Best audio cables 2021

I get the sense that "exotic cables" are analogous to "UV filters to protect your front lens element" that camera stores often try to sell to unsuspecting customers.

Basically, it's about the profit margins. Having worked in the photo retail industry years ago, I know that in order to keep competitive with the mail-order houses the profit we would make on a high end camera might amount to being $40. However, if we sold the customer on the idea that "you need a UV filter to protect that precious front element!" we would garner $20 profit out of the $40 sale of the filter.

THe cable thing seems much the same - perhaps retailers cannot get much margin on the big gear that is always comparison shopped by potential customers; but once they decide they like that amp or speaker setup then pushing the "special" cables for "better sound" sounds like much the same strategy.

I see the doubters are on here with there " all cable's are the same". I think if you have a fairly good system you will be able to tell the difference, I did that by going to the HIFI show a couple of years back and Chord had a demonstration room set up where they would play a track with there cheapest RCA cables (C-LINE) then they swapped them out the Clearway, a clear step up in detail retrieval, then in went Shawline RCAs and again a clear step up in depth with a warmer tone, after that I had trouble hearing the difference or at least enough of a difference for the amount of money that these more expensive cable's cost.

For me It was proof enough that spending £90 on RCA cables on a connection between a £600 CD and £500 AMP would pay dividend's and it proved so, I already had £40 C-LINE RCAs and when replacing with the £90 Clearway RCA cables I was very pleased with the gain in detail and midrange clarity, there where instruments not detected before that where now present.
I have now upgraded the AMP to a MF M3i and run a M-DAC+ and have tried a couple of cables Digital Chord Clearway and Tellurium blue Q digital and the Tellurium is better although cost a fair bit more.

Of course if you have mismatched amps, decks, CD players, Dacs, or there poor quality HiFi then your not going to here the difference are you.
For all those doubters out there stop bleating about a multi million pound industry being a load of old cobblers, if it was then by now those that spend vast amounts of money would have just fitted bell wire because if they don't here an improvement then they would look else where, that's because they can afford to.

Anyone out there in doubt go to a good dealers, ask for a demo of a £1000 amp, £1000 CD player and dealer chosen speakers to match that are all run in, tell them to put say Chord C-LINE RCA cables between amp and CD, then listen to a good CD that is not load head banging rock and roll but say Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, Brown Eyes. listen a few times and listen to that fabulous guitar work, then ask for the cables to be changed to Clearway RC's, you will hear a resounding difference in the detail and space around the instruments.

Simple really a child could tell you the difference.

DELBOY14 said:

I see the doubters are on here with there " all cable's are the same". I think if you have a fairly good system you will be able to tell the difference, I did that by going to the HIFI show a couple of years back and Chord had a demonstration room set up where they would play a track with there cheapest RCA cables (C-LINE) then they swapped them out the Clearway, a clear step up in detail retrieval, then in went Shawline RCAs and again a clear step up in depth with a warmer tone, after that I had trouble hearing the difference or at least enough of a difference for the amount of money that these more expensive cable's cost.

For me It was proof enough that spending £90 on RCA cables on a connection between a £600 CD and £500 AMP would pay dividend's and it proved so, I already had £40 C-LINE RCAs and when replacing with the £90 Clearway RCA cables I was very pleased with the gain in detail and midrange clarity, there where instruments not detected before that where now present.
I have now upgraded the AMP to a MF M3i and run a M-DAC+ and have tried a couple of cables Digital Chord Clearway and Tellurium blue Q digital and the Tellurium is better although cost a fair bit more.

Of course if you have mismatched amps, decks, CD players, Dacs, or there poor quality HiFi then your not going to here the difference are you.
For all those doubters out there stop bleating about a multi million pound industry being a load of old cobblers, if it was then by now those that spend vast amounts of money would have just fitted bell wire because if they don't here an improvement then they would look else where, that's because they can afford to.

Anyone out there in doubt go to a good dealers, ask for a demo of a £1000 amp, £1000 CD player and dealer chosen speakers to match that are all run in, tell them to put say Chord C-LINE RCA cables between amp and CD, then listen to a good CD that is not load head banging rock and roll but say Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, Brown Eyes. listen a few times and listen to that fabulous guitar work, then ask for the cables to be changed to Clearway RC's, you will hear a resounding difference in the detail and space around the instruments.

Simple really a child could tell you the difference.

A child will also believe anything you tell them.

DELBOY14 said:

I see the doubters are on here with there " all cable's are the same". I think if you have a fairly good system you will be able to tell the difference, I did that by going to the HIFI show a couple of years back and Chord had a demonstration room set up where they would play a track with there cheapest RCA cables (C-LINE) then they swapped them out the Clearway, a clear step up in detail retrieval, then in went Shawline RCAs and again a clear step up in depth with a warmer tone, after that I had trouble hearing the difference or at least enough of a difference for the amount of money that these more expensive cable's cost.

For me It was proof enough that spending £90 on RCA cables on a connection between a £600 CD and £500 AMP would pay dividend's and it proved so, I already had £40 C-LINE RCAs and when replacing with the £90 Clearway RCA cables I was very pleased with the gain in detail and midrange clarity, there where instruments not detected before that where now present.
I have now upgraded the AMP to a MF M3i and run a M-DAC+ and have tried a couple of cables Digital Chord Clearway and Tellurium blue Q digital and the Tellurium is better although cost a fair bit more.

Of course if you have mismatched amps, decks, CD players, Dacs, or there poor quality HiFi then your not going to here the difference are you.
For all those doubters out there stop bleating about a multi million pound industry being a load of old cobblers, if it was then by now those that spend vast amounts of money would have just fitted bell wire because if they don't here an improvement then they would look else where, that's because they can afford to.

Anyone out there in doubt go to a good dealers, ask for a demo of a £1000 amp, £1000 CD player and dealer chosen speakers to match that are all run in, tell them to put say Chord C-LINE RCA cables between amp and CD, then listen to a good CD that is not load head banging rock and roll but say Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, Brown Eyes. listen a few times and listen to that fabulous guitar work, then ask for the cables to be changed to Clearway RC's, you will hear a resounding difference in the detail and space around the instruments.

Simple really a child could tell you the difference.

As per my signature - £4K amp, £4K CD player, Van Damme Blue vs QED... no difference heard. I have my opinion and you have yours, I'm not a child so I'll leave it there. I would rather spend my money on more music.

DELBOY14 said:

I see the doubters are on here with there " all cable's are the same". I think if you have a fairly good system you will be able to tell the difference, I did that by going to the HIFI show a couple of years back and Chord had a demonstration room set up where they would play a track with there cheapest RCA cables (C-LINE) then they swapped them out the Clearway, a clear step up in detail retrieval, then in went Shawline RCAs and again a clear step up in depth with a warmer tone, after that I had trouble hearing the difference or at least enough of a difference for the amount of money that these more expensive cable's cost.

For me It was proof enough that spending £90 on RCA cables on a connection between a £600 CD and £500 AMP would pay dividend's and it proved so, I already had £40 C-LINE RCAs and when replacing with the £90 Clearway RCA cables I was very pleased with the gain in detail and midrange clarity, there where instruments not detected before that where now present.
I have now upgraded the AMP to a MF M3i and run a M-DAC+ and have tried a couple of cables Digital Chord Clearway and Tellurium blue Q digital and the Tellurium is better although cost a fair bit more.

Of course if you have mismatched amps, decks, CD players, Dacs, or there poor quality HiFi then your not going to here the difference are you.
For all those doubters out there stop bleating about a multi million pound industry being a load of old cobblers, if it was then by now those that spend vast amounts of money would have just fitted bell wire because if they don't here an improvement then they would look else where, that's because they can afford to.

Anyone out there in doubt go to a good dealers, ask for a demo of a £1000 amp, £1000 CD player and dealer chosen speakers to match that are all run in, tell them to put say Chord C-LINE RCA cables between amp and CD, then listen to a good CD that is not load head banging rock and roll but say Fleetwood Mac, Tusk, Brown Eyes. listen a few times and listen to that fabulous guitar work, then ask for the cables to be changed to Clearway RC's, you will hear a resounding difference in the detail and space around the instruments.

Simple really a child could tell you the difference.

Did you do a double blind test on the cables with everything level matched so as to rule out inconsistences and placebo effect, if not then your claims are just opinions and not facts, so your assertion that a child could hear a difference is totally nonsensical.

I realise this post will not change your mind or belief (Just like a flat earthier will always ignore the truth and keep posting easily debunked claims) but hopefully it will help others to not fall into the same trap and have an open mind so that they realise that just because you believe you hear a difference doesn’t mean there actually is a difference. (Hence the level matched double blind test)

In the final analysis always try before you buy and if you are happy with something (Whether it actually makes a difference of not) and you can afford it, then go for it, as happiness cannot be measured.

Bill

abacus said:

Did you do a double blind test on the cables with everything level matched so as to rule out inconsistences and placebo effect, if not then your claims are just opinions and not facts, so your assertion that a child could hear a difference is totally nonsensical.

I realise this post will not change your mind or belief (Just like a flat earthier will always ignore the truth and keep posting easily debunked claims) but hopefully it will help others to not fall into the same trap and have an open mind so that they realise that just because you believe you hear a difference doesn’t mean there actually is a difference. (Hence the level matched double blind test)

In the final analysis always try before you buy and if you are happy with something (Whether it actually makes a difference of not) and you can afford it, then go for it, as happiness cannot be measured.

Bill

Actually I took 4 tables and smoked a tree so as to make sure I was self opinionated and knew everything and would be guided by some myth blind testing an inconsistent placebo effect, but thanks all the same I know what happiness is, as do all those millions that have walked the cable path. cheers mate. 🙏