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Sorry I couldn't stand to read that article after I got the gist of it. I too like science, and it is interesting in terms of wires. For most good cable makers (to me good value is part of "good') the theories are based on wire chemistry, how they are drawn, stranded or not, total gauge, individual wire thickness, insulation values, geometry (one wire, or aggregates of twisted/braided)...it all has a basis in science. But finally, like Decware, it is usually refinements from listening that bring cables to life.
Then there are connectors, the solder, the total gauge and materials, and how they work for higher power versus lower power, more warmth or more transparent, neutrality, more or less bass or high extension....on and on. But after all, I guess following good design and technique with sound exploration for refinement, this is science in action, working to quantify what does what and why so that we can make cables that sound better.
A lot of folks say straight wire connection is best, and this may be true as long as the wires are kept clean and are in optimal condition. But I have heard good connectors put on after listening with straight wire connections and I think this can sound very good too and is a lot more convenient if you change stuff around. I have heard it several times... clean connections can really make a difference. I like deoxit for cleaning and then Deoxit Gold for conditioning the connectors. I find with the Gold that it sounds best if it is put on, and pretty much immediately polished off.
Very generally speaking, three main design things seem consistent with the cables I have tried...I tend to prefer stranded over solid wires, the solid tending to be a little more rigid and hard sounding; and a combination of smaller wires twisted or braided seem more resolving across the bandwidth than one big solid or stranded wire. Also, if a cable of a given design sounds lean and low on bass, a bigger aggregate gauge of the design will often solve this. Or the opposite...if it is too big on bottom, a smaller total gauge will likely lean it down.
I don't know, even with a simple cable...the known variables are vast enough that no matter how hard we try, I don't think the science can get us there in terms of love of a sound. And then there are all the things we have yet to fully quantify in terms of the science of cables as they relate to loving the sound!
That said, you may well be in a good place to buy more records! No one else can decide if our system is optimized to satisfaction. But no one can tell me that electronic readings from cables are all that are necessary for a sound I can fall in love with either.
Jeez, my 58 year old ears can hear different fuses! Speaking of which, like Lon's experiences, when I try something new, it is always interesting to hear from my wife. Often she will say from the table, or the adjoining kitchen..."that sounds great, what did you do?" Or if I am somewhat on the fence about an adjustment or change, or really excited about one, I will ask her to AB it for me, most of the time having no idea what the A and B even are. This happened a few months ago trying three different fuses in my power re-generator. As usual, in her own words, she described what I heard, and agreed with me on the best one without any indicator from me which I liked before hand. This is fun, and her views are clean as she has only an interest in the sound for the sake of the beauty of the music...no audiophile machismo...no scientific bias....no ego objective at all. And since our "tastes" for what makes real sounding music are pretty much the same, this ABing is useful "science" for us!
But I would be inclined to believe my perceptions and preferences anyway. For me the system/room is an ongoing art project, a creative process around a "living" thing. I just have a lot of fun refining the sound, and enjoying the refinements to no end. For this, I like having a small variety of great sounding ICs, power cables and speaker cables, for doing occasional reorganizing for optimal system synergy. But my system sounded great soooo many adjustments before now that I could have stopped playing around a long time ago. Had I done that though, it would not be what it is, which is spooky it is so captivating!
Its all so personal and full of variables, I don't guess there are clear answers, only pointers I suppose. But the gift of Decware and other great music making gear? Its potential is so high, it can be a mind bending tool in our personal relationship with the world of beauty...
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