[Wyville]

It's a bit complicated to answer. Different cable materials do have a "traditional" sound profile, but that is only if those configurations fit the profile. The Effect Audio Cleopatra for example fits the traditional silver profile very well

It is entirely possible however that a different silver cable has an entirely different silver cable to have a certain warmth to it, that traditional silvers aren't known for

I'd say have a look at the reviews of individual cables that you're interested in. Two reviewers I'd especially recommend for cable specifically are @Wyville and @Deezel177

All that being said, I've found that a cable generally doesn't possess a sound of its own, but is rather reliant on the pairings with the IEMs and their synergies

Yeah, while a cable might have some general characteristics, it is really dependent on the specific pairing how the result will sound. Some IEMs respond to cable changes very well, others in unexpected ways, and some do not seem to respond very much at all. Plus, a cable might be very expensive and still pair poorly with certain IEMs or produce changes that do not quite fit your preferences. Ideally it is best to try and find a way to demo any cable you are interested in.

 

[mvvRAZ]

As far as the physics of it all go, the more foreign material there is in a cable (gold palladium etc etc), the more the sound will be altered. Pure silver tends to leave the sound signature mostly unaffected, but given the fact that you'll probably be going to pure silver from something like say, SPC, the added conductivity generally affects the treble frequencies most, as those are most reliant on recording quality and signal

 

[Fishdo]

Hi guys, new to cables here after hearing the difference while demo'ing andro's and slightly underwhelmed in stock configuration then switching to gold 16.
Where can i find some good information about how cable designs, configuration and materials affect the sound in audio? is the science established yet above and beyond just impedance?

Are there any hard fast rules like, silver is bright, gold is smooth, X wire configuration increases... ect ect
Currently considering for andromeda the gold 16, AK crystal cable PE22 and maybe effect audio stuff.

Thanks

https://www.analysis-plus.com/design-whitepaper/

 

[491326]

gold is smooth

If we take it from a "stereotypes" standpoint, gold is the worst conductor among gold, copper, and silver. Depending on your gear and the specific gold cable you are getting, it will have what I like to describe as a bloomy, analogue sound. This is most prominent in the bass regions in my experience, though some cables I've owned are bloomy sounding from top to bottom (Plussound X8 GPC). The X8 specifically had a warm bloomy sound all throughout it's signature, but it was linear and coherent, with a good deal of transparency and decent detail pickup. It still wouldn't outresolve any silver cable though.

A well priced gold plated cable would be the OC Studio AuX if you can get your hands on one. It's bloominess is most prominent in the subbass regions and can sound like you have more bass in your sound signature. It doesn't add any punch though.

I'd say have a look at the reviews of individual cables that you're interested in

Definitely this.

The Effect Audio Cleopatra for example fits the traditional silver profile very well

I think the Cleo has a particular ability to reveal timbral detail very well. Timbre was very realistic on it, followed closely by the Hansound Agni ii.

In my experience, it's best to avoid cables that have separate wires within the cables themselves, like 2 copper and 2 silver. I like to think it's because cables have wires "going to" the earphones and "back into" the source. If those wires are different, then the sound becomes wonky. I also tended not to like cables that have silver and copper mixed together in some way. Other things that are payed attention to in cable loving communities also include a crap ton of speculative things like matching solder do a specific wire, plug quality, connector quality, braiding, etc. I've heard people at my shop discussing solder types and it seemed like there was a real difference to each of the things.

One cable I'd personally recommend looking into would be the Crystal Cable Dream Duet. I tried it with a VE8, but that pairing blew the soundstage of the VE8 way farther than I had every experienced on any iem. I'm not exaggerating either.

 

[491326]

As far as the physics of it all go, the more foreign material there is in a cable (gold palladium etc etc), the more the sound will be altered. Pure silver tends to leave the sound signature mostly unaffected, but given the fact that you'll probably be going to pure silver from something like say, SPC, the added conductivity generally affects the treble frequencies most, as those are most reliant on recording quality and signal

I actually noticed that sometimes, a silver cable sounds like it's pitch shifted a little bit upwards.

 

[mvvRAZ]

If we take it from a "stereotypes" standpoint, gold is the worst conductor among gold, copper, and silver. Depending on your gear and the specific gold cable you are getting, it will have what I like to describe as a bloomy, analogue sound. This is most prominent in the bass regions in my experience, though some cables I've owned are bloomy sounding from top to bottom (Plussound X8 GPC). The X8 specifically had a warm bloomy sound all throughout it's signature, but it was linear and coherent, with a good deal of transparency and decent detail pickup. It still wouldn't outresolve any silver cable though.

A well priced gold plated cable would be the OC Studio AuX if you can get your hands on one. It's bloominess is most prominent in the subbass regions and can sound like you have more bass in your sound signature. It doesn't add any punch though.



Definitely this.



I think the Cleo has a particular ability to reveal timbral detail very well. Timbre was very realistic on it, followed closely by the Hansound Agni ii.

In my experience, it's best to avoid cables that have separate wires within the cables themselves, like 2 copper and 2 silver. I like to think it's because cables have wires "going to" the earphones and "back into" the source. If those wires are different, then the sound becomes wonky. I also tended not to like cables that have silver and copper mixed together in some way. Other things that are payed attention to in cable loving communities also include a crap ton of speculative things like matching solder do a specific wire, plug quality, connector quality, braiding, etc. I've heard people at my shop discussing solder types and it seemed like there was a real difference to each of the things.

One cable I'd personally recommend looking into would be the Crystal Cable Dream Duet. I tried it with a VE8, but that pairing blew the soundstage of the VE8 way farther than I had every experienced on any iem. I'm not exaggerating either.

Yup, silver is the most conductive metal, followed by copper. Everything else that you add into the mix increases the resistance

I also have a bad experience with cables that mix silver and copper together, or well not bad, but rather doesn't fit my preferences very well

Just to add, a SPC cable is much less pure than both a pure silver or a pure copper, so your resistance would once again be changing and your sound will be affected

 

[ChrisIsAwesome]

Thanks for the helpful replies.
Bloominess in the bass was definitely the biggest difference i noticed between cables, second being a sense of expansion and slight changes to resolution. Gold 16 'gpc' was my favorite simply due to the fact it added a more smooth organic presentation to the andro, but the bass lost impact and definition despite being larger in volume 'bloomy', actually reminiscent of tubes. My second favorite being their pure silver.
I'm definitely curious to try gold plated silver, but the AK crystal cables are a combined gold-silver.

 

[Fishdo]

Thanks for the helpful replies.
Bloominess in the bass was definitely the biggest difference i noticed between cables, second being a sense of expansion and slight changes to resolution. Gold 16 'gpc' was my favorite simply due to the fact it added a more smooth organic presentation to the andro, but the bass lost impact and definition despite being larger in volume 'bloomy', actually reminiscent of tubes. My second favorite being their pure silver.
I'm definitely curious to try gold plated silver, but the AK crystal cables are a combined gold-silver.

you can make a big mistake by just basing your or any cable choice solely by the material.... there are so many other factors that will influence the material choice...

Try searching for Hakuzen’s threads on here or read the link I sent you here to start to understand what cable makers allow for in designing a cable...

Just like one silver material can be very different to another silver material (based on the way it is treated in processing or simply by its use)

 

[491326]

bass lost impact and definition

I definitely feel this way about gold plated cables, that from a visual standpoint, are plated in a thick layer a gold.

 

[Wyville]

Just like one silver material can be very different to another silver material (based on the way it is treated in processing or simply by its use)

Indeed, every cable should be evaluated in and of itself and considering specific pairings. SilverFi cables, for instance, are nothing like the silver stereotype. Their R1 oozed natural timbre and had wonderfully smooth treble response with my Phantom. Tonally one of the very best pairings I have tried with my Phantom, where I usually don't quite like them paired with a silver cable.

 

[sehnsucht]

 

[mvvRAZ]

This forum is a science-free zone. I think even asking for evidence here is not allowed. There are other forums on this site, and the internet, where you'll get a more accurate answer. Proceed with caution.

I wouldn’t say so, he isn’t asking for evidence, he’s just asking about how it works

What I believe isn’t allowed is spamming the usual snake oil comments, but I think his question was more than fine

 

[sehnsucht]

 

[Wyville]

The question is fine except he's asking if the science is established and the correct response is "no, there's no evidence you can hear any difference in a properly conducted experiment" but that would fall foul of the text in the forum description:

"...this, and the other forums (other than the Sound Science forum), are DBT and ABX-free zones and posts about either will be moved or deleted"

so all he'll read is one-sided "typing" about the audio qualities of this or that metal.

The aim of the ban is to avoid the typical toxic atmosphere that is usually found around topics where people on the internet have strong, contrasting opinions. It is not constructive and let's leave it at that.

 

[mvvRAZ]

The question is fine except he's asking if the science is established and the correct response is "no, there's no evidence you can hear any difference in a properly conducted experiment" but that would fall foul of the text in the forum description:

"...this, and the other forums (other than the Sound Science forum), are DBT and ABX-free zones and posts about either will be moved or deleted"

so all he'll read is one-sided "typing" about the audio qualities of this or that metal.

Haha you were just itching to say that weren’t you