It's OFC, though?Of course I have... where'd you get that silly notion from?Technically, that's what is snaking all around my room!
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Speaker cable advice
- Thread starter Jason Shep
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I don't think it usually is, that's all. No need for audiophile lamps and stuffSo zipcord cannot be ofc, by definition?
Bob from Florida
Major Contributor
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LS50Meta speakers are rated 85 db efficiency at 8 ohms. Inefficient speakers - at least they are 8 ohms which helps a bit.
Don't skimp on wire size.
Don't skimp on wire size.
I agree. It's not like larger wire is a major investment.
ROOSKIE
Major Contributor
I have had Monoprice OFC cable oxidize pretty badly after just 1 year.
This is may or may not have anything to do with the brand, rather I suspect any brand can have a bad batch or even just a bad product.
May be a reason for clear jackets - to see what is happening inside the with the wire. Yearly inspections anyone
That said my cable of choice right now is a non-clear jacket.
I just buy this brand in various sizes.
Extremely flexible and easy to handle and a high strand count which I like. It feels premium vs other similar rip chord style spools.
I may try this brand next
This is may or may not have anything to do with the brand, rather I suspect any brand can have a bad batch or even just a bad product.
May be a reason for clear jackets - to see what is happening inside the with the wire. Yearly inspections anyone
That said my cable of choice right now is a non-clear jacket.
I just buy this brand in various sizes.
Extremely flexible and easy to handle and a high strand count which I like. It feels premium vs other similar rip chord style spools.
KnuKonceptz Kord Kable 12 Gauge Copper Speaker Wire
I may try this brand next
InstallGear 12 Gauge Speaker Wire (100ft) - Brown 12 AWG
If you want the irrational peace of mind that comes with completely overdoing your cable, Canare 4S11 is $1.59/ft and has a really nice feel to it. Put some nylon sleeving on it, and enjoy the concerned glances of your friends when they come over and notice you've gone for the obviously-too-thick-for-any-reasonable-purpose audiophile cables.
If it's not clear insulation then how do you know if it's oxidizing inside or not?I have had Monoprice OFC cable oxidize pretty badly after just 1 year.
This is may or may not have anything to do with the brand, rather I suspect any brand can have a bad batch or even just a bad product.
May be a reason for clear jackets - to see what is happening inside the with the wire. Yearly inspections anyone
That said my cable of choice right now is a non-clear jacket.
I just buy this brand in various sizes.
Extremely flexible and easy to handle and a high strand count which I like. It feels premium vs other similar rip chord style spools.
KnuKonceptz Kord Kable 12 Gauge Copper Speaker Wire
I may try this brand next
InstallGear 12 Gauge Speaker Wire (100ft) - Brown 12 AWG
FWIW no problems with the last two 300 ft reels of Monoprice 12g but then again oxidization is more an aesthetic thing.
I've been using this as well for years with no issues.I have used this with total satisfaction for over 15 years and four upgrades in speakers. I don't even use banana plugs because I rarely make speaker changes. I have a 50-foot run to the farthest speaker, so I bought 100 feet. You should get along with a 50' spool. In my case, I'm connecting a 150-watt per channel amp and a speaker set measured at 5.0 ohms minimum. Works fine.
Audio techs I know working in recording studios and similarly powered reinforcement only choose heavier-duty/heavier jacketed cables for durability and flexibility, not audio quality. For more than a 50' run, I might change to maybe some 10 AWG wires.
If I wanted to make a better investment, I'd take the price of foo-foo cables, subtract the $30, buy these, and use the difference for lottery tickets. You're more likely to win for the price.
View attachment 241874
The old lamp cord was OFC in vinyl, pvc, cloth and just about everything else. Oxygen Free Copper isn't anything new. Aluminum and aluminum with clad copper is.
It rolls off the upper frequencies. It will never sound bad. On the other hand it will NEVER sound good either.
I'll say it this way, great cables never sound bad, I've never notice great cables. Bad cable on the other hand, everyone is scratching their heads and asking if you have
any whisky and I can see TP in their ears.
Regards
Hmmm, thought the typical lamp cord was just ETP. Why would it (CCA) roll off frequencies if of sufficient gauge?
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OP
Jason Shep
Member
- Thread Starter
- #52
Just picked up 60 metres of 12awg from monoprice UK for £50.
Thanks everyone, for the advice & info
Thanks everyone, for the advice & info
Didn't know there was a Monoprice UK, good to know. They carry the Monolith lines too?Just picked up 60 metres of 12awg from monoprice UK for £50.
Thanks everyone, for the advice & info
AlfaNovember
Member
If oxidation is your concern, look for the stuff rated for marine environments, which is tinned strands the entire length:
www.ancorproducts.com
Super Flex Audio Cable, 14/2 AWG (2 x 2mm²), Clear - 100ft
Super flex audio cable is made of premium tinned copper. It is super flexible and easy to run.
MAB
Major Contributor
Really, audio frequencies? If so, would be trivial to measure. Can you point me to the data? The types of effects (that I know of) that would cause this are typically really high frequency, like GHz or THz.
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Aluminum wire was first used in the 19th century. It was used for domestic wiring 60 years ago. There is no such thing as oxygen-free copper wire - oxygen is injected into the molten mix to burn impurities, and some of it stays - but the current mania for reducing oxygen content to a minimum is relatively recent, for certain very technical applications. To have transferred such worries to audio is ludicrous - no possible amount of oxygen has the slightest effect at low voltages and audio frequencies.
This is wrong too.
In multichannel multi-amplifier multi-driver active audio setup, we (I) need so many SP cables. I have been long time using multi-core vinyl cabtyre cables plus Y-lugs/R-lugs as described/shared here on my project thread, and here.
After my 40-year try-and-error journey, now I definitely believe that these very cheap tin plated pure copper Y-lugs and R-lugs are the best terminal-contact solution; rather soft metal tin plate effectively increases the contact surface area when tightly connect and tightly screwed.
This post regarding periodical cleaning of metal-to-metal connectors would be also of your reference, I assume.
After my 40-year try-and-error journey, now I definitely believe that these very cheap tin plated pure copper Y-lugs and R-lugs are the best terminal-contact solution; rather soft metal tin plate effectively increases the contact surface area when tightly connect and tightly screwed.
This post regarding periodical cleaning of metal-to-metal connectors would be also of your reference, I assume.
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MAB
Major Contributor
Whew! I was worried for a second that clouds of ionized plasma would form every time I brushed up against anything, and other stuff. Good to know I can start moving around again without dramatic sponteaneous electrical phenomena randomly occurring.
OP
Jason Shep
Member
- Thread Starter
- #59
Hi Chrispy,
Yeah, I believe they do carry the Monolith stuff, from my confirmation email, it looks like it ships from Germany, which makes sense as Germany is central to the whole of Europe.
So in the UK a purchase now with Brexit adds some hassle/expense I assume?
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