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In Reply to: RE: The Perplexing Part... posted by andy19191 on February 19, 2008 at 23:20:51
Excellent post. I especially like the reference to "flat earth" as this is a term I've often used when describing the beliefs of those who see audio through the dogmatic objective lens. I do agree however that choice and a difference of opinion should be respected. The funny thing is, you are 180 degrees out of phase on this one. You hold the prevailing scientific consensus up on a static pedestal when in fact science is fluid and always shifting. Usually these shifts are slow and evolutionary but sometimes they are sudden and constitute a paradigm shift. If you doubt this, or if you do not understand what I am talking about, read a scientific journal from 25, 50, and 100 years past. You'll read some pretty amusing scientific "fact" much of which is wrong from the perspective of today. Do you assume we have reached a point where this dynamic no longer applies? Perhaps you have a unifying law of physics? For those who are not aware, the "laws" of physics as they apply to the universe fall apart when applied to sub atomic particles while the prevailing laws of Quantum mechanics fall apart when describing the universe. Yet despite the fact our fundamental understanding of the universe and it's building blocks are not only incomplete but also contradict one another, both inner and outer space co exist. Perhaps when a unifying law of physics is established our understanding of what actually happens in audio cables will be complete. Audio cables embody both the greater physical universe with their conductors, dielectrics and shielding that we can see, touch and feel, as well as Quantum mechanics as this pertains to the electrons and their EM fields that pass through our cables. It's no wonder strict, if somewhat sophomoric purveyors of the scientific method take such issue with what is obvious to everyone who listens. Don't feel bad, they also ridicule the physicists who are working to establish a unifying law of physics because their work, when complete, will rewrite their reality templates. Flat Earth thinking if you ask me.
The thing I have the hardest time understanding is why people who do not trust their own senses would choose a hobby that is all about subjective enjoyment? I mean if you can't hear the differences in cables or electronics, or if you don't trust your ears when making such comparisons, then what do such people gain from high end audio when mid-fi, with it's perfect measurements, fits their reality construct so nicely, and at a huge savings? Is it status? What do such people base their High End buying decisions on? Spread sheets, graphs, narrowly defined measurements?
Back to the OP's original topic. If he says a USB cable made a significant difference who are we to question what he heard until we first have a chance listen for our selves? Sure polite speculation or discussion is one thing, but the tone and content of many posts here go way beyond what I consider reasonable and polite discourse. At the end of the day high end audio should be about music and what it takes to recreate emotionally moving music at home. For those of us who look at audio in this way it pays to experiment and try new things. Many of us have found cables can and do significantly improve not only the sound of our systems, but also our enjoyment of music. We have also found that power cords have a significant impact on sound despite the fact the signal and current they deliver first traveled through miles of wire of different forms and in different voltages. We accept this because we hear the change they make in our systems. Why would we assume a USB cable should be any different? Is it because deep down inside we do not see the computer as the equal of our stand alone digital transports? Could it be that we don't really believe our computers are in the same league as our old CD players? I'd imagine that when people start to experiment with what goes in front of the DAC, not only will they discover what a USB cable can do, but also that different power supplies in our computers, RAM, isolation platforms, and so on all make a significant contribution. When this starts to become common knowledge PC based audio will finally be maturing and it's full potential will start to be realized. Think about it; what would a traditional state-of-the-art CD player sound like with the same garbage internal components found in our computers (power supplies, capacitors, resistors, connectors, and so on). Now imagine how much better your PC could sound if the same attention to detail was paid to it's internal components as is paid to high end CD players, transports and DAC's. I'd say Synergistic Research's USB cable is a good first step in this direction.
That is not science or innovation or a great step in the right direction...that is exploitation of the naive.
....you're right!! The guys at Synergistic tied Steve down over a fire ant hill, and FORCED him to enjoy, then purchase the USB cable.
Oh, the horror of being so naive. THAT will teach Steve!
Of course, you already know better, don't 'ya.
Erm...I said exploit, not coerce. And I am certain that Steve (is that Mercman?) enjoys that cable of his own free will, and that it is anything but horrific to him. But I also certain that whoever charged him $550 is laughing all the way to the bank.
Does your observation on the merits of a USB cable and it's cost hold true for all cables in the Audio play back chain? Curious.
No, and I've got another post around here somewhere that details the many expensive ANALOG cables I own and use.
Scrith,
I understand you skepticism-in fact I share it. The thing is all high end cables when first introduced were met with similar disbelief. When Gold Endz and Foulton Gold interconnects came out in the 1970's most people threw rocks at them because it was a new idea and the reasons why interconnects could make a difference were not fully understood (this is still the case for some it seems). While all that was necessary for perfect sound from any loud speaker was a 16 gauge lamp cord (again this is still true for some). And what about power cords? How were they first received?
The point is PC Audio is new and some are making the same assumptions regarding what can and cannot be improved upon with PC Audio as was made for hi-fi in the 70's, 80's and 90's. But for anyone who has invested in cables because they can hear and appreciate the differences cables make don't assume a USB cable should be any different. I'd imagine it won't stop here. I am certain that different brands of RAM, internal power supplies, hard drives or static memory and so on, will all combine to elevate the state-of-the-art for computer Audio. A little skepticism is healthy but when it precludes you from trying new things with nothing to loose it becomes very unhealthy.
Excellent post. I would love to try the SR cable (there are 4 or 5 other SR cables in my system and I think they are quite good) but can't say I will.
Cheers
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