Has anybody tried using single solid core cables?

Hi Jea48

Sorry for the confusion (trying to be genderless by use of [their] rather than
[his]). I was not saying AQ claimed to use stranded wire. I was referring to the
OP's description: [My question before I ditch my multi-stranded Audioquest
Indigo cables....]. Multiple solid conductors vs multiple stranded conductors vs
single solid core and their equivalency or lack thereof appears to be the issue.

Al, perhaps you're right (as usual) because if there is any chance of smearing sound because of small cable resistance vs frequency change (caused by skin effect) when wire is too thick, then it has to apply to changing (vs. frequency) impedance of the speaker loading, when wire is too thin.

Perhaps solid gauge 14 can be a compromise (AQ type 4 etc) without paying too much.

Happy New Year!

Great question!! I've tried the expensive firehoses, multi-threaded, and the stuff from Home Depot - yes, the solid core - I think it's the 14 gauge. The solid core from the hardware store wasn't bad, but I much preferred the solid core Anti Cables. I currently use MapleShade Helix solid core. Very small gauge compared to the Anti Cables, but both sound good. And the price is right too! More than the solid core from Home Depot, but for $150 or so, you get about a 12' pair.

Thanks, Kijanki. Good analogy.

A slight correction to my previous post. When I said:

Now a case could be made that damping factors above a few tens of ohms are overkill with most speakers ....

Damping factors are of course not measured in ohms. They are a ratio of two values that are each measured in ohms, so they have no units. Therefore delete the words "of ohms" from the quoted sentence.

A happy and healthy 2014 to all,
-- Al

Re the Indigo cable and the solid/stranded question, while a case could be made for referring to it as solid core, IMO (based on what I perceive to be the most common usages of the terms) cables employing any form of Litz construction (i.e., a single overall conductor consisting of a group of individually insulated conductors) should not be referred to as either solid core or stranded. It's simply a different animal than what both terms are generally used to refer to.
12-31-13: Almarg

Al,

I have to disagree with you on this one. I see a difference between a conductor made up of several bare wires that are in direct contact with one another covered by a single insulation covering to that of several insulated solid core wires grouped together under a common jacket.


Here is an example of a stranded wire conductor made up of several solid core bare wires covered by an insulation covering making up a single conductor. (Example, look at the 500 awg conductor. It is made up of 37 #12 awg bare solid core wires.)

Here is a 4 pair CAT6 data cable made up of 8 insulated #23 awg solid core wires.
If we were to connect all the bared copper ends together at each end we would now have a single conductor made up of 8 individually insulated #23 awg solid core wires.

If you go to the Audioquest and look at the DRAGON speaker cable you will see it is made up of 14 insulated solid core FPS silver conductors.

2) #21 awg Polyethylene insulated wires.
2) #21 awg Carbon Loaded Polyethylene insulated wires.

2) #19 awg Polyethylene insulated wires.
2) #19 awg Carbon Loaded Polyethylene insulated wires.

3) #17 awg Polyethylene insulated wires.
3) #17 awg Carbon Loaded Polyethylene insulated wires.

I see the raw cable as a 14 conductor multi wire cable.

Jim