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An EXPERIMENT for those who have never heard differences in cables

There are many here who have never heard differences in cables, I was there years ago until I read a post of someone preferring the sound of 28 awg magnet wires for speaker cables. I quickly drove out to my local Radio Shack and picked up magnet wires of various sizes (22-28 awg) to hear what it sounds like. I remember this being a fun experiment and a really cheap one that taught me a thing or two, I've gone on to experience many other cable designs over the years.

***Run two insulated magnet wire to each speaker (one for positive, one for negative) and use them in place of your existing speaker cable, the insulation on magnet wires are very thin and a little difficult to strip, sandpapering the tips may work. Connect them to the binding posts on your amp and speakers and let us know what you hear?
(Amazon also carries various sizes of magnet wires)
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Showing 7 responses by scar972

scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
@buckhorn_cortez
I hear very, very little, if any, difference in cables.
You probably save yourself a lot not hearing much differences in cables. The differences are very small until the cable design veer far from the typical double helix design or the conductors is changed to pure solid core silver or other metallurgy. I would put my focus on equipment and room way before cables.   
scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
Thank you for contributing @rodman99999 , agree...using an X-acto blade would also be helpful in removing the outer enamel.
Of course; changing whatever they’re using for magnet wire, will in no way tell how a good pair of speaker cables will perform, in one’s system.
This just gives people a chance to hear a difference, especially for those who have never heard a difference.
scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
@tobor007 I never claimed that this works as good or better than expensive cables and that high-end cable sales will take a hit, this is an experiment for those who have never heard a difference in cables. As you can see by these posts, some do enjoy the sound and experimenting with magnet wires. 
scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
@djones I wasn't ready to let the cat out the bag but rodman99999 beat me to it. The larger 8-12 gauge magnet wire does have a sound of its own and sounds really good if it fits the listeners' preference.

I also have a leftover spool of 16 conductor braided cable, braided designs are used by many high-end cable companies, most notable is Kimber and Shunyata. Anyone who wants to experiment with these cables shoot me a PM.   
scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
@tobor007 The intent of the original post was to hopefully allow those that have never heard a difference to hear the difference in cables for the first time.
If you're looking for an opportunity to upgrade your sound, try the larger gauge magnet wire or the 16 conductor cable that I have, it will give you a different sound that you may prefer more than what you currently have.
They're both really good in a different way and worth trying.
scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
@cleeds I certainly agree with your comment and will not spend an extra minute of my time debating with someone who has already made up his mind. Experiences and improvements await those who keep an open mind.
OTOH, I must mention that many cables out there do sound very much alike and we are unable to pick up on the minute differences, manufacturers use similar designs and materials quite often so don't expect to hear a drastic change with every cable swap.
scar972's avatar
scar972 OP
217 posts
 
If you bundle that many individually insulated thin wires together, you're working with a litz design, there's a lot you can try with magnet wires. The most notable manufacturer that uses litz is Cardas, but their stranding is much finer and has to be terminated using a solder pot.
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