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Copper vs. Silver interconnects

We are running two systems from one CD player. We have a SET (tube, obviously) amp, a hybrid (tube outstage) amp, and the CD player also has a tube. I love my Verastarr silver reference interconnects, but it's always fun to try out different cables.

I have listened to a variety of copper cables (Kimber, DH Labs, Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technology, etc.), and I find them to lack the clarity and lively authority of the silver cables in these particular systems.

My question is this: do I stick with the silver cables (or gold, palladium, beryllium, etc.), or are their some copper interconnects that would really be worth trying? I'm asking for your collective expertise/experience on this one, as I don't want to continue going through the process of buying and selling cables that are only going to sound veiled and/or dull in comparison to the Verastarr's.

Thank you for the input.
boa2

Showing 2 responses by ptmconsulting

ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Let me ask you a different type of question, or to try a different type of comparison. Find a recording with a very clean ride cymbal being struck. I use Earl Klugh and Bob James "Two of a Kind". The track "Sandstorm" starts off with a ride cymbal and a deep drum being struck one after the other (a little piano noodling in the background too).

If you listen closely to the cymbal with different cables you will see what I mean - on my system with silver the cymbal shimmers and sounds like it is being struck on its edge or in the middle. With copper it sounds more like the nylon tip of the stick is striking the cymbal on the dome where it's screwed onto the stand, producing a rounder sound showing more brass and a better scope of the cymbal's size, with slightly less shimmer to it.

Which is correct? I don't know, but I like the tone of the copper cable better (on this song, in this system, etc.).

Enjoy,
Bob
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Not a drummer - a piano player and multi keyboardist in my college days. Lots of time in a room with a live drumset though, and there was one song we played where everyone switched instruments. I got to play the drums then.

I took tenor sax lessons about a year ago (always wanted to do that) and am now much more critical of horns too. Yes, it is true that only horn loudspeakers (i.e. Klipsh and such) can adequately do justice to brassy horns.

What doies this mean to me - that a REAL sounding system has great micro and macro dynamics. However, you can achieve a reasonable sense of tonal accuracy in a system that doesn't have unlimited dynamics too. This often means a lot of experimentation and different materials, as you suggested.

I use Jon Risch's Belden 89259/89248 twisted pair most everywhere, but on my DAC I added an extra 30guage strand of silver to each leg. Pure silver lost that midrange beauty that I like. The combo works best for me ... but only in that location - it's not as good as the pure copper anywhere else in my system. Go figure.

Enjoy,
Bob
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