Propeller Head Plaza

Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics.

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RE: Theory is great

Posted by tomservo on June 19, 2010 at 09:03:43:
“How close were the capacitance and inductance values with and without the switch between the various cables?”
As I recall, the total capacitance was equal to about 3-4 inches of the least capacitive cable or about 60K ohms capacitive reactance at 20KHz paralleled with a 5 ohm speaker in parallel with a ~.05 ohm source, while the series L was somewhat less in proportion. In other simpler words, the cables were typically several orders of magnitude larger so far as changes they imparted via electrical properties.
“You're missing the point. Due to the necessity of having a common ground, you are in fact comparing the sum of all the separate cable's characteristics for each and every selection. In other words, the switch is NOT comparing one cable to another. It is comparing all the cables together to all the cables together. Worthless.”
Worthless is easy to say but....
Your argument would hold some weight if that were actually the case, using a dpdt relay eliminates the need to leave the ground side in the circuit. As I described, one can even go in stereo with a 4pdt relay and switch both channels, both conductors.
“There really is no need to introduce straw men arguments to one on cables. While you have zero experience comparing power cables, many others have. A number of studios and award winning recording engineers find they offer value. Guys who have compared PCs. Perhaps you might try that some day.”
It is no straw man but the understanding of human perception and electronics that argues for this kind of test. The same fallibility is why such things as the Kinoki foot pad had many many supporters even though the gunk it was supposed to remove via your foot, was actually contained within the pad and did nothing for you other than what you imagined.

Further, if you look at the largest selling brands in nearly any area (including audio) you will find evidence that a dollar spent marketing the impression of science, creating an image produces more sales than a dollar spent on R&D. What you can be lead to believe is the key of much performance in marketing unless you measure.
The fact is what one believes or thinks is such a powerful factor that drug development was stymied until testing without prior knowledge was devised.
How many areas where a serious answer is needed, is the test taker allowed to know the answers before and during the test?
While audio is not a life and death subject, it doesn’t mean that in that one area alone, the workings of the sensory system follows a different set of rules than everywhere else in known science, it doesn't.
Rather, one need only admit there is even ONE product sold based on that fallibility and suggestion to open the door to considering others might exist, even if in a hifi marketing sacred area like wire..
Once skeptical, it is no surprise to recognize that the people who refuse to consider such testing as potentially valid, generally line up in the way the mfr’s who sell same would prefer / promote.
Conversely, you will find few if any people supporting that, selling anything based on this head effect.
So, why would that be? (that the people who support blind testing generally do not sell products or products which depend on that belief?).

"Theory is great"
Well i suppose it is, depending on the depth of understanding, it has allowed our electronically enhanced world to be deliberately designed, for the design process to become a science instead of alchemy.