Cable Elevation
Tom Martin -- Thu, 04/27/2006 - 12:33
Does it really matter if you have your cables crossed at right angles and elevated off the floor?
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If you are referring to crossing electrical lines, it is a good idea to not have cables run parallel to them, so if they have to be crossed do it at a 90 degree angle. As to elevating cables I can't understand electrically how they would do anything?
I heard that the need for elevation had something to do with static electricity. Does that make sense?
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The reason for crossing paths at a 90 is to not have your wire in the direction of the magnetic field.
I have many friends who insist on elevating their cables off the floor. Some use the big ceramic standoffs that are intended to isolate high-voltage lines from metal towers. None can offer any plausible reason why this should offer any sonic benefit.
I think the practice may be simply another audiophile ritual -- but remember, you can't separate expectation from experience. That's why there's no way to validate whether this makes any difference or not. If you buy into it, then do it. It's certainly harmless.
Barry Willis
Barry,
> there's no way to validate whether this makes any difference or not. <
Sure you can! It's called measuring and testing. :)
All you need to do is measure the frequency response, residual noise, and distortion with and without the cable elevators in place. If you measure no difference, there's no reason to use them.
--Ethan
There are two reasons I can think of why cable elevation could be a good idea.
First, cables, like anything else in your system, are affected by vibration. Direct contact with the floor near your speakers will transmit that vibration to the cables.
Second, carpeting and tile in close proximity to cables have a dielectric absorption characteristic. That means that they can store electrical energy and re-release it later, adding distortion to the electrical signal.
Also, if your listening room is in a basement, I can think of a third reason. If for any reason water gets into your room, having the cables off the floor could prevent damage.
In my experience, raising cables can have significant benefits. The only explanation I can offer for this is a combination of isolation from static and structure borne mechanical interference. In support of this I can point you at the Vertex cabling, which goes to great lengths in eliminating the transmission of mechanical energy between electrical components down the cable's conductors. They have a party piece to demonstrate how this works: wearing a stethoscope, you hold one end of your chosen cable against the bell-mouth;they then GENTLY rub a coin across the plug on the other end. What you hear is a nasty, grating sound. Repeat with a Vertex cable and the result is virtually silent. Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes, the Vertex cables are musically excellent.
Now, if we accept that microphony is an issue in electronics, then it doesn't matter whether the destructive energy comes from within the system (transformers, components etc) or without. If cables lying on the floor allow energy to enter the system, and lifting them helps prevent it, then lift them I will, especially as you can do so cheaply and easily (if not prettily). I tend to use either Quadraspire risers or the small Myrtle blocks supplied by Ayre - generally the latter as I find they offer a livelier and more engaging sound - but wooden doorknobs with slots cut in them would probably do much the same job. It's cheap, it's harmless so why not?
On the question of static, the Nordost Eco 3 static inhibitor spray is an easy trial. Simply spray it on a tissue, wipe it over your cables and have a listen - you will be surprised. You'll also conclude that static sitting on the surface of your cabling is definitely a bad thing. Therefore, once again, anything that serves to limit this effect simply and cost effectively is worth thinking about.
Finally, as regards effectiveness, I find that different cables produce different results. Of those I rely on regularly, the Crystal Ultras exhibit the greatest benefit - to the extent that I wouldn't consider using them unsuspended. The Chord Co. Signatures and Indigo are next, then the Nordosts. In all cases the effects are clearly audible. Other cables tried recently, notably the Atlas Mavros and also the Chord Epics, are far less susceptible. They are also less rigid than the Signatures and more heavily damped than the Nordost or Crystals.
When it comes to power cables, definitely keep them as far from signal cables as possible, and cross at right angles where they have to. Change the arrangement of one cable in the system and I doubt you'll hear a massive benefit; wire the system throughout according to this simple rule and I'm confident you will.