Re: Help requested on blind cable test

A difference of less than 0.3dB may be considered "pretty inaudible",
especially at the top end of the audio range. The capacitance values you
quote are a tad on the high side, unless the interconnects are very long.
Nevertheless, they're unlikely to amount to a noticeable HF reduction.

I'm not saying you won't hear a difference, but if you do, the capacitance
and its attendant HF reduction per se isn't going to be the cause.

"Michael Mossey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I'm about to compare interconnect cables blind.  I'm trying to
> establish for myself whether cable quality is an important factor, and
> whether interconnects of similar construction can vary in subjective
> sound.
>
> I'd like to use two cables that are electrically similar.  Right now I
> own two cables that might be fit for comparison: a 2M Radio Shack
> "gold" special, and a Transparent 2M Link 300.  I thought I would
> measure the capacitance of each cable using this rather cheap meter
> that I own.  Turns out the Radio Shack is 400 pF, and the Transparent
> audio is 280 pF.  Do these numbers sound reasonable?  I'm not sure if
> my meter is working or if I'm doing this correctly.
>
> And my EE knowledge is rusty.  I want to figure out how this
> capacitance might affect the transfer function.  This interconnect
> runs between a CAL Sigma II DAC and an Audio Research SP-6.  What is
> the impedance of a capacitor again?  Something like 1 / ( 2 * pi *
> frequency * capacitance) ?
>
> Since I suspect that cable quality is real and can be heard blind if
> the test is carried out properly (my theory is that quick switching is
> an improper way to seek out small changes in sound), I'm interested in
> results that would challenge the scientific field of psychoacoustics.
> How small a difference in transfer function is considered inaudible?
>
> Regards,
> Mike