RE: RE: [Leica] pointless debate about speaker cable

[Austin Franklin <austin@darkroom.com>]

> > In SOME systems, cables can have
> > a dramatic difference, in other systems, the difference is
> > minimal, if at all.  This IS a fact, like it, believe it,
> > understand it, or not.

> I'd be more than happy to believe it, if only it were true. But since 
what
> the proponents of "wonder wire" say makes no sense, and since I've done a
> blind test (just to be sure I'm not nuts), and since the proponents won't 
do
> a blind test (because it creates "tension"), well, I guess you know the
> rest.

It is hard to be polite when someone makes a sweeping uninformed 
generalization, but I will do the best I can...

Perhaps, it makes no sense to YOU, and in your experience, what you say is 
true, YOU can not hear any difference in the systems YOU have listened to, 
but your experience is not the be all and end all of speaker wire testing 
and knowledge, I doubt.  I have done many tests (single and double blind) 
on speaker wires, and a lot of audio equipment for that matter 
(professionally, and I have the equipment and the lab to measure the 
differences too), and there is an audible (and visible) difference, as I 
said in SOME systems.  Disbelieve it all you want, but it is a fact.

It is also true that there is a lot of hooey in speaker wires out there, I 
can not disagree with that, since I've first hand 'viewed' it.  I know 
people like to believe the claim that speaker cables can not improve an 
audio system, and the converse, that all high end speaker cable improves an 
audio system, but the fact is, the truth is somewhere in the middle, not 
just some silly generalized claim that 12 gauge zip cord will give the best 
possible performance one can garner from speaker wire in every system, and 
I am not talking about the gauge limiting the current.

There are a lot of people out there who 'pretend/want to be' audiophiles 
(and photographers, too...and this is not meant to be insulting to anyone, 
it is meant as an observation), and will buy things they 'believe' will 
make a difference, but there are also those who can and do hear a 
difference, and can characterize the difference.  This may take a lot of 
listening and training, but it can be done...if the ears are capable, as 
hearing 'loss' may prevent someone from hearing differences.

This is true with Leicas too.  There are a LOT of Leica owners who are 
probably not very good photographers, but like to use a nice camera, and 
for sure, the camera can improve their photography....but they, themselves, 
are the limiting factor, and with some training, they could learn to 
characterize the difference in the photographs they take using their $2000 
Leitz lense against a $200 Pentax...if their eyes are capable ;-)

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