Silver v Copper wire phono cable

Merry Christmas to all!

A follow up with impressions based on a recent experience and in the context of my system:

Shortly after my previous post here one of the cartridge clips broke on the AudioNote silver wire loom that I use on the Eminent Technolgy ET2 tangential tracking air bearing tonearm and that runs in one continuous run from cartridge clips to RCA input jacks on my EAR tube preamp; all sitting on a VPI TNT6 (Super Platter, SDS). The cartridge currently installed is my most recent acquisition, a NOS Acutex M320 III STR. I mentioned previously that I have used and still own two other wire looms constructed each with Discovery and Cardas; both copper. I installed the Discovery which I have always preferred to the Cardas while I waited for time to replace the clip on the AN. I figured it would be an opportunity to revisit the Discovery and confirm, or not, why I have always felt that the AN is clearly superior to the other two. It is not necessarily a comment on the superiority of silver over copper in every situation.

To put my comments in better context I should address Dover’s very valid comment re the fact that the answer to one of the issues previously discussed “depends on one’s definition of superior sound”. For me, superior sound is sound that ON BALANCE sounds closer to the sound that ON BALANCE I hear from live music. I don’t want to get into the weeds re the common claim that there are too many variables in recorded sound to make a valid determination. I believe that it is certainly possible. There are enough sonic cues in specific sonic areas that are unique to the sound of live that make it possible; particularly in the way that these affect perceived performance values and details.

I spent about three weeks with the Discovery and reinstalled the fixed AN loom just two days ago. Installing the Discovery loom brought back memories. The overall sound is good with the Discovery, but in comparison to the sound that I have been enjoying with the AN, the sound with the Discovery has some noticeable grain through the midrange and there is a reduction in resolution. The bass is a bit wooly and I immediately missed the AN’s great pitch definition. Bass lines with the AN are tuneful; one can clearly hear the pitch of each note whereas the Discovery provided the low frequency energy, but with vague pitch and lack of air. Soundstage size is similar, but the Discovery projects larger individual images compared to the AN’s smaller and more realistic individual images; I suspect, the result of the AN’s superior definition and images that are less diffuse around the edges. In the area of natural tonal colors it is not close; the Discovery sounds a little bleached out compared to the AN’s clearly more natural rendering of tonal colors.

Frankly, in spite of the fact that I have always considered the AN to be the more refined and clearly superior tonearm wire, I was surprised at just how much better the AN is IN MY SYSTEM this time around.

A PITA to work with given how thin it is, but the AN is a killer tonearm wire.  

Indeed.  An experiment out of necessity since the AN loom was not usable and I had the others ready to be put into service.  The “experiment” confirmed my previous impressions.

I don’t think so. When a good silver wire causes the sonic balance that you are suggesting, the problem would most likely be that the rest of the system is too tipped up in balance.

Please report back with impressions.  Enjoy!

Raul, you are correct.  I don’t know if it is the same today as it was when I tried their silver clad copper wire, but back then VDH did also have a silver wire.  I never tried it.  

I have rewired my Eminent Technology ET2 HP linear tracking tonearm three times over the years. My least favorite of the four different wires that I have had experience with was the VDH silver clad copper litz. The other three were the Cardas (copper), the Discovery (copper) and the AudioNote silver.

In comparison to the other three the silver clad copper VDH was a bit harsh and bright and obviously grainy sounding. The Cardas was smooth and on the dark side of things; as if the lights had been turned down. Imaging was stable and more compact than the others overall . Discovery was rather full sounding and with an obviously more generous soundstage, but sounded slightly grainy without harshness. My favorite, by a long shot was the AudioNote silver which is still installed. By far, the most refined sounding. Very detailed smooth sounding. Some might say a little lean compared to the Discovery, but with the best low end extension and clarity. The AudioNote is the thinnest and most flexible of the four; the Discovery the thickest and least flexible. IMO, not an insignificant consideration; the thinner and more flexible the better, if harder to work with..

Good luck with your choice.

**** Do not let the distortions of silver enter your system. ****

Acknowledging that the choice will be influenced at least to some degree by the aggregate of the spectral signatures of all the other “components” in an audio system, how does using silver, a metal that has higher conductivity and lower resistivity than copper necessarily mean that it will introduce more distortion than copper?

Dover makes a great point re cable loom construction.

I mentioned in my previous post that I have rewired my ET2 three times. With the exception of the VDH silver plated litz, which the tonearm was internally wired with in stock form, the construction of all three subsequent wire looms (Cardas, Discovery, AudioNote) is absolutely identical. Unlike the VDH, these three wire looms were run externally and in one continuous run (no break) from cartridge clips to the phono preamp (RCA); unshielded until just beyond the point where the free movement of the tangential air bearing would be impeded. Except for the different wire, the length and construction of the three looms are absolutely identical. As I mentioned in my previous post, for me, the AudioNote silver is clearly superior to the two copper wires.

It is true that the two copper wires, Discovery in particular, are less flexible than the AN and this fact alone does undoubtedly affect performance. Out of curiosity, as a rough experiment and certainly not definitive, I experimented DECREASING the amount of flexibility of the AN loom so as to try and mimic the reduced amount of freedom of movement that the bearing “sees” with the Cardas and Discovery looms. This can be achieved easily with very small changes to the way one dresses the wire. I hoped to then be able to get a better sense of what were the characteristics of the conducting materials (silver/copper) without the added influence of more or less freedom of movement of the wire. There were clearly some subtle negative audible effects of reducing the wire’s flexibility. Interestingly, the most obvious was a perceived reduction in soundstage width and depth; akin to what is heard with the Cardas. However, the spectral balance remained essentially the same as well as the general superiority of the AudioNote silver in the areas of clarity and overall refinement.

It has been claimed that the “distortions” of silver (the material) may be erroneously perceived as superiority in the context of a “deficient” system. However, this argument can easily be turned on its head. It is entirely possible and probable to my way of thinking that the superior inherent clarity of a silver wire (well, at least the AudioNote), perhaps due to its provable superior conductivity and lessened resistivity, lays bare problems with the “components” that preceded it in the chain. In this case, with the cartridge and possibly its setup.

For kicks, or when I need an audio “fix” (boredom? 😊), I will occasionally reinstall the Cardas or Discovery wire looms. The results are always the same. After having lived with the AN, I could not go back to either on a long term basis.

Do report your findings. Thanks.

Great point, Dover and I don’t forget it at all. As with many other things in this hobby, given so many variables sometimes the most one can hope is to extrapolate and connect some dots so as to, as I said before, get a better understanding of what is going on. For instance, in my system the Cardas and the Discovery sound, overall, very different in specific ways; proving your point. Most obvious is the larger and opulent soundstage of the Discovery compared to the more compact and dense Cardas. However, is it a coincidence that both the Cardas and the Discovery, both copper, share some properties in overall tonal qualities? Qualities not heard with the AN. And, that compared to the AN both exhibit some grain? Or, that I hear a similar sense of clarity and lucidity when I switched from copper speaker cables to the Siltech (pure silver) that I use? One starts to see (hear) a pattern.

Silver is, verifiably, a better conductor than copper. Wires conduct. With all the concern over other minutia of differences in many other areas of system building and insistence that those minutia make audible differences (many do, IMO), is it not to be expected that the better conductor, WHEN PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED would offer superior sound, everything else being equal?

@poorguy , 1.5 meter.