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Speaker Wire Conundrum

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Posted on December 11, 2016 at 09:46:08
synergisticone969
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Location: Central Florida, Untited States of America
Joined: December 11, 2016
To Whomever Might Provide Feedback:

Approximately 1 month ago, from Blue Jeans Cables I purchased a pair of 40 ft. long Canare 4S11 bi-wire/locking banana plug terminated speaker cables, being assured that increasing the length within that range could not possibly significantly affect the sound of the cables, (based on the physics involved, impedance/inductance, etc...). I elected to select that length so as to maximize my speaker/audio equipment placement flexibility. (Prior to this purchase, my speaker wire was approx. 10 ft. in length, bi-wire/banana plug terminated "Better Cable" branded wire, purchased approx. 10 years ago, and what I replaced with the Canare 4S11 wire. (The related Better Cable interconnects were/are named "Silver Serpent", and I believe that they may have a silver plating on the copper wire).

With the Better Cable speaker wire in use, the sound of my stereo system sounded accurate, with clarity...air...and "correctness" of instrumental and vocal timbres. With the Canare 4S11 speaker wire in use, the sound of my system has changed...both instrumental timbres and vocal timbres sound somewhat "odd"...as if slightly to moderately pinched or nasal, particularly noticeable with higher pitch range instruments, such as trumpets, oboes and so forth...even mid-range brass such as French Horns sound just a little off/muffled or slightly deadened, as if playing into velvet. Another way to describe the sound is as if instruments were being played toward/into a ceramic mug or glass, as if a mild cup-mute effect was created with trumpets or oboes...this same "cupped" or nasal timber quality is moderately noticeable with female voices, with a loss of high frequency "air"/naturalness.

Now, I am wondering if this actually IS due the length of the speaker wire, or some other factor...the ONLY other thought I had was that, because I elected to only use about 15 feet of the 40ft. of speaker wire, the other 25ft are coiled together, and could THAT create an electrical issue..(inductance?), that is inducing a significant departure from flat frequency response from one end of the wire to the other...?... If this IS the case, I can certainly "stretch out" the wire along the length of the side walls, so that the wire only lies against itself once, or at worst two times...IF that would rectify this problem...

Without going into unnecessary details, my Schiit Audio Ragnarok preamp/integrated amp feeds a Marchand crossover, which feeds an Aragon 4004 amp, which feeds a pair of Lipinski Sound 707 monitors from 60 Hz up...

I am now wondering if there is another reasonably priced speaker wire out there that might solve this issue, if the issue is indeed being caused by this particular cable...

Any observations/suggestions/recommendations are very welcome...

Thank You!

Sincerely,
T.A.K.

 

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wow, cut the wire. cut the wire.., posted on December 11, 2016 at 10:23:06
Yes the extra coiled up is bad. Way better to lay it all the way over, then all the way back, and repeat. NOT bundling the wire going forth and back.
The real solution is get them cut to the correct length.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 14:49:52
bcowen
Audiophile

Posts: 1076
Location: North Carolina
Joined: December 19, 2015
Beyond Smelly's suggestion to uncoil them (a must), have you given the new wires time to break in? The traits you are describing are common with cables that have no play time on them. Give them at least 100 hours (and preferably 200) hours of play time and see if the negative traits you're hearing improve or go away altogether.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 15:02:27
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3149
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since:
March 1, 2018
What is the spec'd quality and cost relationship between the two brands of cables? You're asking a lot if one cable is $20 a ft and the other $2 a foot. I'm assuming the Canary is the cheaper of the two. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Cheers!

Jonesy


"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 15:11:22
synergisticone969
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Location: Central Florida, Untited States of America
Joined: December 11, 2016
As the purchase of the original speaker wire was approx. 10 years ago, I don't recall exactly, however, is was most definitely NOT high-end speaker cable...and very likely around the same cost per foot as the Blue Jeans cable...though I seem to recall that it WAS called Silver Serpent, and might have had a silver plating on the copper wire...which to my understanding can confer a brighter/more upper frequency emphasis...maybe back then silver was appreciably cheaper...?...

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 15:57:07
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3149
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since:
March 1, 2018
Poking around the net, looks like your original cables were good quality and nicely priced. You're correct about the silver "sound" signature. I don't think you'll get what you're looking for out of the Canare. The Canare is excellent value, but you'll probably have to look at the Better Cable brand again to achive what you want. Unfortunately it could be quite pricey. And you've already purchased the Canare. Hopefully some of the other inmates' suggestions will help.

Cheers!

Jonesy


"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 17:16:04
synergisticone969
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Location: Central Florida, Untited States of America
Joined: December 11, 2016
To all who have offered good advice...

Thank you!...all of the suggestions were good...and I will continue to experiment as time and finances permit...HOWEVER...

I have began by uncoiling the wire, and laying it out along the baseboards, and unless my desire/expectation to hear that which I want is overwhelming my objectivity, I hear a marked improvement in the frequency balance of my system...relatively naturally recorded female voices, (a la folk/Blue Grass), again possess that slight but natural airiness and higher acoustic guitar strings have regained that natural ring, will chase some brass ensemble music next and my ultimate litmus test, horns, (French horns), and if that is right...I will be happy...

I do agree that this wire may not possess that "last degree of detail/air" that I heard with the "Better Cables" speaker Wire, however, I fear that "Better Cables" speaker wire, (only one type sold, which may indicate good quality/demand), may have risen in price so much since I bought it a decade ago, that it is now priced out of my current budget. Anyone know of an equivalent brand/wire?

Peace/Namaste, (and thank you)
T.A.K.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 20:21:48
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3536
Joined: April 23, 2007
Blue Jeans makes well constructed cable, but takes no credit for being audiophile approved. Look into ClearDay cables. He'll let you audition a pair free so that you can be assured of your purchase if indeed you care to buy them.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 11, 2016 at 21:45:06
ahendler
Audiophile

Posts: 5151
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Joined: January 24, 2003
How many hours do you have on the Canare. I would not make any judgements
on the sound of the cable until you have at least 100 hours on the cable
Alan

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 12, 2016 at 02:32:06
Hiendmuse
Audiophile

Posts: 171
Joined: August 9, 2009
Yes, definitely cut the cable to the length you need (to 15 feet as you said you are using, or even less if possible), and give them time to burn it- at least 100 hours as mentioned by others. The Blue Jeans Canare wire is very decent quality for the price.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 12, 2016 at 14:48:34
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15483
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Welcome! T.A.K.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 12, 2016 at 15:16:29
synergisticone969
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Location: Central Florida, Untited States of America
Joined: December 11, 2016
Dear All Interested:

Well, I learned today that the "Better Cables" speaker wire of roughly 9 years ago was NOT silver plated copper wire, but simply high purity copper wire, with FEP Teflon insulation...as does their current iteration/offering, Blue Truth II Reference, and with a 20% discount and an extra 5 feet thrown in for free to ensure that speaker/audio stack placement would not require a compromise in the foreseeable future, (Better Cables personnel assured me that that extra 5 feet would NOT make a difference, and that with the gauge of wire, (13 gauge bi-wired) 20 ft. would sound fine), I bit the bullet and purchased a pair of 20 ft. bi-wired cables. I will will provide feedback when I install and listen to them...hopefully they will re-instill that last bit of "rightness" in my system...

Peace/Namaste,
T.A.K.

 

RE: Speaker Wire Conundrum, posted on December 12, 2016 at 15:19:06
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15483
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Keep us posted- T.A.K.

 

Looking forward to feedback! (nt), posted on December 13, 2016 at 15:19:57
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3149
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since:
March 1, 2018
nt


"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

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