Are cables really worth their high price because of their geometry?

İn small signal cables, maybe, like good shielding on a phono cable but otherwise no. 

Being a thread about "cable geometry" and since I believe cable design is far more complicated than many believe, I thought I would pass on my own experiences, i.e. for those of you that might be interested...

I have been researching cables for about the last 15 years (on and off) and within the last 6 years I have pursued cable geometry with much more focus and have found good cable design is very complex and dependent on many factors - not just resistance

My first deviation from the standard ’twisted pair" (with & without shielding) was Stager Silver Solids - solid silver wire with a tightly twisted geometry. These provided much more detail and openess than the more conventional cables I had used to date.

Then I took a leaf out of Kimber’s geometry book and tried braiding cables - braiding surpassed the everything to date and I was able to extend that geometry to Power cables, which again proved t be very beneficial.

It was at this point I got to know a person with over 30 years in the cable and connector business. He made me aware of how using different sized wires and different numbers of strands of solid wire per conductor could improve things even more.

Unfortunately using different sized conductors and different number of conductors did not work too well with the braided design.

SO I then decided to look at the possibility of eliminating crosstalk (if there was any) between the conductors in a cable.

Audiophiles often position the various cables in their systems such that if two cables have to cross, they do so at 90 degrees to minimize crosstalk.

So I looked again at the Stager Silver Solids geometry and asked myself, what if one of those conductors were to run straight through the center of the tightly twisted conductor. Would this provide enough of angle.

My first prototypes were made from CAT5 wire and consisted of a straight positive lead with a coiled neutral wire.

Why not the other way around? - mainly because the neutral might just be able to provide some sort of "screening" to the signal lead

This approach proved to be extremely beneficial compared to the braided approach in terms of clarity, imaging and bass performance and detail.

So then I decided to turn my attention to the metallurgy used in the wires for my interconnects. For me, Silver became the obvious choice for the signal wire because of it’s superior conductivity. But since the coil of the neutral was 3 times the length, it made it a little expensive so I selected a silver plated copper wire.

Thinking back to my experience with different numbers of conductors and different wire gauges I experimented a little with the size and number of conductors used for the neutral.

Since the early designs there have been many many permutations of wire types and gauges, and most combinations have proven to be advantageous. Several people that have adopted this geometry approach have also assisted with testing wire types and provided valuable feedback of their observations.

The last area I have been recently testing is the type of insulation on the wires. One contact in Austria made me aware of the Dielectric Constant of insulation. I have found that using wires with the lowest possible level of Dielectric constant provides the very best sound.
e.g.
- Air is around 1.1
- Cotton is around 3.0
- AirLok insulation (see VH Audio) is around 1.45
- Teflon is around 2.2
- foamed insulation vary between 1.6-2.0

As I said, this journey has taken many years and in that time I have been fortunate in that many others that have adopted what I refer to as the "Helix Geometry" have provided some excellent feedback on wire types and insulation.

Each cable variant takes some 300+ hours of burn-in and subsequent auditions. so the process has not been quick.

My system is modest compared to some of those now using the Helix Cables, and based on their observations they appear to work extremely well on a variety of systems, both tube and solid state.

SO - If you believe Cables make a difference, then you might like to see the latest variant of cables I have made on this site.
http://image99.net/blog/

ALTERNATIVELY: For those of you that believe all that matter is resistance and would like to point out my approach and geometry is flawed
- I will point out that I will not respond to your comments, simply because I have heard ALL the arguments as to why they will not work before.

But everyone is entitled to an opinion - so post away - like minded individuals will appreciate it greatly

For those sitting on the fence - trust your ears - they are the best "tool" a person has - and try some of the more unorthodox geometries from companies like In-Akustik, Nordost, KLE Innovations and Kimber.

Regards - Steve

Nobody can show any particular geometry is any better overall than another.   It's all hearsay.   So the answer is people may think certain ones are worth it but there is nothing to back it up so spending a fortune on wires is a pot shot at best.

@williewonka

Hi, I'm not certain you ever heard of, or are familiar with, a certain HPC named interconnect type cable that was produced/marketed by Madrigal (Levinson) way back in the early mid 80s?
H standing for helical, P for planar, C for copper. Yet, HOW is it actually constructed? 

Well, it has an inner centre/core of a very thick like fish-line string about 1/16 inch ø of (I'm guessing) teflon.
Around this is wound tightly, helical, a very thin foil like, some ⅛ inch wide copper foil. Followed by a dual (or tripple? layer of helical wound telfon tape.
Now in the opposite direction, wound helical is the negative conductor, followed by the second insulation layer of teflon wound tape. This is followed by the screen, of a fine mesh 'sock' and then all covered by some type of light grey shrink sleeve. 

All this is some VERY unassuming looking cable, but the efford of criss cross helical winding of every delicate (planar conductor) foil and teflon insulation material needs to be seen to be believed. 
Then appreciate the skill, by use of silver solder connected XLR plugs to these delimate foils, is quite something in deed. 

So how about the sound presentation? 
Well, it sure beats every thing IC I ever had in my system, including my last, Transparent Music Link Ultra XLR, this by a really most *noteable* degree in trebble, bass, and overall clarity. 

This is the most elaborate construction I've ever seen - and it truly works.
 
Don't ask me about the original cost. It must have been rather high, and looking almost puny and very unattractive, pencil thick only - not a marketable smash hit for sure.

I guess that's why they didn't make it for more than a couple of years - if even that long. 

But - the best IC I *ever* had in my system. 
So... CONSTRUCTION MATTERS - BIG TIME, in my learning. 

Imagine all these controversies about cable geometry....

Those who experiment with it.... And others who do not....

My ears/brain tell me that except for experimenting with it, it is not possible to develop a sound opinion...

It is like with my last  homemade "creation" the " The twin Fans combing sound" all will laught without even knowing anything, i will smile with my low cost reverse engineering tweak, not of a cable, but a room enhancer.....

« Those who speak sometimes know, those who stay silent always learn in all case » - Groucho Marx