Cables - one of the most taboo subjects in audio

Question, on these bi wire cables, what are the clear poles for? Wouldn't they block the cable from plugging into a standard speaker port?
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Mather said:
I'm wondering if it's some sort of grounding plug that sits against the speaker taps but I'm still very confused. It seems to be common but I don't get it.
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But plastic is generally an insulator, which means it can’t be a ground. I’m kind of wondering if it’s to prevent getting plugged into an electric socket in Europe, similar to how the banana plug inputs have inserts blocking them.
 
SnowmaNick said:
But plastic is generally an insulator, which means it can’t be a ground. I’m kind of wondering if it’s to prevent getting plugged into an electric socket in Europe, similar to how the banana plug inputs have inserts blocking them.
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Yeah that's what I couldn't figure out. Why it's plastic, or at least I'm assuming it is. I feel like @OMC will know the answer to this for sure. It seems to be a very common type of connector.

That would make sense though regarding the electrical outlets.
 
Mather said:
Question, on these bi wire cables, what are the clear poles for? Wouldn't they block the cable from plugging into a standard speaker port?
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The plug with the clear bit at the back looks like what is called a piggy back banana plug. It lets you plug a banana plug into the back of that banana plug. I think with these if you are using them on a standard port you can plug one set into the back of the other to avoid a dangly plug.

Edit. Sorry you mean the plastic pin sticking out below the banana? It’s a safety pin to stop someone accidentally plugging one into a power socket. It’s supposed to be far enough away from the banana to avoid fouling on a speaker terminal.
 
Mather said:
Yeah that's what I couldn't figure out. Why it's plastic, or at least I'm assuming it is. I feel like @OMC will know the answer to this for sure. It seems to be a very common type of connector.

That would make sense though regarding the electrical outlets.
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Thanks for the props, @Mather, but I’m more clueless than usual on this one. Never seen this before.
 
Cables... they're a mystery wrapped in a riddle wrapped in some sort of clear plastic with a phallus sticking out of it. Well I think the electrical socket explanation is as good as any I've heard. So let's go with that.
 
I picked up a REAL cheap pair of WBCs to use on a temp basis to burn in the Fortes and new amp so I can keep the upstairs intact until I can grab another pair of Vivats or something of the sort. Going to hold off on the XLR cable until I know exactly what I'm doing. Also because I really have to prioritize the Lyngdorf analog module purchase first. Did a shootout with the Arcam over the weekend and without the module (and admittedly not burned in nearly at all) the Arcam smoked the Lyngdorf in terms of vinyl playback. But the Lyngdorf was awesome on the streaming side. So I think that better D to A converter in the module is a must. As well as about 180 more hours of burn in....
 
Angsty said:
I did get a pair of WBC XLR cables and they perform well sound wise. However, they lacked the locking hole on the male ends, so I would by BJC if doing it over again.
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My first pair of balanced cables.
The Neutrik connectors are really nice and I like supporting these guys.

Whether XLR offers SQ improvement is debatable.
The connections are very substantial and robust.
It's worth the small premium.
 
mindhead1 said:
BlueJean and WBC FTW!

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I haven’t watched the whole thing yet, but he’s claiming the Sydney’s are AQ’s most expensive RCA cable? They aren’t even the most expensive RCA in the series. AQ’s Dragons have a SRP of $9,500 for a 1 meter pair. I’m not saying those are justifiable prices, but man, if you’re going to make a video for the public, at least check out the manufacturer’s website.

Edit: Alright, I watched the whole thing.

First off, I’d bet someone the $40 he says he bought the “Kimber and WBT” cables off eBay for that those are as counterfeit as the $10 “Prada” handbags at a swap meet. So, especially in regards to the connectors, I’d just ignore that part right up to where he advises not to buy them.

Secondly, I have a few pairs of the AQ Sydney’s. I’m not going to advise anyone to buy them, but I will say in the right use case they are handy. They connect my AV preamp to the amp for surrounds and Atmos heights. My pre is an Arcam AV40, and for whatever reason the pre outs are all bunched together in a small block. The Sydney’s basically sharing one cable for both left and right keeps it less cluttered and easier to trace. Further , if ordering from AQ you can specify the length of the y-split section to be longer. Again, not trying to persuade anyone about them, just offering a little more info.
 
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Unshielded RCA cables will tend to allow more EMI than shielded ones. The WBC and BJC have braided shields.

The AQ features some mumbo jumbo “Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-Dissipation”. I can’t confirm what it is, but it seemed to be effective in this test.
 
I was in need of new headphone cable as my Sennheiser stock cable was a little short and very microphonic when it would hit something. After some research I landed on Forza Audioworks. I worked with Matt to customize the length and connectors, and despite a short delay over the Easter holiday the cable arrived today and it's great. Sturdy, with no microphonics and the perfect length. Of course it's not a huge difference in sound quality but it is noticeable. Overall I'm very happy with the quality while still being reasonably priced.

#notanad. #notbeingcompensated
 
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