Amp Internal Wire


Hi Gents, has anyone have any experience with upgrading amp or preamp internal signal wire? Most older equipment seems to have thin maybe sometimes poor internal wiring. In the world of OFC/OCC/Sterling and even more exotic wire available these days, any experiments done using this internally on components swapping out the cheap?

Lots of discussion about doing this with speakers, but never with components I've seen. For instance, I am thinking about replacing copper 'appliance' wire in an old Bryston with 14awg sterling from the board to the speaker binding post board.

 

Any thoughts?

rickysnit

@theaudiomaniac

Like I said, @holmz , all yours. Crazy posts draw out crazy people.

How would we know it is crazy?
There are no measurements or rational indicators to go by.

I can see inductors and transformers making a difference.
And the even capacitors and wire dielectrics.
It would be nice if someone could quantify some aspect of it.

 

All that needs to be done is some before and after of the DC power supply rail voltage. Without that, it seems like a story or myth.
But if it has some damage or needs rewiring, then changing it probably makes some sense.

 

Internal Wiring

Wiring is the signal path of any amplifier, and it does make a difference in both durability and performance. We use 18 gauge Military Standard 16878 teflon coated, silver plated copper wire. This is expensive (besides being a mouthful!), but is used in mission-critical applications like the Navy’s AEGIS cruisers. Teflon coating provides heat-protection for decades, where common PVC-coated wire will crack and degrade over time. The 18 gauge wire provides greater signal capability than a trace on a printed circuit board, and ensures that the amplifier will be stable under any condition, and will never limit the dynamic range or transient abilities of your amp.

They use that Tefzel stuff in plane and race cars, and it is also great at not chaffing through the insulation. But an amplifier is not usually vibrating like a race car or fighter jet, or rocket launch.

I use it myself, but it will not make an amplifier magic without the circuit design providing some of the magic.

It is much the same way that the most expensive saffron in the world, will not make a pork roast taste any better. But it might help an Indian curry .

Thanks @thyname 

I wondered what happened to

theaudioamp

deludedaudiophile

 

thynamesinnervoice

 

cindyment

 

snratio

 

yesiamjohn

 

sugabooger

 

dletch2

 

audio2design

 

dannad

 

roberttdid

 

roberttcan

 

heaudio123

 

audiozenology

 

atdavid

That is on crowded place between those ears.

This is TOTALLY subjective, based on what I did a few years ago. I re-wired and updated an old Dynaco Preamp - I forget the model number - PAS3? In any case, just for laughs, I replaced my SS pre-amp with the Dynaco, and was blown away by the increase in SQ, mostly dynamics. After a few hours, I replaced all the internal wiring, which was part of the upgrade plan. I used Kimber Kable, I think, and the existing wiring was all original. I plugged it back in and it sounded like crap. I let it go with some CD's playing while I had dinner. After dinner, the sound was better than before - still the dynamics, but also the highs were clearer - at least to me.  So definitely worth the effort to re-wire. I got two lessons from this - tubes blow away SS for SQ, and wire DOES make a difference. Enjoy.

Be aware: when teflon insulation is heated beyond about 475 F, it begins to decompose into highly toxic fumes. When I solder wire with teflon dielectric, I use a fume hood and a respirator rated for HF (hydrogen fluoride), at eye level if possible. 

YMMV

@theaudiomaniac 

 

Nailed it! Just when you think people can't get sillier. Why not go full re-mod and replace anything you can? Volume pots? transistors? resisters? diodes? etc 

😐