In this strange audio debate I have never before heard such a straightforward explanation until now....maybe I wasn't paying attention...but I thought this to be at least interesting...if not inflammatory to others. Enjoy!
YouTube - Townshend Audio Isolda Speaker Cable "geometry matters"
"This proves that transmission line properties occur at audio frequencies" - Max Townshend
Townshend Audio - Home
Interesting! I wasn't aware that anyone doubted that 'transmission line properties occur at audio frequencies'. If not, then the design of typical 25-up Hz multi-phase power distribution cabling would be much simpler.
GM
Loud is Beautiful if it's Clean! As always though, the usual disclaimers apply to this post's contents.
I like this part of his description "black art of high end audio"! Personally, I use Monster speaker wire with all of my Altecs and Monster cables to connect my components to my amps and I think the Monster stuff sounds great (but have never done any measurements on their products)--anyone out there have any preference for brand of cables and speaker wire? Funny thing that this was posted today--I was at the Guitar Center last week and the salesman there was trying to tell me that Monster cables can color the sound???
P.S. Pete Townshend is sure looking old in that video--hope he gets back in shape in time for the Who's performance at Superbowl Halftime this year ;p
The rule is, 90% of everything is bullshit.Originally Posted by voice of the theater
When dealing with sales staff, that goes up to 99%.
I don't care for monster at all. Not that it's bad, just not worth the money. Nobody has to agree with me.
Personally I would like to do tests against what I use, and do my own tests.
I spent 40 years in the industry. Sales videos like the one above are deliberately loaded. They searched for days to find the pieces of cable that gave the results they wanted.
Sales staff spend time selecting music tracks to audition speakers. I'm sure the same for everything else.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
Anybody notice the worst performers were the 'air-cored inductors'?
Marshall.
Yeah, I always figured the Monster stuff was overpriced, but that it was at least good quality. My CD player, DVD player, etc. came with cheaper cables that needed to be replaced immediately (no gold connectors, etc.)--the Monster Cable at least has gold connectors and their speaker wire is a nice heavy guage compared to the flimsy stuff they sell at my local hardware store. I'm sure I could have saved some cash if I was on this forum back when I was buying all my wire and cables and had asked for some advice as to quality/price etc. back then, but now that I've got them I'm pretty much set. The last several component and speaker upgrades I've done I keep using the same Monster cables and wire--I'm glad I only had to purchase (and overpay for) that stuff once.....
I figured the salesman at the Guitar Center was full of it and that he was just trying to sell me a guitar cable that they have a higher mark up on.
One of the most litigious and "bad faith" names in the audio industry.
That brand is banned in the circles i travel, and not permitted on my premises.
Friends don't let friends use the stuff.
Not all vegetables make good leaders.
Hi, I know Americans are different with European, and the cables story is very difficult by lots of Americans, so don't try to help them, it brings you nothing. If they are satisfied let them play their systems with lamp cord. Be happy they don't ask you for a shoot out.:scratch:
I tried many, many cables, from homebrew cables, all kinds of Monster cable, the last I tried was the Monster Sigma Retro (gold), for speakers and interconnects, expansive Audi Note silver cables etc. etc.
The last few years I use these Chimera Labs Product Reviews - CCC Wire. only I bought by a French company for half the price, because they buy these cables in bulk from chimeralabs
These cables are sounding very nice and open, everything LF, MF and HF are exactly what I like to hear.
Maybe there are other very good sounding cables, of course I did not try every brand, but with my Altec, and I'm busy with cable quiet some years, these are by far the best sounding I ever had.
My friend in Henderson, was also very skeptical about the whole cable story, he also was a real lamp cord fan, until I send him some of these interconnects, just for fun to try, result was, after 30 hours listening: Lamp cord in the dust-bin and he bought speaker cables and interconnects for his whole system.
Many years ago when the first exotic speaker cables came out I was working for a computer company. There were many audiophile's in the company and a bunch of us got together every now and then to compare systems and to show off something new.
One day a bunch of us decided to test some of these exotic cables. We had 5 different pairs of speakers....10 people listening...and 2 people replacing cables. The speakers were behind a large sheet so the audience couldn't tell what speakers or cables were being used. We must have tested 10 different cables with 5 different speakers.
Our conclusion....While in some RARE cases you could tell there was a sound difference....it was IMPOSSIBLE to tell if the sound was better or worse...just different. Most of the time it was IMPOSSIBLE to tell if you were using the cheap zip cable from Radio-shack or some exotic speaker cable that cost $500.
While MOST of the audiophiles who owned the cables were NOT convinced of the test...we did it again the following week...Only this time we had 5-10 different amps to use (because the audiophiles felt it was combination of amp and speaker and cable that made the difference) and the audience crew to over 50. We tested in shifts. The whole process lasted 8 hours.
Came to the exact same conclusion as the previous test. Some of the audiophiles were LIVID. They said that the two people doing the cable switching were playing games. The people switching all the cables around decided to videotape the whole process. It was all recorded as to exactly what they did...And some of the audiophiles STILL didn't believe it....OH WELL.
I stopped going to these gatherings when about a year later when the group tested speakers/systems...And the winner (HANDS DOWN) was a pair of Model-19's.....My lowly model-15's came in third...a pair of B&W's with a Krell amp came in second...Speakers/systems from Mac, Magnapan, Klipsch, Snell and even WAMM finished behind the Altecs. And some of the audiophiles were FURIOUS...claiming the test was rigged...Almost came to blows at one point.
Hi, I know Americans are different with European, and the cables story is very difficult by lots of Americans, so don't try to help them, it brings you nothing. If they are satisfied let them play their systems with lamp cord. Be happy they don't ask you for a shoot out.
Your whole post is a bit offensive. Sorry you and your golden ears are not the ultimate authority. Far from it.
Use what you want. But don't pull this stuff that you know a lot more, you don't.
Use what you want. Your rights end at bragging you know better and accusing others of not being able to hear.
Have no interest in a shoot out with you by the way.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
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