RCA cable recommendations?

[JohnnyDrama]

I might be the exception, but I replaced all the RCAs on my DJ rig with higher end stuff - white lightning by DH Labs Silversonic. Cost over $400 to do the whole thing - sound quality went up 2 or 3 levels just with that...

Improvement ?

In your head: YES
Objectively: UNKNOWN

Much has been said about cable and I do use quality (homemade & OEM) cables but $400 ?
Please post rest of chain, must be high end stuff.

Mogami, Canare or Tasker cable & neutrik connectors does the trick for me.
I also like Kirlin cables (OEM)

[Monkey Mouse]

Improvement ?

In your head: YES
Objectively: UNKNOWN

Much has been said about cable and I do use quality (homemade & OEM) cables but $400 ?
Please post rest of chain, must be high end stuff

Cables for the most part will test the same using equipment, but I noticed tighter bass, clearer mids and less harsh treble. Of all the improvement, the bass is easily the most noticeable.

$400 was the total for all the RCAs - $55 per pair for 1/2 meters (6), and a 1m pair to go to my CD recorder. I still need some XLRs to go from the mixer to monitors and also upgraded power cables for the mixer and audio interface.

Components:

1620LE
Focusrite 18i20 running 8ch of traktor
Adam A7 monitors
Misc - ADJ db display, Monster power unit, Tascam CD Recorder...

[ImNoDJ]

Cables for the most part will test the same using equipment, but I noticed tighter bass, clearer mids and less harsh treble. Of all the improvement, the bass is easily the most noticeable.

$400 was the total for all the RCAs - $55 per pair for 1/2 meters (6), and a 1m pair to go to my CD recorder. I still need some XLRs to go from the mixer to monitors and also upgraded power cables for the mixer and audio interface.

The problem with these tests is that human perception is very subjective and faulty.

Its very easy under experimental conditions, to play people the exact same music from the exact same equipment, and simply change the volume slightly between each test. Subjects will report one or other 'system' as sounding better, when all playback is from the same system.

Youve reported a subjective improvement in the sound, but whether that means there has been any actual objective change in quality is a completely different story.

There was a famous test a few years ago with audiophiles and hi end speaker cabling. The audiophiles couldnt tell the difference between hi end speaker cabling, and coat hanger wire.

[031999]

ha these are like $450 for a 6 foot pair...worth it??? hmmm...

http://www.silversonic.com/docs/prod...evelation.html

[Monkey Mouse]

The problem with these tests is that human perception is very subjective and faulty.

Its very easy under experimental conditions, to play people the exact same music from the exact same equipment, and simply change the volume slightly between each test. Subjects will report one or other 'system' as sounding better, when all playback is from the same system.

Youve reported a subjective improvement in the sound, but whether that means there has been any actual objective change in quality is a completely different story.

There was a famous test a few years ago with audiophiles and hi end speaker cabling. The audiophiles couldnt tell the difference between hi end speaker cabling, and coat hanger wire.

You are absolutely correct.

I've had this system setup for the last 8 years and definitely noticed differences, not like it was some sort of blind shootout with equipment one isn't familiar with. Perception is a lot of what audio and video is about - that is why they make TVs brighter at the store and pump more volume thorough subwoofers to make them seem to have "low end".

Audiophiles are a different type of audio listener - they seem to be more interested in the equipment than the music they are listening to. Most budget between 10% and 20% of their total system budget to cabling - so they would drop $1 to $2k for cabling on a $10k system...

The hard part of the equation is the "bang for the buck" quotient - trying to get 90% of the performance at 10% of the price.

[Monkey Mouse]

ha these are like $450 for a 6 foot pair...worth it??? hmmm...

http://www.silversonic.com/docs/prod...evelation.html

I have seen tests of cables that run $25k or more for 1m - they get favorable reviews, but the price is just plain stupid...

[031999]

these cables are....Dr_-Evil-One-Million-Dollars_zps107ab072.jpg

[JohnnyDrama]

You are absolutely correct.

Most budget between 10% and 20% of their total system budget to cabling - so they would drop $1 to $2k for cabling on a $10k system...

Not even the high end recording studio's spend that kind of dough on cables...

snake-oil.jpg

[deevey]

The hard part of the equation is the "bang for the buck" quotient - trying to get 90% of the performance at 10% of the price.

You generally do get I would guess 97%+ of the original sound for far less than 10% of the price. Its just pushing that little extra % that only a tiny fraction of people can notice costs so damn much.

I can understand to a certain extent with live and classical music that you would feel the need to hear "everything" (and spend the money doing so). But lets face it, most music is produced on less than audiophile equipment at some stages throughout the mix with probably a ton of bog-standard $5 XLR's and TRS holding everything from instrument racks to processing units to amplifiers together prior to even being recorded.

So are you really "supposed" to hear everything ? Is what you are hearing now intended to be heard ? ... its quite possible its not as the producer envisioned it sounding in the first place.

[William Gibson]

Johnny, Monkey is probably absolutely correct since he is listening through very nice and expensive monitors. What DOSNT make sense is the people out there that are not producers or that dont have good speakers buying these super expensive cables. Extremely high end XLRs and USB cables can and will make a difference in sound as long as all the pieces to the chain are there. You may be playing flac files through a nice RME soundcard with 1k in cables but when its all going through KRK speakers, dont expect to hear much difference. I have seen a few people buy top of the end Oyaide USB cables for $130 bucks a piece and some ridiculously priced XLRs but only use them at a club. Guess what, those club systems are nowhere near "audiophile" quality speakers to where you will hear a difference between a decent set of $50 cables or you $1k worth of cables.

Just my 2 cents, which on the totem of life is somewhere below whale shit...