So far I’ve made 2 neotech hp cables:
8 core (8 x awg 24 solid copper)
Has to be the best value vs performance I’ve ever come across in hifi because with sleeving, solder etc it cost about £60 and sounds as good if not better than any shop bought copper cable I’ve bought.
8 core (4 x 26 awg solid silver & 4 x 24 awg)
A lot more expensive, at about £245 for the wire and other parts, but considerable leap in performance. Amazing detail retrieval and extension top and and bottom. Guitars sound amazing - a real textured crunch, the bass is really nice to, deep, layered and perfectly controlled. Overall it’s added a real 3D depth to the soundstage.
I’ve experimented with so-occ acrolink multistrand from Japanese ebayer who was recommended to me. I made and 8 and 4 core versions with 23 awg/ 10 strand wire. Very good on the value front and performance is good too. The 4 core sounds slightly more defined and precise than the 8 core which was surprising. The 8 has more low end but it’s slightly less controlled than the 4. Cables cost about 60-75 each. Oh and they’re a lot more flexible than the neotech which I guess is unsurprising what with being multi-strand.
I’ve not really been tempted by the gold coated neotech copper, but I will make a short pure UP-OCC silver at some point so I have a proper reference on the silver sound, but first the silver/gold. I’m going with a 4 core of 28awg which is quite punchy at £270 for 10 metres. I have higher hopes though because so far every step up in neotech range has come with disproportionate returns vs investment, but when funds permit, i'll probably try making it up to and 8 core.
I can’t believe I’ve spent 20 years lining the cable makers pockets. I should mention the star of my set up the pure silver occ nei 1002 rca cable with eti cryo plugs, not cheap at £350 for the finished cable but wow, its a big leap up from £500 tellurium Q black ultra 2 rca which itself was a very impressive cable. I don’t know but I suspect it will give any cable up to £1k a run for its money and i think this is solely down to how far ahead Neotech are with their cable tech.. probably why they supply most high end cable makers.
Just need to try and sell some of my creations, that or work out how i can feed the family on mono crystal copper