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Does Cables Matter for a Bass

#221
Normally I don't eat popcorn this early in the morning, but this is a "popcorn thread ".



Mmmm, extra butter.




Here are three things that cannot be disputed.

1) People have differing opinions on this matter.

2) They will not be swayed.

3) Heated debate is futile.




Pass the popcorn...
 
#222
I did the same thing, I bought a couple dimarzio cables and they're the best cables I've had in my life, I can not only hear a difference, I've had them for 10 years and they still play fine. I kind of lucked into them back when Mars music was going strong.

brorbjoern said:
Short answer: yes.

Long answer: Changing from a standard fender cable to a dimarzio cable radically widened the freqcuency response I get out of particularly my fretless bass, more lows, more high, more transparency, so everything really well... Sounded better. the bonus is a bit less remarkable on my custom fretted 5 string, but that's probably due to it just having so good electronics that cables don't matter too much.
I'm guessing it probly won't matter very much with active electronics, but with passives I really notice a difference, even though I wasn't expecting one when I bought my new cable.
Click to expand...
 
#223
One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. - Carl Sagan
 
#225
IME if you have a passive bass , and use a VERY Hi-Fi rig (Means full range/3 way , not your average bass cab) and plug directly to the amp no FX , play alone in your basement , you could hear a slight difference.

If any of these parameter is altered , the difference you'll hear is psychological.

I like to say : Lots of people listen with their Credit card.
 
#226
Interesting example. I typically use Whirlwind cables. When I started using effect pedals and needed two cables, I used a Whirlwind and a cheap CBI I had, which works fine with the bass directly into the amp. I couldn't get a signal from the bass to the amp with the two cables and the pedal. I swapped out the CBI for another Whirlwind and it worked perfectly.
 
#228
I am sure that some expensive cables are fine products in terms of their longevity, build quality and materials however their qualities as a means of transferring sound from A to B are subject to the same laws of physics as the rest of the universe.

Realistically however, you pay an increasingly large amount of money for less real world gains, sound quality being the least of them. For the same amount of money you would pay for one overly expensive cable, you might as well buy a realistically-priced cable several times in several lengths and only use the one that has as much length as is required. Or go active, wireless, acoustic, etc. :ROFPMSLAMOJ:
 
#229
I realize not everyone on t.b is an audiophile . And for them a wire is just a wire or a bass is just a bass or cabinet is just a cabinet or a power conditioner is just snake oil. I can hear differences in equipment and for me there is a difference in cables .
 
#230
Highpost said:
I realize not everyone on t.b is an audiophile . And for them a wire is just a wire or a bass is just a bass or cabinet is just a cabinet or a power conditioner is just snake oil. I can hear differences in equipment and for me there is a difference in cables .
Click to expand...

That's ok, the rest of us will save our money on the things that matter to us.

If you believe you hear a difference, then that's fine. It's your money, spend it how you want. Me? I'm gonna go with all the evidence I've seen that points to expensive and boutique cables having nothing over the cheap ones.
 
#231
All I know is that 99% of all my noise issues went away when I switched every cable in my chain to Mogami Gold. That was a few years and hundreds of gigs ago. I think I spent about $200 on two 18's and enough patch cables for 9 pedals. Maybe it's snake oil, but to me $200 is cheap to never have to give a second thought to any of your cables.
 
#233
Highpost said:
I realize not everyone on t.b is an audiophile . And for them a wire is just a wire or a bass is just a bass or cabinet is just a cabinet or a power conditioner is just snake oil. I can hear differences in equipment and for me there is a difference in cables .
Click to expand...

I am afraid that I find this statement just a touch silly. I don't think anyone is arguing that "speakers are just speakers" or that "amps are just amps". Those products possess myriad factors determining their respective effect on sound. HOWEVER. IF a cable is well-designed, well-made, and effectively shielded, then they should have minimal effect on bass guitar sound. As stated, capacitance is one factor that DOES effect bass signal, but not to the extent some would have you believe. And, for the most part, well-made cables have relatively similar (LOW) capacitance. Yes, the difference between the absolute crappiest cables made and the best would be significant. BUT, any decent cable should have no problem competing with the "audioFOOL" grade cables. And yes, power conditioners are total snake oil. :) And NO, nobody is hearing "skin-affect".
 
#234
Floyd Eye said:
All I know is that 99% of all my noise issues went away when I switched every cable in my chain to Mogami Gold. That was a few years and hundreds of gigs ago. I think I spent about $200 on two 18's and enough patch cables for 9 pedals. Maybe it's snake oil, but to me $200 is cheap to never have to give a second thought to any of your cables.
Click to expand...


This is a valid reason to buy nicer cables...shielding issues are real. Cheap pedalboard cables go bad all the time/aren't always shielded properly.

Some of us will suffer through. Fix cables when they go bad. Troubleshoot noise problems. Buy more $2.99 replacement cables.
$200 for peace of mind that your cables will last and will be properly shielded is more than I can afford right now but is a valid choice based on real issues. What you gain (build/shield quality+a warranty) is something measurable and not a scam.

What people are arguing is that $200 for the extra clarity and punch brought on by fancy cables isn't the same thing, because it doesn't exist.

I think I'm going to upgrade my bass cable based on this discussion. To a nice solid $30, right angle cable that will last me for awhile. Wait---can electrons make turns that sharp? Maybe if Monster could make like a 110 degree angle cable to make it easier on them...I really want the little guys to get through.
 
#236
The one cable that I won't play without is my Essential Sound Products MusicCord Pro IEC power cable. Every time I let another musician hear the difference it makes, they're blown away. Its one of the least expensive upgrades you can make in your sound
 
#237
majortoby said:
I am afraid that I find this statement just a touch silly. I don't think anyone is arguing that "speakers are just speakers" or that "amps are just amps". Those products possess myriad factors determining their respective effect on sound. HOWEVER. IF a cable is well-designed, well-made, and effectively shielded, then they should have minimal effect on bass guitar sound. As stated, capacitance is one factor that DOES effect bass signal, but not to the extent some would have you believe. And, for the most part, well-made cables have relatively similar (LOW) capacitance. Yes, the difference between the absolute crappiest cables made and the best would be significant. BUT, any decent cable should have no problem competing with the "audioFOOL" grade cables. And yes, power conditioners are total snake oil. :) And NO, nobody is hearing "skin-affect".
Click to expand...

Look I have manage to get a hold of some power conditioners and good cables and they have made a difference in my small studio. I don't know how the stuff filters noise but it worked for me.
 
#238
chriscrob said:
This is a valid reason to buy nicer cables...shielding issues are real. Cheap pedalboard cables go bad all the time/aren't always shielded properly.

Some of us will suffer through. Fix cables when they go bad. Troubleshoot noise problems. Buy more $2.99 replacement cables.
$200 for peace of mind that your cables will last and will be properly shielded is more than I can afford right now but is a valid choice based on real issues. What you gain (build/shield quality+a warranty) is something measurable and not a scam.

What people are arguing is that $200 for the extra clarity and punch brought on by fancy cables isn't the same thing, because it doesn't exist.

I think I'm going to upgrade my bass cable based on this discussion. To a nice solid $30, right angle cable that will last me for awhile. Wait---can electrons make turns that sharp? Maybe if Monster could make like a 110 degree angle cable to make it easier on them...I really want the little guys to get through.
Click to expand...

I suspect any number of quality cables will perform similarly and at a lower price point than even the Mogamis, which are not really expensive comparably speaking.
 
#239
Highpost said:
Look I have manage to get a hold of some power conditioners and good cables and they have made a difference in my small studio. I don't know how the stuff filters noise but it worked for me.
Click to expand...

Well, as is pretty much universally accepted, we already know quality, shielded cables make less noise.

Also, there are power conditioners and then there are power conditioners. My $80 Furmans aren't doing anything for me except being really convenient. My buddy has a unit he paid almost 2k for. I don't recall which one, but he swears by it and he does this stuff for a living. It's not all snake oil. You do get what you pay for.
 
#240
Modern Growl said:
I don't have the equipment to prove anything to you. Frankly, I don't care either.

But don't tell me I'm a liar, deaf, pursuaded by placebo, or whatever else you want to throw at me to disprove the fact that I did indeed hear a difference.

Enjoy your $10 dollar cable, and I'll enjoy my $100 dollar cable. End of story.
Click to expand...



I'm with you on this. I have thrown money down on crappy cables . They don't last long in fact create muddy sounds . And can pick up RFI. Whatever let these guys use garbage equipment. That's why there are different levels of quality for different prices. People dont need to buy a Ritter when they can buy a squire . I guess at some point there are diminishing gains?
 

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