Speaker cables with good timbre


As the title says, i would like to hear recommendations on a pair of speaker cables, copper, that have a very good midrange, imaging and truth of timbre or faithful reproduction of instrument sound. As i get older i started to realize i value those characteristics the most when i listen to recorded music. Thank you in advance.

128x128audiogabby

@dickieboy  I can second your opinion on Morrow.  I used them for years but only as interconnects.  Their Christmas sale appears to be the best of the year at 60% off.  Morrow is a bit like the airlines.  Always on sale.  A while back I needed to go to a very long set of XLRs so I drank the Kool-Aid and purchased a new brand at a much higher cost.  I can't honestly say I heard any improvement in sound over the Morrow cables.  They also give a 60 return policy if you're not happy for any reason.  

Cables are so numerous that it gets pretty crazy and confusing. You can't try them all.  I don't pretend to have listened to too many, but I simplified my choice and am very happy with Morrow cables, and you just go up or down the line to suit your budget. They are very helpful and responsive, the cables are very flexible and not so thick (I switched from MIT that are garden hoses with those damn boxes, sound good but what a pain!). They're a great buy with the frequent sales and you can try em and send back if you wish. They have the characteristics you are looking for as far as sound quality is concerned. 

@audiogabby  I must say I find cable threads akin to asking what shade of blue is the sky?  Human nature says most will recommend what they are using themselves.  Then there will be dozens of different cables recommended.  They can't all be the best?  Since I don't have your room, your equipment or your ears, can I really suggest what is right for you?  But for what it's worth, try building your own set using VH Audio CHeLA Speaker cable (in bulk), now available with pure, solid OCC Copper conductors!

The CHeLA OCC speaker cable is made of 48 individually insulated 24 AWG SOLID OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) copper conductors that are insulated with VH Audio's AirLok� dielectric. VH Audio's AirLok� dielectric is a proprietary form of foamed/cellular Fluoropolymer that has a dielectric constant of LESS than 1.5 and an extremely low dielectric absorption. The 48 OCC copper conductors are braided into VH Audio's Counter Helical Litz Array TM geometry (C.He.L.A.) around a core containing strands of unbleached cotton. This special self-shielding speaker cable geometry results in very low inductance (.011 uH*), reasonable capacitance (230 pF*), and low DCR (1.35 milliohms per foot*). Additionally, the CHeLA geometry results in more symmetrical field interaction between strands vs. conventional braided designs. Aggregate AWG for each grouping of 24 conductors is 11 AWG, and the approximate cable diameter is 3/4"  (cut and pasted).  A final benefit is the joy of building your own cables.  IMHO

  Not surprisingly, I use these in my own system.  As good as any cable I have heard and only $43 per foot.  Cheers.

Cardas is well known for their copper quality. I recently purchased a pair of Clear Sky X4 speaker cables. They are remarkably balanced with no particular emphasis on any frequency range. 

Surely the only goal you should have for cables is that they add as little as possible to the signal and not what they add to the sound.

Audiogabby Audioquest first choice, Check Veritas cable they are getting good reviews . I have not heard them. 

Hi,

The best cable in the world would be no cable. The next best cable would be the cable with the lowest resistance/capacitance. If you're looking for a cable to create a sound signature or EQ  your system then you're not looking at cables properly in my opinion. You want the cable to completely disappear if possible, although this is not possible LOL but you do want the cable to have a very low overall effect on your system. You don't just want to hear just the guitar strings, you also want to hear the wood on the acoustic guitar. Less is more in this situation.

This is just my opinion but I have had over 500 different cable models. Have a great Sunday.

Cheers Bob

If your cabe runs are approx. 12'  (15'-16' is also fine) try single runs of Neotech 22 gauge solid core copper sheathed in Teflon.

You will require 4 single runs for a pair of single wired speakers.

I'd order them a foot (or two) longer, per run, as you will end up trimming/refreshing the ends over the years.

I've been using 47 Labs OTA speaker cable for 20+ years and I'm on my 2nd pair only because one of our cats damaged/partially stripped a pair.

Use bare wire ends sans connectors.

https://www.soniccraft.com/product_info.php/neotech-solid-upocc-copper-in-teflon-22-awg-red-p-1587?osCsid=j80kjqv013beakq10pjt09jq40

 

DeKay

Cardas are really good and they have different cables at different price points. Trying different ones from the cable company to match your system is a good idea.

Lots of options i see. My speakers are the Totem Forest Signature. Very transparent with good imaging, in my opinion. The rest of my system is Marantz CD60 and SL La Musica integrated. I'm very pleased with my system so no changes there. This was a good read this morning. Thank you to all who responded.  

I’ve been happy with my AcousticZen Hologram cables for the exact reasons that you mention. They were originally recommended to me by someone praising their accuracy of timbre.

To me you have exactly described Kubala Sosna Realization (or even Elation).

I had a full loom of Audience SX 24 and thought they were amazing until my dealer swapped in a pair of Elation cables.  Both were resolving on the high end, but the K-S were much fuller with midrange timbre and all around fullness, yet resolving without being bright like some other cables with silver I tried.  Many other copper cables were dark.  I am sure there are many other great cables.

Having many speaker cables throughout the years that includes Nordost v2, shunyata sigma and audience front row, currently enjoying snake river signatures - absolutely terrific timber, that made me to go with full loom of snake river signatures, 

IMHO , I was cabled all with Audience Front Row with my system.Not a bad cable but too bright for my hearing and too forward. It was fatiguing for me and after lots of research and trial and errors I understood that it’s all about synergy with components and cables and the type of music you listen too. My music preferences changed throughout the years and having a little bit more time since I’m semi retired, I realized I fell in love with Jazz, smooth Jazz, female and male voices and some well recorded classics and some classical. So my final choice with my cables were the Luna Rouge cables, sounding so pure and organic , on the warm side with no added colour,just very organic.My system is Shindo components,Weiss 501 Mk2 DAC ,Aqua LinQ transportor , Fleetwood Deville SQ  speakers singing along with 2 Rel S510 subs all with Luna Red cables. The Synergy is magical, I feel the sparkle in every song. I have a few well known and reputable friends in the industry whom I invited over and everyone really enjoyed the musical synergy they heard.It is very important that your ears should be priority to your hearing choices and not get too involved with all the advertising propaganda cable companies make. Listen well and trust your judgement.

I’ve used cables from Blue Jeans and SVS and Audioquest (because it was a great one-time deal). Recently purchased my first cable from Pine Tree Audio in Fitchburg, MA. Locally Well made with a lot of choices including color, which is fun, and reasonably priced. Check out their rainbow ribbons. Very cool.

i would buy and make your own the GR research cable kits superior performance yet low cost ( a pair of 4' are i believe less than $100! ) 
they will surpass most all others 

I was at the same point quite a few years ago ... looking for speaker cables with great timbre. Auditioned a number of brands over about a 3-month period. Installed Gregg Straley Reality speaker cables, got off the merry-go-round, and never looked back. Note: they're still in business but have not updated website in quite a few years (says "Not Secure"). YMMV

Happy Listening!

Audience AU24SX or FrontRow. They have a natural tone, are highly resolving but never bright. I tried many speaker cables and the FrontRow are by far the best I ever heard.

I have 2 sets of these, and I concur. My Magnepan Mini (and LRS+) did not seem to benefit as much as all other speakers with the FrontRow.

I did a comparison with the AU24SX and the FrontRow speaker cables. If your system is very resolving then you can hear some harshness with the AU24SX, nothing bad on the FrontRow.

I use a 10 AWG speaker cable from Blue Jean Cables for the Magnepan Mini. One set of my FrontRow speaker cables sit idle for now.

The cable Devon Turnbull sells on his Ojas site is really excellent. I think it excels at the qualities you’re looking for. It’s not terminated but I can’t imagine you’d find better anywhere near this price. 

OP copper, that have a very good midrange, imaging and truth of timbre or faithful reproduction of instrument sound.

Wavetouch audio speaker cable. Listen WTA cable how close the real voice and recorded voice below. Alex / WTA

https://youtu.be/2ru4D-mOMdo?si=PLh0_Cvg_GLLhbwl

Maybe we should simply call this the tAudiogone Cable Discussion Forum....tedious.

Madison Audio Lab extreme series cables are a decent cable I had a set on my main system, and now run them on my second system. I recently bought a pair off Fono Acustica legato cables. Best $3500 I ever spent on cables.

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Midrange, imaging, timbre, and neutrality. These 4 things you ask for are heavily dependant on speakers.

+1 on Auditorium23 I use the interconnects and not the speaker cables their tone is fantastic. I'd say the same for my speaker cables Audio Note Lexus another copper design. The two play very well together.

Isn't the JPS superconductors an Aluminum alloy? I used their original ic's over 20 yrs ago. 

Auditorium23. Developed according to Ken Shindo‘s theories and real value for money. Especially good with high efficiency speakers and tube amps

JPS Labs Superconductor 3 speaker cables!!!  Trust me on this one.  Over the last 15 years, I've upgraded every cable in my audio system (including upgrading my entire audio system), except for my JPS Labs Superconductor 3 speaker cables.  Discontinued, so you can now buy them on the used market for a much more reasonable price.  The JPS Labs Superconductor speaker cables are truly amazing speaker cables in every way, as they have become my end-game, forever speaker cables.  Happy listening.