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Speaker cable A-B


AHall

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Has anyone ever done an A-B listening test that sounded any better or worse? I know it seems like snake oil. Maybe it does make a difference in power hungry speakers where 500wpc is needed to get the performance. 

Im about to order some blue jeans cable 12ga beldon wire since it is inexpensive and seems to be a good quality wire. 

 

Currently using some extra 16ga in wall speaker wire. Powering khorns with vta ST70 amp. I'm not expecting any gain honestly, but at least I can check that off the list. 

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Yes.

 

Klipsch did a double-blind speaker cable test at one of the Indy Pilgrimages.  The braided CAT5 tested flat to something like 350 kHz.  The nasty looking test lead wire was the 2nd choice.  I have 10 ga equivalent, teflon insulated (reduced capacitance) braided CAT5.  I could not tell the difference between my DIY CAT5 and old monster cables on my La Scalas.  I chose the CAT5 40% of the time in the test!!!  Fail. 

 

http://www.audioholics.com/gadget-reviews/diy-speaker-cable-faceoff

 

Mr. Paul used what looked like 16 ga lamp cord. 

 

 

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http://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-audio/speaker-wire/kord-speaker-wire/sp/kord-ultra-flex-10-gauge-speaker-wire-100/

 

I buy 400' every two or three years, this IS the chit.

Giving it to my Boating friends and / or wiring up their tunes, it cannot be beat for quality and price shipped.

Once you feel the jacket....you are spoiled:emotion-21:

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Please, correct me in my error... but, isn't current carried on the surface of the conductor--and not the core? In other words, a 10 gauge "strand" (aka lampcord) has greater surface area than a 10 gauge solid (aka ROMEX). All else being equal, those tiny strands represent a much greater surface area than the equivalent "solid" wire?

 

"Braided" wire seems another animal--unto itself--neither strand nor solid. I don't know how "braided" compares... but, I would think it closer to strand than to wire?

 

As a point of reference: Due to its high degree of microporosity, just one gram of activated carbon has a surface area in excess of 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft),[2]

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6 hours ago, AHall said:

Has anyone ever done an A-B listening test that sounded any better or worse? I know it seems like snake oil. Maybe it does make a difference in power hungry speakers where 500wpc is needed to get the performance. 

Im about to order some blue jeans cable 12ga beldon wire since it is inexpensive and seems to be a good quality wire. 

 

Currently using some extra 16ga in wall speaker wire. Powering khorns with vta ST70 amp. I'm not expecting any gain honestly, but at least I can check that off the list. 

I like your last sentence.:):emotion-21:

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54 minutes ago, Endo said:

Please, correct me in my error... but, isn't current carried on the surface of the conductor--and not the core? I.............

 

I think that's an Old Audiophile's Tale.  Must sell newer snake oil!  New electrons bump the outer/easier electrons from one atom, randomly, to the next until they spill out of the conductor at the other end. 

 

You don't remember the '90s fad of 20 ga single, solid cu speaker wire or the magnet wire fad of the 2000s?

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1 hour ago, John Albright said:

You don't remember the '90s fad of 20 ga single, solid cu speaker wire or the magnet wire fad of the 2000s?

No, I don't. Must have been sleeping through that particular lecture.

 

Seriously, though--would not a 1 inch thick, solid core copper still only "carry" electrons on its outer surface? Have I got this wrong?

 

(Gotta love this place)

 

EDIT: "Kord Ultra Flex 10 Gauge... Each conductor is composed of 462 strands of the finest copper for superb audio accuracy... "

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4 hours ago, AHall said:

10ga seems a little extreme. 

Welcome to the Land of the Extreme.  It's what we do.  B)

+++

 

I have found I can hear a difference between cheap wire and good wire.  Having never heard "great" wire I would imagine there is less of a dramatic difference.

 

The secret to me is to get a larger gauge like 12 awg with lots of little strands, and make sure it is Oxygen Free Copper (OFC).  It is always more expensive than the cheaper CCA wire but only by a few bucks per 50'. 

 

CCA wire utilizes an aluminum core that is clad or dipped in copper. It is a suitable choice for lower powered systems or restricted budget applications, although the power transfer is not on the same level as the far superior Oxygen Free Copper (100% OFC) wiring.

 

I use Monoprice, mostly 12 awg for L/C/R and 14 awg for surrounds.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=9343

 

93431.jpg

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34 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

Welcome to the Land of the Extreme.  It's what we do.  B)

+++

 

I have found I can hear a difference between cheap wire and good wire.  Having never heard "great" wire I would imagine there is less of a dramatic difference.

 

The secret to me is to get a larger gauge like 12 awg with lots of little strands, and make sure it is Oxygen Free Copper (OFC).  It is always more expensive than the cheaper CCA wire but only by a few bucks per 50'. 

 

CCA wire utilizes an aluminum core that is clad or dipped in copper. It is a suitable choice for lower powered systems or restricted budget applications, although the power transfer is not on the same level as the far superior Oxygen Free Copper (100% OFC) wiring.

 

I use Monoprice, mostly 12 awg for L/C/R and 14 awg for surrounds.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=9343

 

93431.jpg

Nothing wrong with that choice. we all have our preference.

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10 hours ago, AHall said:

Has anyone ever done an A-B listening test that sounded any better or worse? I know it seems like snake oil. Maybe it does make a difference in power hungry speakers where 500wpc is needed to get the performance. 

Im about to order some blue jeans cable 12ga beldon wire since it is inexpensive and seems to be a good quality wire. 

 

Currently using some extra 16ga in wall speaker wire. Powering khorns with vta ST70 amp. I'm not expecting any gain honestly, but at least I can check that off the list. 

Just so know we are all on the same page here and do like to play once in a wile...........

https://youtu.be/oBZxYHjjK-A

 

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Bought up all the Carol Cable Silver plated 12 and 14 gauge wire I was able to find to have for safe keeping.  Very inexpensive since many folks into audio shun silver plating but to me, blows away most other cable types I have tried.  Great bass and a noticeably less muffled midrange compared to copper OFCs I have tried (and I've tried a bunch).  Only problem is finding it in larger gauges.  You would have to get some to listen and see the difference in sound. https://www.summitsource.com/Search.aspx?k=carol+12+awg

My stash of 12 and 14 AWG are staying for projects.  I do hate to cut it to custom lengths though :mellow:

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13 hours ago, Endo said:

.......

Seriously, though--would not a 1 inch thick, solid core copper still only "carry" electrons on its outer surface? Have I got this wrong?

 

........................

 

NO conductor does that.  The electrons jump from one electron to the other by displacing an electron in the outer electron shell of the next atom.  The outer shell, think Pluto, is the least strongly attached to the nucleus (Sun).  The "jumps" occur randomly and, guessing, because the surface of the conductor is a discontinuity perhaps a slightly higher percentage of jumps occurs there.  Maybe that is the source of the "skin effect" story. 

 

Stranded conductor wires are very flexible.  Solids are not. 

 

Wanna read some nutty hokum?

https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/electrical-delivery-systems-overview/

I worked for a power company for more than 30 years.  The power system looks like drinking from a dam's spillway to any electronic component. 

 

Then, there are the "Green" electrons that always run on top so gifted people can see them.  The coal-fired "black" electrons just hide deep inside doing the heavy lifting.  We don't talk about the embarrassing blue glowing electrons.  ;)

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Whichever route you go...  Do not fall into the elitist-cult mindset of purchasing overly expensive "high-end" wire or customs; https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/  Choosing the right gage w/good insulation and building your own along with using the correct length will do you more favors than how much you spend.

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