28 AWG silver + teflon tubing braided for balanced 325i?

[el_matt0]

im considering using some 28 awg silver with teflon tubing to recable/ balance my 325i. ive heard lots of great things about going this sort of DIY route with a recable and using silver. couple concerns i have, what is the flexibility of this like? if i go with solid silver, is there any worry of over bending and snapping it or anything? for such a recable would it be better to use braided rather than solid? i plan to cover it in nylon multifil most likely and probably go with something like an 8 wire braid.

also, wheres good to order this kind of silver wire?? none of my regular online stores really stock it

....thanks!!

 

[el_matt0]

if i go with something like a 28 AWG stranded silver wire from navships on ebay, i noticed most of the wires this thin are not shielded. id probably be doing an 8 wire braid or something of the likes, would shielding the wires be an issue? other than nylon multifilament, would there be a need for something like braided copper or cotton to be put overt the braid?

 

[skyline889]

One thing that you should note is that Navships does not carry silver wire, he carries a type of silver plated copper wire and the two sound quite different

 

[el_matt0]

:O good thing you told me! what does the "navships" style of spc sound like?

 

[AudioCats]

8-wire braid per channel?

I have a feeling the SPC is not gonna work as well as the starquad you already have.

 

[el_matt0]

i actually decided to go with cardas for my 325i, i am however going to try an 8 wire braid of navships 28 awg spc for my RP21. not 8 per channel, 8 total.

 

[sbelyo]

I've used navship's SPC wire in some interconnets and a mini to mini. At first I thought it sounded pretty good. Until I switched to kimber 24 awg starnded. The difference was night and day, the kimber sounded way better.

It may sound better in your setup, but I didn't like it in mine.

 

[Bluetick]

Silver (not the silver plated stuff) is sold by levels of purity. The entry level purity for audiophile purposes is "4- nine". This means the silver is 99.99% pure (or four nines). Do not cheap out and go for 3 nines, or some silver plated crap uless you are wiring the inside of something. For cables and I/C's- 4 nine is the bare minimum required for best sound. Sometimes, 5 nine silver can be had for a decent price, and that is even better (if you can afford it).

Silver is drawn into wire by standardized weights. Thus, it is hard to get a large guage wire in a long length. A 28awg wire should be easy to get in long lengths, but don't think buying more means saving money. The price of silver is just like gold- strict by weight .

Silver seems to benefit from a heavy cotton dialectric when put in the open air. The internal parts of electronic components seem to favor teflon dialectrics. This is just one of its unique properties.

The use of silver cables has a mixed reaction, and this is due to all the really bad (cheap) stuff saturating the market. When you spend the money on the good stuff (4 nine minimum), and honor it's requirements (cotton dialectric is ideal in open areas), you'll be rewarded with a wonderful cable.

I don't think braiding will yield much "sonic" benefit with pure silver. If you are going with a balanced connection, it may be easier to just braid it (for neatness). I'd go with an extra, and braid in a loose Litz. Most of what I have read (and in my brief experiences) suggests silver does best with a loose twist- if anything at all. I have very low RFI in my environment. You may have to experiment with that one....

Also, remember to take a piece of steel wool (0000) and run it lightly along the entire length of wire before putting it into any kind of dialectric. This will remove any potential "haze" on the wire from dies or oxidation. I also suggest a very light misting of Caig's preservative. When silver oxidizes- it remains just as conductive (it's still silver), but the tonal qualities shift ever so slightly.

 

[threEchelon]

VH Audio sells 28 AWG silver in cotton tubing.

 

[el_matt0]

http://www.partsconnexion.com/catalog/wire.html
is there anythign wrong with Jupiter's higher purity silver for like...half that price? 28 AWG 5N silver insulated with cotton?

 

[el_matt0]

^?

 

[Zorander]

I wouldn't recommend solid-core wires for headphone recables (even in small diameters). They are too stiff and prone to breaking, either from regular flexing or wearer's frustration. Go for stranded stuff instead.

Regards.

 

[skyline889]

Solid core wire for re-cabling is fine if it is maintained properly and taken care of. 28 awg even with solid core will be extremely flexible and as long as it is not mishandled, it will last for a while.