To scientifically analyze the difference between audio interconnects (such as copper vs. silver, or different types of insulation or shielding), you need to approach it from both a measurements standpoint and a listening tests perspective. Here’s a structured approach you can take:
1 1. Objective Measurements:
The first step is to use measurement equipment to quantify the differences in the physical performance of different cables. Here are the key aspects to measure:
2 A. Resistance:
Objective: Measure the DC resistance of the cable.
How to Measure: Use a multimeter or a precision resistance meter. A special resistance meter designed for low resistance measuring is preferred to get accurate results.
How it affects: Resistance directly affects the power loss of the signal as it travels through the cable. The low resistance is preferred especially in speaker cables and interconnection cable shields.
What to Expect: The resistance of the cable will vary based on the conductor material (copper vs. silver) and its gauge (thickness). Silver cables should have lower resistance than copper cables, but the difference is typically very small.
3 B. Capacitance:
Objective: Measure the capacitance between the conductors of the cable.
How to Measure: Use a capacitance meter or an LCR meter (which measures inductance, capacitance, and resistance).
How it affects: Audio cable capacitance acts as a low-pass filter, which attenuates high frequencies, making the sound duller or “warmer”. This effect is more pronounced with longer cables, higher source impedance (like a guitar pickup), and higher frequencies. A lower capacitance cable preserves more treble and “presence”. Cable capacitance is more significant in interconnect cables than speaker cables.
What to Expect: Higher capacitance leads to a greater possibility of signal loss, especially at higher frequencies. Materials with a higher dielectric constant (like PVC) will have higher capacitance.
4 C. Inductance:
Objective: Measure the inductance of the cable.
How to Measure: Use an LCR meter to measure inductance.
How it affects: Speaker cable inductance affects audio quality
by acting as a low-pass filter that reduces high-frequency signals, which can roll off the treble and impact the overall frequency response, especially in long cable runs. It resists changes in current, and this resistance becomes more significant at higher frequencies, causing them to be attenuated more than lower frequencies
What to Expect: Inductance affects the signal at higher frequencies. Cables with tightly wound conductors and poor shielding can introduce more inductance, which can affect signal integrity.
5 D. Impedance:
Objective: Measure the impedance of the cable, particularly the characteristic impedance, which is important for maintaining signal integrity, especially in high-speed and high-frequency applications (like video or digital signals).
How to Measure: Use an impedance analyzer or specialized TDR (time-domain reflectometer).
How it affects: Cables with poor impedance matching can cause signal reflections, leading to interference and distortion. The cable impedance matching is relevant on high frequency signals like digital audio and RF, but does not have any significant meaning for audio frequencies when wires are shorter than several hundred meters.
What to Expect: A well-designed audio cable typically has an impedance of around 50-75 ohms, but anything in 40-600 ohms at audio frequencies can be seen in audio systems interconnections.
6 E. Signal Integrity:
Objective: Measure the signal degradation over the cable. You can test the attenuation (how much signal is lost over a given distance), and frequency response (how different frequencies pass through the cable).
How to Measure: Use an oscilloscope to send a test signal through the cable and observe the output. Measure the signal’s amplitude and frequency response (flatness).
What to Expect: In a high-quality cable, the signal should not degrade significantly in frequency response or amplitude. If the cable is poorly made, there will be a noticeable drop in signal strength, especially at higher frequencies. Please note that what is connected (source and destination impedance) to cable ends can affect the results you get.
7 F. Shielding Effectiveness:
Objective: Evaluate the shielding to protect the signal from electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio-frequency interference (RFI).
How to Measure: Use an EMI meter or spectrum analyzer to measure the level of external interference at the cable’s end when the cable is surrounded by interference (magnetic field, electrical field, RF signal).
What to Expect: Cables with better shielding will show lower levels of interference, and this is especially important for long cable runs or in electrically noisy environments (e.g., near power lines or electronics).
8 2. Subjective Listening Tests:
Once you have objective data, the next step is to perform blind listening tests to see if the measured differences translate into perceptible differences in sound quality.
9 A. Test Setup:
Use a consistent audio system: Set up a high-quality playback system (speakers or headphones) and a reliable source (CD player, DAC, etc.). Write down the details of the test system because the technical characteristics of the equipment can affect the results you get.
Use a double-blind setup: Neither the listener nor the person conducting the test should know which cable is being used during the test. This helps to eliminate bias or expectation effects.
Test material: Use well-recorded music, preferably with a variety of instruments, dynamics, and frequency content (so you can test for full-range performance).
Test conditions: Perform tests in a quiet environment, ensuring no other variables interfere with the test (e.g., ambient noise, room acoustics, etc.).
10 B. A/B Listening:
Switch between cables and listen for differences in sound quality.
Listen for details, clarity, bass response, midrange warmth, treble extension, and overall balance.
After each round of listening, note any perceived differences, such as whether one cable produces a brighter or warmer sound, or if one is clearer.
11 C. Quantifying Preferences:
After listening, you can ask the listener to rate the cables based on:
Transparency: How clearly can you hear all the details?
Tone: Is there any unnatural coloration?
Soundstage: Is the stereo image more expansive or more focused?
Bass Response: Is the low end fuller or tighter?
Treble: Is the high end more extended or less harsh?
The goal is to determine whether the differences are perceptible and, if so, whether they are significant to the listener.
12 3. Data Correlation:
After both objective and subjective tests, correlate the results:
Are the measurable differences (such as resistance, capacitance, and shielding) correlated with perceptible differences in sound quality?
If a low-capacitance cable sounds “better,” can this be tied to the reduction in signal loss and distortion at higher frequencies?
Are listeners consistently preferring one type of cable (e.g., copper vs. silver), and does that preference align with the technical measurements?
13 4. Statistical Analysis:
If you have access to the right tools and the ability to conduct multiple tests with different listeners, you can apply statistical analysis to determine if the observed differences are statistically significant. This might include:
T-tests to compare mean ratings.
Correlation analysis to see if measurable parameters (like resistance or capacitance) correlate with subjective ratings.
ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) if testing multiple cables at once to see if there are significant differences across them.
14 5. Consider Real-World Factors:
Cable length: Shorter cables (under 2-3 meters) will have much less noticeable differences compared to longer cables.
Interconnect type: RCA vs. XLR, for example, may have a more noticeable impact than copper vs. silver due to their differing signal transmission methods.
15 Conclusion:
To scientifically analyze the difference between audio interconnects, you need to combine both quantitative measurements (e.g., resistance, capacitance, shielding effectiveness) and qualitative listening tests (e.g., A/B comparisons, listener feedback). By doing so, you can assess if the performance differences in the cables are large enough to be perceptible in real-world listening conditions, and whether those differences can be attributed to the measurable properties of the cable.
Keep in mind that many differences, especially with short cables in typical Hi-Fi setups, may be subtle and hard to detect, even with careful testing. The perceived “sound quality” differences may often come down to personal preference and system synergy rather than objective superiority.
Some Hi-Fi setups can reveal cable difference more easily than some other systems, while with other Hi-Fi systems you can’t hear difference between cables. The Hi-Fi system that can reveal cable differences more easily is not necessarily technically better.
28 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Professional Studios Use Basic Cables
A lot of audiophiles add thousand-dollar cables to the final meter, as they believe it improves the sound. But most studios don’t run on exotic wire. They mostly rely on balanced copper cables from brands like Mogami, Canare, or Belden.
These are chosen for durability and electrical consistency. For instance, they look at:
Capacitance: usually under 70 pF/m to keep high-frequency loss negligible.
Shielding: braided or foil, sometimes star-quad, to reduce hum and RF noise.
Connectors: solid XLR or TRS plugs that maintain low contact resistance.
Balanced lines plus gear with a high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) mean signals stay clean over hundreds of feet. In that context, claims about “fast” or “slow” cables don’t hold up. In fact, electricity in copper moves at roughly two-thirds the speed of light, so 1 m adds only ~5 ns of delay.
At 20 kHz (a 50 μs cycle), that’s 0.01% of one cycle, and completely inaudible.
That doesn’t mean cables never matter, though. High-impedance guitar pickups interact with cable capacitance, phono cartridges need specific loading, and poor shielding can invite hum.
But in pro line-level systems, standard spec-compliant cable is more than enough. Engineers care about build quality, not boutique marketing.
https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/08/real-audio-engineers-wish-audiophiles-knew/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.caledoniancable.com/english/download/Conductor%20Resistance.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do Audio Cables Really Affect Sound? More Than 50% of Audiophiles Say ‘Yes’ on New Survey
https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/08/audio-cables-affect-sound-audiophiles-survey/?fbclid=Iwb21leAOO2ZVjbGNrA47ZjGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHpR5LepZ5iUppJ8pS-LQRKFPUADpeYu0PfB221depW5QRp5BbxkerEXpQ5R5_aem_o4fun0MHNrm16f7bkD7Whg
Tomi Engdahl says:
“It’s Not Snake Oil” — High-End Cable Founder Says Physics Proves His Expensive Cables Enhance Audio Quality
https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/02/cable-founder-physics-expensive-cables-audio-quality/
Tomi Engdahl says:
15 Worst Audiophile Snake Oil Products That Break the Laws of Physics but Still Sell in 2025
https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/10/worst-snake-oil-products-break-laws-physics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://youtu.be/bHIhgxav9LY?si=Ggrh5LQJKyO-5Po7
Tomi Engdahl says:
As most audiophiles know, the debate over whether expensive cables actually improve sound quality has raged for decades.
The skeptics have long dismissed it as nonsense, claiming any perceived differences are just in people’s minds. But a recent scientific study might just be the new evidence we’ve been waiting for.
Full story: https://www.headphonesty.com/2024/05/scientific-study-prove-expensive-cables-sound-quality/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Let me bump this back to the top….
. From the RF engineers, also versed in audio, power distribution, networking, and most every discipline needed for systems integration. ( I know, more credentials)
Maxwell theory applies across the spectrum, Audio, RF and in between. But the reality, is RF engineers don’t dwell on Maxwells or Poynting theory. For RF or audio. The effects are insignificant at RF and audio, UNTIL they want to work with antennas. Then and only then does it become a concern. Not discounting the obvious amateur installations that could cause problems with anyone’s cables. Audio cables are a lump value for RLC, and very easy to calculate, given the most basic of parameters, which seems to be absent in this discussion. Acknowledging there are additional parameters that all cables adhere to, which have purpose, and are implemented with different techniques.
The correct question to ask is “at what frequency do the transmission line effects in power cords / speaker cables drop below thermal noise and the distortion produced by the tolerance stackup of the rest of the audio chain”. No-one is arguing that the effects are there. The argument is whether the effect is audible. Those that can hear it in a/b tests have ears that are different/better than mine.
A NOTE ON THIS THREAD:
Comments are now restricted to Friends and Established Followers.
The physics has been laid out: Maxwell, Poynting, near-field coupling, distributed L/C, field geometry. The fork has been stated multiple times. Either these principles apply at audio frequencies, or someone can name the exemption.
No one has.
What arrived instead: circular assertions, credential-waving without mechanism, and DMs that speak for themselves.
That’s not inquiry. That’s noise.
The thread stands. The work continues.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17nCeTr3Np/
An RF engineer tried to dismantle my viral power-cord argument.
FCC license. Earth stations. Satellites. Spectrum analyzers. Credentials for days.
He wanted an equation.
I asked one question:
At what frequency do conductors stop behaving as guided electromagnetic structures under Maxwell’s equations?
He couldn’t answer.
Because there isn’t one.
Full breakdown in the comments ⬇️
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://dcs.community/t/huge-cable-test-with-measurements/6357/11
Tomi Engdahl says:
The influence of shielding and insulation on interlinks
https://www.alpha-audio.net/background/the-influence-of-shielding-and-insulation-on-interlinks/3/
It is quite extraordinary how differences are still clearly measurable. The impedance differences are incredibly small. But then again, we expected that. Inductance, however, is a remarkable one: at the copper shielding, we see that the inductance drops towards 300 kHz. The rest of the field remains nicely straight. Inductance is decent on average, but not super low for a 0.5m cable. Still, the difference between the lowest and highest is 80 nH.
Looking at capacitance, the differences are incredibly small, but consistent. The RF cloth adds capacity. Aerogel without the tubes has the lowest capacitance. The difference between the lowest and highest is about 3pF. This is negligible.
Capacitance and inductance again express themselves in impedance. There too, small differences are measurable. We know that impedance has no influence on the musical reproduction of interlinks.
Conclusion
It is and remains fascinating what cables do. Conductors have influence, geometry has (considerable) influence and so do insulation and shielding materials. All in all, an engineer can give a cable a clear signature by playing with it. And we noticed this during the big test of interlinks!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building and Testing Audio Cables
https://community.element14.com/technologies/test-and-measurement/b/blog/posts/building-and-testing-audio-cables
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cable Design and the Speed of Sound, Part One
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/cable-design-and-the-speed-of-sound-part-one?srsltid=AfmBOorAU44mHwuc1D9KHwRnF4CfFYq3Y5VN3ys6yIBvULc17UTtlccE
As most audiophiles and readers of this magazine are aware, the subject of audio cables can be fraught with opinions, information, misinformation, heated discussions on forums and more.
From time to time, Copper has run articles about cables and will continue to do so. In Issues 48, 49 and 50, Galen Gareis of ICONOCLAST cables and Belden Inc., and Gautam Raja wrote a series of articles on the importance of time-domain behavior and how it affects the sound and performance of audio cables. In this series, Galen expands upon the subject and takes a deep dive into a critical but not often discussed aspect of cable design: the velocity of propagation (Vp) of audio signals.
Introduction
Audio speaker and interconnect (IC) cables all have an Achilles’ heel that must be directly addressed. However, it is often completely ignored.
The performance of audio cables is more about the time-domain dependency of the signal through the audio band than on the factors of simple attenuation, resistance, or the concept that we just need to achieve low resistance, capacitance and inductance to design a good cable.
Also, while it might seem theoretically ideal, we can’t allow cable capacitance or inductance to simply go “as low as we can design it” without balancing the cable’s non-linear velocity of propagation through the audio frequency range.
The key concept here is that the velocity of propagation (Vp) is different for different frequencies in the audio range, and this will affect cable performance.
The math behind the non-linearity of the velocity of propagation isn’t new. In fact, Belden explored the issue as far back as 1974 and 1984 in their in-house publication Belden Innovators SPRING magazine articles (available upon request). However, in practice what we need to know and to measure is seldom used to fully optimize an audio cable’s performance. Two cables with the exact same bulk resistance, inductance and capacitance (R, L and C) can sound decidedly different based on the Vp management used in their designs.
The input impedance of a transmission line, open at the far end, looks like a capacitor. The reactance is worse at lower frequencies because capacitors pass higher frequencies better than lower frequencies. Impedance at low frequencies starts very high and drops very low as frequency goes up. Capacitors pass AC signals better the higher we go in frequency. Higher frequencies have lower Xc, or resistance to signal flow.
We see the higher impedance values at the low-frequency end, and dropping impedance values at the high frequency end caused by Vp and capacitive reactance change. The reactive effects slowly diminish at higher frequency (don’t impede AC current flow). The RF Vp reaches a steady state based on the dielectric. Vp is purely based on the material property of the dielectric at RF; 1/ SQRT(dielectric constant).
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://townshendaudio.com/cable-theory-for-skeptics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Measurement System for the Characterization of Hi-Fi Audio Cables
https://www.edn.com/measurement-system-for-the-characterization-of-hi-fi-audio-cables/#google_vignette
The transmission of an electrical analogical signal between two devices requires a suitable cable that should allow for transferring it with low distortion and losses. Ideally a cable does not introduce power-losses and the electrical signal applied at the input is transferred integrally to the output, without any modification of its parameters. Unfortunately, in real conditions, there is always an alteration of the transmitted signal, because of reactive and resistive (parasite) parameters of the interconnection system constituted by the cable and the two end connectors.
According to the IEC standards, the measurement of cable parameters requires the adoption of complex procedures, also because some standards refer to cable for general purposes . The aim of this paper is the development of a measurement procedure for the performance evaluation of the high-quality cables adopted for professional audio applications. The main features of these high-performance cables are: attenuation lower than 0.25 dB in the frequency range of DC-50 kHz, resistance around to 0.1 ohm, and inductance in the range of 6-24 H.
The Measured Parameters
In an interconnection system, the cable’s performance is important, but most important is the connector’s performance, where one can suppose the signal degradation occurs, especially in live concert applications, where the extremely dynamic cable movement produced by the artists can generate a connection mechanical instability. For this reason, we linked the systems under test to the measurement instruments using the connectors complementary to those mounted by the manufacturer at the end of the cable, so the measured parameters refer to both the cable and the two connections. The obtained results will be pejorative, compared with those obtained testing only the cable, but they will reflect more realistic applications.
To characterize the interconnection systems, we measured their main parameters, such as the electrical R-L-C, the frequency response (magnitude and phase characteristics) and crosstalk, at different signal frequencies.
The R-L-C parameters have been measured with the Wayne Kerr 4265 impedance meter at a frequency up to 100 kHz, with the connections shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 .
Tomi Engdahl says:
Audio Interconnect Comparisons
https://sound-au.com/articles/cable-compare.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.stereonet.com/forums/topic/325103-power-cables-how-to-measure/page/27/
On 26/10/2020 at 11:08 AM, davewantsmoore said:
A lot of the level errors parts is contined with research on speech intelligibility and audibility.
Shape/slope…. is spread wider. There’s studies on timing distortion of single channel signals…. studies on actual magnitude (ie. how much non-linear distortion is audible)
…. and then studies which look at “imaging” (ie. distorting one channel), which applies to level and shape. Almost all imaging studies I’ve seen are to do with level …… although I know of a lot of people who propose that non-linear distortion that is correlated in one channel is very important too. I’ve seen no formal studies of it, except for annecdotal evidence, and logic around why you might expect it to work like that.
If you’re looking for papers with “the complete answer”, and/or concise numbers/guidelines, etc….. then you won’t find this. What is audible depends on a lot of complexities like the content (masking), and levels.
I don’t keep a list around, as I only spend time on things I think I should be looking into….. not things I’ve decided to leave alone.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2025/10/06/know-audio-distortion-part-two/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientific Proof of Measurable Difference in Audio Cables? Paper Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0p3D_Gv6IY
Tomi Engdahl says:
Audiophile Interconnect Testing – do cables make a difference? #OmicronBode100 #audiophilecables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWtzGtg9ZLI
In this video ‘Audiophile Interconnect Testing – do cables make a difference?’ I’ll be using the Omicron Lab Bode 100. #OmicronLab #Bode100
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.qed.co.uk/downloads/qed/soundofscience.pdf
Ideally every cable should transfer a signal between two items of equipment
with zero loss and distortion. In the real world this is not possible because subtle
changes occur in the signal and these may result in readily perceived changes to
sound or video quality. The degree of signal degradation is determined directly by
the design of the cable.
Maximising real world cable performance requires an understanding of the signal
transmission process and the engineering tools available, to ensure that the signal
arrives in the best possible condition
Tomi Engdahl says:
Easiest, most accurate way to measure cable length?
https://www.avsforum.com/threads/easiest-most-accurate-way-to-measure-cable-length.1119720/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Measurement Techniques
for Digital Audio
https://www.collinsaudio.com/Prosound_Workshop/Julian%20Dunn_Jitter.pdf
Introduction
Much has been written about digital audio, its defining standards, the ever-
changing hardware and software, the various applications in recording and
broadcasting and telecommunications and the audibility of this or that configu-
ration or artifact. In this book the late Julian Dunn focused instead on the mea-
surement of digital audio signals, and examined in great detail techniques to
evaluate the performance of the converters and interface through which the audio passes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://sound-au.com/articles/cable-compare.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_system_measurements
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fast Measurement of Motor and
Suspension Nonlinearities in Loudspeaker
Manufacturing
https://www.klippel.de/fileadmin/klippel/Bilder/Know-How/Literature/Papers/Fast%20Measurement%20of%20Motor%20and%20Suspension%20Nonlinearities.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Audio Cables: Scientific proof of impact on sound?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-48th1gS2U
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building and Testing Audio Cables
https://community.element14.com/technologies/test-and-measurement/b/blog/posts/building-and-testing-audio-cables
Having needed an audio cable recently for the lab, I was saddened to see the poor quality of some off-the-shelf pre-assembled cables. I didn’t realize poor audio cables were still a phenomenon in the 21st century. It got me wondering, how can we test and compare cables and complete cable assemblies?
It is an important question because many are forced to spend a small fortune on cables each time any hi-fi or audio/visual product is purchased from stores – the products do not come with the cables, and stores charge a premium for them because they know users won’t want to wait a further day or more to buy something cheaper and better online – especially at Christmas when the postal service is struggling.
All sorts of ‘techniques’ are used. As an example see the ‘gold-plated optical cable’. Incidentally the plating at a guess might cost just pennies or less, but a high premium is demanded for it – despite the fact that no property of gold is useful for optical signaling purposes. Gold has a high perceived value even if the quantity of it is tiny. The wording is always clever to leave a certain impression yet tell no lie.
The cables below may be really good. I have no idea, I have not tried them. Yet the prices are impressive. These screenshots are cropped and reduced in size for fair use as examples of price versus listed features.
This post investigates how sometimes we can do better ourselves at a fraction of the cost of some pre-assembled cables – and we’re going to avoid anything non-persuasive (i.e. anything we can’t throw available test equipment at to prove or disprove), so no ‘directional’ conductors or oxygen-free copper or silver wires or Kevlar shielding allowed!. However, all comments and suggestions would be gratefully received – I know there are probably many practical considerations such as cable flexibility and durability which are of concern to users. Therefore the information here is more of use for a home environment until there is feedback from people on whether it is useful for studio or live performances too or what modifications they would prefer such as ultra-flexible cables. This post also examines how we can test off-the-shelf and home-made cables and see how good or bad they really are.
What things would we want to see in good audio cable assemblies?
Everyone will have different requirements but from a general point of view these requirements would come out pretty high:
100% coverage shielded cables, grounded, to minimise capacitive pickup and RF pickup
Two and three cores for flexibility. The two-cored cable could be used for mono or stereo applications; for mono use one of the cores would provide the audio signal and the other core would be used for the ground connection. The shield would be grounded at one end. For stereo use, the three core cable could be used, and the shield would be used as the ground connection at one end. For balanced audio use (e.g. with XLR connectors) then again either cable could be used.
Ideally a controlled pair cable for balanced audio applications, to reduce the effects of as many modes of noise pickup as possible
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Test RCA Cables with a Multimeter? (Step-by-Step Guide)
https://rasantekaudio.com/cables/how-to-test-rca-cables-with-a-multimeter/