Help me pick some new or used speaker cables

First you need to figure out why your system is bright maybe it's not the cables you need to replace I had that problem too

Are you using a preamp it's a solid state maybe you need to get some sweet tubes look at the top of the line audible illusions some of the sweetest sound I've heard very Lively sweet top end

You cannot go wrong

OCC in Silver or Copper Wire is no longer in use in my System and is as a result of my introducing others to alternative wire type, the OCC has been removed from other systems that I have loaned the alternative wire type to as well.

OCC in comparison to PC Triple C is sounding veiled and smeared, the smearing detected is quite similar to comparing OCC to the purest OFC .

PC Triple C is now the selected wire used by myself, others I know and a selection of the Big Name Cable producers.

These Brands have certainly done deals to keep competitors from getting into their suppliers and reducing the commodity of wire available.

The price of PC Triple C / EX Wire is through the roof to a few years past, cables produced from this are now substantially priced.

My experiences through usage of PC Triple C wire, assists with my fully understanding why there has been a move by the big name brands to secure their stock, ensuring it is not freely available. In relation to the sound that can be produced only, why would one want a competitor to get in on the act.

I also have first hand experiences of D.U.C.C Wire and this is a superb option, it has all the lucidity of Triple C, but comes with a tiniest perception of their being a Tonal Frequency that can be suggested as a being hue of added colour.

I find it hard to prejudice one against the other, and am more than content using  these in conjunction in a signal path as well.

I have a pair of Chapman T-7's, mine are completely original from 1995 and have the German LPG Titanium dome tweeters which do run a little hot on Solid State, but sing on tubes.

I used to run Tara Labs RSC Master Gen 2 cables that I thought sounded great. Then on a lark I built a pair of DIY  clones of the GR Research cables, which are in turn a clone of the Kimber 12tc ? (I think).  You can get the raw cable easily on Aliexpress for pretty cheap. I think all in I spent less than a $100 on materials for a 3 meter pair with CMC copper spades.

I never advocate chinese knock-offs or clones. But like I said, this was just an experiment for my own benefit. However, I have been really pleased with the cables. The difference was subtle over the Tara Labs and they seemed to incrementally tame the sizzle of the metal domes just a hair more.

BTW, I love, love, love the Chapmans and don't think I'll ever part with them. 

@rkfaberdds if purchasing used, beware of counterfeits especially AQ cables.

True for AQ as @kennyc mentioned here, and watch out for counterfeit Cardas too. They are counterfeiting cable models that Cardas does not produce any longer is one way to tell, and the connector ends are bulged out with a different diameter jacket as first clues. If it does not have the original certification, #, and original packaging and they just stick them in a fake copied literature and zip bag, that’s another clue.

Best get them from a refutable source, and worst case like others here did, send them into the MFG for validation and certification if you believe you may have mistakenly bought fake counterfeits. Best to know rather than playing for weeks hoping the sound will get better in time, and a dead end road.

Purist cables very nice cables and interconnects , Great company questions repairs , There "always" pick up the phone even by the owner Jim .

Just bought Worlds Best Cables with a 8 gauge bi-wire arrangement on spades. Ran me less than $300 and sound great. Had heavy Monster M cables on from the 80’s and they weren’t terrible, but read a few good things about WBC and for the money they worked out fine.

There are some great options for speaker cables mentioned - I'd also consider Nordost. I've been very impressed with them as with Transparent.  

I've been very pleased splitting my cables - Shunyata for power and Kimber for speakers/interconnects.  

Some great advice thus far. I’d add that buy used because if you don’t achieve what you seek, you can sell them for what you paid. If you buy new, support your local dealer and try them in your system to know 1st hand if it’s the right combo.
 

The cables I’ve liked the best are OCC wire to start with. Ocellia are sublime, and should put you in the right place. If by chance you’re running Sylvania 6SN7 in the MW LS100, get them out in favour of a different tube like some 40, or 50’s RCA. (I had a LS100)

I have tried most of the "high end" name brands and once I found Silversmith Audio Fidelums.....game over.  Well with in your price point new.  ONLY cable I ever purchased that sounded great right out of the box and simply got better with hours.

Better speaker cables, yes!

I may have missed reference(s) to room acoustics on this thread, but certainly worth looking into (if you haven’t already).

Congrats on thinking outside the box with the T-7 mods. Typically "mods" will calm down certain ranges due to incorporating better materials, connection/termination methods, attention to sympahtic resonances, etc. If all else fails you might consider having a conversation with your "modder" about this. I’ve found that bumping up the tweeter crossover point ever so slightly can remove a little hardness.

Hi rkfaberdds...thanks for your question,

My early foray into great audio was a pair of Chapman T-4s, 2 way sealed 45lb monitors that served in several rooms for a couple of decades.  They sit happily with fresh surrounds in a closet upstairs, awaiting new skirts.  Pairing your Chapman 7s with Rogue = music.  Nice going!  

I also am onboard with Cardas. To keep away from black market concerns, I elect to use The Cable Company.   My solution was buying a used pair of Cardas Clear Sky X4 loudspeaker cables which are internally designed for bi-wiring, assuming your 7's are bi-wirable.  I returned the pair to Cardas, having them upgrade only the loudspeaker ends to bi-wired, 4 inputs per side, leaving the outputs as is from the amplifier, 2 outputs per side.  I ALSO paid to upgrade all 12 terminations to compression die forging:

Cardas Compression Die Forging – Audio Advisor (youtube.com) 

I suspect my "flavors" in audio align nicely with George Cardas.  Given your choices, ours probably do as well.  Onwards!

More Peace, Pin           (bold print for old eyes)

...

My preamp is a MW LS100 with Sophia 6SN7s and a NOS Mullard 5AR4 rectifier. They’re prob still burning in at 100 hrs or so, but these are pretty premium. I’m not really complaining about the sibilants or harsh transients because that’s not really what I hear. Someone asked earlier what I would like to hear differently from cables and that’s about all I could <maybe> find lacking. I’m really getting used to how all this new gear performs & having a blast. Speaker cables will be last.

Just today I put in a HiFi Rose 250A and am liking many aspects of it. A lot! The cherry (I hope) will be a Denafrips Venus2 outboard DAC going in later this week.

I am aware of the cable co.s library program & will prob use it. My plan is to take the next month to get all this new gear settled in and then audition speaker cables. There have been a lot of auditory changes in my rig over the past two weeks & it’s been a fun ride getting back into this hobby-esp. w digital streaming. Wow!

thanks everyone!

rkfaberdds  ...and others...an afterthought "head's-up,"

Although the Cardas Clear Sky X4 is designed as bi-wirable, I had discussion with Cardas Techs before modifying the loudspeaker ends.  I roll off 80hZ down from my Focusrite Pro DAC to my subwoofer, relieving the speaker cables of deep bass duties.  If running full bore, they did not recommend bi-wiring the X4 cable. 

Pin