Duelund DCA16GA

Grannyring , Duelund has the DCA12ga coming out the end of this month...l will be line to get some. Best, mikirob
 

No waiting, it is available now.
http://www.partsconnexion.com/Duelund-DCA12GA-20awg-Tin-Plated-Stranded-CU-Wire_moreinfo.html
I just cancelled my order this week and will stick with double runs of the WE10ga.
Also have a star-quad run of WE16ga for the HF and WE14ga for the LF, so 13/11 awg aggregate to each speaker.  Those sound pretty darn good too.  Dug up some old literature on the WE wire earlier in the week and doubt it is anything special, just good quality tin-plated, stranded copper wire, with a thin'ish pvc coating under cotton.  I think the attraction must be attributable to the dead soft annealing, absence of too much dielectric, and maybe the stranding and pvc adding a full, dense sound, particularly in the midrange.  I find that after burning them in on my Cable Cooker and having the wire in my system for months, it does pretty much everything I need.  I liked that the bass is solid but not overblown and that I can hear real-sounding high frequencies without heat or tizz, and of course the midrange is the best part.  Even without the Duelund wire for comparison, I have compared it with high quality OCC stranded wire, high quality OCC individually insulated multi-strand solid core wire, and solid core, individually insulated, multi-strand silver wire here but still like the WE wire best for SCs.  It makes great PCs too.
I guess I have reached a point where going after the next best thing usually ends up being different, but not particularly better.  New speaker project is almost to fruition and then gotta be done.

Hi there,
I've got DCA16GA for over a month now, and I think I can reliably recommend it as a universal speaker cable with no genre preferences. I  was amazed to find that it is as good and in some respects better than my venerable Nordost Heimdall II. I use it in my main system which consists of Oppo BDP105D, NAD M51, Manley 300B Classic Preamp, modified Linear Tube Audio ZOTL10, and Audio Note AN-E SPe/HE.
The cable is very musical and involving, its tone colorful and pleasantly saturated. The usual audiophile attributes like transparency, staging, dynamics are present but not blindingly impressive. They are more or less on par with my Nordost. However, you don't buy this cable for audiophilia nervosa, quite on the contrary, its musicality makes you forget about most of these properties. But they are good enough to not feel lacking at all. I can get a tiny bit higher transparency with other cables -  Its like removing my 300B preamp from the system - I get a bit more transparency but much less musical fun. So it stays. I can live with other cables, but this brings more enjoyment. Besides, it is very cheap.
I have yet to compare the cable to my other reference, Kimber 4AG, but I’m sure that Duelund will put up a good fight. I am now thinking about ordering DCA20GA to try it as IC and compare it to my Audio Note AN-Vx, Kimber KCAG, and various silver Audioquests.
I am particularly grateful to Jeff from jeffplace.me - if it were not for his review, I would never have thought of DCA16GA (I used to despise all things tin-plated before, using silver everywhere I could). Now I am a convert)))

Regards,
Vlad

Agee 100%. Love the stuff. In my amp, speakers, and my speaker cables. I wish more folks knew about this stuff and were open minded enough to try them. No connectors is also key. Bare wire only! 

Has anyone compared this with any of Supra's offerings?  That's also supposedly high quality tinned stranded copper.

Count me as a Duelund fan. Read the Audio Beatnik, Jim Smith, in addition to Jeff Day for some top-line reviews and further information. Best, Mikirob 

I think Duelund will sound better for one big reason. They use natural oil and cotton, not synthetic material like Supra. I have always found these natural materials sound better than other materials. 

Why is there a "report this"why is there a "Report This" flag on my post from yesterday? Mikirob 

I don’t see this flag? Not sure if it is simply a glitch you see?

grannyring, I am a big fan of the WE/Dueland speaker cables, but they are not better than the Supra 3.4s, very similar in fact.  At least in my system.  I have the WE10GA, WE14GA,  and the Duelunds.  So I have a lot of experience comparing.  Of those cables, I like the WE10GA the best, I liked that they were thick sounding and smooth.  The Duelunds were just a tad bright in my system, but still really good.  The Supra is a good compromise between them all, but I would have to say they are more extended.   I am a speaker cable junkie.  In addition to the cables above, I have the Vertere Pulse X, Clear Day Double shotgun, JPS Labs Superconductor Vs, and the Power House Tellurium Q Silver Diamonds all in house.   As you can see, I have affordable to very expensive.  So needless to say I have done a lot of comparisons.  What is better just depends on the type of music, the gear, and sometimes what I am in the mood for.  

I too like the WE10ga as speaker cable and use double runs to bi-wire my speakers.
I cancelled an order of the Duelund wire in the 12 awg size a month or so ago because I am perfectly happy with the WE10ga and simply had to tap out at some point.  I am certainly curious based on some of the testimonials but I take those with a grain of salt since my equipment is significantly different from what some of those reviewers use, so what works for them may not work best for me and vise versa.

I like the Duelund better than the WE10 now with my current system changes. The Duelund was too bright before, but now perfect with my slight system changes. It is all system compatibility and dependent and our preferences can change as our systems change slightly.

I have found cotton sounds better...more open in every situation I have compared, thus my Supra comment. But I like openness and that is a subjective thing...

Right now I use the WE10 on my bass crossover board and Duelund 10ga on the mids and highs. Nice combo! I have also owned a vast array of high end speaker cables with my current combo as good as any and better than most😁

Duelund has a 10ga now? Nice. Interesting that we both found the Duelund 16GA a little to bright with our systems. I have made some changes too and honestly I have not tried the Duelund 16GA since the changes, so maybe I should give it another shot.

Sorry, my mistake. Meant to type Duelund 16ga on top. No Duelund 10ga that I know of...

Thank you all for your input.  I would like to know whom if any one has terminated the Dueland 12 awg , and if so, with which connectors. Thanks in advance

I have 12 awg as speaker cables, but bare cable connections to the Analysis Audio Epsilon speakers that are 4 ohms and not very sensitives. 
In my system they are keepers. The music is more authoritative and builds on a better foundation. Same density of sound that seems so characteristic of these cables.
Burn in can be a bit longer than 16 awg.

Bare wire is best by far! By far. All terminations degrade sound and if you can go with the bare wire you will get a nice jump in sound quality. 

I have terminated many of the WE wires (same tinned copper type wire) and prefer soldered connections for the tinned wire because the tinned coating melts resulting in a more direct contact with the underlying copper.
Although some prefer no connectors, I am skeptical that the absence of connectors can be easily heard given that the speaker cables typically connect to two binding posts and the signal travels through a bunch of other solder joints in typical amplifiers and speaker cross-overs.  I prefer connectors for convenience.
I like the Cardas GRS copper spades but couldn't find them in a search of vendors this morning.  Another good option is to use the Cardas copper jumpers and cut off the link section resulting in two spades that you can solder directly to.  Use some thick, adhesive-lined heat shrink for a stiff and well-protected connection/termination.

I have tried bare vs. connectors of varying types with WE and Duelund 16GA  (haven't tried 12 GA yet).

I prefer bare.  There is a purity to the sound that I like.  Various connectors flavored the sound, making things different, but not necessarily better.   

Also avoid binding posts. I mod my amp and speakers to only use binding posts as clamps, never to conduct signal. They also degrade sound in very obvious ways once you learn how to bypass them. 

Bare wire to bare wire is so much better sounding. Output wires from  the amp are clamped to my speaker wire directly. Same thing on the speaker end. Just think about that mass of brass covered in a thin coating etc... Avoid those binding posts! Even the best connectors and posts are bottlenecks. The improvement is shocking folks. Best mod I do and have done. 

Since the Duelund wire is tinned it will not oxidaize etc... I use it in my speaker crossovers and amp also. 

Is it still possible to buy WE10 these days?

I'm considering try these Duelund as speaker cables and was wondering since a 12 awg is available, would you recommend 12 awg on the bass section and the 16 awg on the upper section or 16 or 12 awg all the way around?

Thanks,
Wig

I have some Deulund DCA 16ga coming to experience this vintage tone that everyone is raving about! I'm so anxious to hear these after one week on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker and another week or so to settle into my system.

More to follow in about a month...

Wig

 Yes WE10 is still available on EBay. Great sounding wire for a steal of a price.

I'd like to give the WE10 a go but I gather there's a lot of fake stuff around. How can we be sure we are being sold the genuine wire?

This is the seller you want. He is the real deal and who we use.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/per-foot-Western-Electric-AIW-10ga-STRANDED-cloth-covered-gray-PAIR-/2316636...

@grannyring thanks for that info.

@grannyring 

Have you tried Duelund as RCA? I have some DCA20 ga built RCA coming to try as well; think I'm going to like the color these cables bring.

Wig

Ha! I have built many sets. Sold a few sets also. Great IC wire. I don't use ICs anymore however. I can send you a 40 inch set to try using the 16ga wire. Let me know. I have an extra set that will need a little more break in.  

@grannyring

That would be awesome and can compare them to the 20ga IC that is being built for me! I can also put them on my cable cooker to further open them up.

Thanks,
Wig

Let us all know what you think Wig.  $60 set of DIY built Duelund 16ga ICs.  Well at worst the price is right. At best they may totally surprise you. 

Thanks Grannyring, looking forward on hearing them!

Wig

I really like this cable too. The 16ag that is. The instruments sound more real. I think it made my system more musical. I am pretty surprised to hear this much of a difference. 

I am running them 8ft a pair. I was wondering if it would sound better if it was longer or shorter. I know this is a subjective question but maybe someone tried different lengths to compare. 

I will also make some interconnects from DCA20AG. All 3.2ft a pair. Curious how this will change the sound. 

Thanks Grannyring for WE10 link , i just order a parir which I will bi wire with my current my Kimber 8tc,,I,m also wondering about getting some 12 or 16  awg Dueland or WE for the top and leave the WE10awg for the bottom . Any Recomendations on awg for the the top? Dueland or WE?Current speakers are Gradient revolution with a x-over Point at 200hz.

I would not biwire. Just strip off about 5 inches and run the cable from the bottom posts to the top in a continuous run. My posts have holes that I ran the wire through. This is how I would do it. I love the WE10 on the mids and highs even more than the bass. I think you will like it better than the Kimber.  Give it time to burn in however.  Do not terminate....just strip and use bare wire.  

If you find it too warm sounding, I don't, then the Duelund 16ga would be ideal for you. 

I bought a bunch more of the WE10ga before I left to ride my bike across Iowa.
I biwire my speakers with a pair of 10 awg wires on top and a second pair on the bottom and I have considered trying star quad runs for 7 awg to top and bottom, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
As speaker cables, I think they sound great with a perfectly natural distribution of frequencies, if maybe a little mid-oriented.  Bass is full, textured, and has impact when it is on the recording.  Highs are smooth and natural IMO, but may not have enough emphasis for some.
I am running huge current into power hungry speakers so ymmv.  I use spades soldered to my cables but would not argue with those who recommend no connectors.  I like soldering the tinned wire for a more direct connection with the copper below the tin coating.
This wire is also perfect for power cables.  I use a star quad configuration for 7 awg to my two 300wpc Class A monoblocks.  A single twisted pair is just fine for front-end components and preamps.  This is the same wire TWL and Mojo Audio used in their highly regarded power cords of a few years ago.

Nice ride through Iowa! Awesome! Jealous for sure. Agreed on the WE10 wire. I love it. I suggest the poster try one run as I say above.  Iit is possible two separate runs will sound better. But perhaps not. Depends on speakers, amp etc...

In my system I found no big difference. 100 watt amp with AZ Crescendo speakers.  

Thanks Grannyring & Mitch2: I wiil try first single WE10 and then maybe add the Kimber 8tc (9awg) on the bottom and hear the diffrences.  
    Has anybody compare the WE 10g vs the Dueland 12? I,m curious about this new cable.

Hi Grannyring,
I have read you are making ICs from the Duelund 16ga stranded tinned wire and I am curious whether you have tried making any from their 20ga stranded tinned wire?  If so, what did you hear differently between the two and which do you like better?  I am about ready to make a pair but mine will be balanced using a twisted pair, spaced away shield and a ground of the same wire that is counter-spiraled outside of the shield.  Thanks for any information and/or listening impressions.  Also, I am curious what you are driving with your single run of WE10ga SCs - are you still using your Acoustic Zen Crescendo loudspeakers?

I still own my highly modified and upgraded set of AZ Crescendo speakers. Love them. Yes I have made many sets of ICs using the Duelund 16ga wire. I tried the 20ga and just prefer the 16Ga. The 16ga is a tad warmer and less lively. It is also more full bodied in my rig when used on some tube amps. The 20ga is more lively and for some that may be preferred.

No shield, just a simply twist.  

I brought the Duelund 16ga stranded tinned wire, actually I was in Need of Western electric cable we16g and where I live I couldn't source it and as alternative I got the Duelund 16ga and in My rig it is sounding amazing.
The previous cables I have used are 2 to 3 times expensive and Duelund 16ga provides better imaging, good extension on both end of frequency and in simple words 'better sounding' and I believe in system matching and Duelund 16ga fits perfectly.

"Bottom line is I now prefer the Duelund 16ga driving my speakers mids and highs" Hi Grannyring: so what cable are you using for the bottom? Asumming you are bi-wiring

Remember Jack prefers the Dueland wire in his system , Glory says Jack made a mistake, High fidelity cables on the right system they are hard to beat. They are amazing cables.

I'm intrigued by those of you who have used either the WE and Dueland cable.

For those of us who are soldering-disabled what (or which company) do you recommend for creating IC's at a reasonable price?

What are people doing for AES cables?

Thanks to everyone for all the great information.

Joel

Please excuse my ignorance - I'm just learning about Dueland.  For a regular speaker connection (single wired, around 14 ft) what is the process?  Am I correct in understanding these wires need to be constructed and 2 wires joined together?  I've noted that bare wire connections are preferred over bananas etc.  thanks for your advice.

Joelha - Parts Connexion built my Duelund ICs.

janehamble

For speaker cables (14ft pair) you will need to buy an 18M length of the Duelund cable and cut it into 4 equal lengths. Then twist the pairs together into a right and left set. Strip the cloth off and connect to amp and speaker. Bare wire is the way to go for speaker cables.You should check Jeff's Place for information and pictures of this.

http://jeffsplace.me/wordpress/?p=10369

@joey54 thanks - very clear explanation.  Even I should be able to manage that :-)

Yes, twist every 1.5-2 inches and use a short piece of shrink tubing every 2.5-3 feet to hold the twist. Use bare wire for hook up. Be sure to clean the stripped ends as they will have some dried oil residue from the oil impregnated cotton.  

Thanks a lot for the information guys.

What are people doing for digital cables?

Joel