EngineerFriend,

actually...the person I asked the question of is a very frequent poster here, and I know his user name, so unless you're him with a new user name, then I owe you no beer. Further, I said, "let the debate begin" not, "please put me in a coma...."

I have learned WAY more here about physics than I did when I took it in college (unless we're talking about the physics of brewing hooch)...but that's not the point! I am very interested in the responses I've gotten here, as I asked the question from MY REALITY, which is based on PERCEPTIONS...clearly, the science, and physics would prove me wrong, but I still contend this...

If I sell a customer a Boulder Amplifier, a Meridian 8000 DVD/CD, two Wilson X-1's, and 50K worth of acoustic treatments (please GOD let this customer walk through the door soon!)...and hook it all up with a $25.00 pair of audio cables and two 25 foot runs of 16/2 from Home Depot, it is going to sound DRASTICALLY different than if I hook it up with a pair of $26,000.00 MIT Vision3 fully balanced XLR interconnects and two 25 foot runs of 4 gauge VampireWire speaker cable...

sorry...but it is...plain and simple....and anyone would hear it...

BETTER...maybe not by everyone's PERSONAL PERCEPTIONS, but DIFFERENT...absolutely...no amount of science could convince me otherwise...

now for the middle of the road stuff...and customers...I would now agree...the $100.00 Monster Cables (so $25.00 from any other respectable brand for the same makeup) will sound no different than a good $10-$20.00 cable...on this I will now concede...

But when you get into the upper echelon of customers who say, "I want the best, money is no object" and MEAN IT...then they are going to pay for these ultra high end cables, and get a COMPLETELY different sound than I am with my Synthesis1's and my Onkyo 989v2, and my 100 bucks worth of interconnects. I realize a large part of that comparison is also skewed on the differences in equipment quality...but let's do this...when I do get that customer through the door, I'll tear my cables out of my system...invite you to his house, and we'll do our OWN Blind test...where the only variable will be HIS 30k worth of cables, and my 100.00 worth....we'll bring a scope, a GoldLine and a laptop/microphone combo...and we'll not only hear a difference, but we'll see it on the test devices.

Now...I've gotten frustrated at the thought of owing someone I don't know beer...and written an 8 page diatribe turbo flame...

You OWE me beer..if only to put out the fire!

:-)

avdude

You sure put me in MY place. I bet you like tubes, too.

what's a tube?

It's like the space between your ears.....VACUUM. Sorry, couldn't resist.

wow...ummm...nice to meet you, glad we could exchange such pleasantries. Wish I knew who you are, so I could get some sort of gauge as to where you're coming from...but since you're so new to the board (or masquerading as someone we all already know, and just writing differently) I have NO idea how to take that...

avdude

I do agree with one thing. If someone is going to overpay that much for a Boulder amp, they will almost certainly overpay for cables as well.

Ouch, what is wrong with Boulder amps?

Too expensive.

hey...that's someone's ENGINEERING education you're calling too expensive...

A Ferrari, Bentley, or even a Porsch could be too expensive, in fact I am not sure that anyone I have ever met really "needed" the 15 - 20 000 + sq ft multi-million dollar homes they built, but they have them and all the other toys (boats, planes,etc). When it comes to electronics there are a handful of companies making very expensive equipment that based on design are supposed to enable the listener to hear absolutly everything that was recorded, plus some bragging rites. Would it be possible to get close to the same results with $10 000.00 amps and $25 000.00 speakers, possibly, but you don't get the story's to go with, like the guy that had to brace his floors to handle the weight of 6 Mark Levinsons side by side so he could tri amp his speakers. I know this gets a little off topic, but in this business you can never say "too expensive" . This could become another topic of debate.

just found this...fascinating what can be found on the internet at 1 in the morning!

[Link: ecoustics.com]

avdude

and this one!

http://www.audioholics.com/

avdude

ok...now I may be heavily SCREWED...and should just cut off my ears!!!!

[Link: audioholics.com]

avdude

OK let's back up, I didn't say there was anything "wrong" with Boulder amps, just that anybody who would waste, I mean spend, that much money on an amp will definitely pay a lot more for cables as well. Your Porche buying friend probably has vanity plates, too. I don't need any lectures on how people spend their money. The point was about the cables. I can design power amps in my sleep don't throw engineering salaries at me. If you want to spend thousands of dollars for heavy heat sinks and brushed aluminum, be my guest.

Just read avdude's links, excellent. I suggest the rest of you read these too. I think our industry would be taken a lot more seriously by our customers if there weren't so many of you blowing smoke up their ass. Get your facts straight.