It isn't true that only Siltech uses gold, and it's also not true that gold "is not recommended for audio cables." Or at least this conventional wisdom has been challenged. It is true that gold is a relatively poor conductor, but for IC's this isn't very relevant. Some van den Hull cables use a much poorer conductor. Stealth PGS ("pure gold signal"), true to its name, uses a very thin strand of gold on the hot side. It has been well received, though that by itself doesn't prove much since some very poor designs continue to be widely popular.
Only Siltech can make gold-silver cables?
I guess Kharma does the same, but is outrageously expensive as well.
After doing my little cable shoot-out here I just wonder, why not more companies would experiment with a gold-silver alloy like Siltech? I know that gold by itself is not a good conductor and is not recommended for audiocables, but I speak of alloys and Siltech has proven, that a gold-silver alloy works marvelous.
So why can't more cable companies start experimenting with gold and silver alloys?
It cannot be the price of gold, can it? One gram of 24kt gold is about $12, so even if a company would use a whole ounce of gold per pair of interconnetcs, we still are not talking more than $400 of pure material costs.
Imagine a company getting this right like Siltech, but only charging a third of the price. I can see this company selling huge quantities of cable.
Now I think, that the cable manufacturers have not waited for a guy from Germany to suggest such a thing, so there must be a few obvious reasons, why only Siltech does use gold, which I have clearly overlooked.
Maybe the more technical savvy people here can answer such a question.
After doing my little cable shoot-out here I just wonder, why not more companies would experiment with a gold-silver alloy like Siltech? I know that gold by itself is not a good conductor and is not recommended for audiocables, but I speak of alloys and Siltech has proven, that a gold-silver alloy works marvelous.
So why can't more cable companies start experimenting with gold and silver alloys?
It cannot be the price of gold, can it? One gram of 24kt gold is about $12, so even if a company would use a whole ounce of gold per pair of interconnetcs, we still are not talking more than $400 of pure material costs.
Imagine a company getting this right like Siltech, but only charging a third of the price. I can see this company selling huge quantities of cable.
Now I think, that the cable manufacturers have not waited for a guy from Germany to suggest such a thing, so there must be a few obvious reasons, why only Siltech does use gold, which I have clearly overlooked.
Maybe the more technical savvy people here can answer such a question.
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I recently sold a pair of Stealth PGS Gold interconnects. I didn't realize how good they were until they were gone. The inner detail the Stealth PGS produces is spectacular. Tonally, they are very natural and so natural that it takes extended listening to realize that anything has even changed. I have read multiple comments on this cable suggesting it sounds "organic" and in retrospect, I agree. Rich natural texture in the midrange, highs that never ever seem to bright yet are confidently extended - bass was not as powerful as with other cables but when listening to an acoustic stand up bass, it sounded much more real and not exaggerated in any way. No cable I have every tried at (any price) in my system presented music in a way that sounded as real as the PGS was able to. Realistic sound is something that most cables do not do very well. The music produced by even the most expensive and sought after cables remains biased by the design, material, etc. and ultimately lends a signature to music which while it may sound great, isn't always REAL sounding. The PGS sounds real to me and because of that, didn't come across as being very good in initial listening tests. Weird? Well not really. Given that most cables have such a strong signature and thus alter the tonal balance of music, make vocals seem to originate from the lower chest/upper chest, add a nasal sound to music, seem too bright or doo dark, too detailed, too smeared, etc. It is less than exciting when something comes along that makes music sound less zippy - and sound natural. Realizing that Gold as a conductor is "slower" than copper or silver, I do not fully understand the resulting "perfection" of its music presentation, but I must admit, this PGS is one of the best. I would definitely recommend to anyone that they audition a Stealth PGS cable. Before I purchased the PGS, I was skeptical about it since they are basically a "no name" company with a cheesy website. Perhaps you could say I viewed Stealth as a generic "wannabe" or a company that just sort of jumped on the cable bandwagon. Listening to the PGS clearly altered my initial perception and while the company still appears to be generic - they managed to sway my perception with their PGS Gold product. Just my 2 cents on Gold conductors. |
Also, it seems that Cardas manufactures and distributes gold wire in 45 and 50 awg. You can find more information on the Cardas Website by using the following link: Cardas DIY/OEM Website |