I think I'm gonna try my hand at building my cables

[CrystalSky]

It’s crazy not to build your own

Talk about not having wholesale retailer in my country to even try that

 

[the4thlast1]

I personally do not like the way the Neutrik gold color the sound.

You may really like them but I found that I prefer the Switch craft 285 and 226.

The Best-Tronics CA-0446 is the one for sure, good choice there.

If you end up wanting patch cables, go with 0678.

The sp400s are really solid connectors for the patch cables.

Good luck!

Once I made the swap, there's no going back.

That’s interesting. I never thought about a connector sounding a certain way. What do you find the difference to be with neutrik/switchcraft.

 

[Music&Chaos]

That’s interesting. I never thought about a connector sounding a certain way. What do you find the difference to be with neutrik/switchcraft.

I have a thread on RT somewhere detailing the differences but...

I can hear the difference between any type of gold connector vs nickel/silver.

Even if it is just the speaker cable going from my head to cab, it shapes the frequency audibly.

Gold always does something I dislike to the range, in that is reduces the top and low end extension.

It grabs the 'nice parts' of the signal in ways and pushes those instead of the entire spectrum.

The midrange, especially if you also use Mogami cabling with the ends, sounds very flat and 2d. The bass end will disappear as the upper midrange becomes the focus.

Things are just not as they are naturally presented.

Overall gold smooths out frequencies I would rather it leave alone.

As an example I have tested the exact same cabling but with different connections at the end and had the results be the same over and over, even during blind testing.

I do have an amp setup that is very sensitive to any change and how it presents them. This is the way I like it, as I can hear the difference in even the material of guitar picks that I use.

Your mileage may vary of course but other members have said the same about the gold connectors as well.

 

[LP Freak]

I have a thread on RT somewhere detailing the differences but...

I can hear the difference between any type of gold connector vs nickel/silver.

Even if it is just the speaker cable going from my head to cab, it shapes the frequency audibly.

Gold always does something I dislike to the range, in that is reduces the top and low end extension.

It grabs the 'nice parts' of the signal in ways and pushes those instead of the entire spectrum.

The midrange, especially if you also use Mogami cabling with the ends, sounds very flat and 2d. The bass end will disappear as the upper midrange becomes the focus.

Things are just not as they are naturally presented.

Overall gold smooths out frequencies I would rather it leave alone.

As an example I have tested the exact same cabling but with different connections at the end and had the results be the same over and over, even during blind testing.

I do have an amp setup that is very sensitive to any change and how it presents them. This is the way I like it, as I can hear the difference in even the material of guitar picks that I use.

Your mileage may vary of course but other members have said the same about the gold connectors as well.

I’m glad I have shitty hearing or I’d probably go insane

 

[Music&Chaos]

I’m glad I have shitty hearing or I’d probably go insane

It doesn't show through the same through my little Marshall. It is still there, but enough that I can pretty much ignore it. The Rivera with the Blackplates and AV75s though.....that reveals every damn detail.

 

[thegame]

I have a thread on RT somewhere detailing the differences but...

I can hear the difference between any type of gold connector vs nickel/silver.

Even if it is just the speaker cable going from my head to cab, it shapes the frequency audibly.

Gold always does something I dislike to the range, in that is reduces the top and low end extension.

It grabs the 'nice parts' of the signal in ways and pushes those instead of the entire spectrum.

The midrange, especially if you also use Mogami cabling with the ends, sounds very flat and 2d. The bass end will disappear as the upper midrange becomes the focus.

Things are just not as they are naturally presented.

Overall gold smooths out frequencies I would rather it leave alone.

As an example I have tested the exact same cabling but with different connections at the end and had the results be the same over and over, even during blind testing.

I do have an amp setup that is very sensitive to any change and how it presents them. This is the way I like it, as I can hear the difference in even the material of guitar picks that I use.

Your mileage may vary of course but other members have said the same about the gold connectors as well.

You must surely realize that 99% of guitar players will deride and mock such findings. I am not one of them because my findings concur with this analysis 100%. Also true that only good to greatly detailed sounding amps will reveal such differences. A cheap SS practice amp with a crappy built in speaker for example will completely blur and mask such differences. Then if you go towards a mid level Peavey or something like that, you’ll hear a little more difference between guitars, cables, etc. I think most players who don’t believe such differences exist must own amps that aren’t capable of showing them very much.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I have a thread on RT somewhere detailing the differences but...

I can hear the difference between any type of gold connector vs nickel/silver.

Even if it is just the speaker cable going from my head to cab, it shapes the frequency audibly.

Gold always does something I dislike to the range, in that is reduces the top and low end extension.

It grabs the 'nice parts' of the signal in ways and pushes those instead of the entire spectrum.

The midrange, especially if you also use Mogami cabling with the ends, sounds very flat and 2d. The bass end will disappear as the upper midrange becomes the focus.

Things are just not as they are naturally presented.

Overall gold smooths out frequencies I would rather it leave alone.

As an example I have tested the exact same cabling but with different connections at the end and had the results be the same over and over, even during blind testing.

I do have an amp setup that is very sensitive to any change and how it presents them. This is the way I like it, as I can hear the difference in even the material of guitar picks that I use.

Your mileage may vary of course but other members have said the same about the gold connectors as well.

How blind was the blind testing? No peeking?

I'm just asking because my main sound is single coils (P90, A5 Staple, Goldfoil, Lace Sensor, and Dynasonic types, with a couple very vintage voiced HB's thrown in) > cranked Treble Booster > Fulltone TTE's preamp > Hiwatt DR103.

I go clean to scream with the guitars volume knobs, and cannot think of a more transparent, responsive, and detailed sound I have ever heard come out of any amp I ever played through. Individual pickups have clearly defined voices in a way few amps can showcase. What you put into it is what comes out.

While I never AB'd them vs my other cables, most of which have Switchcraft or Neutrik plugs, I do have a few of the Boss BIC cables with the gold ends; a 15' and two of the 3'. I've never once used them with my rig, and thought anything sounded flat or 2d about it. I get everybit of thump, clarity, midrange bark and grind, air and depth in the tone as my other quality cables.

I will say my homemade Canare and Neutrik cables are probably the only combo that really sounds different than the others. It's a little more warm and vintage sounding due to the Canare's slightly higher capacitance. But it still never sounds flat, dull, or 2d. Also the Canare cable is crazy durable, and with the Neutrik plugs those cables are going on like 15-17 yrs with no failures or issues.

 

[Music&Chaos]

How blind was the blind testing? No peeking?

I'm just asking because my main sound is single coils (P90, A5 Staple, Goldfoil, Lace Sensor, and Dynasonic types, with a couple very vintage voiced HB's thrown in) > cranked Treble Booster > Fulltone TTE's preamp > Hiwatt DR103.

I go clean to scream with the guitars volume knobs, and cannot think of a more transparent, responsive, and detailed sound I have ever heard come out of any amp I ever played through. Individual pickups have clearly defined voices in a way few amps can showcase. What you put into it is what comes out.

While I never AB'd them vs my other cables, most of which have Switchcraft or Neutrik plugs, I do have a few of the Boss BIC cables with the gold ends; a 15' and two of the 3'. I've never once used them with my rig, and thought anything sounded flat or 2d about it. I get everybit of thump, clarity, midrange bark and grind, air and depth in the tone as my other quality cables.

I will say my homemade Canare and Neutrik cables are probably the only combo that really sounds different than the others. It's a little more warm and vintage sounding due to the Canare's slightly higher capacitance. But it still never sounds flat, dull, or 2d. Also the Canare cable is crazy durable, and with the Neutrik plugs those cables are going on like 15-17 yrs with no failures or issues.

I'm blind tested them against an old electrical engineer who is into music, had him run blind testing with myself, did all of the capacitance testing on the cabling etc.

Had two other people blind test, one being into music and the other just being a normal person that does not play any instruments actively or anything.

Results were the same for the cables with the gold ends.

Had a whole thread here with some of our findings and results, the capacitance testing showed them all to be extremely similar.

I can take a single cable going straight into my amp and tell you the difference between the cables, especially if you swap to the Ernie balls that have this low mid-center thing going on. Ernie Ball also sells the same braided cables with silver or gold connectors.

You can AB those cables at the same length and the only difference is going to be the connectors and you can hear it with my Rivera setup.

People say they can't hear the difference in string gauges or manufacturers or capacitor types or values either.

I think some people have more sensitive hearing than others.

I have very odd, specialized, unbalanced hearing.

Maybe this is also why I'm so sensitive to changes. I can hear when the voltage in my house fluctuates when I'm playing my gear.

I mostly play straight in with nothing else active.

 

[Matt300ZXT]

I'm blind tested them against an old electrical engineer who is into music, had him run blind testing with myself, did all of the capacitance testing on the cabling etc.

Had two other people blind test, one being into music and the other just being a normal person that does not play any instruments actively or anything.

Results were the same for the cables with the gold ends.

Had a whole thread here with some of our findings and results, the capacitance testing showed them all to be extremely similar.

I can take a single cable going straight into my amp and tell you the difference between the cables, especially if you swap to the Ernie balls that have this low mid-center thing going on. Ernie Ball also sells the same braided cables with silver or gold connectors.

You can AB those cables at the same length and the only difference is going to be the connectors and you can hear it with my Rivera setup.

People say they can't hear the difference in string gauges or manufacturers or capacitor types or values either.

I think some people have more sensitive hearing than others.

I have very odd, specialized, unbalanced hearing.

Maybe this is also why I'm so sensitive to changes. I can hear when the voltage in my house fluctuates when I'm playing my gear.

I mostly play straight in with nothing else active.

We're just gonna call you Eric Johnson

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I'm blind tested them against an old electrical engineer who is into music, had him run blind testing with myself, did all of the capacitance testing on the cabling etc.

Had two other people blind test, one being into music and the other just being a normal person that does not play any instruments actively or anything.

Results were the same for the cables with the gold ends.

Had a whole thread here with some of our findings and results, the capacitance testing showed them all to be extremely similar.

I can take a single cable going straight into my amp and tell you the difference between the cables, especially if you swap to the Ernie balls that have this low mid-center thing going on. Ernie Ball also sells the same braided cables with silver or gold connectors.

You can AB those cables at the same length and the only difference is going to be the connectors and you can hear it with my Rivera setup.

People say they can't hear the difference in string gauges or manufacturers or capacitor types or values either.

I think some people have more sensitive hearing than others.

I have very odd, specialized, unbalanced hearing.

Maybe this is also why I'm so sensitive to changes. I can hear when the voltage in my house fluctuates when I'm playing my gear.

I mostly play straight in with nothing else active.

I can definitely hear the differences in string gauges, and capacitor value changes in guitar wiring. I've switched guitars from stock Gibson 300k to 500k, and also installed a no load tone 500k volume pot on one guitar. Those changes are all quite noticeable for me.

Not saying you're wrong, but I have not noticed a difference.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I'm blind tested them against an old electrical engineer who is into music, had him run blind testing with myself, did all of the capacitance testing on the cabling etc.

Had two other people blind test, one being into music and the other just being a normal person that does not play any instruments actively or anything.

Results were the same for the cables with the gold ends.

Had a whole thread here with some of our findings and results, the capacitance testing showed them all to be extremely similar.

I can take a single cable going straight into my amp and tell you the difference between the cables, especially if you swap to the Ernie balls that have this low mid-center thing going on. Ernie Ball also sells the same braided cables with silver or gold connectors.

You can AB those cables at the same length and the only difference is going to be the connectors and you can hear it with my Rivera setup.

People say they can't hear the difference in string gauges or manufacturers or capacitor types or values either.

I think some people have more sensitive hearing than others.

I have very odd, specialized, unbalanced hearing.

Maybe this is also why I'm so sensitive to changes. I can hear when the voltage in my house fluctuates when I'm playing my gear.

I mostly play straight in with nothing else active.

I can definitely hear the differences in string gauges, and capacitor value changes in guitar wiring. I've switched guitars from stock Gibson 300k to 500k, and also installed a no load tone/500k volume pot combo on one guitar. Those changes are all quite noticeable for me.

Not saying you're wrong, but I have not noticed a difference

 

[Music&Chaos]

I can definitely hear the differences in string gauges, and capacitor value changes in guitar wiring. I've switched guitars from stock Gibson 300k to 500k, and also installed a no load tone/500k volume pot combo on one guitar. Those changes are all quite noticeable for me.

Not saying you're wrong, but I have not noticed a difference

Yeah, that was my point, is that I can hear those difference whereas others claim they can't. Glad you can hear em too

 

[Music&Chaos]

We're just gonna call you Eric Johnson

Have had 2 friends joke that I must have superhuman hearing - made them perform blind testing and they could ID the cables when swapping from Best-Tronics to Ernie Ball easily.

I did not make them suffer the entire 10-12 cable test lol

1 of those people actually has hearing damage, so it must be pretty apparent in some ways.

The BTPA cables rock.

 

[Music&Chaos]

You must surely realize that 99% of guitar players will deride and mock such findings. I am not one of them because my findings concur with this analysis 100%. Also true that only good to greatly detailed sounding amps will reveal such differences. A cheap SS practice amp with a crappy built in speaker for example will completely blur and mask such differences. Then if you go towards a mid level Peavey or something like that, you’ll hear a little more difference between guitars, cables, etc. I think most players who don’t believe such differences exist must own amps that aren’t capable of showing them very much.

Truth^^^^