OneRoomStudios
08-11-2005, 04:35 AM
Par request:
First off, as any audio-product-reviewer worth listening to says, I have to admit I was skeptical before beginning this test. I mean...they're just cables right? I already have decent cables and all that mumbo-jumbo about "finer conductors tend to favor higher frequencies, etc" sounded like straight-up bullshit to me. Another thing that bothered me about this kind of test was the fact that if I did indeed hear a difference, who would believe me and why? I wouldn't believe me. So I came up with a good method of objectively testing the new cable. I approached this from a scientific perspective (my father has a doctorate in particle physics, so I can't help approaching stuff like this in a scientific manor). Anyway, I wanted a test where all else was equal, here's what I did (skip if you don't care):
I obtained two high-quality wav samples of white noise and pink noise, then burned them to a CD. I set up my Nakamichi stereo to play back the CD with a microphone aimed on one speaker. The microphone I used was a SDC omni electret measurement-style mic with an external power supply. I chose this mic for two reasons. One, it has a huge, flat response, and two, the external power supply would allow me to switch out cables without bumping or moving the mic by mistake. The cable from the mic to the power supply remained the same in each instance. The rest of my chain was simple...into the preamp on my Mbox (I know, not a great preamp), and into ProTools. For each test, I played back a track of white noise and pink noise. I then used an analyzer plugin (Elemental Audio Inspector) to analyze each track as it played back. I then made a screen capture of each track at the same point. After doing so, I Photoshoped the graphs together. I also measured the difference the old fashion way - listening to the play back.
RESULTS:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y257/OneRoomStudios/ComparisonWhite.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/y257/OneRoomStudios/ComparisonPink.jpg
So at first it seems like there is very little or no difference between the graphs, but once you consider the fact that the ONLY difference between the two graphs is the cable, you realize that if actually made quite a difference.
For both pink and white noise, the Litz cable provided a smoother, relatively flatter response.
As far as the hearing test went...I was impressed. I really didn't think I would be able to tell the difference, but although subtle, the difference was noticeable.
For the white noise, the Litz cable had a more prominent high-end, sounded smoother, and for lack of a better word, more "intense" or "in-your-face."
For the pink noise, the Litz cable sounded much smoother, and the low end was more noticeable. By comparison, the AT cable sounded weaker and thinner.
Now I'm sure there will be people who don't believe me, but I give my word that these results are real and not concocted. These cables do appear to make a difference. Is it massive? No. Is it noticeable? Yes.
If anyone has any questions, let me know.
-Peter
First off, as any audio-product-reviewer worth listening to says, I have to admit I was skeptical before beginning this test. I mean...they're just cables right? I already have decent cables and all that mumbo-jumbo about "finer conductors tend to favor higher frequencies, etc" sounded like straight-up bullshit to me. Another thing that bothered me about this kind of test was the fact that if I did indeed hear a difference, who would believe me and why? I wouldn't believe me. So I came up with a good method of objectively testing the new cable. I approached this from a scientific perspective (my father has a doctorate in particle physics, so I can't help approaching stuff like this in a scientific manor). Anyway, I wanted a test where all else was equal, here's what I did (skip if you don't care):
I obtained two high-quality wav samples of white noise and pink noise, then burned them to a CD. I set up my Nakamichi stereo to play back the CD with a microphone aimed on one speaker. The microphone I used was a SDC omni electret measurement-style mic with an external power supply. I chose this mic for two reasons. One, it has a huge, flat response, and two, the external power supply would allow me to switch out cables without bumping or moving the mic by mistake. The cable from the mic to the power supply remained the same in each instance. The rest of my chain was simple...into the preamp on my Mbox (I know, not a great preamp), and into ProTools. For each test, I played back a track of white noise and pink noise. I then used an analyzer plugin (Elemental Audio Inspector) to analyze each track as it played back. I then made a screen capture of each track at the same point. After doing so, I Photoshoped the graphs together. I also measured the difference the old fashion way - listening to the play back.
RESULTS:
http://photobucket.com/albums/y257/OneRoomStudios/ComparisonWhite.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/y257/OneRoomStudios/ComparisonPink.jpg
So at first it seems like there is very little or no difference between the graphs, but once you consider the fact that the ONLY difference between the two graphs is the cable, you realize that if actually made quite a difference.
For both pink and white noise, the Litz cable provided a smoother, relatively flatter response.
As far as the hearing test went...I was impressed. I really didn't think I would be able to tell the difference, but although subtle, the difference was noticeable.
For the white noise, the Litz cable had a more prominent high-end, sounded smoother, and for lack of a better word, more "intense" or "in-your-face."
For the pink noise, the Litz cable sounded much smoother, and the low end was more noticeable. By comparison, the AT cable sounded weaker and thinner.
Now I'm sure there will be people who don't believe me, but I give my word that these results are real and not concocted. These cables do appear to make a difference. Is it massive? No. Is it noticeable? Yes.
If anyone has any questions, let me know.
-Peter