Yes I have. I'm open to the possiblity they sound different. Show me. Show me a proper blind listening test or an instrumented measurement where an audible improvement in fidelity was shown.

Explain why cable companies don't wave the results of such tests under every skeptics' nose.

I'll do it for you - they don't exist.



I'd just hate to see some poor sap believe this mumbo-jumbo. You - do as you wish.

I'm glad you like your wires. If you want to export your internal feelings and call them facts expect to be asked for proof. When you look for proof, don't expect to find any.



Indeed. Digital cables was used as shorthand for 'cables used to transmit digitally encoded data', I didn't intend to confuse you. Sorry.

So, explain how a cable used to transmit digitally encoded data can sound different than a second cable used to transmit digitally encoded data given no data errors (as I would expect from any reasonable device-wire-device combo), using say, a DVD player and an Outlaw 950 as examples.

Or is 'improved transparency' for 'cables used to transmit digitally encoded data' only detectable on the astral plane?


Charlie

I've had it... so I'm editing all my posts in this thread.

I make a suggestion, which may or may not help some folks improve their 950's performance, and... boom, here comes the glass half empty, negative nebob folks with their criticism. Of course, none of them offer an alternative positive idea.
Once again, no good deed goes unpunished.

I'm done. I'm joining the thread farters. IT'S TIME for me to be a nasty Son of a Bitch too.

[This message has been edited by merc (edited June 30, 2002).]

If the original post from merc is correct. Does that mean the 950 isn't a $899 pre/pro anymore? How much are 5 outlaw cables or is it 3? Aren't they giving some away?

Hi Legairre!
You rascally wabbit!

Charlie- And would this instrumentation tell you data that you would decipher as "transparency, fluid, warm, bright, etc.?"

Merc -

I can appreciate that. It's when someone starts promoting something they can't prove or measure as gospel, as something everyone else *should* be able to detect that my BS detector starts to go off. Sorry if some back blast came your way.

I would respectfully suggest you consider a blind test just out of curiosity. I was a magic cable, marble in the corner, spike etc believer until I took the time to do some real testing. It was an eyeopener.
I had to admit - if I can't hear it when I don't know what to expect, I can't really hear it. Took the wind out of my sails for a bit.

- Charlie

Nope. It would tell if the difference was smaller than the threshold of audibility, though. Also, in cases where one is not sure what to measure one may wish to use a proper blind study, but only if one is interested in facts.




[This message has been edited by charlie (edited June 28, 2002).]

So Charlie, do you happen to have any of those magic cables for sale? Sorry, just poking fun. It would be interesting in seeing results of such a test. I feel that even if there was such a test there would probably always be people on both sides of the fence on this topic.

[This message has been edited by werner52 (edited June 28, 2002).]

Sorry, sold 'em.

There are documented cases where very reactive loads (old electrostatic speakers I think) did show a measureable and audible distortion from resistance in the speaker wires, but the loads and signals associated with interconnects are much better behaved. I can buy into shielding, maybe if EMR is a problem where the cables are or something like that, but I try to be (1) skeptical and (2) reasonable about these things.

I think Outlaw is marketing a very well made product for a fair price and I for one laud them for it, especially considering the market they compete in.


Charlie

If you could easily identify and tell teh difference between the different cables in only 20 seconds of a certain CD, then you would have absolutlely no problem identifying them in a double-blind test.

... and you would also be the first documented case _ever_ of someone able to do so reliably. Do you really think your ears are THAT good??

No one has _ever_ documented this kind of hearing. Period.

But, if you feel you can, fine.

BTW -- I am not knocking the Outlaw cables in any way. They seem to be reasonably priced, HQ cables. But they don't make the sound any different.