audiophile grade interconnects. My takeaway point is that there is a huge amount we don't know about how we perceive sound.
looks the same as ever to me only way more expensive now. i bought a Cyrus / Spendor system about 15 years back with fancy leads and interconects costing hundreds extra.
To get a simular set up now would be an insane price tag and no chance i would bother
To get a simular set up now would be an insane price tag and no chance i would bother
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Aug 2006
- Posts
- 5,319
- Location
- Pembs, Wales
I bought a decent scart cable years ago and it did improve the picture.
1Ghz signals vs KHz. No point using one to validate claims.
Skin effect doesn’t effect low KHz signals and the values he provides will be wrong for a low kHz as the values are not linear.
Yes over a cheap poor quality cable, but good quality one at £20 will be as good as a £2000 one.
Then fast for to digital where it matter less as it is working or not working but still the cable can be too cheaply made or faulty.
It is all 100% BS snake oil no matter who tell you otherwise, go and look it up.
I always had good HIFI's/ TV's and decent cable from 80's till now but not cables that cost £100's.
For digital I used to think the same that's its working or not but that not the case as higher quality cables can make a difference up to a point. £2000 or £200 is a complete waste but I would never again go back to the cheap speaker cables that come with most speakers or basic budget HDMI. To many people buy good speaker systems only to half ruin the sound by using the rubbish CCA cables which are only shipped to save costs. Good quality cables are well worth it, up to a point.
Regarding speaker cable.
My HiFi system downstairs was using the Yamaha speaker supplied speaker cable, it was maybe 1.5-2mm OFC. I changed to 4mm OFC DCSK (German made) and had an improvement in sound.
When choosing speaker cable people normally go from charts listed on the internet, but my advice is to go at least 1 larger in cable size.
One individual thing alone might not make much difference. However if you do multiple things, so going back to my monitors, stands, isolation foam, interconnects, power cable, taking time to set things up, this total combination makes quite a big difference.
My HiFi system downstairs was using the Yamaha speaker supplied speaker cable, it was maybe 1.5-2mm OFC. I changed to 4mm OFC DCSK (German made) and had an improvement in sound.
When choosing speaker cable people normally go from charts listed on the internet, but my advice is to go at least 1 larger in cable size.
One individual thing alone might not make much difference. However if you do multiple things, so going back to my monitors, stands, isolation foam, interconnects, power cable, taking time to set things up, this total combination makes quite a big difference.
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