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Do cables affect sound, and if so, why? (Stereoplay Examination)


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I agree.

Balanced isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be for domestic audio. Although specifically about balanced headphone applications, it still has relevance with normal speaker stereo.

(I no longer have the original link for the attached.)

 

From Elias Gwinn, Engineer at Benchmark Systems.

 

 

ALL headphones have non-linear mechanical impedances (that is, the mass and shape of a speaker will resonate more at certain frequencies and much less at other frequencies). This means the physical build of the headphones (as well as other physical impedances, like your head and ears!) will try to override the electrical system (amplifier and speaker coil).

 

To create low-distortion headphone response, one must consider 'damping factor'. A high damping factor will control the response of the speaker, thus preventing the physical impedances from dictating frequency response. Damping factor is the ratio of speaker (load) impedance to amplifier (source) impedance. In other words, the best damping factor will result from a low source impedance. Again, the source impedance from the HPA2 is less then 0.01 ohms...as low as gets!!

 

Balanced headphone amps will double the source impedance of an unbalanced headphone amp. No matter how low the impedance of a balanced headphone amp, it could be half that much if it was unbalanced. This is one reason balanced headphone amps are not a good idea. (It should also be noted that the balanced output of the DAC1 / USB / PRE is 60 ohms or greater, depending on the attenuator settings).

 

Not only will the source impedance double with balanced headphone amplifiers, but the total distortion and noise of the amplifier will double as well!! Every output device (opamp, transistor, tube) creates some distortion and some noise. If there are two opamps or transistors or tubes driving each headphone speaker, twice as much distortion and noise will be added!!

 

The result of balanced headphones is less damping factor, more distortion, and more noise. Also, balanced headphones configurations offer no real benefits, to boot.

 

Feel free to use the XLR outputs of the DAC1 / USB / PRE for balanced headphone outputs (as mentioned above, the DAC1 USB and DAC1 PRE will do better then the DAC1 at this task, because of the 4562's). It won't damage anything to operate in this configuration. But, for the reasons above, I don't recommend it.

 

Thanks,

Elias

 

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

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hard to reconcile this expensive cable hoopla with what its connecting to for "wiring" on the PCB board. My suspicion is that the end connectors are where most of the pain is for audio transparency, too many junctions of unlike materials. I'd be really curious to see what a "cast" cable would sound like where there was no crimped or soldered termination, just unified straight thru material to the end connections.

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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I agree.

Balanced isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be for domestic audio. Although specifically about balanced headphone applications, it still has relevance with normal speaker stereo.

(I no longer have the original link for the attached.)

 

 

I don't know about generally, but one can certainly and easily hear the difference between the Pono player in single-ended output mode vs balanced either on speakers or headphones! The balanced out sounds more dynamic and cleaner. It's really quite easy to hear the difference. When my friend (who owns the Pono) hooked it up to my system via XLRs, I immediately looked-up from the book I was reading and said to him -"What did you just do?" It was instantly apparent.

George

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We need to differentiate between a balanced cable and a balanced amplifier. AFAIK the Pono has a balanced symmetical output stage (aka. “true balanced”). Two amps per channel driving each phase. In this case the cable is less important than the operating mode of the output stage.

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My suspicion is that the end connectors are where most of the pain is for audio transparency, too many junctions of unlike materials.

 

Based on my experience, I completely agree. I once tried an Audioquest Victoria interconnect and was very disappointed with it given the price compared to the much cheaper Sydney. It certainly wasn't anywhere near worth the asking price in my opinion, though I thought the much cheaper Sydney was well priced for the sound. I then tried the much more expensive Audioquest Yosemite, however the only constructional differences between the Yosemite and the Victoria were the RCA connectors themselves (and that battery thing for what ever that is worth). Yet despite the only difference being the connectors (material used and method of attachment), the difference in sound between the two was very significant indeed - the Yosemite had a precision and sharp focus that was missing in the Victoria. The Yosemite was excellent and worth the very high price in my opinion, yet the Victoria - costing around half as much but still an expensive cable - didn't really sound that good at all.

 

That experience made me really take notice of the quality of the connectors and construction methods used to attach them, especially as you go up the higher price range of companies such as Audioquest and Wireworld where often the main differences between some of their top cables lies more in the connectors themselves than what goes on in between them.

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That experience made me really take notice of the quality of the connectors and construction methods used to attach them, especially as you go up the higher price range of companies such as Audioquest and Wireworld where often the main differences between some of their top cables lies more in the connectors themselves than what goes on in between them.

 

 

Crimped vs. non leaded solder too ?

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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