A while back we were dicsussing the marketing tactics of BOSE to move what is actually a low end, poorly designed system with really cheap off the shelf components in it. During that time we got on track about high end speakers and cables were mentioned a few times.
So what’s with all the hype on Monster cables, “oxygen-free, triple-wrapped double-insulated Sonically Shielded AmpliSized Egyptian Llama cable?”
For such a test, only a blind test can possibly come close to offering the truth, an engineer A>B with identical lengths, sound pressure levels and frequency.
(If people know what they are listening to, they will make themsleves believe hearing all kinds of things to justify spending the money.)
So a consumer’s test of cables was needed, a guy got together with some self proclaimed audiophle buddies and put the cables to the test.
Again, exact same lengths and same sound pressure levels at 1000Hz through the same speakers. All reviewers were blindfolded and the engineer worked the switches.
The reviewers, again self proclaimed audiophiles were all stumped and really could not tell a difference between cables used. Through 12 switches the replies were all inconsistent and no single cable sounded better all the time to the listeners.
heres’ the lcincher though, the “engineer” conducting the tests had prefabbed a few coat hangers and soldered plugs on them. While swapping out a set of cables, he decided to try the coat hangers. Three people of five thought the coat hangers sounded better than the Monster cable, though that opinion switched also when randomly A>B’d.
Ultimately it does not prove that coat hangers sound better than several hundred dollars worth of Monster cable(I’ve seen companies try to charge $3000.00 for cables). On that same note it also shows that spending hundreds on Monster cable doesn’t mean it will sound any better than a 50 cent coat hanger.
Perhaps the inability to sell expensive cables to most consumers is also the reason why Monster, also tries to sue anyone who uses tha name MONSTER in their product lines.
Got to make that money somewhere!
😀
Just thought it would be good for a chuckle.