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Pure silver wire: solid, stranded or Litz wire?

I have quite a long experience in using pure solid silver wires in my DIY cables. Overall I am very happy with the results but I always enjoy trying out different things. After having tried a few types of solid silver I ended up with OCC. Not so much because of the claims about 6N-7N purity and mono crystal nature but because it simply sounds at least as good (but probably much better) than the standard 99.99% silver, it is much easier to work with and it is immune to corrosion. These are my observations and not claims by the various suppliers.
However, I am interested in trying out a stranded or Litz version of this silver (or any other type of silver that may be available at reasonable prices? Anyone with experience on it? Positives & negatives?

Regarding the stranded pure silver I do not see many benefits other than flexibility. I am also not impressed by the idea that many bare silver wires are in constant contact with each other. On the other hand Litz silver wires (individually insulated cores braided/twisted together forming a sigle conductors with an outer insulation)seem to be the ideal situation. However, they do not seem to be widely available?
I have come accross Litz type silver only in the case of internal tonearm wires (i.e. Audionote)but at very small sizes and very high prices.
Other than this some online research only came up with very limited sources about larger sizes (HGC and audionote). I have collected a few relevant direct links from different suppliers if anyone is interested but I am not sure if I am allowed to post them in the forums.

Anyway, in terms of Litz style wire, it appears that there is the usual Litz of very fine coated/enamelled cores or a simpler form with larger cores (but less in number)threaded in tiny teflon tubes of the same size before they are tightly twisted together. The second seemed quite an attractive option. It is much cheaper than the first Litz option, more flexible than solid wires, and the little Teflon tubes offer better insulation than a few coatings can do. It also offer improvements in terms of skin effect, ringing, while adds to the overall surcace area of the conductor without the need to use larger sizes.

Any ideas about known suppliers of such wires? Anyone has personal experience?
aber23
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i have been told by a person familiar with silver wire that continuous cast silver exhibits none of the stereotypical
sonic characteristics of silver. the wire is stranded.
reb1208
518 posts
 
"the wire is stranded"

The OCC Silver wire is actually solid core.
aber23 OP
16 posts
 
I am not an expert in metallurgy and I could not argue against someone else’s findings regarding OCC silver. However, one silver can be very different in many aspects from another silver. My experience with OCC silver has been very satisfying but I cannot say if it was the fact that the silver was continuous casting or if the characteristics were a result of the purity and annealing of the metal. However, to my understanding the absence of crystals in the structure of OCC can only have a positive sonic impact. Also, the resistance of OCC silver to corrosion as well as its flexibility are two things that I have clearly noticed in comparison to some 99.99% silver I have tried in the past from various sources.

To my knowledge OCC silver wires (just like any other silver wires) are available in both solid and stranded form. It is up to the manufacturer how he prefers to use them. i.e. if one buys thin OCC strands can make any type of wire he wishes. Neotech wires will typically be solid while some sellers like Toxic cables order their occ wires in a stranded form. The occ wires I am currently using in my cables are actually Litz (i.e. neither stranded nor solid)

By the way, lately I buy the occ silver I use for DIY from partsconnextion. It is one of the very few reliable sources I am aware of that sells it as bare wires and at relatively reasonable prices.
reb1208
518 posts
 
I buy the blue teflon insulated Neotech solid core OCC silver from Sonic Craft in either 28g or 30g. I also buy UP-OCC bare solid core silver from a popular e-bay seller claimed to be sourced from Neotech. I have pulled the Sonic Craft Neotech sourced OCC out of the teflon jacket to compare to the e-bay wire. Both look identical, possessing an absolute flawless polished "blue" diamond like reflective finish to the wire surface.

Also buy bulk OCC copper from parts connexion, and that stuff needs to be polished out by hand drawing thru your fingers. Off the spool is rather "rough" and unrefined in surface appearance. Have not tried their bulk occ copper.

For a cheap source of stranded OCC copper wire. I take apart Outlaw Audio PCA cables which contain 4X 20g polyethylene insulated wires. Can be used to great success in making power cords and DIY interconnects.

I have found solid core OCC silver wire to have an identifiable sonic character. Prefer to use smaller guages (28-30) as the larger guages exhibit too much coloration for my taste. Midrange is fully fleshed out with tonal color similar to copper wire. Bass is full, deep and powerful. The highs are never bright, harsh or spotlit as can be the case with other silver wires. Yet it possess the resolution of inner detail one typically only hears from silver wire.
cjl
17 posts
 
Aber23,

Silver has some unique sound properties, but seems from
all of the reports from many users silver tends to be bright.

Litz wire all silver. A true litz wire, all strands isolated from each other is rare. Modified Litz wire has a sharper frequency roll off than non-litz and higher body capacitance.

Best you stick with copper designs, giving warmer sound
and costs less.

Curtis
rosveta.com
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