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In Reply to: RE: Cable elevators (lifters) posted by Mike K on May 7, 2020 at 08:40:04
I did not buy cable lifters but just experimented using a number of glass ramekins from my kitchen. I left them in place for a few weeks but I wasn't too sure that they did anything at all until I removed them.
I was pleased to remove them as they were not exactly the most eye pleasing arrangement. After a day or so I realised that my system just didn't sound as good as before especially in the area of its ability to throw a convincing 3D soundstage and there was a diminution of small dynamics making the music a bit flat or less exciting too. So back they went to be replaced later by some Cardas myrtle woodblocks with a large "V" groove cut to hold the cable, not because they "sounded" better but they just looked better. And they were not expensive.
There are three hypotheses that I am aware that have been advanced to explain the effect:
1. Electrostatic ( especially I guess where carpets with a high artificial fibre content are concerned).
2.As the electric field extends beyond the conductor that having air rather than carpet next to the cable is preferable.
3. That the floor (like walls) is at an acoustic pressure zone and moving the cable away from this provides benefits (I note that some proprietary cable lifters suspend the cable relatively high above the floor though whether or not for this purpose I do not know).
So why not experiment with some thick cardboard? I have seen some D.I.Y lifters made from the cardboard tube from the centre of toilet tissue rolls.
The effect is relatively subtle and presumably inaudible with a system that cannot throw a convincing soundstage in the first place, at least in relation to my my experience.
Follow Ups:
which is better to elevate speaker cables or interconnects?
I have some of both on carpeting on a basement slab.
Thanks for your question as it brings something to my attention that I really should have mentioned.
I do not use speaker cables! The wires that are elevated in my system are 5m long balanced interconnects from my pre-amp to my active speakers (where the power amps are built into the speaker cabinets). As the rest of my equipment is on a 5 level rack no other interconnects touch the carpet except for a couple of wordclock cables as the system clock is sited on the bottom level of the rack. However space there is too limited to consider any form of elevation (though whether or not that would have any audible effect on a cable that just caries a regular pulse is open to question). Some power cables from the wall outlets also touch the carpet behind the rack.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams
I would guess that your having active speakers you are not concerned with micro-phonics within the speaker cabinets? At one time there was a bit of concern with some makers, maybe even today with caps and such.
I too have long interconnects and will give it a shot to elevate the cables and hear what happens. Thanks!
*Freudian slumber, plenty of sound
Yes, I am aware of the concern. However the amps are not housed within the part of the speaker cabinet that houses the drivers but in its own compartment. However I appreciate that this does not remove the consideration in its entirety.The reason that the speaker was designed in this way is that the brief for its original conception from , I think, the Danish national broadcaster was for a 50 litre enclosure including all electronics so that it was easily transportable from studio to studio.
It is now considered a classic design with around 40+ years of production and hundreds of users in in both professional and amateur settings. I suspect that if there is a vibration problem of any magnitude it would be common knowledge by now. However its larger siblings of 150 or 300 litre capacity do indeed have an external electronic crossover and tri-amplifier linked to the speaker cabinet via a complex umbilical cord, I guess itself yet another cause for possible concern.
"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams
Edits: 05/08/20
I too have heard the explanation (your #2) that being in contact with carpet in particular affects the dielectric properties of the cable.
Not saying I buy any of these explanations, although the dielectric one seems plausible to me.
The music my system plays sounds so good I don't bother with tweaks of this sort. I do however still use two VPI magic bloks.
Vpi magic brick
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