Hook-up Wire: Duelund DCA16GA vs Neotech STDCT-16 vs Cardas 15.5 AWG


Hi guys.
I want to replace the wire in my speakers. Who had the experience of comparing these wires?
Duelund DCA16GA tinned copper
STDCT-16: Neotech Multistrand Copper
Cardas 15.5 AWG copper multistrand
Tell me which copper wire will be better for sound? Maybe you have thoughts on other hook-up wiring.

Sorry for my bad English.
pumpweel

Showing 1 response by lemonhaze

Point 1: Those are budget speakers so expect budget components. Stay 1mH but upgrade to 18 or 16 AWG air-core. Look for a coil that has been dipped or uses baked varnish. Do NOT add series resistor. The bigger 16 AWG will have a lower resistance, improving damping factor, and the baked varnish provides a more stable coil.

Point 2: You can keep the tweeter coil/inductor as is.

Point 3: External XO is superior. I like to build on phenolic resin board or Bakelite and rest the XO in a shallow box filled with dry builders sand which will rest on the floor directly behind the speakers. Make the box 10mm wider and longer than XO board dimensions and settle the XO board onto the sand. Experiment with feet underneath. Spikes do not seem to help much. I preferred squash balls cut in half or better still are springs. If carpeted then place a heavy porcelain tile underneath.

Point 4: I now only use solid OCC Cu for internal wiring. About 24 AWG for tweeter and 12 to 16 AWG for bass. I would solder the big 1mH coil directly to the speaker terminal and the other end of coil to go via 12 AWG OCC Cu. to XO. No terminals nor speaker posts. Same with tweeter wire. The best terminal is no terminal. Guys pay silly money for good quality posts to do the least damage. Rather spend that money on better XO components, like series cap to tweeter. Use your Duelund from amp to XO, again avoiding connectors if possible.

Point 5: You didn’t know you had one? That electrolytic has to go. The tweeter series cap makes a big difference, so does the resistor. What have you got for replacement?