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Why use fancy speaker cable

75.71.37.161
Posted on April 12, 2016 at 13:42:08
throwback
Audiophile

Posts: 762
Location: Colorado
Joined: December 8, 2003
 It may sound like I am just trying to stir up trouble, but my question is genuine and I am looking for a rational answer. Mea culpa if this has been asked and answered a zillion times.

The wire inside the amp that leads to the amp's speaker terminals is fairly narrow gauge. The wire that leads from the speaker's speaker terminals to the raw speakers is also fairly narrow gauge.

I wired my own speakers internally and am using the same wire to run to the amps. Am I missing something? Is there some benefit from running large-gauge speaker cable between the two sets of terminals? Does the answer depend entirely on how close the amp is to the speaker, or is there some other reason?

 

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RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 12, 2016 at 14:19:49
Mr Peabody
Audiophile

Posts: 1109
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA
Joined: August 14, 2010
 I don't know about "fancy" but I have found quality speaker cables can make an improvement in sound. It may defy logic. Some manufacturers do use larger gauge and higher quality wiring internally.

There are many brands, many theories and applications in cables, and variables, I always tell those interested to try it for yourself, if it helps then good, but, if not, then nothing lost. You can try borrowing from a friend or buying with a return policy. I do feel the better resolution your system is capable of the more likely you will hear a benefit. A lot may also depend on how critical you listen to your system, are you a park between the speakers kind a guy, or, put on some tunes and work on a project or some other activity.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 12, 2016 at 15:04:33
ahendler
Audiophile

Posts: 5151
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Joined: January 24, 2003
 Fancy does not mean large wire. There are many quite expensive speaker cables that are very thin wire
Alan

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 12, 2016 at 17:37:27
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 Might one consider the very small gauge magnet wire implemented for speaker voice coils as somehow a limiting factor as to the benefit of a large gauge speaker cable? Maximum energy transfer efficiency with minimal dielectric effect, optimized LCR, and noise reduction geometries affect the subjective presentation of an audiophile system vs. less fancy zip cord speaker wire.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 12, 2016 at 19:15:13
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3538
Joined: April 23, 2007
 If anyone needs speaker cable.....I discovered Clear Cable. They will send out review sample no charge to see if you like it....I don't think there is better. Thin, silver, not expensive.

 

The same reason......., posted on April 12, 2016 at 20:04:23
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 An AC cord the last few feet helps. Everything has an impact. Some large some small. Speaker wire was the first cable I upgraded but I now think that of power cables, interconnects and speaker wire the other two have a larger impact. Try stuff, find your way.

ET
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 12, 2016 at 21:59:25
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3538
Joined: April 23, 2007
 Should be Clear Day Cable

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 13, 2016 at 09:01:21
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 There are those who consider inductors to be very damaging to the sound. There may be a reason that their still exist a modern version of the Dynaco A25.

Dave

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 13, 2016 at 13:13:05
daleda
Audiophile

Posts: 741
Joined: March 6, 2002



Or just use this

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 13, 2016 at 16:42:46
Tweaker456
 I bet the justification for this cable is even more serpentine than that which Cardas uses. It has to be at $65 a millimeter. Tweaker

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 13, 2016 at 21:28:20
axolotl
Audiophile

Posts: 3955
Location: So. California
Joined: September 10, 2002
 Dang. I think I cut it too short.


axolotl

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 07:48:51
George S. Roland
Audiophile

Posts: 1470
Location: N W Pennsylvania
Joined: March 20, 2004
 I have the same question you do. The weakest wire link in the chain produces the best signal one can achieve, or so I presume. I have posted a similar question myself and never got a response that was entirely convincing.

Secondly, the fact that many people seem to use speaker cables or interconnects in place of pre-amplifier tone controls to "tweak" the sounds of their systems would indicate questionable practice since only one combination can be most accurate.

However, I have tried comparing homemade speaker cables to commercially produced cables and can testify that they all sounded slightly different, and at least one pair of the commercially-produced cables sounded better than my homemade ones, specifically: Kimber Kable 8TC bi-wires.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 12:05:52
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002



Crazy Dave wrote:

"There are those who consider inductors to be very damaging to the sound. There may be a reason that their still exist a modern version of the Dynaco A25."

I agree. I built an "assisted single driver" nearfield monitor using a 4" full range driver without inductors nor capacitors, including omission of any notch filters, and the use of a simple high-quality capacitor with bypass for an AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter functioning as a quasi super tweeter. It's one of my favorite loudspeakers for use in my computer workstation system.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 12:22:58
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Certain companies make cabling systems to jive w/ other makers of electronic gear. System synergy is key for the most pleasant listening experience.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 12:37:31
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 What is that actually used for?

Dave

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 14:03:31
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Looks like an interesting design. Which Tang Band W4 is that? The tweeter look like an Dayton Audio AMT Mini-8.

Dave

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 14:39:41
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 The 4" full range is a bamboo/paper with neodymium magnet Tang Band W4-1320SD (discontinued model; alternative model: W4-1320SJ). The AMT tweeter is indeed a very impressive sounding Dayton Audio AMT Mini-8, with excellent transparency and off-axis dispersion characteristics. Fortunately, I found no need to attenuate its output via L-pad resistors, keeping within the goal of minimal filtering.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 14, 2016 at 15:56:36
daleda
Audiophile

Posts: 741
Joined: March 6, 2002
 Cardas Vibration of the Universe!

 

speaker cable, posted on April 15, 2016 at 08:37:37
hifitommy
Audiophile

Posts: 15388
Location: canyon country califiornia, orig from buffalo ny
Joined: June 9, 2000
 they make the pioneer BS22s sound SO much better.
...regards...tr

 

Why use fancy , posted on April 15, 2016 at 08:43:20
hifitommy
Audiophile

Posts: 15388
Location: canyon country califiornia, orig from buffalo ny
Joined: June 9, 2000
 depending on the actual quality of the electronics and speaker, there may be no reason or a very good one. try it and if no difference, then it won't be worth it.

otoh if you can hear an improvement of some kind or another, and you entered the procedure with NO expectations, then it IS worth a moderate expenditure.
...regards...tr

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 17, 2016 at 11:17:12
aknaydenov
Audiophile

Posts: 106
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Joined: September 13, 2015
 From my personal experience, I've came to the following conclusions:

1. I'm still not sure if there are scientific explanations related to the sound of a cable. But there is a subjective difference between each.

2. Expensive doesn't always mean better. I've listened to $$$$ cables beaten by some $$$ and $$$ t beaten by $$ cables. There are two reasons I can think of:
-the market is full of mediocre stuff and BS, the people who really know how to make stuff are rare
-every cable has a particular sound signature and it must be matched the the following system.

3. Each cable has burn-in time. Many cables have directionality. With this sentence I've already started another flame topic.

4. The sound of a cable is also influenced by its mechanical resonances. I've analyzed this by dampening/undampening a speaker cable with various materials.

5. Listen with your own ears before buying. Or buy cables with a money-back option. Try to listen to cables of the same price domain to choose the best.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 17, 2016 at 14:47:08
Chris K.
Audiophile

Posts: 400
Location: West Central Florida
Joined: August 15, 2001
 I agree with the last post in that clearly decent speaker cables can make an audible difference. I also find that cables of around 10 gauge or bigger do enhance the amount of bass reproduction. While speaker cables make a difference, I don't find it to be as big a change as interconnects, but significant nonetheless. As the previous poster also stated, you can find modestly priced cables that perform nearly as well or better than the high priced ones. Companies like Analysis Plus, River Cables, Audioquest, Kimber, Acoustic Zen and others offer lines that are reasonable in price and perform well. Buying used or demo is even better.

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 21, 2016 at 07:50:58
magicsam
Audiophile

Posts: 300
Location: Philly
Joined: December 16, 2008
 WoW! Just switched to Hi-Diamond D8 speaker cables and they are amazing!

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 24, 2016 at 15:33:39
WntrMute2
Audiophile

Posts: 782
Location: Detroit
Joined: September 16, 2002
 I'm pretty sure that is undersea telephone cable. I'm fascinated by that technology!

 

RE: Why use fancy speaker cable, posted on April 25, 2016 at 13:33:34
BillH
Audiophile

Posts: 3913
Location: Baton Rouge
Joined: December 23, 1999
 I tried that and couldn't find any spades to fit it, so I had to use jumper cable clamps. Also difficult to bi-wire unless you are using gigantic speakers.

 

It's not about a universal rule., posted on April 27, 2016 at 06:28:30
MannyE
Audiophile

Posts: 2088
Location: Miami Beach
Joined: March 4, 2001
 The only think that I can say is that despite the logic of relatively thin gauge wire inside the amp and the speaker, my ears have determined that certain cables impact the way my speakers sound.

The infinite variety of setups out there means that a particular speaker cable whether it's fancy or not will not have the same effect (or any) in any particular system.

As I am sure others have said, the only way to be sure is to try out different cables for yourself and listen for a change. Notice I don't say "improvement", just a change. If you're lucky, your system won't care if you use lamp cord or mega-buck silver cable.

The way I do it is to absolutely not read ANY of the ridiculous marketing about cables and just listen to them vs what I have. If I hear a change and if that change is favorable, then I decide if the price is worth the improvement.

 

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