speaker wire and what makes it [sound] better (1 Viewer)

[John F. Palacio]

"A situation of high capacitance with the typically commensurate low impedence can provoke an amp into oscillation"
Can somebody tell me what cable has enough capacitance (in real world lengths) to throw an amp into oscillations?
And why whoever wrote this could not spell impedance?

 

[Mark Austin]

Can somebody tell me what cable has enough capacitance (in real world lengths) to throw an amp into oscillations?

Geortz

 

[John F. Palacio]

"John, is carver playing more sonic holography games again?"
Hi, Chu. I don't think he ever stopped! :rolleyes

 

[John F. Palacio]

"Geortz"

Who's that? A cable manufacturer? If so what is the rated capacitance per foot?

What is the reason for building a cable with high capacitance?

 

[Mark Austin]

www.alphacore.com
Their cables sound very good, but they have trade off's just as every other cable. I didn't keep them because they seemed to recess the mids just a little bit too much for my taste. Very revealing, and very deep overall presenation.

 

[John F. Palacio]

"Their cables sound very good, but they have trade off's just as every other cable. I didn't keep them because they seemed to recess the mids just a little bit too much for my taste. Very revealing, and very deep overall presenation."

Where's the capacitance issue on their site?
Or was this from personal experience?

I am just trying to determine who and where is it stated that this wire will throw power amps into oscillations.

Although I did not, obviously, research their whole site, what little I was able to read sounded like techno-mumbo-jumbo. Not real science.

 

[Mark Austin]

Where's the capacitance issue on their site?
Or was this from personal experience?

It's on there somewhere. I have had personal experience with the cables, yes. Was it a problem for me, and my amp? No.

 

[Luis C]

Good reading...

 

[Greg_R]

NOW, I want to know if different wires have higher/lower impedence and can ruin your amp

The load of your speaker is orders of magnitude larger than the wire. The only way cable can ruin an amp is if you short the two wires (+/-) together (some amps can't handle these shorts).

 

[Brian OK]

....... just make sure you shut off the lights and lock up when ya leave....... see ya in the mornin'

;^)

 

[GalenValentine]

I must say that I believe cables make a difference. It is also true that I don't know why and that I haven't conducted any scientific experiments to find out. So, I could just be fooling myself.
I have read numerous threads related to this question. Unforunately, most of them degenerated rather quickly into polarized debates about empircal data and why it is or is not valid without ever really discussing the data itself, or lack thereof. More often than not the majority of posts go something like this:
poster A: Tests show that there are no measurable differences audible to the human ear between interconnect A and interconnect B.
poster B: My ears tell me that there are significant audible differences between interconnect C and interconnect D. Further, data can't prove or disprove the existence of anything. Therefore, those measurements must be wrong or at least the very inconclusive.
poster A: Human ears are not perfect. In addition, the human mind is suspectible to suggestion. Therefore, we must rely on the data. Which, of course, doesn't show any measurable differences. BTW have you conducted any DBTs to prove that your ears aren't lying to you?
poster B: I don't need DBT. My ears tell me everything I need to know.
Notice that no where in this hypothectical discussion were actual measurements given and discussed. Also, notice that the poster skeptical of measurements doesn't provide any reasons why the human ear is or isn't suseptible to mistake or any other psychological factors. This is a bit of a simplification, I know. And it will probably get me in trouble with both camps. But it would be nice if both sides kept an open-mind. Measurements are not the be-all and end-all of the debate. After all, you might be measuring the wrong thing. However, data refuting what your ears tell you should be exmained and not discarded out-of-hand. My intention in providing the link to John Dunlay's article was to stimulate a technical discussion not to start an argument about his marketing techniques. In retrospect, perhaps I should have provided a link to a different article (unfortunately I can no longer find John Risch's site).
I think what Geno is asking for, and I could be wrong, are some of the technical reasons behind the belief that cables make, or don't make, a difference. For example, how does impedance, capacitance, and resistance affect the tranmission of a signal; what is the skin effect and how does it affect the signal; why is what your ears tell you about cable differences in contrast to the data; what other parameter affects sound, both physical and pyschological i.e. what should we measure. I could go on, but have probably already provided enough material to either stimulate a more technical discussion or for both sides to lynch me with .
Please take my post in the spirit it was given - an honest desire for the truth.

 

[John F. Palacio]

GalenValentine says: "Please take my post in the spirit it was given - an honest desire for the truth."
The truth, as I see it, has already been established in Double Blind Tests. Now to be fair I must also qualify that with the reality that it would be impossible to test every speaker with every cable with every power amp out there.
Having said all that, some people dismiss these tests because their own cables were not used or speakers with ultra-difficult load were not used or what-have-you.
So even though all cable parameters CAN be measured, you will never see a consensus on this thread, no matter what.
Some people cannot handle the truth!

 

[John Royster]

Some people cannot handle the truth!

No, no that can't. It boggles the mind somtimes. some keep refusing to believe the truth that cables have an impact on sound.

 

[John F. Palacio]

"some keep refusing to believe the truth that cables have an impact on sound."
See what I mean Galenvalentine?

 

[Chu Gai]

Well I can appreciate what you're saying Mr. Valentine (gee, i just got this mental like to 'Trading Places'!). Measurements aside, the DBT, and it can be run in several variants, is looking to establish whether or not there was an audible difference which I think(?) many have come to understand will be subtle at best. To my mind anyways one can start talking about cable parameters once one has established the reliability of people to not only differentiate but to ascribe a preference. For example, laundry detergent manufacturers have created different formulations and then proceeded to wash certain fabrics under controlled conditions. Tests are then undertaken where people rate factors such as smoothness. Once a reliable rating has been established, the chemists can study the formulations to determine correlations between chemical or concentration or whatever and people's perceptions.
Understand though, this does not mean one can't make, buy, and prefer a wire based upon technical merits even if there is no basis in audibility. However, it seems to me that people's efforts are better expended towards the speaker/room interactions. Oh well!