[grahamndodder]

Any thoughts on relative merits of different types of hookup wire within the amp?

Tinned? Copper? Stranded? Solid?

Which do you prefer and why?

TIA,

GnD

 

[Tomo]

Hi,

I like stranded ones as opposed to solid ones. I can bend and unbend more often without causing fractures or breakage of the metal.

As for materials, it does change sound but slightly never drastically. I wouldn't go out of ways to get silver.

I would, however, go out of ways to get Teflon-insulated hookup wires. They are better insulating material and all the audio hypes. I use it because Teflon does not melt very easily. I can really heat the wire to make very best soldering without burning the insulator. I found this extremely important.


T

 

[cyclonite]

But... if you compare the same material eg: copper, the solid ones will be better than the standard ones. Reason being it does not pick up interference as easilly. Of course you gotta assemble the amp with absolute perfection if you want to use solid wires because you can't bend them too many times in those tight tiny spaces

 

[greyhorse]

It's funny. A long while ago someone suggested that litz wire sounded better than solid-core, and everyone agreed. Hi-end manufacturers later decided silver wire and teflon insulation also sounded better. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon, and in all the audio rags you'd find the catch-words PTFE and silver littered all over the place. All sorts of exotic wire configurations were touted to best all the others.

The wire war continues, but now that the dust has settled somewhat -at least in the DIY world- it now it seems solid core is smoother and better sounding than stranded wire. Teflon sounds edgy, and unnatural with clangy highs. Silver is also bright, and thin sounding.

Have we finally decided what wires sound best? Is there even such a thing as a "best" wire?

I dunno, but I bought my share of high-priced wires in the past; I still have a set of Silver Streaks and some AQ Lapis x 3 cables gathering dust in a the back room. I've got all sorts of fancy hook-up wire in my mountain of parts but I'm not sure I want to use them anymore.

In the end it all might come down to where you use a given set of wires. I recently bought another pair of MDR-CD3000s because my old (>10y) pair were wearing out. I love the sound of my Sony's and wondered what kind of cable was used in them. It turned out to use, what I guess is now a sonically inferior, litz type cable. I also have a Sun Audio SV-2A3 power amp that I once re-wired with teflon insulated solid silver wire. I know that mod didn't work out well at all. I later replaced the wiring with some copper wire (non-teflon insulation) and got most of the old magic back.

In the end, I think you're going to have to try out various wires and see what you like for yourself.

That being said, I've decided I CURRENTLY hate the sound of teflon coated wire as well as anything with silver in it (even solder). I'm also itching to try cardas litz wire but am dithering because I don't own a solder pot. Then again, I'm also considering just making my own PCBs and getting rid of all wires in the signal path all together.

Graham,
to answer one part of your question, it think any type of metal plated wire sounds unnatural. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) silver coated copper is now unanimously (including myself) agreed upon to sound awful. I tried a gold plated solid copper wire but found that to sound very cold as well.


Really, when will the madness end?

 

[mclaren20]

where is the best place to get some good teflon wire?

 

[Haoleb]

i prefer solid wire myself, because it makes for a cleaner solder joint and is easier to work with when putting it through small holes and stuff. but the benableness of it is a real downfall.

 

[mclaren20]

well then, whats a good place to get some good wire for a RA-1 clone to be built soon?

 

[Haoleb]

www.welbornelabs.com I want to build the same thing to so if you have a camera id be intersted in seeing it when your done.

 

[fiddler]

I use 22-guage solid wire usually, and stranded stuff when flexibility is required.

 

[grahamndodder]

Right now I am planning on the 24 awg solid copper from CAT5e wire (from which I make my interconnects, which I like) because it is spec'd at 99.99% OFC wire. It is also dirt cheap!

Given what I have heard here, that would seem to be just as good as anything. Any reason that might not be decent?

GnD

 

[yejun]

http://www.homegrownaudio.com/diy_silverwire.html

What kind wire to use will depend on current and frequency.

 

[yejun]

Quote:

Originally posted by grahamndodder Right now I am planning on the 24 awg solid copper from CAT5e wire (from which I make my interconnects, which I like) because it is spec'd at 99.99% OFC wire. It is also dirt cheap! Given what I have heard here, that would seem to be just as good as anything. Any reason that might not be decent? GnD

But the insulator usually is PVC, definitely cannot sounds good.

 

[uniuniunium]

crap, bumping old thread by accident, disregard.

 

[sacd lover]

GLAD YOU DID! I had a question about this very subject and I found the answer I needed.

 

[AIM9x]

i'm using 24awg solid hookup wire for protoboarding my circuit. I'm going to use 26awg stranded to get the signal from the jacks to the pot to the circuit and from the circuit to the jacks

i'm not a fan of stranded for unshielded hookups because i'm too worried that the damned thing will unravel.