Over the years, we have found that many customers doubt their abilities when faced with the task of choosing equipment or cabling that will provide the most satisfactory performance.
I suggest two methods that are complementary:
1) A / B TESTING (it helps to be rigorous!)
When testing cables, you should keep all other variables in your system constant during the tests: the same equipment (except the cable!), the same volume and the same listening position.
From your record collection, choose a segment of music that contains just enough information that you can easily remember for a few minutes. This extract should not exceed 1 to 1.5 minutes. Within this passage, identify some key reference points that are meaningful to you (e.g., voice, drums, piano) and focus on these same key references for the second listening.
For convenience, I suggest you stay in your listening position and let someone else make the equipment change for you. This way you can maintain your concentration throughout the test. Make sure that the two cables you are analyzing have undergone the same break-in period.
It helps to have someone else make the change without you knowing which cable is really in use. If you can reliably identify the new cable under “blind” listening, then you’re on the right track.
2) LIVING WITH IT
If after your A/B testing you still have doubts, we suggest you install the new cable and leave it in your system for several days.
In everyday life, we ??live with music and we often listen to our favourite albums while doing something else. Some discoveries are made when our attention is elsewhere, simply because we do not force our brain unnecessarily and we are more relaxed.
For example, I have often observed that a note can seem longer and more direct during reading when accompanied by music.
If in everyday life with the new cable, your system gives you more pleasure, or that you find yourself or your partner spending more time listening to music, then it’s a sure sign that you’ve made the right choice.
Last of all, having lived with the cable for some time and after assessing the results, try returning to the old cable you were using before … you may be in for a shock !