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From: bks@oz.berkeley.edu.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.electronics
Subject: INTERCONNECTS
Message-ID: <18511@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Wed, 22-Apr-87 13:44:55 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.18511
Posted: Wed Apr 22 13:44:55 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Apr-87 01:57:30 EST
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: bks@oz.berkeley.edu (Brian K. Shiratsuki)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 38
Xref: utgpu rec.audio:1175 sci.electronics:522

i don't want to restart any old arguments, and therefore request that
any follow-ups to this article include ``INTERCONNECTS'' in the
subject, so the uninterested may easily avoid the follow-up.

in the beginning, i was skeptical about the claims made about
interconnects, but when i switched from an integrated amplifier to a
separate preamplifier, i built myself a pair of interconnects using
switchcraft plugs, and the monster interlink 4 stuff.  the completed
cables cost about $9 all tolled, but i had to do some work to get the
cable through the jack housing, and burning the insulation off the
wires was a bit troublesome.

anyway, i thought i could hear a difference between this interconnect,
and the ``comes with the component'' (regular) kind of interconnect,
but not really enough to be certain it wasn't psychosomatic.

yesterday, because i planned to do some rewiring in my preamp to solve
a hum problem, i also replaced the cable which connects my record
player to the preamp.  the difference which resulted from this change
is quite obvious; it now seems that the original cable was a low-pass
filter.  for instance, cymbal kinds of sound have more detail to them;
continuo harsichord attacks are much sharper; overall dynamic range at
least seems to be superior.

the cartridge is a grado 8mr; this connects to what appear to be solid copper
wires (no litz stuff, this is a stock ar arm).  the copper wire meets the
monster stuff at a terminal strip.  the other end of the monster stuff goes
to a plug, inserted in a jack, which connects to a 47K metal film resistor
via twisted 22 gauge teflon-insulated wire.

i would assume that standard measurements (resistance, impedance) between
regular and fancier interconnects do not differ, else we wouldn't argue about
these things.  does anyone have any evidence to the contrary?  has anyone
performed any measurements to take into account the level and impedance of
the source, which might be more meaningful measurements?


				brian