Do Cables Wear Out?

I realize that this thread has been used to poke fun at several responders, but I think that the real issue is - the guy that started this thread has a legitimate question.

The short answer to your question is YES - over time most cables will deteriorate sonically. Before I get a rash of rhetoric back - here's why:
The vast majority of cables for both speaker and interconnects are made from copper. The very moment that the copper conductors are either pulled or cast into wire, the oxidation process begins. Some companies try and prevent this with a litz or enamal coating, which certainly CAN be effective in slowing the oxidation process down, but it the oxidation still occurs, just at a slower rate. Why is this bad? Copper oxide is a terrible conductor - so as the oxidation process occurs, you will notice some loss of high frequencies, followed by some loss of soundstaging ability. At later stages, even bass response is affected, but that would be only in severe cases as lower frequencies penetrate the core of the conductor, which high frequencies travel on the surface.
Silver cables, on the other hand do NOT deteriorate, as silver oxide, while unpleasant to look (tarnish), is still a very good conductor. I always get a chuckle out of guys that clean the tarnish from their silver spades or RCA jacks and then report an improvement in sound - it doesn't work that way, sorry.
Obviously, carbon fibre cables are unaffected by the oxidation issue.
Yes - some cables DO age badly - they don't wear out and it certainly isn't dependent on what music or volume levels are used,but copper based conductors do deteriorate in performance over time.

I knew that my diatribe would start some controversy. BobP needs to llok at a chart of elements and electrical characteristics thereof - silver oxide is a better conductor than copper. He should also refrain from making comments like "no corrosion happen at the outside of wire if it is insulated". This is completely untrue - I tried to explain in some detail that oxidation starts immediately on the surface of the copper wire when the raw conductors are pulled and only coatings like enamal(Litz) are able to slow this process down significantly. To comment that insulation ( which in cable-talk is called dielectic) "cures" this process is completely false and misleading. No cable company that I am aware of vacuum seals their cables to prevent oxidation - it just isn't a good resolution for the problem. In my experience ( and I have a LOT), most non-litz-coated copper wire will have some audible effects from oxidation of the copper somewhere around the 6-7th year after being manufactured. For those that took the time to read these posts- I hope that my time in writing them was worthwhile for you.

BobP - I never said that the resistance of copper conductors changed over time - go back and re-read my comments. I said that the surface of the copper conductors OXIDIZED over time and that this created several sonic "losses" in the cable compared to when that cable was first made. As for Kenyonbm, thanks for the link, but in the AUDIO cable business, "Litz" wire has been generally accepted to mean coated or enamaled wire- sort of the same way Kleenex is generally accepted as being a tissue The link was kinda interesting tho in a global sort of way. Look - I responded to the initial question and explained what was going on and why because of my experience. If some of you want to get into endless nit-picking, like whether or not a cables jacket and heat shrink prevent oxidation (it doesn't, but it does slow it down ), be my guest - knock yourselves out, have fun, enjoy... I suppose this is why some very knowledgable people now no longer bother trying to help others in the hobby.

Kenyonbm - thank you for your research and references - I will stand corrected on the silver oxide issue. I apologize to you for any terseness directed at you on my part in this thread as I felt like I was under attack for my input and comments relative to the subject at hand. I was trying to make the point that copper oxide, while not ever reaching 100% in an older cable, does have some significant deterioration of electrical characteristics, which are certainly audible. I also use a contact enhancer on all connections (Quicksilver gold), but more as a buffer to counteract the audible effects of dissimilar metals (silver RCA's to copper jacks or rhodium plate wall plug to copper outlet). In addition, I clean all the connections in the system twice a year with Kontak cleaner, just part of routine system housekeeping.

Pabelson, If someone (in this thread) said 15% over 3 years does that make a meaningful difference in your life? Would that be in a high humidity reqion or a low humidity region? Would that be lengths over 3 meters or shorter than 3 meters? Would that be solid core copper or stranded? Quantification of how much sonic deterioration in un-coated copper cables due to oxidation is something that I am certain THIS government would grant the funds required for the research necessary to give you a precise figure- you would dispute anyway. Enought... arggggggg

Pabelson - just because you can't see gravity does not mean that there IS no gravity. I can say with a degree of certainty that most copper based cables that do not have coatings on the copper to prevent oxidation WILL suffer sonic degradation over time that is audible. Try this for yourself - run some lamp cord to a pair of outdoor speakers - strip the ends and connect the speakers. Enjoy the speakers all summer long. In the fall, do some critical listening to the speakers, then cut off the last 3" of wire , strip the insulation back and listen to the same material again. You will be amazed at the difference. Obviously, there will be more difference in areas of high humidity vs low humidity, so if you live in the desert, Pabelson, I understand - YOUR experiment might take longer to produce audible results for you.