Choosing the Best Audio Cables

High-end audio cables are considered by some as a major determinant of the sound quality of high-fidelity audio systems. In any case, the cables undeniably have an influence, since the signal is transmitted through cables on its way, for instance, from the source to the amplifier. Basic system frequency response can be measured from the electrical properties of the cables, and devices on both business ends of the cables. These electrical properties are resistance, capacitance, and inductance. All three are factored in when designing excellent commercial and broadcast cables. High-end cable parts usually consist of exotic materials and design.

Much Ado About Wiring?

Debate among audiophiles on high-end cables’ impact on audio systems has been around for years. Among audiophiles, a common argument is that nobody passes a double blind test which involves differentiating lavishly priced, exotic speaker cables from ubiquitous lamp cords or run of the mill 12AWG copper speaker wire.

Digital Cables

Another topic that makes for an interesting discussion is in digital cable design, with high end cables being sold together with blurbs of “distortion-free signal transfer.” Some have argued to the reliability of these cables since any cable that is capable of transferring bits should provide distortion free signals (digital data transfers incorporate error correction). The bit rates (approximately 1MBit/s) and the distance taken are way lower here than other data transfer systems like gigabit ethernet.

One sensible loophole suggested is that when timing signals are sent as analogue signals and if the wave is warped by a mismatched cable, the arriving bits may be partnered to an incorrect time bin, thus messing up the sound.

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Cables can be a wallet drainer as much as or more than some of the hardware in the system. A lot of buyers ask how come all wires still aren’t priced at the same rock bottom level.

Audio cables are plain and simple able to demand high prices because they influence (to what extent and how much is another LONG story; please see links on the raging debate regarding high-end versus budget sound quality) the signal going through them. Some manufacturers assert that cables aren’t crated equal; case in point, the “distortion free” claim above. Anyway, there are two different means that an audio cable can alter signals. Either the cable’s physical properties will do it, or the cable will let in outside sources of energy to affect the signal.

Will I hear the difference regarding the cables I get?

I must have repeated more than once that cables do warp the sound going through them. You do not need to be a sound connoisseur, or an audiophile, to be able to tell. On the part of audiophiles striving for the cleanest, most “live,” sound, not the least among their goals is to ensure that their high-end cables are clean.

Of course, the music quality does not heavily depend on the cables. The deterioration of the sound happens in almost all components of your system. Whatever the case, our point here is only one: that even an untrained ear can distinguish the slight decay of sound that can hamper music from being appreciated as truly live. Upgrading the quality of your audio cables may somewhat alleviate any problems what so ever in the quality of your system.

It is quite certain that whatever the cable you use, the alterations to the sound will be slight. Listeners definitely won’t hear a guitar where there’s suppose to be drums. But we ought to remember that the small details usually delineate poor quality from high quality sound.

As audio systems get refined in terms of precision, a “live”-quality performance right in your living may not be such a far-off dream.

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