Cable Pathways Between Audio Components Can Affect Perceived Sound Quality

[lucretius]

On 6/9/2021 at 5:56 PM, Kal Rubinson said:

Pretty clear:

"(A) a Straight-Wire Virtuoso higher-end (retail price ~$500 for 0.5 m) 0.5 m long balanced XLR-to-XLR cable with polytetrafluoroethylene insulation and (B) a MonsterCable11 Interlink 400 entry-level (retail price ~$50 for 2 m) 2 m long RCA-to-RCA cable with polyethylene insulation."

 

He had to prove to the wife that the $500 was money well spent? I have a few sets of balanced cables 2m long (star quad and regular twisted pair) all costing within the $50 mark that I could have loaned to the investigator.

[lucretius]

1 minute ago, Kal Rubinson said:

That is not uncommon but nor is a more relevant issue.  Kunchar's training and previous experience is in an entirely different academic area.  He is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and his main field of endeavor is in " in superconducting nanowires and thin films."  In this audio stuff, those credentials are not particularly relevant.

 

Likely, he's an audiophile who wanted to prove the worth of his $500 cable.