Topic: Mic Cable Comparisons

[PH]

I put together an interesting mic cable comparison last week and want to share the results. I did this in a casual way, so let's not get all worked up about how the test should have been done or all the reasons why it's flawed. You can judge the comparison and results on their own merits and either take them under consideration or not. I felt there were some interesting results and I was frankly surprised that there were so many differences in the gear that was sampled. There is also a V3/R4 comparison thrown in just for fun.

I did this for my own uses, but thought many others would find it useful, so here you go.
All the info is below, enjoy.
Cheers, Phil
==============================

http://www.turtleside.com/misc/nashphil-cable-comp/Cable_Test/

All of these various samples were recorded with a stock Edirol R4.
The mics used were a matched pair of Schoeps CMC6/mk4 and a matched pair of Studio Projects C4.
Cody Kilby (from Ricky Skaggs Band) is playing a Collings Acoustic Guitar and mic pairs are placed
about 10 inches away from guitar and directly in front of the 12th fret.

The two pairs of mics were attached together using rubber bands to place them at
exactly the same angle and distance from the source. Each pair were placed
as close to each other as would allow. This gives you a good comparison of two cables at a time,
plus an interesting (but flawed) mic comparison between the $2000+ Schoeps and the $300 C4's.

The cables used are:
Van den Hul's Mic Hybrid (provided by Eugene Hi-Fi)
Hi-Ho Silvers (provided by The Great Gumbino)
Mogami Quad 2534 (their best cable)
Canare Mini-Quad
Guitar Center Cheapo Cables



TEST 1

test1a_hybrid
test1a_silvers
test1b_mogami
test1b_canare

The hybrid/silvers are the Schoeps and the mogami/canare are the C4's
==========================================================================

TEST 2

test2a_hybrid
test2a_cheapo
test2b_mogami
test2b_silver

The hybrid/cheapo are the Schoeps and the mogami/silvers are the C4's
==========================================================================

TEST 3

test3_R4
test3_V3-digiout

This test compares the R4 pre's/ad converter alone vs the V3 digi-out to the R4.
The two samples are the schoeps pair with hybrid cables, were recorded in
stereo seperately, and aren't the exact same performance. However, it does give
you an idea of the differences between the overall sound of the two units.
==========================================================================

TEST 4

test4_R4
test4_V3-analogout

This test compares the preamps of the two units. The R4 sample is mic direct
to R4 using hybrid cables. The V3-R4 sample is the mic to the V3, then
analog out to the R4 line input. Between this and Test3, you get an idea
of what the preamps and AD converters sound like in comparison to each other.

[PH]

any initial thoughts or opinions???
I'm going to hold off on posting my opinions until later.
trust me, I have plenty............

[dennisrtyler]

Phil, are all the files 24/48? if so, can you provide some 24/41 files. i can listen to 24 bit but not 48.

[PH]

all the files are 24/48 flac. you can easily resample yourself with soundforge or wavlab, audition, and others.

[eric.B]

Im no golden ear boy or anything and I certainly dont claim to know alot of descriptive words for audio consideration, so take this all with a grain of salt...  I gave these tracks a few listens through a pair of beyer dt880's, running through my computer through my egosys(external 24bit box)u2a, to my technics reciever(no headpre).. I listened to the whole thing three times, whereas the first was without the notes, and the second and third were with me looking at them..    my opinions are this..

the hybrids and the silvers seemed *bright* as compared to the mogami's, the canare's, and especially the cheapo.  Even with the change in mics between the cables, I found the mogami/canare to *darken* both microphones. The silvers sounded best with the c4 imo and the most pleasureable track to listen to, while the mogami/canare sounded best with the schoeps.  fwiw.. I find schoeps to be bright/brittle mid/high wize anyway, so the canare/mogami actually makes an improvement to the schoeps (sorry schwep guys!   )..     overall the c4 silver sounded best to me, and the cheapo cable absolutely was the *dullest* of them all..   

On the other comps..  the v3 sounded a bit more musical to my ears and a little more *upfront*, while the r4 inputs seemed a little dry and flat to me as compared to the v3..  but both still sound good obviously..   

I will say.. I knew one of the cables was a "cheapo" before I listened to these tracks for the first time, but not which one, and I was able to pick it out after the first listen..

thanks for the comp!  +t

[stevetoney]

OK, my turn. 

In a way, I'm taking a temporary pass on the technical evaluation because I'm currently on long-term work assignment in Europe and want to listen through my better system when I get home next week.  But I spent about 45 minutes listening last night through some not so expensive sony headphones (don't know the model but they're $20 or $30 off the shelf models) using Audition.  I didn't resample any of the sound bites and I don't have a special soundcard installed on this laptop I have with me.

So, my input is no surprise.  With this lower tech set-up, I could not hear what I'd consider to be much sound difference between the sound samples. 

This leads me to concur with what many have stated in the past...you won't hear the sound quality differences the cable makes if you are using lower end stereo equipment to listen to your recording. 

[PH]

HUGE thanks to STOBER for providing the hosting space for the cable comp.
Also thanks to Dennis Tyler for getting the Van Den Hul's to me in time for the comp.
A personal to thanks to Matt aka the Great Gumbino for
spending a lot of time corresponding with me about cables and such. Cheers, Phil

[thegreatgumbino]

Thanks for your efforts, Phil.  +T

Just listened on the computer setup.  I'm looking forward to hearing them on my home system this weekend.

[PH]

anyone care to share some thoughts?

[stevetoney]

anyone care to share some thoughts?

It's kinda hard to figure that there are 9 pages of opinions on how the cable comp testing should have been performed (and at times things got testy) and then when someone actually makes a really good cable comp test, nobody has anything to say about what they hear. 

Maybe peeps are reaching their own conclusions and don't want to talk down another product...which would be cool I guess.

On the other hand, honest opinions and feedback from knowledgable and experienced people I think are one of the things that make this a valuable website.

So c'mon people, let's get some discussion going!   

[Brian Skalinder]

anyone care to share some thoughts?

Getting to it soon, I hope.  My office and LR playback systems are in flux right now, so...need to get it sorted before I can do any meaningful listening.  Just confirming, but I assume since it's not noted explicitly that the CMC6/MK4 did not include KC5 actives?  Curious whether actives + shorty interconnects would benefit from higher quality cables, too.  Another comp for another day, I suppose (not suggesting you do it, Phil, just thinking "out loud" here).

Thanks for creating this comp, Phil!

[Massive Dynamic]

I'll agree with tonedeaf: I can't hear great differences playing files via computer > headphones (Sony MDR-V600). So, I burned a DVD-A of the 24-bit files and did a bit of listening.  [flac > xACT > DVD-Audiofile > Pioneer DV578a > Panasonic SA-XR25 > GMA Europas]

I can hear the cheapo cable as the dullest, though I am having trouble consistently picking out differences between the rest. Since I only tape/listen in 16-bit, I am not sure I'll hear the benefits of any of these cables. Time for someone with better playback/better ears to chime in. Thanks for the comp. Another +T.

Note: I think the test1 files have a non-standard header. ProTools won't import them, and they won't work in DVD-Audiofile. I had to open them in Audacity and re-export to wav to get them to work.

[PH]

non standard header? hmmm. that's weird. I used Nuendo to edit the wav files and then saved them each to mono. hit them with flac to shrink the size a bit.
I'll have to check that out. Sorry you had trouble. The rest of the tests2-4 were ok though? Are you using a mac? thanks, Phil

[Massive Dynamic]

non standard header? hmmm. that's weird. I used Nuendo to edit the wav files and then saved them each to mono. hit them with flac to shrink the size a bit.
I'll have to check that out. Sorry you had trouble. The rest of the tests2-4 were ok though? Are you using a mac? thanks, Phil

Yeah, I'm on a Mac. I checked the other files, and they're fine. Just the test1 files you might look at.

[Busman Audio]

I just gave a listen on my system   computer>firewire>tascam1884>KRK V6 series2

I thought test 2 gave the best difference in sound quality to compare the cables.
The cheapos of course sound cheapo
The hybrids were very nice with a good frequency response across the board and smooth through the highs

The silvers sounded at least as good as the hybrids to me on test 2 and that is hard to think that C4s sounded as good as schoeps.
The canares just sounded ordinary with no real "life" brought into the sound,  but not bad.

I will listen on my Thiel setup later.


Thanks for doing this. No matter how scientific I think real world tests are great.   +T

[boojum]

Anyone tried to differantiate these cables on the basis of a double-blind test?   Just curious.   

[PH]

I was also amazed at how well the C4's held up against the Schoeps in this test. That was the first big surprise.
Cody and I both shook our heads in disbelief at how well they sounded on guitar. Remember, these tests were not made
using a super high quality preamp and there is no EQ on them. Just a dry guitar recorded in a padded 10x10 iso booth.
When you shine it up with EQ, the C4's work really well on acoustic guitar, among other things.....like taping. ;-)

The cheap cables sounded cheap, that wasn't a surprise. Avoid at all costs, or lack therof.
The Canare did not sound very good compared to the Mogami. The Canare was thin, literally.

To my ears, I thought the differences between the Hi Ho, Hybrid, and Mogami were slight.
They had varying levels of brightness that was probably the most noticeable difference.
I thought the Mogami was the darkest and the richest. Seemed to be very faithful to the original tone.

The Silvers seemed to have a bit more overall sheen than the Mogami, but maybe less clarity than either.
They were very sweet sounding. I though they had the most unique feel.
I didn't think they outperformed either cable in the tests, but I still would prefer them for their original purpose when I purchased them, live taping.
The Hi-Ho cables are of exceptional build quality, designed for rough use in crazy settings. Really thin and compact, heatshrinked, and wrapped in techflex.

I thought the Hybrids sounded fantastic, very bright and open. More so than any of the others.
It almost sounded a bit hyped in 8k range, which is the sweet spot to bring out detail.
There is no way to know if that's intentional or a byproduct of the design, but it works.
It sounded the most naturally pleasing to my ears. They are a bit bulky though.
Was it worth the hefty price tag of $15-30 per meter to DIY? Simply, No.

If it's your only pair and you want it to be the best it can be within a reasonable budget, you could certainly go the hybrid route and have piece of mind that you are getting the most out of your gear, but I am more partial to the silver clad stuff for live taping. Better bang for the buck and there are plenty of excellent custom silverclad makers on this website such as Nick, Matt, Todd, etc...
The prices of the Silvers are roughly half the Hybrids. The Price of the Mogami is roughly half again the Silvers or even less. The mogami is the best buy. Perfect for studio apps but bulky for taping.

The differences overall don't just justify the price differences to most people. I think the most important aspect to a good cable is blocking all manners of interference from geting through the signal. The thicker, bulky cables seem to do a better job at that sort of thing. For this test, we intentionally placed the recorder and all the cables on top of each other and near some other AC cables to really put the intereference to to the test. All I want a cable to do is transfer the signal from the mic without any coloration or signal degradation whatsoever.

As for the V3/R4 tests, that's no shocker either. The V3 sounds WAY better in both tests.
If you want HQ recordings and you are using an R4, get a preamp to stick in front of it, run it digital only, or consider getting a warm mod done.
The preamps on the R4 are hazy and undefined. They sound good, but not great. I also had it lock up with HDD TOO Slow on me for the first time during this test. Lame.
 
I enjoyed the tests and their results. I needed to buy about 700' of cable, so I went with the Mogami. For mainly budget reasons but also because I thought it had the best interference rejection and the most faithful tone for any cable in my price range. The differences were not enough to justify me spending 2 to 4 times as much or more for essentially the same thing.
That's why I did the tests, to see if there was really a reason to drop that kind of money on cable. For some, the answer is yes, for others.....no.

Cheers, Phil

[stevetoney]

I spent some more time listening to the soundbites again through my higher quality gear.  I already provided one set of comments in which I concluded that, because in that test I was listening through run-of-the-mill amplification and listening equipment, I couldn’t hear discernable differences in the cables.  This time, I’m still listening through the computer, but using a Creative Extigy soundcard and some pretty good quality Sony headphones.

I’m not a sound engineer, so explaining my listening experience is probably not a strength, but I felt that the Mic Hybrids and Silvers created a nicer sounding sample than the Mogami or the Canare cables under both mic combinations.  Some words to describe ‘nicer’ in my previous sentence would be ‘more realistic’, ‘truer sounding’, ‘better depth’…I guess that means better soundstage, but honestly I’m not really sure what the definition of soundstage is so I stick with adjectives that I know the meaning of. 

Again, I must agree that the cheapo cable had the least depth, realism, etc.   

I have to say though that I reached the above conclusion after listening over and over and over.  To my ears, it was NOT obvious which sounded best without listening two and three and four times and doing very succinct A vs. B and then A vs. C and then B vs. C and so on.

If these samples were not listened to side-by-side or if you separate the listening samples by…say…60 or more seconds from one to the next, I honestly think that I’d be hard pressed to be able to make distinctions between any of the samples. 

Is it worth spending lots of extra money then for the silver cables?  Well, I guess that’s what part of the ‘cable debate’ is all about.  In the end, obviously that decision is subject to your own listening experiences with respect to which sample you prefer, and if you prefer the sound of the higher dollar cables, your own desire to spend more money to squeeze the best possible sound out of your rig. 

For my money, while I do prefer the sound samples from the Mic Hybrids and Hi-Ho Silvers, the incremental difference may not be worth the fairly significant cost difference.  My reasoning is simply that the reality of the live taping situation is that the biggest factor in getting a good recording is the equipment (mics and preamps).  Second is the dynamics of the venue (quality of venue sound system, amount of room reverb, etc).  Third is placement of the rig within the venue.  In comparison to these three variables, after listening to these soundbites, I can conclude conclusively that, for my purposes, the cable quality issue is order of magnitudes less important than the other three variables to determining if I will make a recording that I consider pleasing to listen to.  Stated another way, if any of the first three variables are crap, then even Kryptonite cables wouldn’t save the recording.  Conversely, if the first three variables are great, then even with the cheapo cables in this sound sample, the recording will still sound great.

In addition, all things equal, in the end I’d probably improve the overall sound of my rig better by spending $150 to improve the quality of my mics or preamp than the cables.  But this is me and this conclusion is based simply on a practical evaluation of where I would place my spending priorities.   

...at least that's how I see it.

[PH]

well said tonedeaf !

[bobbygeeWOW]

hm, so being an owner of both shepps and c4's, I too was surprised and had to listen to your samples a few times to really grok what I was hearing. Lots of real opportunity for c4's indeed.  I think there's a significant difference in how they capture a performance's room abience as opposed to close-mic'ing a single instrument though.

With the cables I think I heard it much the same way as you fellas, after serious repeated listens: the silvers having a certain highend character, the hybrids somehow lush, the mogamis pretty straight and canare unremarkable, maybe disappointing in comparison, all ahead of the cheap cable. I'd probly also go for 700' of mogami. Damn I wish I coulda sent you some of this Belden 1804a to hear it in that context too.. 

very cool man, +T's all over the place. Viva la comparison!

[OFOTD]

Preface:  I run HiHo's and Matt (gumbino) is a friend.

I've spent a good deal of time listening to these comps.  To  my ears there is a pretty distinct difference between the VDH/HiHo and the rest of the bunch.  I felt like I could tell a very noticeable difference in all the samples for the most part.   If I had to buy 700' runs then obviously something more moderately priced would seem like a good solution.  With runs 25' and under then to me its a no brainer picking up a cable with good sonic qualities and even better construction.  So with the amount I have invested in my rig the price of some HiHo's or even maybe the VDH's is to me justified. 

The determining factor then becomes build quality and construction.  Are the cables you are buying strong enough for field use?  Are they able to handle the rigors of being in a beer soaked bar or a dust/mud filled festival.  Do you ever worry that your cables with break or introduce noise into your signal?  Do you worry that the wire and sheath will come apart from the connector?

I have talked with a few people about the cable issue, specifically the silver cables people are making.  With two guys making the silvers regularly (Nick and Matt) there is a big price difference between both of their offerings.  For me I went with the HiHo's because of the build quality.  It's like the Bumblebee's.  I don't think people own them because the sound is necessarily that much better but moreso because they are built like a tank.  I NEVER have a fear that they will fail on me or have static/pops or whatever.  Same with the HiHo's.  They are the last thing I worry about when out in the field.   Because I know Matt I also know how much time, energy and passion he puts into making a great cable.  What he charges is still a deal.  I have never owned Nicks cables so I have no real world experience with them and only have others comments to go on. 

It seems that most of the naysayers to good quality cables are also not running the higher priced gear.  To me that begs the question if you are running say a sub $500 rig could you ever tell the difference in cables?  Its now been shown that running a V3 or brick or something at a higher price point that you can tell the differences. 

Now also look at who these cables are marketed to?  You don't see the VDH's being pitched to tapers with a lower priced setup.  The market (i'm assuming) is for those with larger budgets.   Nick it seems is making a silver cables at a lower price point to fill that need.  Matt has gone the custom route.  Lots of others are buying the StarQuads from all sorts of online vendors.

I guess for me it always comes back to "You get what you pay for"   Running the HiHo Silvers I have not had one single problem in the field.  I do not worry about my cables ever.  So at least for that peace of mind it has been worth it.  Again though f I had to buy 700' then my thoughts may change but for now i'm going with better sonic qualities and better build construction than the other cables tested. 

[F.O.Bean]

Great post, I wholeheartedly agree. I have Leegeddy cables and have been 100% happy with the 150 or so i spent on them. that was a special deal from leegeddy for being one of his first customers, but theyre built like a frickin TANK and sound great taboot. best 150 i spent on my rig IMO. And thats coming from someone who owned audio magic x-streams straight from the get-go. i think the silver clad's blow them away, and theyre a quality/hand-made cable that is the last thing I worry about when recording.

[Javier Cinakowski]

I have some 1804a's, some Canare Star-Quad, Belden Brillance Quad and what ever Belden is in the Black Stealth.(anyone know???)  I also have some Belden Brillance mini I need to make some interconnects for my stealth rig with.  I really don't think they sound all that different.  The black stealths are all I ever use.  The Canare's are the warmest sounding.  Comments on the above samples on the way....

[eric.B]

I have some 1804a's, some Canare Star-Quad, Belden Brillance Quad and what ever Belden is in the Black Stealth.(anyone know???)   I also have some Belden Brillance mini I need to make some interconnects for my stealth rig with.  I really don't think they sound all that different.  The black stealths are all I ever use.  The Canare's are the warmest sounding.  Comments on the above samples on the way....

Belden 1503a

[Brian]

I spent some more time listening to the soundbites again through my higher quality gear.  I already provided one set of comments in which I concluded that, because in that test I was listening through run-of-the-mill amplification and listening equipment, I couldn’t hear discernable differences in the cables.  This time, I’m still listening through the computer, but using a Creative Extigy soundcard and some pretty good quality Sony headphones.

I’m not a sound engineer, so explaining my listening experience is probably not a strength, but I felt that the Mic Hybrids and Silvers created a nicer sounding sample than the Mogami or the Canare cables under both mic combinations.  Some words to describe ‘nicer’ in my previous sentence would be ‘more realistic’, ‘truer sounding’, ‘better depth’…I guess that means better soundstage, but honestly I’m not really sure what the definition of soundstage is so I stick with adjectives that I know the meaning of. 

Again, I must agree that the cheapo cable had the least depth, realism, etc.   

I have to say though that I reached the above conclusion after listening over and over and over.  To my ears, it was NOT obvious which sounded best without listening two and three and four times and doing very succinct A vs. B and then A vs. C and then B vs. C and so on.

If these samples were not listened to side-by-side or if you separate the listening samples by…say…60 or more seconds from one to the next, I honestly think that I’d be hard pressed to be able to make distinctions between any of the samples. 

Is it worth spending lots of extra money then for the silver cables?  Well, I guess that’s what part of the ‘cable debate’ is all about.  In the end, obviously that decision is subject to your own listening experiences with respect to which sample you prefer, and if you prefer the sound of the higher dollar cables, your own desire to spend more money to squeeze the best possible sound out of your rig. 

For my money, while I do prefer the sound samples from the Mic Hybrids and Hi-Ho Silvers, the incremental difference may not be worth the fairly significant cost difference.  My reasoning is simply that the reality of the live taping situation is that the biggest factor in getting a good recording is the equipment (mics and preamps).  Second is the dynamics of the venue (quality of venue sound system, amount of room reverb, etc).  Third is placement of the rig within the venue.  In comparison to these three variables, after listening to these soundbites, I can conclude conclusively that, for my purposes, the cable quality issue is order of magnitudes less important than the other three variables to determining if I will make a recording that I consider pleasing to listen to.  Stated another way, if any of the first three variables are crap, then even Kryptonite cables wouldn’t save the recording.  Conversely, if the first three variables are great, then even with the cheapo cables in this sound sample, the recording will still sound great.

In addition, all things equal, in the end I’d probably improve the overall sound of my rig better by spending $150 to improve the quality of my mics or preamp than the cables.  But this is me and this conclusion is based simply on a practical evaluation of where I would place my spending priorities.   

...at least that's how I see it.

i think this is a great review but i disagree with the statements in bold.  microphone placement is everything in any recording situation....IMHO

[stevetoney]

i think this is a great review but i disagree with the statements in bold.  microphone placement is everything in any recording situation....IMHO

Relatively speaking...I think that all three factors that I mentioned are important to getting a good sounding recording, but I also think that mic placement is hardly everything as you contend.  If I'm using a low end mic and you're using high end mics, I think your recording will probably sound better 99 times out of 100 even if (within reason) you're not necessarily in the sweet spot of the room, but I am.  Also, if the sound guy f***s up the mix, then nobody's getting a good pull no matter where your mics are sitting. 

So, your point is well taken that mic placement is really important, but I don't think it's more important than the other factors. 

...but that's just my opinion.

[Javier Cinakowski]

Ok, I don't notice much of a difference at all in the test2 files. I couldn't tell a difference at all on my pioneer/technics system.  On my T-Amp/Pinnacle system I  prefer the hybrid over the cheapo for sure, but still not an amazing amount.   I opened them up in CEP2.0 to have a look and there is certainly a difference.  I think if I had bright sounding mics I was stay far away from silver clad....

T+ for you efforts!

[Jamos]

Cool comp. Phil, thanks for putting it together...

My listening station: Dual G4 PowerMac > Digidesign Mbox > Presonus Central Station > Meyer HD1's

I also couldn't import any of the test 1 files into Protools...it said that they were unreadable.

My initial impressions are how slight the differences are.  The only one that really stood out was the cheapo cable, which just sounded a little duller to my ears.  The Mogami, silver, and hybrid cables all sounded very similar, with varying amounts of clarity...but they all sound fantastic overall. 

I've owned C4's, and know that they sound really great in close proximity, it's when you get a distant source that they start sounding very muddy.  Very cool to hear them next to the schoeps though.

If I were to need a bunch of cable, I'd probably either go w/the Mogami or get a spool of silver stuff and make them myself.

Thanks again for your time & effort. +t for sure!

/james

[thegreatgumbino]

I think if I had bright sounding mics I was stay far away from silver clad....

I disagree with this statement.  I run JW Mod 460's, which have been said by many to be "bright" mics.  I've run BBee's & Hi Ho Silvers with these mics, and IMO they sound fantastic.  But that's my $0.02.  To each their own. 

Thanks again to NashPhil for taking the time to put this together.  +T

[Javier Cinakowski]

I think if I had bright sounding mics I was stay far away from silver clad....

I disagree with this statement.  I run JW Mod 460's, which have been said by many to be "bright" mics.  I've run BBee's & Hi Ho Silvers with these mics, and IMO they sound fantastic.  But that's my $0.02.  To each their own. 

Thanks again to NashPhil for taking the time to put this together.  +T

I don't doubt that they sound fantastic, but I think many would agree that the silvers hype the highs a bit (or the copper dulls the highs).  Either way, silver are not doing anything to make those mics less bright.   Hell you might like a bright sounding recording, so it is your preference.  IMO that is what it is all about.  I don't think any of these cables change the dynamics or quality of the recording that much, but they do seem to add some frequency flavor.

[thegreatgumbino]

I think if I had bright sounding mics I was stay far away from silver clad....

I disagree with this statement.  I run JW Mod 460's, which have been said by many to be "bright" mics.  I've run BBee's & Hi Ho Silvers with these mics, and IMO they sound fantastic.  But that's my $0.02.  To each their own. 

Thanks again to NashPhil for taking the time to put this together.  +T

I don't doubt that they sound fantastic, but I think many would agree that the silvers hype the highs a bit (or the copper dulls the highs).  Either way, silver are not doing anything to make those mics less bright.   Hell you might like a bright sounding recording, so it is your preference.  IMO that is what it is all about.  I don't think any of these cables change the dynamics or quality of the recording that much, but they do seem to add some frequency flavor.

I would agree that it's all up to the listener, ultimately.  I just don't want someone reading the original statement & thinking that silver cables of any sort will ruin their recordings when using bright mics.  It may or may not for them.  All the different flavors of pre's/adc's everyone runs can have the same sort of impact on the high frequencies of a recording.  Running "bright" mics with an Apogee & a Grace will give you a different sound even when using the same silver cables.  Ultimately, it's the full chain (mics through adc) that determine the sound/feel of the recording in the end.  It also has to do with the playback that one listen's to the recording on.  Take for instance a playback where someone may feel the sound is too warm to their ears & use a "brighter" set of interconnects/cables to even the tones.  Or vice versa where the playback is too "bright" and the user moves to a warmer set of interconnects/cables to even it out.

[Javier Cinakowski]

word up, t+ gumbino

[thegreatgumbino]

word up, t+ gumbino

+T backatcha.  Gotta love being able to have civil conversations regarding differing opinions.  Thanks.