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In Reply to: RE: Best wire to connect amplifier binding posts? posted by wcvb on August 15, 2012 at 20:25:21
There may be just as many personal opinions about what is the best wire to choose to connect the outputs of an amplifier to its binding posts as there are about internal wiring for loudspeakers, bi-wire jumpers, and the myriad of speaker cables, for that matter. I have a rather practical attitude towards the topic, with an audiophile twist.
I have no desire to replace the stock wiring of the amplifier outputs to the binding posts of any of my power amplifiers, but if I needed to do so for some reason, I would likely select what I consider to be an advanced version of typical hookup wire by pulling the conductors out of a particular AudioQuest cable product that's actually very inexpensive, rather than try to experiment with various solid core copper or solid core silver wire options which might present quite unpredictable sonic signatures (good, bad, or indifferent):
AudioQuest Flexible Series – FLX/DB-14/2:
http://www.audioquest.com/flexible-series/flxdb-14-2
-snip-
SEMI-SOLID CONCENTRIC PACKED CONDUCTORS: Semi-Solid Concentric Packed Conductors are used in some of AudioQuest's AC power and speaker cables as a cost-effective, flexible alternative to typical stranded conductors. Semi-Solid Concentric Packed Conductors use fewer, larger strands that do not change position down the length of the cable. While solid conductors are the complete solution to strand distortion, Semi-Solid Concentric Packed Conductors avoid many of the distortion mechanisms of stranded conductors.
-snip-
IMO, medium strand count conductors would be a better sounding option for this application than fine stranded conductors which tend to soften the sound, and the Semi-Solid Concentric Packed Conductor wire lay is a modern approach that some Japanese cable makers are implementing these days (at least a version thereof). Additionally, while not as advanced as OCC single crystal copper wire, AudioQuest's Long Grain Copper is considerably better than the ordinary metallurgy of typical stranded copper hookup wire.
AudioQuest FLX/DB-14/2 (per ft.) 14 gauge, 2 conductor In-Wall Speaker Cable:
http://www.onecall.com/product/AudioQuest/FLX-DB-14-2-per-ft/Speaker-Cable/_/R-89068?id=89068
Simply pull the conductors out of the jacket to use as hookup wire for an amplifier output to binding post application.
just my 2 cents, YMMV
Follow Ups:
I like AQ products. I've owned many over the years at all price levels, including Anaconda IC's and several kinds of speaker cable. They all perform very well at their intended purpose.
But why bother paying for cables and then tearing them apart when there are so many kinds of decent chassis hookup wire that will work just as well?
Personally, I favor OCC solid copper with teflon insulation, such as that produced by Neotech, which seems to work as well as, or perhaps better than, anything else I've heard. In such short lengths as used inside an amplifier, no fancy geometry or treatment seems necessary. Twist the two legs (not the two channels) loosely if it makes you feel better or if they must run near the power supply. Better to route them away from power supply altogether, if possible. Unless your amplifier puts out power in the fractional horsepower range, 14ga or even 16ga is adequate.
I also believe the binding posts themselves have as great an impact on sonics as the few inches of internal wire. Cheap plastic ones do not sound as good as the Vampire copper base.
Peace,
Tom E
Pulling what would likely be less than a 1 ft run of wires out of a jacket is about as easy as it gets in the world of DIY efforts. My post clearly states that the intent is to opt for a better-than-typical hookup wire rather than attempt to use unpredictable sounding solid core wire for a power amplifiers *speaker level* hookup wire. That said, my favorite hookup wire for a *signal level* application is 22 AWG solid core OCC single crystal copper/Teflon wire. Now, if I were to use OCC solid core wire for a power amplifier output to binding post *speaker level* hookup wire, I would also use no larger than 22 AWG solid core copper conductors due to the skin effect of solid core copper wire, and I would implement no less than 14 AWG aggregate gauge for the particular *speaker level* application, which would then require a twisted bundle of 6 x 22 AWG solid core wires per pole, which would indeed "seem like a lot of trouble" for a very short length of *speaker level* hookup wire, when a better-than-typical 14 AWG stranded conductor would serve the purpose, quite well, IMO.
not worth two cents. my mileage varies.
.
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