[Speedskater]

.......................................................... If you build speaker wires from CAT5 cable or run of coarse or fine copper strands with similar AWG they are all conductors of electricity. Will it sound the same? CAT 5 has high inductance a low capacitance. This is where some will say they should sound identical because its "just wires". True - YES. In reality every wire will be a "good" or "better" impedance match between components. This is where you can have different frequency roll off due to wires. 
..........................................................

Actually if you bundle several Cat5 cables together, then connect all the stripes to one terminal & the solids to the other. The cable will have very low inductance and high capacitance.
The low inductance may increase treble response with some speakers. (Apogee, M/L)
The high capacitance may make some legacy & boutique amplifiers unhappy.

 

[Pulsing Python]

Cany belive this 8yr old post is so relevant For me today...

me either, another six years after you

 

[Maxx134]

me either, another six years after you

Actually even more so now.
I have discovered some preferences that work for me.

Silver plated actually has good attributes, but for me, only in low level circuits, like internal wiring within an amp (not IC circuits, as not tried).
line in level maximum.

For larger signal, like headphones cables, the silver plated always had an exited, but confused or fatigued listening over time.

Yet the solution for silver plated, was the super flat and high surface ratio-to-depth wire works best (wire world). In effect forcing the signal to stay on the surface.
Not to mention the squared shaped corners of the strands for any magnetic effects.
I also tested this theory with similar sized cat7 cables, and the curved conductors were not optimal as they were round not flat like the wire world.
So I proved this to myself, that yes shape made the difference.
Buying "foil" shaped wire was closest to this ideal.
I was going to get this cable for an internal wiring project:
https://www.hificollective.co.uk/wire/duelund-silver-foil-silk-oil-wire-version1.html
As it is a flat "foil" type.

But I'm sure I can find cheaper.

Otherwise, pure silver was always best, but the fancy wiring that headphone cables always turn out to be mumbo jumbo and worse, the more complicated they were.
Insulation plays a huge role in the wire interactions of complex braided designs of headphones cables.
I have also heard and compared many expensive silver cables, and some actually masked or changed the sound (!).
It was more of a "perceptual" difference, not "tonal".. top end clarity was the easiest focus of difference.

So no, complex braiding didn't work for me.


So that's the tricks I found with experience.
Good quality copper is always the safest "expense".

I also agree with that poster I quoted before.
Experience only supplemented it.

 

[Maxx134]

I updated my post. Again.

 

[Pulsing Python]

Actually even more so now.
I have discovered some preferences that work for me.

Silver plated actually has good attributes, but for me, only in low level circuits, like internal wiring within an amp (not IC circuits, as not tried).
line in level maximum.

For larger signal, like headphones cables, the silver plated always had an exited, but confused or fatigued listening over time.

Yet the solution for silver plated, was the super flat and high surface ratio-to-depth wire works best (wire world). In effect forcing the signal to stay on the surface.
Not to mention the squared shaped corners of the strands for any magnetic effects.
I also tested this theory with similar sized cat7 cables, and the curved conductors were not optimal as they were round not flat like the wire world.
So I proved this to myself, that yes shape made the difference.
Buying "foil" shaped wire was closest to this ideal.
I was going to get this cable for an internal wiring project:
https://www.hificollective.co.uk/wire/duelund-silver-foil-silk-oil-wire-version1.html
As it is a flat "foil" type.

But I'm sure I can find cheaper.

Otherwise, pure silver was always best, but the fancy wiring that headphone cables always turn out to be mumbo jumbo and worse, the more complicated they were.
Insulation plays a huge role in the wire interactions of complex braided designs of headphones cables.
I have also heard and compared many expensive silver cables, and some actually masked or changed the sound (!).
It was more of a "perceptual" difference, not "tonal".. top end clarity was the easiest focus of difference.

So no, complex braiding didn't work for me.


So that's the tricks I found with experience.
Good quality copper is always the safest "expense".

I also agree with that poster I quoted before.
Experience only supplemented it.

that was a very interesting read, thankyou for sharing I decided to go pure copper in the end, I hope to try silver one day...