Merc,

Here are a couple of simple ways to prove to yourself whether you can really hear a difference, or not. In both cases,
you must make sure you are NOT aware of which cable is which. These aren't really scientific/statistically significant tests, but do try:

1) Simple attempt. Have someone hook your CD player to the 950. For one channel, use the Outlaw. For the other channel use a no-name, or bundled cable. Listen to soem straight, analog-bypass stereo music. If the Outlaw has different sonics, this should destroy imaging. One channel should stand out as different. You will no longer get a clean central image of common information that should come from the middle, like lead vocals. Repeat a few times with different CDs, cables swapped around, and with the same cable for both channels sometimes. See if you can reliably (better than random chance) tell which channel is which, and when the mis-matched pairs are in use.

2) Harder, more valid test: use a good CD player that happens to have 2 sets of outputs. Have someone besides you hook up both outputs to separate inputs on the 950. Again, make sure you have no clues as to which is which. Play a CD, switch back and forth, see if you can identify the outlaw channel. Repeat several times with cable swaps and different CDs. Note -- cable swaps should be random, sometimes switched, sometimes not, as long as there is no pattern that you know about.

In both tests, by random chance, you should be right about half the time. If there are true differences, you should be correct nearly 100% of the time. If you are almost always right, someone needs to set up a controlled test, because you have a first -- a remarkable cable with different sonic characteristics that might be provable scientifically.

Note that because of the nature of statistics, even if you are right 100% of the time, it doesn't totally prove that it is correct. Statistics merely says to some high degree of probability (easy calculatable) that you are correct. Likewise, if you can't predict them with high accuracy, statistics doesn't rule out that they are different, simply says it is unlikely that there are audible differences.

Although neither of these is really a scientific test, please try -- let us know the outcome.

Sorry if you feel offended by the posts in this thread. You posted some advice, others posted other advice. What's so damned bad about that? You believe the cables are different, others don't. That's the whole point of boards like this!! You seem mad that we don't offer any "positive alternatives". Here's the positive alternative: you don't need expensive cables, because cheapo bundled cables sound the same. Save your money for other things! People oughtta be happy that they can ignore cables as a $$$ sink as use the money elsewhere where it is well KNOWN to help!


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