solid core VS stranded for inside speaker cabinet

Here's my opinions and i don't have physics to back it up (like I usually do).  

Stranded wire was developed for applications where you need flexibility, cords are the best example. Solid wire is still used in a lot of applications.  Most high end capacitors use solid wire leads (there are a couple of exceptions).  Most point to point wire in tube amps is solid.   The advantage here is that it stays where you bend it to.   I'm starting to see some interconnects made with solid vs stranded wire, woven.  In fact I'm planning to make a set of my own with solid wire woven. 

So it doesn't surprise me that solid wire is supplied in a speaker kit.  One advantage is that you can bend it and route it away from the walls.  Using stranded wire you have to be careful it doesn't fall loosely on a wall of the speaker and create a vibration.

I would do 1 of 2 things:  I would either use it, or I would take thiis opportunity to buy high quality mundorf or duelund wire to rewire your speaker.  I am building upgraded crossovers for my speakers this winter and I bought duelund wire to upgrade all the wiring inside the speakers while I'm at it.

Jerry

I require my Norh 9 speaker inside. I made a choice between Audioquest copper solid core and siltech strand silver . Since my Norh were not revealing , The siltech did work better. It give me more sparkle and transparency. If my gear are tube ? I will go strand wire..my 0.2 cents

GR’s wire is a high quality oxygen free solid core copper in a PVC jacket. I’ve used it to wire up a few pair of speakers and it sounds quite good.

For my latest speakers, I elected to use Neotech OCC sold core copper in Teflon. This is quite a bit more expensive, but I wanted I smaller gauge wire for the tweeters since I was wiring sixteen together in each cabinet. And since I was spending a lot more for premium crossover components (copper foil in oil), I decided it was worth spending on the wire. That said, I think the difference between this and GR’s wire is pretty subtle.

Solid core handles more current for a specific gauge. I would choose solid core.

@jasonbourne52 Indeed you can't always hear slightly better equipment.  But as we go about putting together our system, consistently making the best choice, often guided by physics, sometimes by experience, the 30 to 50 choices we make will add up to superior sound in the end.

I snicker at those who describe the performance of a component with terms that sound like a review from wine spectator, but you are at the other end of the spectrum.  reading your comments one could assume that they can buy a 1000 ft reel of 22 ga wire and just use it for everything.  That is obviously not true. 

The truth is always somewhere in the middle.  but in our society today people like to polarize to one end of the other.  

I'm in the middle.

Jerry

ya gots a lot of solid in da voice coil 😉

Solid wire has ever so slightly more cross sectional area than the equivalent multi strand wire since it does not have the miniscule air gaps in between the individual strands, and hence is capable of carrying slightly more current.

The downside however is that it is not flexible.

So, it IS ok to use solid wire in areas which will NOT be subject to any motion or vibration.

As far as the skin effect is concerned, at those frequencies and the lengths of wire involved, the effect is negligible and will be inaudible, especially if you use thicker than required wire.

IHave been modding Loudspeakers for over 20 years ,i personally like Cardas-0

crystal Copper Litz wire,  Litz sounds clearer and faster  I find ideal ,Vh audio 24 strand  litz - individual stands each strand is thin Teflon coated.

is also very good but more work separating the conductors from the center cotton weave.

Danny is has a ton of experience experimenting and testing this stuff.  He's also a straight shooter and wouldn't sell you something cheaper to increase his profit by a few cents...he'd just charge a bit more if necessary.  You bought his kit and his experience for a reason.  If you were in a position to go against his recommendations, you wouldn't have ordered from him in the first place.  Try it.

For the short runs of wire inside your speakers, you probably hear any difference between solid and stranded wire as long as it’s good quality wire. And while I don’t have any personal experience with GR Research, I’m sure you can call Danny and he will explain why he sent you what he sent you.

All the best.

Solid core on your woofers,  stranded on your tweeters

Danny/GR Research helped me upgrade and better tune an old set of Epos ES12 speakers a couple years ago: new crossover parts, wiring, sound deadening material.  Solid core wire worked great.  I also have solid core speaker cable/wires from the amp, "Anticable" brand I think.  Compared to a couple other set of cables I own (older Cardas and Silver Sonic bi-wire sets) the solid core Anti-Cables sound the best (marginal, but noticeable). 

@ngiordano

First off, good call on proceeding with the upgrade. You should hear a substantial improvement in sound quality. As a wise man once said; "It might take plastic surgery to get the smile off your face."

The solid vs stranded debate has been around for many decades. It’s a bit like one person saying: "6+6=12" and another responding with: "No, 6+6 CAN’T be 12!! 8+4 is 12!!" BOTH answers are correct.

There are many factors that contribute to how a cable "sounds". Or, as one person suggested: "Cables can’t make a system sound better. They can only make it sound worse." Very good advice, indeed. "Damage control" is the goal. So, doing no harm (or, less harm) is the key to cable design. OEM cables, in general, make things sound worse.

Geometry, choice of materials, dialetric (effect of insulators), shielding, and gauge are a few of the (but not all) elements that determine how good a cable "sounds." If a designer pays close attention to all the above, you’ll probably have a cable worth owning.

I have performed dozens of speaker mods over the years. My "rule of thumb" is to try to use some version of the same cable that the owner selected between the amp the speakers. This cable cable was probably selected by the owner after careful evaluation and the "personality" of the cable is compatible with the "personality" of the listener. IF the cable is available in bulk, and IF the cable can be manhandled inside of a speaker cabinet, then it’s a good choice. Sometimes a "dumbed-down" version of the cable is required (smaller gauge, different material), but even with these compromises it will still be sonically superior than OEM by a wide margin.

That being said, our "go to" cables are solid core. We just have a foundness of a certain manufacturer’s products. Not due to solid core, but they just check all the boxes on our "damage control" list.

On a closing note, short lengths do matter. We were quite curious about this a while back and did testing with various 12" cables cables. And, yes, you can hear a difference in short runs. Even 12" of mediocre cables can do a lot of damage.

It certanly appears that GR Research has done their homework and provided you with a well thought out product. The big question is not whether they use solid vs stranded, but what is the first cut you’re going to pick to evaluate the upgrade?

Enjoy!

if you're going to rewire your speaker internal wire use OCC single Crystal copper wow what a difference, I got a 10 to 15% improvement across the board over anything ofc, that's what was in the speaker prior to me upgrading.

In my ’limited’ experience I find waytoomuchstuff statements true

Geometry, choice of materials, dielectric (effect of insulators), shielding, and gauge are a few of the (but not all) elements that determine how good a cable "sounds." If a designer pays close attention to all the above, you’ll probably have a cable worth owning.

My "rule of thumb" is to try to use some version of the same cable that the owner selected between the amp the speakers.

On a closing note, short lengths do matter.

Cardas has interesting cable geometry that should have an effect on sound, doesn’t seem to use OCC copper, and don’t care to mention how much silver is in their solder. I think silver in cables and possibly solder is important in my system.

GR Research internal speaker cable is a no name OFC solid core. jaytor mentioned that the difference between it and the Neotech OCC was subtle. That is interesting, for the sake of my wallet I hope so.

Two days ago I ordered a sample length of the Neotech CU-AG OCC which has 20% OCC silver. I will compare it to the combination I use now for internal wiring. This combination comprises of the van den hul clearwater + Audioquest Rocket11.

I hope the difference is small, otherwise my wallet will suddenly get lighter 😄.

@waytoomuchstuff what cables do you recommend please?

By the way, speaking of wire lengths, I used my cable combination to replace a 2 feet 12v dc shielded cable that supplies the streamer and sound changed to the better.

@tjag

"what cables do you recommend please?"

I hestate to use the word "recommend" in that I don’t want to imply that I’m the wire guru and my solution is the preferred solution over others. I’ve auditioned many cables over the years, but my knowledge base does not include many listed here, which may, in fact sound better than what I use. That being said, I've been successful using Audioquest cables in most of my projects with predictable results. Rocket 33, 44 & 88 provide good bang for the buck, although they are not inexpensive. These are set up as single bi-wire, so you are actually getting two cables in one making the cost-per-foot lower than a similar full-range cable. The HF section has smaller conductors, and there’s a little more "meat" in the LF section.

You mentioned Rocket 11. I like this cable on a budget. Just a note, though, that it is actually a stranded cable and not solid core. AQ aligns the strains in straight rows next to each other vs twisting them, which AQ feels creates an advantage. Rocket 33 and up are superior sonically. And, give you the opportunity to spend more money. AQ does offer full range solid core in bulk, but not as easy to find.

Solid core is absolutely fine and many well known cable manufacturers use it. Many use a stranded cable that each strand is insulated which is referred to as Litz and there’s simple stranded which is like the old Monster Cable which my Wilson Audio W/P 6’s were built with. If I was to rewire the internal wiring of a speaker and was going to use solid core I’d probably use a lighter gauge and do a twisted pair as opposed to a larger single conductor. For your center channel speaker and short runs I bet you’ll be just fine with what came with the kit. If you have not tackled the project yet, I definitely recommend Cardas solder as it has a nice flow to it and easy to work with. Wonder Wire used to make a nice solder too. Hopefully the kit came with enough solder to do the job as the Cardas or TRT Wonder solder isn’t cheap if you have to buy a spool. Good luck and take your time.