I'd not ask this on any other forum....cables....

[Reginald Addison]

Sal doesn't know you are an attorney. I suggest suing him for not eating anything but American food!

Our president is so proud.

 

[Reginald Addison]

If a cable can" act as filter..." then there is at least a potential for an audible difference. Whether that difference is intended or good or bad is another chapter in this book
Skin effect seems to be a real phenomenon and not trivial to deal with. Just to name one.(IMLO) in my lay opinion.

 

[RayDunzl]

If a cable can" act as filter..." then there is at least a potential for an audible difference.

If you want to make an "audible difference" there are better ways to do it than by swapping wires.

Skin effect seems to be a real phenomenon and not trivial to deal with.

Yes, it's a real phenomenom.

http://www.belden.com/blog/broadcastav/Understanding-Skin-Effect-and-Frequency.cfm

 

[Speedskater]

If we are discussing analog audio interconnects, then neither low-pass filtering nor skin-effect is of concern. But on the other hand, for a cable TV channel cable, both are major players.

 

[Sal1950]

Our president is so proud.

We are in a position of mutual admiration.

 

[DonH56]

Skin effect is real. So are loss tangents, surface roughness effects, and dispersion. None are significant at audio frequencies.

 

[March Audio]

I think this is something that strikes me about the audiophile world. The repeated tendency to extrapolate real world technical issues out of context and apply them to HiFi as if they are relevant. Skin effect being one example. Real? Yes. Relevant at audio frequencies? No.

 

[Purité Audio]

Alan Hi, I wanted to ask you about the effect of mass loading loudspeaker stands, I wondered whether you had ever experimented and measured?
I did start a thread but I don't think you have seen it.
BW Keith

 

[Speedskater]

I think that (new age) audiophiles have moved well past taking real world science and engineering out of context. They seem eager to grasp any new alternative science idea.

 

[Reginald Addison]

As an audiophile I simply try to respond to the myriad avenues 0f attack from the so called science based attacks.
I issue one challenge to everyone involved in the production of recorded music and the equipment designed to reproduce music that sounds real

Stop trying to convince me there is something wrong with me.
Like pornography, I'll know it when I hear it.

 

[amirm]

 

[Johnseye]

I'd like to better understand how gauge and conductivity play a role in both speaker cable and interconnects. Here are a few common thoughts on the subjects. I'm leaving cost out of the equation because I don't want that to be a considered factor. I only care about the electrical characteristics of the cable.

• Higher conductivity cable such as copper and silver is better at transferring the signal effectively than lower conductivity cable such as tin. Notice my use of the word "effectively". I don't know what other benefits may be in play, but clearly some metals are better conductors than others. What role does conductivity play in sound reproduction?
• The rule of thumb appears to be that a larger diameter or gauge can be beneficial. Is this for better conductivity? So the voltage doesn't get choked?
• For lesser voltage devices such as a turntable it is recommended to use a smaller gauge interconnect. Does it matter if there is more gauge in the cable than the signal can use? What happens if a cable's diameter is too large, or too small?

 

[Sal1950]

I'd like to better understand how gauge and conductivity play a role in both speaker cable and interconnects. Here are a few common thoughts on the subjects. I'm leaving cost out of the equation because I don't want that to be a considered factor. I only care about the electrical characteristics of the cable.

Lots of good info in this article by Amir
http://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/when-12-gauge-wire-is-not-12-gauge.3/

 

[Soniclife]

In general you want the lowest resistance for a cable.
Shorter cables have lower resistance.
Thicker cables have lower resistance.
Higher conductivity metals have lower resistance.

You also want low inductance and capacitance, which is more to do with geometry , construction and dialectic. I'm less clear on what this does.

Too large isn't a problem, unless it's a tonearm cable that has to bend, or similar, then it's about it's physical properties.
I would not worry about any of this, get 12 AWG or thicker for speakers, and don't worry about the rest.

Worth a read http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-speaker-cable/

 

[FrantzM]

B

If you want to make an "audible difference" there are better ways to do it than by swapping wires.



Yes, it's a real phenomenom.

http://www.belden.com/blog/broadcastav/Understanding-Skin-Effect-and-Frequency.cfm

Belden doesn't know anything about High End Audio cables. Well established fact.

 

[RayDunzl]

The rule of thumb appears to be that a larger diameter or gauge can be beneficial. Is this for better conductivity? So the voltage doesn't get choked?

I got that covered here, plus I get to post my 2AWG THHN speaker cable picture!

 

[Sal1950]

I got that covered here, plus I get to post my 2AWG THHN speaker cable picture!

Ray, couldn't you find that stuff in something else besides that hideous green?

 

[Thomas savage]

Ray, couldn't you find that stuff in something else besides that hideous green?

Green sounds the best, I can't believe you don't know that sal

 

[amirm]

I got that covered here, plus I get to post my 2AWG THHN speaker cable picture!

Yeh and in a pinch, he lights up his fireworks with it!!!

 

[Reamonnt]

I buy my cables from amazon.co.uk seller KabelDirekt and a roll of 14 gauge speaker wire and deadbolt banana plugs from sewell direct also on amazon. They are cheap and probably im missing out on the transparency, staggering midrange and jaw-dropping bass I could have got if I spent the price of a small car on colourful cables.