High capacitance speaker cable can have an impact on your amplifier e.g. Naim amps do not like high capacitance speaker cables.
It really depends on the design of your amp.
It really depends on the design of your amp.
Something doesn't seem right about this...
When a speaker cable is designed with the positive lead(s)
intertwined with the negative (I'd name names but almost everyone does it),
won't this cancel out some signal?
When an amplified audio signal pulses down the + wire (to your speaker)
it does some work (i.e. makes some sound) then exits in the - (minus)
wire to ground and completes the circuit.
If these wires are next to each other, the incoming signal (+) will be affected by the outgoing (-) won't it?
What am I missing?
intertwined with the negative (I'd name names but almost everyone does it),
won't this cancel out some signal?
When an amplified audio signal pulses down the + wire (to your speaker)
it does some work (i.e. makes some sound) then exits in the - (minus)
wire to ground and completes the circuit.
If these wires are next to each other, the incoming signal (+) will be affected by the outgoing (-) won't it?
What am I missing?
Showing 7 responses by williewonka
Bifwynne - Judging by the number of people reporting great sound from Kimber Kable I would say there are many... e.g. Kimber 12 TC is rated at 1400pF/ft Van Den Hul D-352 is rated at 32.5pf/meter I think Naim cable is around 22 pF/meter I believe the issue is high capacitance cables can cause some amps to oscillate. But it is due to the design of the amp, so it does not apply to all amps. I have not heard that Low Capacitance cables affect the operation of any amp to my knowledge. Again, it the type of thing you have to try before you buy unless otherwise stated by the amp manufacturer. The same thing probably applies to interconnects and source components. Probably why some members report great sound with one cable brand versus some other name brands. |
Bruce - re: your cable specs and are they suited to your amp and will moving up the Kimber ladder be beneficial... I did try Kimber 4PR and 4TC speaker cable for a DIY project and the 4TC was the better performer in that instance with those components. It was noticeable, but subtle and such improvements very much depended on the components used, which, with other components may not reveal any benefit at all. Increasing the gauge however should improve bass performance and dynamics - e.g. moving from the 4TC to the 12TC - at least that was my findings with a similar upgrade with the Van Den Hul brand of cable. Without knowing whether the designer of your amp built it to handle high or low capacitance cables, then the only way to know is to try them first. Should you try a different brand? Again, try to get some loaners to audition first before buying Are your cables high capacitance? They are approximately twice the capacitance of my Van Den Hul d-352 cables and as such would be considered high for Naim amps by Naim customer service. For most amps Kimber speaker cables must be within acceptable operational limitations - I.e. just based on the number of members that find they perform very well. Let's face it - if they presented anything close to a significant problem, it would be all over the WWW. Do they sound nice to your ears? I.e. not harsh or grainy - then I would say they are most likely not impacting the performance of your amp. I have not heard that low capacitance cables present a problem to any amp, so if anyone has experienced otherwise please post a response. Regards |
OK Bruce - just took a look at your system and based on those components, upgrading speaker cables may well reveal details currently unheard. But - If it were me I would probably opt for a different brand. Here's my thinking - you are already using a 9 gauge cable that uses good quality copper with low resistance - moving up to the 8 gauge 12tc would probably result in only subtle improvements in detail and dynamics Significantly improving on your systems current performance would probably require a change in materials and design used in the cable's construction e.g. maybe a cable that introduces silver coating or a silver/copper alloy and/or a significantly larger diameter cable. That would be the direction I would proceed. Hope that answers your question. Good luck with the search BTW - what power cable do you use :-) |
Bruce - just looked at the Sain - that's a little outside my snack bracket :-) BTW - Could you explain "plaid" priced please Currently I'm using DIY Furutech 10 gauge to the amp and 13 gauge Furutech on the source components - all with silver-plated copper connectors. I'm about to try (in the mail) the Silver Resolution power cable - a silver/copper alloy cable from Signal Cables, just to see how it compares to my Furutech's - recommended by a fellow Agoner with an amazing system who has also auditioned many of the boutique brands and prefer the Signal brand. See - Silver Resolution Power Cable Another Agoner highly recommends their silver-copper alloy interconnects also I guess I'm just a sucker for the little guy :-) |
Bruce - just installed the Silver Resolution yesterday and already it's performing better than my Furutech 10 gauge - even with only 24 hours on them. The dynamics are the biggest i provement - this is a very fast cable. I would recommend the connector upgrade offered by Signal Cable - I ordered their stock connectors because I have a preference for a silver-on-copper connector - once I replaced the stock's the cable became less harsh and much faster. It also provided... - a deeper image - smoother and more detailed sibilance - more clarity and air around instruments/vocalists A very worthwhile upgrade from my perspective |