Yikes! Yesterday's post supposedly ended the mini series on cables and how they do not add to the sound, they can only subtract. When I suggested using cables as filters, that apparently ruffled a lot of feathers. Reviewers, dealers, pundits of all manner (including me over the years) have preached in favor of sonic purity instead. "Don't use cables as filters" are words I have certainly uttered publicly more than once. This brings up a good point: the pure and the practical. The pure side of me agrees: absolutely, don't place any sort of filter in your system to compensate for something you don't like. Fix the problem rather than apply a Band Aid. Great advice. The practical side of me recognizes this isn't always possible. No system is perfect and recognizing this and doing what you can to fix it is a fine practice. My advice: strive for the pure and be ready to do what's practical. Your system's ability to be magical will be better.

Tomorrow: Numbers and tastes