AUDIO VIDEO CLARITY: A Sound & Vision Tech Blog

Audio Cable Snake Oil

2010-02-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

We find ourselves having a very similar conversation over and over again with our clients regarding audio cables. It is quite amazing what a good job cable manufacturers have done in pulling the wool down over consumers eyes. Several years ago a great list was put together by Gene DellaSala on what red flags to look for. We've copied and pasted the list in the hopes it will help you save some money without leaving you without truly well-made cables.

Top Ten Signs an Audio Cable Vendor is Selling You Snake Oil
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by Gene DellaSala — last modified March 14, 2007

Watch out if a Cable Vendor or Manufacturer:

Promotes that their product allegedly eliminates audio related Skin Effect and/or "Strand Jumping" problems.
Claims revolutionary breakthrough in cable technology by polarizing or biasing the dielectric using a battery.
Promotes that their products eliminate "Audiogenic", "Diode Rectification" or any type of non linear distortions. See Debunking the Myth of Cable Distortion and Dielectric Biasing
Physically places (+) and (-) wire leads in separate dielectrics not closely spaced in a common jacket. See: Calculating Cable Inductance of Twin Feeder Cables
Claims vast improvements in sound by inserting "Cable Elevators" to raise the cables off the floor and minimize electron misfiring or static energy fields.
Claims that cryogenically freezing cables improves fidelity or measurably changes electrical properties after the cable is restored to room temperature.
Claims that their cables require a "Break In" period.
Claims that measurements cannot quantify why their designs are superior and often misapply engineering principles in their reasoning but abandon the associated governing laws and metrics that establish them.
Claims audible differences exist between stranded and non-stranded wires of same gauge rating, geometry and conductor spacing.
Claims audible differences between silver and copper cables of equal design geometry and gauge.

Bonus Scams

Sells speaker cables or interconnects costing more than a plasma TV or a lease on a new Infinity G35 sports coupe.
Claims wire is directional.
Slaps RLC boxes on their cables.
Claims of Speaker Cable Resonance at Audio Frequencies

At the end of the day a quality, high-end set of audio wires, whether they be interconnects, speaker wires, or otherwise, will be made with a pure center conductor and quality connectors. It's as simple as that.

Our first choice for interconnects can be found in an earlier post of our blog. Continue on to read more about Noble Soundlab's Cypriums.

Potentially the Best Apple Widget

2010-01-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

If you aren't familiar with Apple by now, you should really catch up. They are doing amazing things!

Our favorite, lesser-known piece of technology coming from Apple is the "Remote" widget. It's a pretty simple concept. If you have an iphone or an ipod touch, this widget gives you another means of controlling your home theater. Simply install the widget, sync it with your system, and you're in control.

It's pretty great to be able to keep your home's remote in your pocket at all times. Imagine a party where the sound can be easily tweaked from any room in the home. Thanks Apple.

Download Remote from Apple's Website

Clarity Installation's Latest Custom Install

2010-01-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

Our latest install is nearly wrapped up. The system consists of seventeen speakers and multiple HDMI inputs spread throughout a 4,000 square foot, two-story home in Marvin, NC. This type of project is our favorite, as installing such a complex system is made much easier if the process begins prior to drywall, insulation, and the like.

The "nerve center" of the system is located in what will be cabinetry to the right of the first of two fireplaces. In the coming weeks, the hardwood flooring and cabinetry is scheduled for completion, which will allow us to wrap up the system build, but for now please have a look at a few rough-in shots.

(1) RCA output run from upstairs. The planned use is to carry the signal from a hard-wired Apple Airport in storage room. The HDMI cable to the television also runs to this point.

(2) Left channel speaker wire leading to left side of fireplace.

(3) Center channel speaker wire and right channel speaker wire.

(4) High quality coaxial cable wire.

(5) RCA cable run to far corner of great room. The plan is for these to be used for either the subwoofer or a direct connection to a digital device such as a laptop or ipod. The versatility of these is great as the homeowners adapt to their home and their needs become more clear.

(6) The origination of the runs of speaker wires. These run to the kitchen, master bath, dining room, den, and rear channels for the great room. All of the wire used in this home is 12 gauge. None of the runs are long enough to warrant the overbuild by common opinion, but we do not like to see any signal loss whatsoever.

(7) This is a very cool feature. We worked with the electrician to install a switch to the master outlet. Given the steady current draw of most electronics, this allows the homeowners to simply flip a switch and conserve power.

(left) The speaker wire array, equally spaced and located in the center of the studs to avoid drywall screws damaging the insulation, or worse the center strands.
(right) A pair of RCA wires coming from their crawlspace run. Many thanks to Noble Soundlab for the customized, rugged cables.

Because this project began at the rough-in phase of construction, we were able to craft custom boxes for every in-ceiling speaker. These boxes allow for a variety of good things -- a stronger install, less vibration, and better, customizable sound. Every piece of the boxes were cut to the exact size necessary, screwed and sealed with construction adhesive. Then each box's interior was sprayed and sealed to reduce dust and particulate from being released over time. Finally the face of each box was treated with adhesive backed foam to create a cushioned layer between the drywall and the box itself. This sandwiched layer will prevent "screw-pop" of the drywall mud resulting from bass frequencies, moreover it will eliminate any vibration noise altogether.

The boxes pictured are located in the master bathroom. We positioned each directly over the his and hers vanities for exciting listening while getting ready for nights on the town.

Another view of the Westernmost box of the house and a close-up view. Notice the precise fitting of the cable (which was also sealed with silicone), the adhesive backed foam, and the internal sealing agent (blue in color).

More photos to come upon completion of this system. It's a beautiful set-up, and we cannot wait to share the final result!

Tannoy CMS801 In-Ceiling Speakers

2010-01-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

I have heard a lot of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers at this point in my career, and I have my preferences for different applications. To pick out one as my favorite is a bit of a tough proposition. That being said, the Tannoy CMS801 is on the list of serious contenders for the number one spot. There are two versions of the speaker -- with or without the back can. I am referring to the model with the back can. This unit is rather large, so it may not suit every installation. For example, a house with joists framed 12" on center versus 16" will not readily accommodate the larger size, but if you can fit them, do it! You will not be disappointed. They shine across the board regardless of genre or speech application.

Adding to its line of in-ceiling speakers,Tannoy’s new CMS801 features ease of installation, facilitated by the patented self-aligning clamp mechanism and the supplied C-rings and tile bridge rails. Incorporating an 8in. Tannoy Dual Concentric drive unit, the CMS801 offers high power handling (180W program, 360W peak) and wide dispersion to provide excellent coverage.

Perfect for in-ceiling applications, the point source driver system generates a spherical wave front unaffected by energy loss at the crossover frequency in either vertical or horizontal planes. Delivering full bandwidth (47Hz-30kHz at -3dB) with high sensitivity (92dB), this compact unit is specifically designed for applications requiring the combination of premium sonic quality for music and speech reinforcement with exceptional intelligibility and reliability. An optional pre-wire back can for use with the CMS801 PI is available to optimize performance and to provide compliance with safety ratings.

Niles SI-1260 12 Channel Amplifier

2010-01-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

Multi-room, multi-zone audio solutions are as varied as the architecture they find themselves in. There is no set formula for the best approach to building such a system because every home or business has different needs, listening habits, etc. However, a commonality that every system must have is adequate power. The Niles SI1260 amplifier may be just the thing for your own set-up. It is a beautiful piece of gear, and delivers enough power for a myriad number of applications.

Crutchfield states on their website:
Niles knows the ins and outs of multi-room audio, and their highly configurable SI-1260 12-channel amplifier has the flexibility and performance you need for putting together a whole-house audio system that delivers attention-grabbing sound quality.

This amp offers unique features that solve some of the more common multi-room installation problems and make exciting new opportunities possible. For instance, you can steer mono sound to smaller rooms and hallways while maintaining stereo sound in larger listening rooms. Independently set maximum levels in each room for consistent volume control throughout your whole system. Send even higher power to specific locations, such as outdoor listening areas, by "bridging" or combining channels.

Along with system-building versatility, this amp gives you good, clean power, and lots of it. Even when driven simultaneously, each of the SI-1260's 12 channels produces 60 watts — 80 watts when pushing more demanding 4-ohm loads — all while limiting distortion to miniscule levels.

We hooked the Niles 1260 up to 4 Polk LC80i's, 4 Klipsch CDT-5800-C's, 2 Tannoy CMS801's, and 1 pair of Polk RC80i's and even at extreme, floor rumbling volume levels, the amp was up to the task. The only consideration is placement. The unit tended to get hot (no surprise given what was demanded of it), and for tighter installs, proper fan cooling is important.

Two inputs is a nice feature as well. You can hook up your receiver on one and save the second for a direct source hookup (i.e. your Apple Airport or iPod). This allows for two different sources of audio in different rooms in your home.

Our biggest problem with the unit, which may not be a problem for some, is that the rear of the unit is the only location to tweak settings such as volume levels. A special type of speaker selector, such as the OSD-SSVC2 can handle this, but whether everyone who wants such control will also want to purchase one or more speaker selectors is doubtful.

Noble Soundlab's Cyprium RCA Interconnects

2010-01-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

In a world filled with boutique audio video cables, it is easy to lose sight of what truly makes a great cable great. Promises abound of listening sessions of the like that have never been experienced before. The gritty reality of the interconnect is, however, that pure metals, quality connectors, and adequate insulation are the only factors that dictate performance. Noble Soundlab has not lost sight of this fact, and they go so far as to lay it on the line. On their website that state:

Noble Soundlab specializes in building premium level audio cables to meet the demands of today's most discerning audiophiles. All of our cables are assembled by hand using the finest components and the purest noble metals. Each is subjected to uncompromising quality controls and comes out of production guaranteed to perform. There is no room for pseudo-science and psychoacoustics at the top. Our offerings are the result of rigorous research and development, demanding testing, and the use of nothing but pure, top-grade metals.

What a refreshing approach!

Noble Soundlab's Cyprium interconnects are true 75 ohm cables. Basically this means that at the point where the connector meets cable, there is zero impedance drop. The proof of this comes in the cable's ability to carry a video signal without loss. Keep in mind that in the world of HDMI, there is no practical purpose for this video characteristic. It does, however, mean that when dealing with the smaller range of the audio spectrum, the signal between amplifier, receiver, CD player, etc. travels free of impedance bumps and frequency alteration -- basically this equals pure sound.

One of the most important elements of Noble's cables is that they are just grippy enough to hold onto your RCA inputs without ripping them apart if a cable needs to be removed (see Monster Cables' "Grip-of-Death" connectors). Too many cable companies overlook this all to important quality, but if you've ever had a gorgeous piece of audio equipment butchered by your cables, you will appreciate Noble's foresight.

They come in a variety of colors, are priced reasonably considering their amazing performance, and Noble Soundlab will build them to order for those requiring exact lengths. And according to Noble's owner, they even come in colorways that glow under blacklights. How cool is that?

Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1

2010-01-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Sierra-1 by Ascend Acoustics is an absolutely wonderful choice for a reference monitor under $1000. In fact, Clarke Robinson of EnjoytheMusic.com stated that, "simply put, the Sierra-1 is the best loudspeaker ever made under $1000."

Ascend Acoustic's website states:

Over 4 ½ years in development, the Sierra-1 is the culmination of thousands of man-hours of research and the collaboration of various global partnerships all brought together for a single goal, development of what we consider to be one of the highest performance loudspeakers ever offered.

And Clarke Robinson further writes:

Of particular interest to the budget audiophile is the Sierra's remarkably linear impedance response. From about 1kHz on up, the impedance curve is within a few ohms of ruler flat, not dipping below 8 ohms…this is an incredibly easy speaker to drive. Efficiency is fairly low by today's standards, around 86db at 1w/meter, so you'll still want a lot of watts. Watts are cheap these days, though, and cheap watts will do to drive the Sierra.

Long story short, the Sierra-1's are not your average bookshelf speakers. They come in a variety of beautiful finishes and can be tweaked with 'Q-Plugs' should your placement requirements demand they be located close to a wall.

Learn More Here