Why some speaker cables sound different - in layman's terms

Silver or copper cables (which IMO is the biggest difference in speaker wire)?!  

Simple is best! 

- VOP (Velocity of Propagation) is a measure of the speed that a signal passes through the cable....it is defined as a figure relative to the speed of light.. It can be measured using the TDR Technique.

All dielectrics slow down the signal velocity, with the best slowing down the least.....a faster cable provides more information.

- According to Atlas, the 3 factors that influence the quality of a cable are:

1] Conductor material specifications. 2] Insulation specification. 3] Plug design and construction materials.

- The purity of the conductor is determined by the purity of the ingot, which itself is roughly related to the grain boundaries present in the final conductor. This is measured in Nines (N) - 99.99 (4N); 99.997 (5N). The highest currently available is 7N.

- Since high frequency signals occupy the periphery of the conductor, poor quality dielectrics reduce the velocity of this signal, resulting in a sound which is biased towards the mid and low frequency.

- Unless addressed, cables are effected by the adverse effects of microphony.

- Cardas also make the point that dielectrics can't pass charge as fast as conductors. The VOP of solid and bare stranded conductors is about 127% of the best dielectric. How you balance this difference is key to cable quality.

- The signal used by your system, whether digital or analogue, is always AC, which according to Cardas, vibrates the wire in your system like strumming of a guitar string. This form of resonance distorts the audio signal and produces many sound anomalies from coloured bass to glare. Every cable has its own resonant signature. Like the mass, tension and hardness of the guitar string, the mass, tension and hardness of the conductor, coupled with its inductance, resistance and capacitance of the cable, determine what sound is made.

- When the cable linking the audio components together imparts its own sound, the audio signal is corrupted.

- Matching the speed of the signal in the conductor with the speed of the dielectric has advantages, like eliminating electromechanical resonance and eliminating ring at source.

- Cardas says there are easily performed measurements that show the difference between cables and with a little experience you can even predict sound anomalies by looking at wave form characteristics and input / output comparisons (eg. using a Tetronics TDS 350).

I have not suddenly come over all technical, but this is just some of what Atlas and Cardas deem important......I can't tell how much of it is spin....but you did ask! 

Hi CnE

Yes, as i've said simple is best

Btw, i never thought of you as one to 'adopt' Anyway the first part is - Keep it simple.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

My understand of electronics is quite basic and most of the stuff mentioned above is beyond my level of understanding.

I always like to have a high level of confidence that what I'm saying is correct so I won't pass comment on anything that I don't fully understand.

But having said that some of those points do seem a bit, erm, questionable...

Why not try and borrow some TQ Black.....I would be interested in what you think.

Yes, I'd be happy to try some TQ Black. Does anyone have a 20 metre stereo set I could borrow?

I think it would be a bit unfair of me to borrow some from a dealer as it's highly unlikely that I'd buy this cable new as 20 metres would set me back about £1500 - which would be 10 times what I paid for the amplifier in the system I'd be testing it in.

 

Yes, I'd be happy to try some TQ Black. Does anyone have a 20 metre stereo set I could borrow?

I think it would be a bit unfair of me to borrow some from a dealer as it's highly unlikely that I'd buy this cable new as 20 metres would set me back about £1500 - which would be 10 times what I paid for the amplifier in the system I'd be testing it in.

You make a good point, Sir.

This is what I struggle badly with when TQ Black is mentioned. Don't doubt it is a quality cable, but unless you have a 20k system you're probably better off spending elsewhere.

PP, there is a big difference in the cost of 1.5m (like I use), and 20m.

IIRC There is somebody on here who was so impressed that they got TQ Black with a Brio R.....so I don't think you can generalize. If you love the way your system sounds, it is possible that better cables will bring a VFM upgrade that is cheaper than a component change....otherwise its not worth doing.

IMO. If your souce (and possibly speakers) were upgraded, your system is certainly good enough that it would be worth trying (by borrowing).......ie. it is (imo) the last area where money should be spent.

 

Given that most learned folk advise spending 10-15% of your total budget, then buying a few mtrs of TQ blows that theory out of the window.

I dunno. Yes, as with your set-up then TQs are well worth the spend.

I'm not so much a naysayer, just someone who likes a pragmatic approach.