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In Reply to: It is the purity you should concern. posted by cheap-Jack on July 14, 2006 at 08:20:06:
Most of the ones I listed are 99.999 or higher.The Cardas claims 99.9999 purity.
Follow Ups:
saying wire is 99.999% pure is for the most part equivalent to 1/4 pound before cooking. Most wire starts off as ultra pure ingots in a vacuum seal. Once you open the vacuum pack and start pulling wire, contamination from the dies and simple exposure to the atmosphere all conspire to lower the purity of the metal. It is not uncommon, one manufacturer told me, to have the purity drop to 4N pure or even worse depending on the state of contamination of the dies.
Surface of the wire should be extremely shiny and this is caused by an extremely smooth die. Once the die is worn, fine scratches will appear, which also harbor more contamination. Unfortunately, one can tell for the most part only by controlled listening tests, unless you have access to a spectral analyzer......
Bear in mind that many companies have their wire outsourced for pulling as well as insulating, so that adds more uncertainty to the final product.Just something to add to your neurosis....8^)
Stu
I have heard this before, as well as that Oxygen free copper is not quite true.Purity is way down on the list if it makes it at all.
I have made some cables with wire I know is not 4n and it sounded great.
BTW, do you have any recommendations for cleaning the wire before I insulate it?
Actually OHFC is a certifiable copper grade. Basically, it involves eliminating the molecular gas that enters copper when in the molten state. Some apparently cast the ingots in a vacuum, and some claim that the cryogenic treatment can create similar effect since the intense cold contracts the metal, thus 'squeezing' out the dissolved gasses.At any rate, I would simply wipe the bare wire with alcohol, to insure an oil free surface, particularly skin oils, and then insulate. There is a product made by the Cortex company which greatly impedes metal corrosion. It is sold in many hardware stores under the Bullfrog name. I use the foam strips which you simply place in your component chassis. The strips contain an amine based chemical which slowly leaches out and coats the metal retarding corrosion. They also sell it in liquid form (expensive!). My guess is that you could buy the foam and wipe down the wire with it before insulating and get similar results.
It forms an invisible coating, and is highly effective. We tried an experiment by coating one of two copper clad PCB's and leaving them out on the patio for a few months. The coated one turned darker but was still shiny, while the uncoated one was turning green.....
YMMV, of course...
Stu
Stu
So there iw no need to use silver polish or put it in water with aluminium?Just alcohol ( will rubbing alcohol work)?
Thanks.
I use the 90% pure stuff (actually I buy 100% isopropynol now). The 70% pure stuff has a bit of a perfumant added!Stu
This looks good.
Agreed. I have had this fact verified by several non-audio folks like PhD chemists and professional metallurgists. So I don't get too wound up about any purity greater than 4 nines. I know other people have differing opinions on higher purities being audible. I offer no thoughts or opinion on that.
That's very true, the testing procedure tends to cause so much contamination that accuracy above '4-nines' is always suspect.
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