There are many cables that cost tens of thousands of dollars out there. The manufacturers talk about quantum properties of single-crystal copper and other mystifying ideas. It’s almost all poppycock (that’s a technical term, really!)
Cables serve important roles in audio reproduction systems, from passing digital data from streamers to DACs, to carrying higher voltage and current audio signals to speakers and, of course, delivering household (mains) current to the devices. And it’s true that broken, poorly-manufactured and out-of-spec cables can cause problems with all of these interconnection and power scenarios. But the idea that extremely expensive special cables are needed for near-perfect sound quality is simply a myth.
For one, cables have at least three roles in component audio. First, there are power cords for the devices. A competently engineered component has been designed and specified to use electrical power at a certain current or power (since voltage is fixed at either 120V or 240V, power is proportional to current). The gauge of the cable is selected to handle the current needs of the device and in accordance with international and national standards. Most devices quickly convert the AC in into DC. Line AC is often very messy and noisy but the power supply regulates the DC to appropriate levels. The cable just needs to be competent. If you need proof, here’s one evaluation of an expensive power cable that comes with expansive claims.
Next, digital interconnects transfer USB Audio or TCP-IP or optical. Again, these just need to be competently engineered. Digital signals are resilient to damage which is why digital information management dominates the modern world. If you need proof, check out Amir at ASR’s evaluation of a USB cable.
So, finally, we can consider analog interconnects between DACs and amplifiers and then bigger gauge speaker cables. Here, again, competency is the primary need though. Also note that longer runs of cables necessitate thicker cables and are to be avoided.
But I am going to set this myth to L4 because there are some hints that at least can help guide us about cable choices.
There has been some scientific research into whether some cables transport audio signals better than others, however. The results are controversial and show very minor effects that are related to specific cables and topologies. For instance, Kunchar had users listen to two audio chains that differed only in the use of RCA (single-ended) versus XLR (balanced) interconnects and found the listeners could distinguish the cables. In this case, he established that the RCA cables were more subject to noise and the cables had differing frequency responses that led to hearable differences. Now, it should be noted that balanced interconnects are, by design and theory, more resistant to noise, so this primarily establishes that balanced is better than single-ended. In another paper, Kunchar also evaluate single-ended cables of differing price-points and found differences in their noise susceptibility and other properties but did not establish that the results were audible, though he suggested it was possible that they could be hearable. See here for disputes over the quality of the work.
For the “cable believer” there may be enough to maintain belief, but I think the burden falls on manufacturers to establish, through careful measurements, that their cables provide value worthy of the thousands or tens-of-thousands of dollars. When they do that, then we can lower the level of this myth.
