What do you like and dislike about vintage Western Electric cables?

Technically cotton has a lower dielectric constant.

I am not sure I abide the theory of dielectric polarity alignment, and hysteresis… but it is not like they could improve with a battery biasing scheme.

I do not know what to listen for to prove that though.

Thanks @mitch2 .
I am no expert no it, but did get some “equivilent” cotton covered wire which I need to terminate and install. (Both for speaker and IC)

We joke about having to wear gloves to handle the old WE wire, but caution is warranted. Some old wires were treated with arsenic to reduce damage from being eaten by vermin.

I always wondered how the mice did not attack them like a British car loom..