Quality audio is about having a good recording and moving it to ones ear unimpeded. Much is to be said about what a good recording is and who's qualified to say it.
http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/07/05/31/2243206.shtmlThere are both myth and reality about the highway to your hearing and of course we prefer reality most of the time. So here's a real explanation about cables and as Kbearx pointed out, a quality cable will more than likely bring you quality sound.
http://store.a2zcable.com/aucahe.html Having worked in a foundry 40 years ago I know a bit about the purity factor in the manufacture of metals, including copper.
The difference between the use of the headphone Jack V a Griffin is hard for me to discern. I have both for different purposes and they both transfer quality sound to my peripherals or my ears. I have different sound systems in a variety of rooms and building that when I had the time, I tried to optimize for my listening pleasure. Though my tastes have changed somewhat through the years.
A good quality audio system, wired properly with speakers strategically located for optimum efficiency is often an art more than a science, though I've heard both arguments. In the end the happy customer is always right.
Presently I'm sitting in a leather recliner wearing a Shure headset connected to both iBook and Voip phone with an inline selection switch and volume control. I can switch back and forth from phone to music with the flip of a switch on the line. I like these headsets for this purpose but not for travel, where I use a set of Sennheiser buds rather than the buds provided but the flight attendant. Quality made and tested headset are well worth the investment, though some would argue otherwise, the proof is in the material, connections, capacitance, shielding and comfort of the hardware one uses to bring music to your ear.
