WHY CABLES MATTER!
I have seen the argument over and over again on why cables matter and the that wire is just wire and how scientifically it’s impossible for them to make a difference. The thing that surprises me the most is that different materials are used. Different shielding is used. Different connectors are used. Different braiding methods of the cables are used. Materials are sourced from different manufacturers and put through different creative processes but I always get some guy who comes on and says. WIRE IS WIRE AND YOU ARE NOT HEARING WHAT YOU ARE HEARING? To me it’s pure arrogance to think you know more than everybody else to the point where you tell me what we are hearing through my ears and we are not smart enough to know when are minds are playing trick on us. But using all these different materials, process and shielding and creative processes don’t make a difference. I spent the last 15 years trying all the cables I could try. Thoughts anyone?
Showing 9 responses by mitch2
I also don’t understand the issue. Since it was in bold, I understood your point was related to BJC’s opinion that low resistance is the main factor affecting speaker cables and that the best way to get there is to increase the wire gauge. This is not an uncommon opinion but some here will probably say there is more to it. I did find it interesting that BJC discussed resistance/gauge in an advertisement for 12awg cables, which are actually not that large. One of my favorite SCs over here is a full double run of Harmonic Technology Pro 9+, which provides 9awg (x2) of small gauge, individually insulated, solid core, OCC copper wire to each of my bi-wired speaker posts. My other favorites are a double run of 13awg Furutech OCC cables, and a double run of 7awg old stock Western Electric wire. However, all three of those cables, from the 4awg aggregate WE wire (i.e., 7awg x 2) to the 10awg aggregate Furutech wire, seem to offer adequately low resistance, although they do each sound a bit different from the others. |
When evaluating ancillary audio stuff, from cables, to fuses, to small add-on in-line digital boxes, etc., I try and first decide whether I actually hear a difference and consider whether the difference is actually better, or just different. Then I think about the possible reasons why something works, or not. It is best when what I hear aligns with plausible reasons for the difference/improvement, but it doesn't always work that way. I agree with you about metal purity and generally believe soft annealed OFC (or OFE) at 100%+ IACS is good enough for audio signals (although it so happens all of my cables are made from PCOCC). However, to your point about dielectric and geometry, I have found the speaker cables I like best use foamed polyethylene dielectric, and I do believe twisting and star-quad geometries used to lower noise and lower inductance are good for speaker and power cables. I find it interesting that BJC states, "Our favorite speaker cable is the Belden 5000 series," which is a simple pair of twisted, stranded copper wires with PVC dielectric and a PVC jacket. Also interesting is that the highest purity copper available in the Iconoclast speaker cable line is OFE or Oxygen-Free Electrolytic Copper (99.99% pure), although they do offer OCC, or Ohno Continuous Cast copper (99.99998% pure), in their interconnects. |
Most articles from cable designers that I have read indicate that power transmission cables, such as speaker cables and power cords, benefit from low resistance and low inductance designs, with low resistance being most important. Of course, lowering those parameters raises capacitance, which is why certain ultra-low inductance speaker cables such as Alpha Core Goertz caused instability/oscillation in some amplifiers. This about speaker cables from Audioquest:
This about power cables from Steve Nugent, owner/designer at Empirical Audio:
A link to one more interesting article on speaker cable design by Gareis of Belden, who designed his Iconoclast cables to have geometry and materials that provide balanced and consistent parameters. |
Your comments about stock Belden cables being hard to beat is interesting given all the theories, marketing hype, and exorbitant pricing for "audiophile" cables that either by measurement or listening tests have not been uniformly proven to provide significant (if even audible) sonic improvements. Belden cables (among other professional type cables) are mostly used to process the music we listen to and the equipment we use for playback includes many feet of mostly basic copper wire that is used in transformers, speaker voice coils, and other components. Belden makes some compelling stock cables and I believe it would be interesting to listen to their bulk/stock cables compared to much more costly "audiophile" cables, assuming the Belden cables were similarly terminated. For interconnects, the Belden 1800F you mentioned uses foamed Polyethylene insulation and braided copper shielding, and should perform well as an interconnect, either RCA or XLR. If this had been specifically designed for the audiophile market, it seems they might have used their High Conductivity Oxygen-Free Bare Copper (OFHC) wire instead of their Bare Copper (BC) wire, which I believe is tough pitch electrolytic copper (99.9+ percent pure copper at 100% IACS). For speaker cables, instead of the 5000 series which uses PVC insulation, I would suggest the line of Belden speaker cables recommended by Galen Gareis for those who want a less expensive option to his Iconoclast cables. Those options all use OFHC copper and are insulated with foamed Polyethylene. The line includes the two conductor 1313A (10awg) and 1311A (12 awg), and the four conductor 1312A (12 awg) and 1310A (14 awg) cables, either of which can be constructed in a star-quad geometry resulting in aggregate gauges of 9 and 11 awg, respectively. I find it interesting that Belden’s upscale Iconoclast line does not include power cables and instead they recommend cables from the Belden Audio/Video (BAV) line including Belden’s 19105, 19106 and 19107 stock cable (high-flex 10, 12 and 14 AWG BC conductors) with upgraded connectors. I am too far down the road with cables to go back and buy/try the Belden cables discussed above but if I were starting over, knowing what I know now and having experienced what I have related to cables, I would definitely use the cables listed above and save my money for component and speaker upgrades where I have always heard much more significant differences and improvements than with cables. |