Interconnects: solid or hollow core wire?

That's the problem with cables, it's impossible to make comparisons with all other things being equal.

The biggest factor that should be made identical in a comparison is resistance, but that would require custom lengths to make perfect matches.

does anyone think that the difference between stranded and solid core cable is easily recognized in a stereo system, assuming one is using either design for all cables ?

i think other variables can disguise the differences between stranded and solid core making it difficult to tell.

Agisthos, or use a ribbon, or a true hollow core like the previously mentioned Cogan Hall's.

http://tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html

I think the Audioquest theories make sense (although the science seems theoretical)...various sizes of solid conductors wound around each other....and in my audio system (as opposed maybe to my digestive system) it works really well. I assume the utter largeness and success of AQ as a company does engender what I see as seemingly unfounded criticism from the "audio-illuminati", but I use my ears for audio product testing and I actually LIKE the hard working Chinese people. Maybe I'll score some liquid nitrogen and freeze some cable and see what happens...I bet the dialectric cracks off along with the toe I spill the nitrogen on.

Mrtennis - I think TNT Audio has some solid vs. stranded theory on the website and is the basis for some of their DIY cables.

The theory is - solid core does not suffer from strand interaction which causes distortion. But I also think the larger the gauge you go the with solid core, the more problem you get with skin effect.

Perhaps it is best to have mutiple, thin runs of solid core? Audioquest seem to do this. And Mapleshade, which I have not yet tried.

if the question were rephrased to "solid core vs stranded", perhaps, an old thread, if so, any references ??,

would one expect to see as many proponents of one approach vs the other, or can someone make a case for one or the other on objective grounds ?

I really like the solid core sound. I have JW audio cryoed speaker cables and interconnects. The speaker cables are stunningly good and cost uner a hundred bucks; the IC's are very good and are acquiting themselves nicely in my refence system.

Devilboy, Here are a couple of copies to response's that I wrote about Crimson, and the HFTN on DNM IC's.

"A few years ago I did a demo of Crimson IC's and speaker wire in my system. At the time I was using soild core silver coated copper IC's made by Virtual Mode (no longer around due to the makers retirement). The V-Mode cables also had ferrite cores built into the source end to combat EMI and RFI. Speaker wire was Audio Consulting cryoed solid core silver wrapped in cotton tubing.
The Crimson speaker wire was sent first and immediatly replaced the Audio Consulting wire. The sound balanced out and was very pleasing. The IC's showed up a few weeks later, and were burned in using the Isotek burn in disc 24/7 for a week. Then I listened for another couple of weeks before comming up with my conclusion. With a complete Crimson compliment my system was a little too flat and boring. The cables took the life right out of the music. A little to overly polite for my taste, so back in went the V-Mode IC's and everything came back to life. The Crimson IC's went back to the dealer, but the Crimson speaker wire stayed for the next three years until I changed to a solid core wire that knocked my socks off. Please refer to your "Solid core/Hollow core" thread."

"Look into DNM IC's with the HFTN upgrade, 1m w/Eichmann plugs is $500.00. The High Frequency Termination Network or HFTN is designed to eliminate most if not all RFI on the line. Very hollographic and the closest to no cable at all, IMHO. You will get to hear all of what your upstream components can do."

You can read a more in depth description of the HFTN on the DNM websie.

Overall I preferred the DNM Cables to everything else that I had listened to. When I did the comparison, my system was close in style to a friend who has all Kondo wire in his. DNM delivered closest to what I was hearing in his big mega-buck horn system, which as it pains me to say is the best system that I (and many other testosterone driven masters of our own universe) have ever experienced. Look up 6Moons Road Tour Exit 1, you'll see what I mean, and his system is now way better since the review.

Crimson makes a very good cable, one that would be on the short list of recommendations. I'm not going to get into tonal quality, imaging, soundstage, highs, bass extension, etc. Since I feel that so much of these qualities come from the gear and room as well as the cabling. In my system DNM just sounded more to my liking. I recommend it so that someone else may like it also, and get off the cabling merry-go-round as I have.

Rodge

Rodge827: You say you went FROM Crimson to DNM. I assume because you prefer the DNM over the Crimson. If so, may I ask how the DNM is superior? Also, what is HFTN?

After all...isn't a solid wire nothing but a large strand? So now I refer to my wire as having four strands, albeit large ones.

Agisthos,
Thanks for the info on the Downsize Audio cables, I'm going to look into them.

Devilboy,
I went from Crimson to DNM cables....The DNM IC's with the HFTN upgrade ($500.00) are really something special...perhaps system dependent?

Mrtennis,
Mr. Boyd asked the question and well, I have used both stranded and solid core cables and prefer solid core. I agree with you in the sence that we should allow our own ears (awesome measuring devices that God gave us) to decide the outcome. Perhaps Mr. Boyd is trying to find a good place to start and not blow a lot of cash in the process. :-)

Rodge

why is there a concern of a cable having stranded or solid core wire ?

the type of wire is but one variable which will determine how a cable will interact between two components.

i would prefer to just listen to a cable and then inquire about its composition and design--in that order.

the distinction between solid and stranded wire, independent of other factors seems arbitrary.

there are plenty of decent stranded and solid core cables.

DNM must be the best bang for the buck cables I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. However, if you can fork over the extra dough, Crimson may be the last cable you ever try. Just my opinion....

Hey Rodge, Yes I am using the newer, thicker DNM wire for 'normal' speakers.

I should clarify, when I say it lacks the last octave, I am being unfair, because this is only in comparison to my Downsize Audio 2" wide copper ribbon cables. They have an extra octave in bass compared to most speaker cables, not just DNM.

The Downsize Audio ribbons are the best speaker cables I have heard so far, but they are 10 times the price. For the money the DNM kicks ass.

I have found that solid core is better than stranded in either IC or speaker cables. But then ultra thin ribbon cables are better again, but more expensive.

To address the bass issue that Agisthos mentioned, DNM has developed two different solid core speaker cables. The Precision Speaker Cable (the thinner of the two) is designed to be used for speakers above 90db. I used this in my old 300b to Lowther speaker set up with great results. The Stereo is designed to be used in speakers that are under 90db. This is a "thicker" cable that DNM made for high current amps and harder to drive speakers. DNM found through customer feedback that the Precision wire wasn't doing all it should in this configuration. I am now using the Stereo in my curent set up and have no desire to change it out.
Rodge

Pmboyd: I use Crimson throughout my system...interconnects and speaker cables. You can see them in my "virtual systems".

After using various solid and stranded cables over several decades of audio madness, I recently found a synergistic match to my current pile of electron manipulation gear in a recent iteration of relatively inexpensive Audioquest solid core speaker wire...I'm not sure why people want to spend 3 to 10 times the price of this stuff on anything else as it lacks nothing except quasi entertaining mysterious voodoo...if a cable is light on the last octave of bass and musical "pace" (meaning timing I suppose) I can only imagine it's as thin as a polyester microfibre, or the designers blended condor guano into the metal formula. I'm not a cable luddite and if I had unlimited cash I might buy some extreme $26,000 per inch cable just to marvel at how it looks (and engender geek cred in spades, as well as disdain from sane people), but otherwise I remain in the world of the actual, and welcome others along for the ride.

I have used DNM solid core speaker cable. This design is 1mm in size and fixed in a spaced configuration. There was a jump in clarity and pace compared to traditional stranded copper cable.

The only downside has been a lack of bass in the last octave.

For the money (around 60 pounds for 8 feet terminated), it would be hard to beat. If cost in not a consideration, I do think ultra thin ribbon cabes are the best for IC and speaker cables.

No, I use Q and TelWire cables.

Disclaimer: I am a dealer for TelWire and Q.

Clio09, Do you now have all Crimson cables in your system?

I'm a veteran professional musician...whenever I hear a cable description using the term "rhythmically accurate" I cringe. If a cable is not rhythmic, it's because the dog is chewing on it or somebody with no sense of musical timing is yanking it out of its socket.

OK, gonna try the Crimson MLs. Several people have recommended 'em. Hard to imagine they're gonna beat my Huffman SX, though. Report to come.

I still keep a set of Grover interconects and speaker cables around just in case.

Devilboy, Have you tried the Crimson speaker cables?

OK, gonna try the Crimson MLs. Several people have recommended 'em. Hard to imagine they're gonna beat my Huffman SX, though. Report to come.

Pmboyd: I've enjoyed the solid core cables more than others because of this: the solid cores made me think less about analyzing and more about feeling emotions of music. You know that feeling you get when you stop analyzing the music and you just listen. Then the moment hits you when you realize you haven't criticized anything for 30 minutes. 30 minutes go by and you haven't asked yourself, "am I getting enough bass? Is the tone accurate? Do I need to move the speakers?
So my answer has less to do with detail and more about raw musical emotion. The other cables impress in the 10 minute demo, but show their true annoying colors over time.

Hifi: Glad to see I'm not the only one who had the pleasure of experiencing Crimson cables. Truly a revelation.

I agree with Devilboy, the Crimson musiclink cables are one of the very best bargains on the market right now !...

Devilboy, interesting. What specific sonic qualities have solid core given you that stranded haven't been able to?

I've experienced the most emotional connection to music in my home with solid core wire. DNM, Crimson. Those cables beat out the Kimber Select, and Nordost Tyrs that I USED to use.

So now it's "Expanded Core?" Most of my cables, according to the mfgr description, are "soft core". "Hard core" cables are tawdry. Note that silver plated carrots can be used as "veggie core" and plated animal parts strung together are "meat core". Avoid "molten core" as they can burn a hole in your rug.

I've expanded my mind.

What do you have in mind?

Well, yes, it's solid. We surely could include the category, although it's not what originally I had in mind.

isn't a ribbon cable considered a solid as opposed to stranded conductor ?

A ribbon isn't hollow?

A ribbon is "flattened core".

A ribbon isn't solid core?

Stereovox makes hollow core interconnects in their Studio Line. Yes, a single, HOLLOW-CORE wire: be careful bending! Anybody compared it to single core ics?

Alpha-Core is a ribbon -- in my world a technically different critter than single core or hollow core.

Alpha-Core.

Except for some flexible stuff for in-wall or something, I think Audioquest is all solid core.

Tempo Electric - Joe Levy. Single solid core pure silver. I use his IC from pre to amps, and SC.

i did a google search and confirmed two sources of solid core cable:

1) tara labs

2) parts connexion--legenburg cable

i believe tara labs has a line of rectangular solid core interconnects. call them to see if they are still in production.

or you can google "solid core interconnect" and see if a name of a company is listed.

So who all makes solid core interconnects?

cogan hall, years ago manufactured hollow core interconnects. in the recent past, legenburg manufactured hollow core cables. both companies are no longer viable.

if by chance there exists a company which designs and manufacturers hollow core cable, listen to them and compare them to your favorite solid core cable. there are several types of solid core cable, including, rectangular solid core, cylindrical or circular solid core and ribbon cable.

Mapleshade seems too obscure to find at a discount (used or demo) so I think A'quest (for solid core anyway) is a better deal if you are patient enough to wait and not pay retail. For example, I found some clean Diamondback balanced ICs for $65 a pair. Hard to beat.