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Speaker Cables do Matter......How about (power cord and interconnects?)

escksu

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https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/when-12-gauge-wire-is-not-12-gauge.3/

Reviewer amrim mentioned that cables thinner than 12 AWG can 'colour' the sound. Then he also said he would certainly avoid using Fry's and Bestbuy cables in any high fidelity application. Although I am not sure what he meant colour the sound and how high resistance causes any effect, but it pretty much said not all cables are the same and thickness of cables do matter.

Then my question is how about power cord and interconnects? Will thinner wires 'colour' the sound like speaker cables? How can we tell? Any recommended gauge for these cables?
 

pozz

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For AC signals like music, where current moves back and forth through a circuit according to a certain voltage ("pressure"), increased resistance will cause frequency-specific changes in FR and HF rolloff.

Speaker cables will show higher resistance the lower the thickness, the longer the length, and as the temperature of the conductor increases during use (more of an issue for thinner cables). These problems are negligible if you are using speaker cables of true 12 AWG.

Power cord thickness is determined by current requirements of the power supply, which is at a single frequency: 60Hz (or 50Hz in other countries). This simplifies the issue. Even power amps will never draw the full 15 amps that in-wall house wiring (12AWG or 14AWG) is rated for unless they are simply massive kilowatt monsters (and probably not even then). This means that you can get away with thin power cords: 18AWG or lower for a lot of devices.

Basically, use whatever IEC power cord came with your device.

Edit: Interconnects. There are pro companies like Belden, Mogami, Canare and others whose products undergo testing (electrical and physical, like ruggedness) and use-case optimization. I generally buy from them based on their recommendations. I have years-old Mogami balanced interconnects at home right now.
 
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sergeauckland

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https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/when-12-gauge-wire-is-not-12-gauge.3/

Reviewer amrim mentioned that cables thinner than 12 AWG can 'colour' the sound. Then he also said he would certainly avoid using Fry's and Bestbuy cables in any high fidelity application. Although I am not sure what he meant colour the sound and how high resistance causes any effect, but it pretty much said not all cables are the same and thickness of cables do matter.

Then my question is how about power cord and interconnects? Will thinner wires 'colour' the sound like speaker cables? How can we tell? Any recommended gauge for these cables?
It's not the thickness of the loudspeaker cable that matters, it's the total loop resistance, so for short cables, it's perfectly fine to have thin cables, for long cables they need to be thick. In general terms, once the total resistance of the loudspeaker cables is less than 10% of the loudspeaker's minimum impedance, there's no further advantage to thicker cables. If one's really picky, then perhaps 5%, but the principle remains. There's nothing wrong with bell wire as a loudspeaker cable if the length is short.

S.
 

IowAudio

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Technically CCA is fine for speaker wire long as proper gauge/length ratio is used to keep resistance below 10% of speakers minimum resistance or ohms. Guys like Danny at GR Research say blind test have proven them right but won't consider how many university blend test prove them wrong. For me if I'm going to spend hundreds on cables it better be very noticeable and all the cables I've tried over the years never have been. Nothing 100% dicernable everytime I listen compared to just using everyday quality cables... I'd put the money into acoustic treatment before cables makes much bigger difference.
 

DSJR

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I still can't, after nearly fifty years, get my head around bloody gauge numbers. If the prices are fair which they seem to be, are these cables you recommend about the same as the thicker leads supplied with big US 'muscle/foo' amps? The cable which came with the Krell I had for a while was joyous to behold if thicker means better ( :D ) I'd use these almost regardless - for visual reasons of course as I no longer have hugely powerful amps now... :)
 
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