Solid copper or stranded copper for speaker cables? What is your choice and why?

Mihorn + good description agree +++++.

@elliottbnewcombjr 

Back in the CAT5 days, the DIY SCs involved a lot of braiding, stripping, and bleeding fingers.  As you pointed out one method could be to simply use them as-is, but it seems another opportunity might be to twist four individual CAT8 cables and then connect them in a star-quad geometry for lower inductance. 
Using 22awg wire the individual CAT8 cables would result in a 13awg cable size per bundle, or 10awg if connected using star-quad geometry.  This source would be enough for a pair of almost 30-foot cables for only $140 or, a pair of 15-foot, bi-wire cables (two full runs per side), each cable at 10awg.

I still make my own cabling. I have specialized tooling to make cables of all types. My preferred base conductor material is round, high purity solid copper or silver 20 awg for analog. The Cu I like the best is OFC highly conductive, Ono cast (OCC),..... Silver is rated at "fine", no use in a higher purity silver.

I have found I prefer the sound balance across the spectrum using 20 awg solid. The way the base material is finished will make a difference. Polished works the best, there are 2 choices: chemical or mechanical. I prefer chemically polished, less dust.

The design I use is a gas suspension using polyethylene tubes that are sealed at the ends. For speaker cables I use 6 strands in separate tubes twisted around a seventh tube. I usually bi-wire my speakers. Hard to beat the performance at any price, but there is better.

mitch2

my friend has less efficient speakers, and that is exactly what he did.

jayctoy

Mihorn + good description agree +++++.

Thank you!  Alex/Wavetouch