Monster cable musicconnect8/26/2023 Relieved of the necessity of meeting a price point, designers demanded the finest materials with which to build these signature pieces. Since audiophile consumers had proven willing to pay a substantial premium for sonically superior products, manufacturers felt obliged to offer "major statement" components that demonstrated what could be achieved when cost was not a consideration. Eventually, as cable diameters swelled beyond the girth of garden hoses, alternative design approaches became necessary.ĭuring the mid-to-late 1980's, as Brisson et al were experimenting with new conductor architectures, a second school of thought began to drive the cable industry. As a result, the early stages of cable evolution were characterized by ever thicker conductors sheathed in stiff, bulky insulation. Initially, the most logical method of improving performance was to increase wire gauge. During the twenty year metamorphosis by which lowly wires have become "connecting components" product development efforts have been concentrated in three areas: Conductor size, geometry and materials selection. Having achieved the status of full fledged components rather than accessories, modern cables are remarkably sophisticated products. The importance which audiophiles now attach to cable selection reflects the triumph of the high end aesthetic, as well as the diligence of the best cable designers and manufacturers. Five years would pass before the pioneering work of Robert Fulton proved that cabling could have an impact on sound quality. Back then, cable was the orphan of the playback chain, something for a dealer to "throw in", as an afterthought - when components were sold. For example, the premise that tube circuitry could outperform early solid state designs had barely been articulated, much less accepted. In 1973 the basic high end tenets had yet to be expounded. More importantly, I had learned to trust my own ears. I had learned that an audio component could impose its personality upon the music. I had complained to my parents who, unable to hear the difference, assumed that I was suffering from some strange effect of puberty. Sure, the new receiver played louder but what did it matter ? Even the softest volume settings proved unlistenable. Cymbals which had once sizzled now hissed. Voices which I knew well were suddenly raspy and metallic. And yet, as I audition my record collection through this technological marvel, it became clear that something just wasn't right. Until that time, I had never imagined that audio components had a sound of their own - a stereo was merely a means to the music - a conduit which connected me to the wellspring of soon-to-be-classic rock n'roll pouring out of the United States and Britain. In 1973 my parents replaced our old amplifier, a tubed unit made by Bell, with a shiny new Pilot receiver whose high power cool running transistor circuitry was certain to render vacuum tube gear obsolete. I became an audiophile at the age of thirteen.
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