Speltz Anti Cables

Drubin: solid cables are a drawback when they are used in a situation that requires often movement or increased flexibility. If rigid enough, either due to conductor size and / or geometry, they can transfer energy via microphonics between connected components. In some cases where out of the ordinary dielectrics that lack physical support for the cabling, the cables are more likely to change impedance when moved due to the increased movement of the conductors inside of the dielectric. In most cases, solids are desirable, but i wanted to be fair and point out some of the drawbacks too.

As to breaking in, these cables have an enamel coating on them. Enamel is a lower grade ( higher loss ) dielectric than Teflon is. On top of that, solid conductors can develop fissures, cracks and "density damage" due to stretching / kinking the wire structure itself when initially packaging them or during the initial installation and / or relocation.

As such, this type of cable may require the passage of signal to help them "heal" or form more complete and uniform crystal structures after initial placement. The more signal that you can pass through any cable, the faster the electrical characteristics will tend to stabilize. Personally, i would recommend getting them situated in to position, hooking them up and then throttling them hard for an extended period of time. Put on some rockin' tunes and kick back and enjoy them.

After a rockin' good jam session, you'll have plenty of time to listen for the subtleties the next day or so. This will not only have "exercised" the cables in terms of an electrical work-out, but also allowed them to settle into their physical resting place.

As to how to configure the cables, just leaving the conductors loosely spaced will get you similar performance to the Stealth Fine Ribbons as tested in the Audioholics cable face off #1. This cable was measurably higher in inductance and much poorer in bandwidth than zip cord. While i don't like to use the figures here as i don't really believe them to be all that accurate, the individual conductors of the Stealth when randomly spaced apart had appr 5x the amount of high frequency roll-off that they measured with heavy gauge zip cord. This type of configuration would also raise the nominal impedance quite drastically, reducing power transfer characteristics. On top of that, transient characteristics would also be drastically reduced as compared to a wider bandwidth, lower inductance, lower impedance cable.

Luckily, one can take these individual conductors and configure them in many different geometries. For the most neutral performance in a well-balanced system, the easiest way to do this would be to configure the wires as a spiral twisted pair. The more that the cables spiral around each other, the less inductance you'll have with a wider bandwidth being the result. This also drastically reduces the nominal impedance, which increases power transfer and loading characteristics. The increased bandwidth also results in better transient response and improved treble resolution.

The drawbacks to this type of configuration is that the signal path is slightly longer than if a straight run were used ( you lose a small percentage of wire length due to the twisting ). The conductors are also more stressed due to the bending and forming of conductors around one another, which will mean a longer break-in period. Cable microphony is also increased due to increased rigidity of the two conductors being intertwined.

Some may prefer the cables arranged in a widely spaced loose lay pattern, and that's fine. When used this way, the cables will tend to smooth out and soften the upper mids and treble region, which might be a problem with lower grade digital gear, the piss poor modern day recordings they expect us to listen to , metal dome tweeters that aren't properly damped and / or lower grade SS gear that suffers from artificial brightness and / or smearing.

Like anything else, what works best as an individual component may not work best as part of a system or be best for one's personal preferences. As such, don't be afraid to experiment with this cabling in terms of the configuration that you have them in. Sean
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Bradz: I'm not Jkuc, but i have compared cabling that is very similar in nature to Paul's Anti-Cables to AP Oval 9's. All i will say is that having the AP Oval 9's in one of my systems produced some of the worst listening that i've ever had to endure. Using a single driver full range speaker with no crossover parts between the amplifier and the speaker is extremely revealing and i did not like what i heard when i introduced the Oval 9's into the system at all. It was as if you were listening to a pocket transistor radio i.e. no bass and horribly tizzy treble response. Everyone that heard this system said it sounded horrible, but i kept playing it hoping that it would improve with time.

This was long before any of the glowing reviews came out on the AP cables, as i tried them when they were first released. 500+ hours of break-in wasn't enough. Maybe the AP's sound better after you get 1,000,000,000+ hours on them, i don't know. Obviously, i'd take the "Anti-Cables" over the AP's any day of the week : ) Sean
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PS... I could never figure out why AP used one type of cable geometry for their silver cabling and a completely different geometry for their copper cabling. That is, if their computer simulations had shown one of these to be "the best" as their advertising states. If it truly were "the best", there would be no need for any other geometries to be used. In effect, their own products refute their marketing campaign aka "snake oil" and "cable hype".

Bradz: I can't give you any type of "set in stone" statements as to what to expect with the "Anti-Cables" because their physical and electrical characteristics are anything but consistent in nature. While they will surely "work" in your system, i can't say that you ( or anyone else ) will "prefer" these to any other cable in their system. Sean
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Palasr: I see that you've taken to using the "chaos theory" form of cable geometry i.e. multiple conductors laying wherever they fall : )

Your plan to spiral wrap the conductors around a vibration absorbing core material with a gap between them is very similar in concept to some interconnects people were discussing quite a while ago. Since consistent spacing would be very difficult to achieve, you would have kind of a cross between what you had before and your current "chaos theory" geometry that you now have. That is, you would have a relatively consistent nominal impedance due to the specified gap that you mentioned yet there would be impedance bumps due to the lack of perfectly consistent winds. Some say that having a consistent impedance is what provides a specific sonic signature ( and it probably does to a certain degree ). They believe that a random impedance is best in order to achieve a lack of a sonic signature, whereas others would say that loading / power transfer / transient characteristics would be random at best. I would be interested to see what you think when all is said and done.

Eagle: Your cables remind me of an elevated model train track hovering in space : )

While i don't know the specifics, the nominal impedance of this type of arrangement would be VERY high i.e. well in excess of 300 ohms. With a less than "robust" amp and a set of speakers that were highly reactive / low impedance, i could see this cable acting as a beneficial buffering device. That is, where the amp might shut down using more conventional cables, it might run fine with this type of arrangement. Obviously in this type of situation, having a system that works is better than a system that doesn't work.

This is kind of what Nelson Pass did when one of his amps kept shutting down trying to drive his old Dayton Wright Electrostat's i.e. used a smaller gauge, higher series resistance cable that presented a higher nominal impedance. Under more normal conditions i.e. an amp that can drive the speakers without much of a fuss, the presentation would be strictly a matter of personal preference.

David: That "red" stuff is the dielectric insulation material, which is some type of enamel base. I don't know how great of an insulator enamel is in terms of chemical penetration into the conductor, so you might want to use an enamel based paint. I'm kinda guessing that this shouldn't create a problem. Sean
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David: Many think that solid core wire is something new to audio and the net. If you do some research, you'll find that solid core has always had advocates, even when it wasn't popular or thought to be beneficial to work with. Even some people that are now considered by many to be "experts" on the subject of cabling needed some help in this area many years ago.

Please look at the dates in some of these posts and the people posting and responding to these posts. You might recognize some names of others that are currently manufacturing cables, but weren't back then.

My original posts recommending that Jon Risch try listening to / working with some solid cabling were made before AA had an archive. For the record, Thorsten Loesch was also involved in these conversations with Jon. In this post, you'll see where i mention making hints to Jon about the sonic advantages of solid core cabling . Jon also responds in this thread, but in another section. Jon later refuted the part that Thorsten and i played in his R&D, but as you can see in this thread, he had no problems with the comments that i made back then. The fact that i supplied Jon with the connectors that he came to recommend for use in building this cabling is also mentioned i.e. "i just run my mouth and supply the parts".

Please read all of my responses to this thread. To be honest, sometimes solid core designs aren't best and even the manufacturer of the cables don't know their own products very well. This was proven when i ended up having to not only correct mistakes on the Belden website, but also correct flaws in the Belden's responses to Alan.

For those that didn't know, the Alan in that thread is Alan Wright. He's the author of The Supercables Cookbook. After all of that took place, Alan ended up revamping that specific design based upon my corrections and suggestions. He also asked me to design some cabling for him via private email, but i declined. As mentioned in other threads, i'm not part of the audio industry or marketing of products : )

Here's a post where Sean Heisler, the artist that designed the AA logo and artwork, was asking about various cable designs for use with a sub. Jon Risch responds and i add on to Jon's initial response. As per my standard response for a good but low budget speaker cable, i recommended a low inductance solid core design.

Sonic characteristics of decent solid core cabling and why it is finally catching on*.

What to look for in a cable or the "Keep It Simple Stupid" approach to good sonics.

There are hordes of references available in the Agon and AA archives regarding solid core cabling, but as you can see, i've been one of the most vocal proponents of this type of product for many years. As such, i'm pretty familiar with how to get the best performance from it in terms of wire geometries and impedances. This doesn't mean that everyone will like the specific sonics that such a cable will bring with it, but that is a matter of personal preference and how good the rest of the support componentry is. Sean
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* As a side note, Mellson, who was involved in this thread, was one of the guys that i had interaction with during the great PS Audio HCA-2 debates over at AA. For sake of clarity, Mellson owned three of these amps. Some will remember that i based my comments on what the amp was capable of / how it would perform / the sonic traits of this amp without ever hearing it. After several months with these amps, Mellson came to agree with the assessments that i had made and sold the amps. Audio Pharoah was another AA Inmate that i did battle with over this subject at the time and he too came to the same conclusions that Mellson did. That is, my "sonic guesstimate" of how these amps would perform ( in stock form ) based on the technical measurements as provided by Stereophile was right on the money.

There was a relatively recent thread on Agon where i did much the same thing i.e. predicted the sonic outcome of a shotgunning some Kimber cabling without ever having tried it myself. I did this by looking at the electrical characteristics of the Kimber as one would use it normally and then what it would do to the circuit if used in shotgun form. Knowing how those electrical characteristics translate into sonics allowed me to post a comment. Another well respected Agon member ( I think it was Pops ) chimed in and said that he had tried that exact configuration with those exact cables and my comments were right on the money.

As i've said before, spec's can tell you quite a bit. That is, if you know how to properly interpret them and they were accurately derived.

Drubin: Thanks for the kind words. As a side note, i'm one of those people that get killed by the doom and gloom of murky winter weather. Now that the weather is breaking and the sun is beginning to show it's head through the clouds, i'm coming back out of hibernation. That first part of waking up can be a real bear though ; )

As to optimally configuring these cables, twist them into a spiral pair and then place them in the center of small diameter foam insulation tubes that are used for plumbing insulation purposes. When you have to make bends or radiuses, simply cut the foam before and after the radius leaving the cable exposed and then re-install the foam when going proceeding back in a straight line. Do yourself a favour though and cut the foam to fit by itself, not while it is wrapped around the cabling. Knicking the dielectric enamel on the conductors could result in a short circuit on your amp, which would not be pretty.

This approach not only protects enamel coating of the cabling from damage, it also acts as an acoustic isolater to reduce the microphony of the cables due to their increased rigidity. On top of that, the soft foam that lacks density also absorbs the mechanical vibration from the cable microphonics that makes its way into the cables past the acoustic isolation of the foam.

Those that are worried about "de-nuding" their cables by adding additional material around it, forget about it. You've already got a layer of dielectric that is not only covering the conductor, but that dielectric actually contours all of the nooks and crannies along the surface. In this respect, this is why enamel is a poorer dielectric than teflon. Not only is it more dense, it actually flows into the crevices whereas the type of teflon used as a jacket simply rides on the outermost surface of the metal.

In this respect, the foam pipe wrap may be equal to a or less "damaging" as a dielectric to the conductors than the type, density and quantity of enamel being used as an insulator. The foam is very soft and lacking in density on top of not being form-fitted to the conductors. Besides all of that, the enamal acts as a dielectric barrier between the conductors and the foam, pretty much making it a moot point. Sean
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PS... Like i said above, what works optimally and what one prefers within the confines of their system might be completely different things. Proceed at your own risk.

The more twists per foot, the lower the inductance and wider the bandwidth. That is, so long as you can keep from severely bending / kinking the cable and maintain a consistent twist ratio. Personally, i would shoot for one turn every 2 inches or so. If this is too tight for you to work with in a consistent manner, go for one turn every three inches. At this ratio, anything between 4-6 turns per foot should be good. Sean
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Drubin: Probably the easiest way to twist cabling is to anchor one end in a vise and then gradually twist the wires in a consistent manner. Longer cable lengths can be a problem, so keep adjusting the lenghth of exposed cabling by moving the clamping point as needed. In order to keep from crushing the wiring, you can wrap a small rag around them and still apply enough pressure to keep them from sliding out of the vice.

Others have used a drill but i find this both difficult and far less consistent. Others say it works great and is pretty quick, so try it with some junk wires and see what you think.

George: Never saw or heard of DNM Reson cables. If the conductors are widely spaced apart, i have no interest in them whatsoever. They might sound nice in a specific system, but i know that they are most assuredly altering the frequency response in a non-linear fashion.

Scotty333: Twisted Anti-Cables would be quite similar to the Mapleshades, but in a much heavier gauge. The Mapleshades would provide a slightly leaner and punchier presentation with increased treble detail, but at the expense of bass weight and impact. If one is using a large woofer in a poorly designed vented cabinet, the Mapleshade's may help to restore proper tonal balance to the system. On the other hand, the heavier gauge twisted Anti-Cables would work better in a system that sounds somewhat lean and bright. This is also where the "spaced apart" Anti-Cable design would work best, but with a far more drastic loss of high frequency output and resolution. Sean
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George47: At 3/4" spacing between conductors, the nominal impedance would be quite high, probably about 600 ohms or so. The inductance would also be quite high with the impedance climbing as frequency rose. You would end up with less impact on dynamics and rolled off treble. For a very "hot & peaky" sounding system, this would tend to smooth things out and "sugar coat" the sound. Many may prefer this sound, but that doesn't make it "accurate". Like anything else though, it all boils down to specific sonic preferences and system synergy. Sean
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PS... Many people mistake "different" for "better". In many cases, some componentry / cabling may improve in some areas but compromise other areas at the same time. Since the difference are more apparent than the sum presentation between the products under comparison, they jump to conclusions and believe something to be better even though it is really a "sideways" step. They soon find this out and are then move on to the next "flavour of the month" cable or component. They do this rather than looking for a product that was designed with every aspect of operation taken into consideration.

While doing so is fun and gives us experience that we hopefully learn the right things from, it becomes quite expensive and actually reduces the time spent listening to music. Instead, we listen to the system because the system was built moving sideways rather than going forward.

This is why i've stressed getting the interphase between the amp / cable / speaker right to begin with and then working your way back up through the system. This is the only part of the system where we have specific variables to work with i.e. known impedances and electrical interfaces, so it only makes sense to take that and use it as a foundation to build upon.

Using any other approach would be akin to trying to modify the foundation of a building after the entire building was completed. This wouldn't be considered "sideways" as much as it would be "backwards", costly and foolish. Then again, we all have different goals, levels of enjoyment, expectations and available funding, so who am i to try and tell someone how to spend their time and money??? : )

Speaker cables with high inductance i.e. wide spacing between the conductors can alter the sonics of a system in many different ways with different perceptions. My experience is that by rolling off treble due to the high inductance, a system suffering from artificial brightness and / or high frequency smearing now sounds smoother and the shift in tonal balance adds body and fullness.

This is the same reason that "warm sounding" tube based components have become so popular i.e. the colourations that they enter into a system tends to hide or mask other problems upstream ( hard and brittle sounding digital ), making them a match made in Heaven for some folks. That match made in Heaven is what some might call "system synergy" while others would call it "complimentary colourations".

Like i said before, you guys are hearing many of the benefits of a solid core conductor, which i've highly promoted for many years now, but you're only getting part of the picture. Whether or not you want to see the rest of the picture or will like what it looks like once you do see it will depend on the rest of your system and / or your personal preferences. Sean
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