2. cables
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Why Do Cables Matter?

To me, all you need is low L, C, and R. I run Mogami W3104 bi-wire from my McIntosh MAC7200 to my Martin Logan Theos. We all know that a chain is only as strong as its' weakest link - so I am honestly confused by all this cable discussion. 

What kind of wiring goes from the transistor or tube to the amplifier speaker binding post inside the amplifier? It is usually plain old 16 ga or 14 ga copper. Then we are supposed to install 5 - 10' or so of wallet-emptying, pipe-sized pure CU or AG with "special configurations" to the speaker terminals?

What kind of wiring is inside the speaker from the terminals to the crossover, and from the crossover to the drivers? Usually plain old 16 ga or 14 ga copper.

So you have "weak links" inside the amplifier, and inside the speaker, so why bother with mega expensive cabling between the two? It doesn't make logical sense to me. It makes more sense to match the quality of your speaker wires with the existing wires in the signal path [inside the amplifier and inside the speaker].

 

 

kinarow1
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,387 posts
 

I used to manufacture cable and have lots of experiments that revealed to me that the connectors  and soldering are even more important than the wire itself

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tonywinga's avatar
tonywinga
844 posts
 

I find I can agree only with your last paragraph.  You make inferences that cables are simple and easy to make but I haven’t seen much from you to substantiate that.  What then is the proper pricing structure for cables be it Cu, Ag, or Au alloys?  What about the structure and weave of the cable and the insulators used?  Or should not pricing be based on performance?  What is Uber expensive in your mind?  Is an amp, speaker or turntable that costs as much as a 550 HP luxury car overpriced in your mind then?

I will tell you that I know very little about the engineering and design of audio cables but I do know something about wire.  I worked with wire in Aerospace and Automotive.  There the primary goals were fatigue resistance and joint integrity.  Other requirements included noise rejection and EMI emissions.  Wire harnesses can get complicated very quickly and especially when working with high frequencies- ie. 5 kHz and above.

I also know the economics of production.  Low volume, handmade boutique level gear, be it cables, amps or turntables will be costly.  No avoiding that.  A handmade watch that costs $100k cannot keep time as well as a $100 quartz watch but which one looks and feels good on the arm?  No, I myself would never spend that on a watch but I’d love to buy a pair of speakers…

tonywinga's avatar
tonywinga
844 posts
 

To explain where I am coming from, I got me a pair of liquid filled interconnects that cost nearly as much as my preamp.  Fortunately, I got them used for much less.  The change these cables made to my audio system is astounding.  Would that I could upgrade all of my cables to that level.  Only it would cost me more than what I paid for my first house and I can’t bring myself to do that.  It always comes down to, “how far are you willing to take it?”

btw- tweaks are fun and they do not have to be expensive.

pennfootball71's avatar
pennfootball71
255 posts
 

For your entry level gear they won’t matter as much

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