2. cables
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Solid copper or stranded copper for speaker cables? What is your choice and why?

I had old copper speaker cable made by Audioquest (don't know the model).  The cable contains only two solid copper wires, one is thicker than the other. As I recalled, Audioquest claimed back then that thicker wire primarily carries lower frequency signal and the thinner wire is responsible for the rest.  I actually have not seen this type of design nowadays, BUT when listening and comparing it with the stranded wire (either 12 or 10 gauge) cable, I found the dynamic range is greater, and the bass is tighter and has more weight.  What do you think?

lanx0003
erik_squires
15,657 posts
 

100% all in on stranded every time.

Easier to use, more reliable, and nicer to dress up with cable sheathes, heat shrink, ends, etc.  In a decade stranded cable will still be performing great, but solid, may or may not be or may degrade without even knowing.  No way I would consider that an option.

lanx0003 OP
652 posts
 

Thank you everyone for the opinions and advises.  Appreciated.

bigkidz
3,312 posts
 

The wire is important but so is how the shielding is on the tech flex.  Find some that reduces electronic noise (costs about triple standard tech flex) and use that on the positive wire run.  Makes a significant difference.  Don't need to use it on the negative run.

 

Happy Listening.

kaipau
7 posts
 

Solid. I came by a very old run of Audioquest F something solid core a long time ago and couldn't figure out why new stranded cables didn't produce the same sound that I liked.

I eventually bought a run of solid core Neotech cables and went "oh, that's where all the detail lives". And they are really flexy :-)

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