This is what happens when someone is not educated in the physics of electronics and try to explain audio cable characteristics. What is MII? It’s called EMI. And RFI is also EMI. And air is a (weak) conductor. And overall, cables at a few feet of length won’t affect your audio quality at a level perceivable in a blind test unless it’s really bad quality.
In my 35-year experience in this matter, I found that the best-sounding loudspeakers cables had to be similar or identical to those used for the internal cabling of the wired loudspeakers. With absolutely no exception, the more ambitious cables used between the amplifier and the wired loudspeakers, induced a loss of overall consistency. They may have seemed more resolved in first listening comparisons, but the option to go with the simpler cable used inside the loudspeaker always brought the most musical results (and there are good reasons for that if you think about it, as two different types of cables will never feature the same properties in the time and frequency domains).
That is a very clever observation, I agree! The only problem is that thin wire has high resistance. Perhaps one should do a low gauge cable with multiple wires.
In most cases cables buyers are not aware about wires inside their speakers. Also wires inside have limited length, so their resistance is constant anyway. But some selected audiophiles can get inside of their speakers and replace internal wires to gauge they are able to solder. I think AWG 6 and thicker cause a lot of problems to solder them.
Nice video , I built my own speaker cables with Audioquest X2 copper OFC long strands wire and Audioquest beryllium copper BFA banana plugs and then i used shrink wrap from lowes where i connected the cable to plug they sound great i didnt use no fancy dress up skirts over the cables lol
In military we have something called "Subject Matter Expert", who is QUALIFIED & experienced enough to be the authority on that subject. If you have questions on that subject, everyone stays shut and let the SME speak, regardless of rank. Sadly, in audio industry, people don't ask the qualification of the guru, don't question his scientologificalculativity, but it makes so me happy when they talk about how much they have spent so far.
Never claimed to be a technician, I actually always stated that this is not my field of competence but it is my passion. In any case, I have demolished a lot of real so-called technicians who furnish different explanations each time. Other technicians have also defended my point so...where is objectivity? I do not see it in every topic. At least I do not claim to be a professional. I can be considered an analog audio expert but not an audio engineer. Moreover, if you or others are seeking science on RU-vid then that means you don't even know what science is and I do since I do research at a high degree in another field and in fact I hold a PhD. In any case, you and others are missing the point of this video. The point is that OCC copper is a fantastic conductor, which can be found for a relatively cheap price and create your own high end cables at a fraction of the price. The rest is just attempting to explain why this is is so, and I agree that I did not do this in the best of ways.
Uploader is pushing nothing but marketing drivel, the video was disappointing. He goes to sleep sweetly to this day with the OCC cables plugged into his ass.
I'm still using Monster cable interconnects that I purchased over a five year period starting in 1988. (when I bought my first CD player). They weren't that expensive back then. They DID make a difference in the sound quality, even back then.
Wow ! That is true ! The cables are very important especially for the high frequency !!! I see in one amplifier onli for 10cm the engineers decide to use fiber optic cable , to eliminate the electromagnetic field and noice emission for the cable.
EXCELLENT, excellent presentation. Its a shame, that some shrills shown up bellow to give negative comment. Thanks very much for the time spent on this video. So tires and tires, since they made from rubber are the same OR knives and knives are the same because they are made from steel? NOOO....... there are great quality differences between them, but if YOU can't tell the differences, than its OK with those WHOM CAN :)
I’ve been making knives for over 8 years, and I can tell you there is a difference with high end knives/custom knives. But that is because of heat treatment done on the steel, which depending on the temp of the heat treatment and tempering, there are differences, even with the same steel. And there are measurable differences between alloys of steel used. Even though this is an extremely basic reasoning, that is why there are differences in knives from one another. Speaker cables on the other hand, should sound no different from one good cable to another, as they’re made of the same material. Silver might make a minute difference over copper, this is due to silver having a conductivity of 105%, vs copper 100%. Interconnects as long as properly made, the same rules apply. This is only my opinion based on my experiences. P.s. Even though it was an apples to, not oranges, but say a chicken comparison. I still loved the knife reference! Have a good one! 👍
@@grantdavid9466 my recommendation to you is...stick with knives, because you have NO idea what you are talking about. Just like in Damascus layering the geometry of the cables also make a HUGE difference.. just sayin'....
Obudai Stricy I’ll stick to whatever I like. Just like when I make knives, I apply science and measurement to audio as well to make my decisions. This is not to say I follow only those parameters for my choices in audio equipment, I listen critically as well. I’m not claiming there is no difference between cheap and expensive cables and interconnects, there is. However the difference in spending $50-$100 or so on cables, vs thousands on them is essentially nonexistent. Do you also believe that cables are directional, and that batteries put on cables improve the sound? Also if I have no idea of what I’m talking about, please explain to me how, using scientific reasoning, otherwise you should just stick with believing in your snake oil unfounded in fact. If you believe that pattern welded steel (what it seems you think is Damascus) provides better properties than, say mild steel clad, or even mono steel construction, you have been mislead. Even true Damascus, doesn’t possess the purity, and quality that cutting steels today do. Most pattern welded steel provides essentially nothing more than an aesthetic purpose, and on a microscopic level potentially more bite as it has micro serrations because of one steel having a different composition than another. So even if this were a valid argument, what are the “Damascus” equivalents is in audio cables then? And once again, explain how I have no idea of what I’m talking about. How am I wrong?
@@grantdavid9466 following tour analogy, cables have EXTREMELY different types of metals inside and combination of these, with very different geometry, very different insulation, different heating and cooling treatment, different casting/moulding treatment etc. etc. Trust me...in audio there are MUCH MUCH more variables than in knives!
Thanks for video. A subject that interests me. I highly recommend when choosing component interconnects to visit a specialist audio supplier in your city and ask if they have cables you can borrow. We did this and tested several brands and qualities of interconnects they had available to borrow for a couple of days. We were able to choose the best cable for our system and the desired sound. There was a very noticeable difference in the sound of the different analog interconnects. Digital interconnects not so much.
Lazy Dog, assuming you have a high-end system, if you audition a digital interconnect and MC-0.5 from High Fidelity Cables, I'm confident you'll hear a significant improvement. BTW, they have a money-back satisfaction guarantee.
Thank you to bring OCC to my knowledge. The story about HiFi cable is much more complex than a 10-minute video and always a source for continuous fight against audiophile community. In my opinion cables should be bought from professional (well known) dealers, due to the cost and effort for research. I do believe for my personal experience that cables change the sound and the quality of your set. My suggestion is to fix a percentage amount of budget for cables compared to the value of the item to be connected, and spend that budget in second hand market, for much more value than the price
I see you are claiming the ladder of my channel! :-) Here is a OCC copper dedicated video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YCgfQr84Yco.html
@@anadialog No no your first videos are really good 👍, but as a matter of fact you chose very hard, complex and discussed (even argumented) themes to start from. It was risky but you succeeded in the objective of being honest and bring your experience and knowledge to the community. And this Is a noble objective, apart from critics (that always and ever exist)
I wish I could speak Italian like you speak English! Auguri! I see the flat earth 'experts' have been attracted by this video. They have obviously never experienced the transparency and musical freedom of really good cables for themselves. Now we have to tell them that power cables and the electrical power supply makes a difference and they will go crazy! Hai fatto bene. All the best, Rob
In the last twenty years audiophiles have learned that above a certain quality level, measurements are not predictive of the sound you will obtain from anything: component, cable, anti resonance foot, nothing. And yet we still have the usual comments: "if you can't measure it, it's not there, so you can't hear it and you are imaging things because you won't admit that you have been ripped". And this kind of comment to me has the same value as measurements: nil, nada, zero. BTW: I am a mathematician, with a good knowledge of quantum physics. The "you don't know physics/electronics" mantra doesn't apply.
Hello ANA[DAY]LOG! Please, in your opinion to make balanced analog cables, which would you choose the NEOTECH NEI-3004 or the NEOTECH NEMOI-3220? Thank you very much
I suggest trying Sommercable quadra blue as a speaker cable, it gives the same performance as mid class cardas, but for a much lower price. Then you can try using CMC banana plugs which are cheap and later maybe Viborg golf which is slightly better. That it like cheating. I have tried almost all cables that are available, except for High fidelity cables and a handful, and most of them are really bad, not worth it price wise, they just give a different filter on the sound which gives a different priority. Buying this quadra blue is almost as good as a cardas clear cable. But you have the freedom to change the plugs that is so much more fun. As soon as you buy an expensive cable it is like buying a sportscar, it loses 10% of it's value, the first couple of days, and then 20% more after a year. And then you are stuck with it, because it costed you so much. Quadra blue also sounds awesome with oyaide 079 power plugs, I mean really awesome, like you paid 20x more for a good power cable in the stores.
good silver cable is just as warm sounding as copper but with more details in the highs. look for soft annealed and/or OCC silver. avoid the silver plated copper. those are harsh.
I've never had a shielded cable make a difference in any of my systems. Well except a subwoofer signal rca that had to run across a pile of power cords was picking up a tiny bit of hum. Easily fixed with a cheap Acoustic Research shielded cable.
There is a point where there is no discernable difference by ear only by machine. The cost vs return for most anyone save for very few that actually have more money than they could spend in 10 lifetimes. It simply is not worth it. A good OFC speaker wire of sufficient guage is all you need for speakers. HDMI cables of a reputable 2.1 brand certified will do. And yes for the most part expensive audio cables are snake oil. Also you can not build a good set of cables for what you can buy them for. I tried and the difference is so minimal why bother. Bottom line is I strongly disagree. Using silver is not a discernable upgrade by ear. The cost is extremely high. Stick with OFC and gold plated connectors and you will be fine. Audioholics have preached on this subject as well with my views too. Length of cables has a lot to do with it but larger wire will suffice. Stay away from expensive cables, they are snake oil for 99% of us that hear like humans and not dogs.
Audio......a wonderful and mystical world. First: audio, the things we hear and the way we hear them is VERY personal ! Almost everything around us will influence the way an audio signal will be interpreted by our brain, and eventually, how we actually 'hear' the sound. The carrier (CD, LP, tape, etc...), the way it was recorded, the (pre) amplifier and its components, the cables, the loudspeakers, the filter, the room and how it is filled with furniture, air humidity, temperature, your mood, the shape of your ears, the hair in your ears, the size of your ear drums, the level of damage of your hearing, and MUCH more... will eventually all decide how we interpret a sound. To say audio can be pretty complex is a tremendous understatement. High Fidelity. HiFi. First commercial use on a large scale started in the early sixties, when good stereo sets became affordable to a large audience. And a HiFi set did not need to meet a lot of requirements to obtain the status of High Fidelity. Often, if an amplifier could deliver a signal to the speakers at less than 3% (!!!) over a frequency range of 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz it could be called a HiFi amp. The HiFi requirements, which have barely been revised since then, are still used today and even the most basic amp today meets those requirements with ease. Okay, let's use the term High End. But there are many stereo sets these days which are SO good, that they are FAR better than that. The term HiFi is old-fashioned and outdated. Reality : it is almost - if not totally - impossible to quantify a thing such as Hifi of High End. There has never been made a clear definition of those terms, and how and when a stereo set/apparatus will be awarded the qualification of Hifi or High End. How and when to use these terms is therefor very difficult to decide. Cables. A necessary evil. Without them we wouldn't hear much. They come in copper, silver, gold, and other metals. I can talk about chemistry and metallurgy and things like that, but the point is : electricity runs through those cables and because different types of metal have different properties and different size cristals, what comes out the other end will (audibly !!!) be different. If you have read all of the above, you will understand that HOW and IF you hear the difference will vary from person to person. This is a scientific and biological fact. The human ear is capable of some fantastic feats: we can hear the most minute differences, while signals compared in detail with an oscilloscope, when comparing cables, will show NO difference............... How does one explain that...??? I really do NOT know. You tell me !! I own a real glass fibre cable and a plastic optical cable, that runs from my CD and DAT player to my amplifier. All they convey are light signals, only ones and zeros, right? When exchanging cables, there should be NO audible difference ! But there is !! I can clearly tell which one is which and I definately prefer the glass cable over the plastic one !!! How is this possible? How can there be a difference? I do not know, but there most definately IS a difference !! The same with interconnectors. There are thousands of different cables and they each have their own unique "sound". Now.....ever since I started with audio, I've heard stories from people about whether or not there are any differences and that you can use a cheap cable. Copper is copper. Sound is sound.... WRONG !! I disagree !! As long as I, and many others with me, can CLEARLY hear the difference between one cable and the other, there are no more doubts ! "Oh....you only hear it because you WANT to hear it. That cable is more expensive than that one". Rubbish. My ears are fine and so are everybody else's. There are no conspiracies, no mysteries, no fantasy stories. So, just because some people can not hear the difference, or refuse to believe there is or can be a difference, it does not mean there is no difference !!! So PLEASE stop these rediculous conversations....!!!! ++ If there really would not be any difference, ALL stereo sets would sound alike. But they don't !!! GUESS WHY....???? ++ What if a blind person tells you that colors don't actually exist....... That there is only black and white...??? How would YOU, somebody with perfect eye sight, respond to such a person...???? So people, if YOU can NOT hear the difference, than at least have the courtecy to keep your mouth shut and respect the people who DO hear the difference !!! After all, it is YOU who is hearing - and learning - impaired !!!
As an audio enthusiast with an engineering background, I had a good chuckle at this video multiple times through, will all the super-impressionable layman terminology thrown around to describe the 'results' with nothing objective at all. *All it needs is a little push to make an audiophile an audiophool..*
I am sorry you got this impression. The bottom line of this video is that you can have incredible quality cables at a fraction of the price if you know what to look for. Monocrystal copper is truly amazing IMHO and we don't need to pay absurd prices to cable companies. I think that deserves to be shared. If in your experience cables never helped, I understand and respect that. Obviously you are not going to take seriously ANY kind of video talking about this topic if that is your opinion. Again, no problem with that. As I respect others' opinion, you should do the same. I am not getting money from some company or something this is just done for passion, not for interest. Hence, I am speaking truly without any second interest. That is my only strong point.
In the section 'conductors' , the wire you presented with an inscription that look like corean is not silver plated copper but copper plated with tin for protection from corrosion. Other than this little mistake, great video!
Hi friend. Are you aware of anything other than normal conductivity parameters? Conductivity is an abstraction, after the material has obtained drift velocity, and is an averaged value, there may be things happening instantaneously and during the transient period (which is extremely quick btw). Anything relating to crystal effects that one can probe and see on a chart?
Indeed. That is actually the true advantage of OCC copper the almost complete absence of impurities and grains. I did go more in depth in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uVKFSquAhwc.html but I think you are seeking more scientific data.
@@anadialog thanks for the link. But even in the abscence of impurities won't we still have other issues just because we have about 30*C of thermal energy.
Don’t know if skin effect is an issue in the audio band. My ears have not found much if any difference between solid silver cables and OCC copper. To my hearing I don’t like stranded cables as interconnects, i prefer solid core or litz construction. I agree insulation type is important also. The connectors are significant also, WBT next gen seem to me to be much better than connectors having a solid metal body (eddy currents?) . Thanks for an interesting and informative video. Appreciated.
I have experimented with a pair of leedh interconnects and found a good improvement when changing to NEUTRIK NF2C-B/2 connectors from a cheap pair. They haven’t been compared to other brands but they were audibly superior. Worth trying and reasonably priced. Look around, Amazon is ridiculousy overpriced. I spent about $25. dollars for mine.
Many comments seem to talk science and take the attitude that these things do not matter. Well, I have boxes full of Good quality science-driven cables of the likes of Blue Jeans cables as well as many others. I then bought Neotech OCC copper cables and higher-end Pure copper connectors Rhodium or Gold plated. I soldered them using higher-end Oyaide Solder. Theoretically, these should not sound any different or not better. However, that is not what happened. They sound full of richness compared to the very dull to dead-sounding Blue Jeans cables. In fact, I was not able to put back in my system the lifeless sounding science-based cables. The human auditory system is complex and not everything we measure may encompass how we hear.
so many better companys than monster. I hope they go out business, I had 400 worth of broken cables they would not warrenty them.. Is solid wire cables afforable yet ?
I have in front of me two types of 12-guage speaker wire. Please note that I am aware that there are better options out there, in fact I could make my own, which I will consider, but for the sake of the current situation I present to you the following. On one hand, Sewell Silverback (banana plugs, 259 copper thread count, thicker looking wire with black sheath) and on the other hand, Media-bridge CL2 two-conductor wire, in-wall use, a thinner wire in white sheath). In your opinion which one is better? TY
They are very similar in the end. For me oxygen absence is one of the key factors in quality cables. The Media-bridge seems a better type of conductor.
Rhodium plating is the best. Gold tends to smear the sound. It is true that gold is a better conductor. However, rhodium plating is microns thin, and electrons pass easily through it. So there is more than just conductivity when it comes to thin plating.
One major point that was left out is that yes silver does oxidizes. BUT the oxidation is STILL CONDUCTIVE! So it would still be better to get a cable with silver connections. That’s one of the many reasons why silver is the best conductive metals. It’s also ten spots higher on the periodic table as well.
But does this actually make an audible difference? If you can pick out the silver connections 9 times out of 10 in blind testing, than it does, otherwise it's not worth it.
@@DustinHaning normally you can. Because silver is more brighter sounding than gold or cooper. But more so with hdmi cables. The electrons move faster on silver and has less timing delays. Where everything you watch doesn’t look like old Godzilla movies. 😂
All copper cables work the same, you don't need special grades, the propagation of electric signals doesn't care a jot about oxygen free copper as the resistance of the cable is utterly negligible compared to the load impedance for audio interconnects. For signals you don't really need copper either, (just be sure to avoid magnetic metals) - plain aluminium wire will work, its just a pain as you can't solder it, which is why CCA exists. Copper is almost always the best choice for a cable as it is very ductile and endures a lot of bending and abuse as a result - and its conductivity is very good. Silver plated cables are only useful for RF cables (many megahertz), current basically flows through the whole conductor at audio frequencies as the skin effect depends on the frequency. At microwave frequencies (GHz) silver plating is commonplace as it does make a difference, but thats 5 orders of magnitude higher than audio frequency. Teflon insulation is not needed at audio frequencies either, and its so stiff as to make cables unmanagable. Its low losses at 100MHz and above are the reason teflon is used. For low level signal cables its sometimes important to get microphone cable which is designed to not be microphonic itself. I fear you've been at the snake oil, trust the electrical engineers not the marketing droids about this stuff.
Mark Tillotson question, Why there Are Cables which Are Capable of Transport a dvi oder hdmi Signal Over a longer distance ( longer than the specs from that Interface ) than others? If Copper works the same , Why is it Imortant for example Video Signals?
@@shrike9t1 spdif/AES-EBU are NOT audio signals - it is "digital information" about a audio signal. The lowest frequency/bitrate in digital audio is ten time higher than the highest harmonics from any analog amplifier - any signal send to any speaker for that matter. HDMI are 100% digital - up to 2+ Giga bit/GHz, also the ARC (audio return channel) and the only analog in a DVI is the VGA signals - THEY are NOT audio - that is video signals at upto 160MHz.
Thanks a lot. Have learned a lot from watching your videos. When making power cables, what is the difference then between the power cables for analogue devices and the power cables for digital devices?
Thanks! None! All the same, meaning that a power cord is a power cord. If it is of good quality it will always bring benefits! Things change if you want a power filter. Analog and digital have different effects and may influence or be influenced by the other components. Better separate them from that point of view.
@@anadialog Excellent. Thank you for the quick reply. One last question (maybe): does the length of the power cable make that much difference? I was thinking of making a short 50cm power cable. Is that too short? Does it matter? I am trying to avoid having power cables all coiled up over each other.
@@leighsmith1627 If you replace 3 meters long PC cable with 1 meter long AWG 14 wired cable you reduce resistance from 0.3 Ohms to 0.01 Ohms. Usually Audiophiles manufactures don't take AWG 14, but AWG 12-8, so resistance is even less. But I'm sure it cannot change sound quality since even PC cable is able to supply 1.2kW/2.4kW without problems like overheat or voltage drop (0.3 Ohms vs 12 Ohms/24 Ohms of maximum load is nothing to cause noticeable voltage drop - 2.5% maximum).
AudioEnvy offers a great selection of physics-based wire. (Agrees with many of your points) Also have excellent connectors for the DIY... The completed cable prices ar very fair so most do that and they're done!
I use to be huge skeptic! My bluff got called after completing a series of different cable tests. Audio Envy was one of them. AE and couple 2nd runners really changed my attitude. The sound was so open and easy going... Frankly, a bigger difference than the last few electronics upgrades I tried. When it works, its TRUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEE" :)
Here is a really good tip to make your own interconnect cable. You will get a cable of high quality that can easily rival or outperform cables which are 5 to 10 times more expensive. Buy four cinch plugs of good quality. Gold or silver (nothing else !!). ALL METAL !! No plastic housing !!! Then buy 1 meter of Aircell 7 cable. Buy some silver solder (5 to 20%, buy the most expensive you can afford). Measure the length needed to go from the CD player (or other sound source) to the amplifier. A nice "half circle" is best. Not too short, not too long. CAREFULLY strip the Aircell 7. Solder it to the cinch plugs. Do NOT apply pressure to any component. Just insert and solder it. Assemble the cable, connect it to your stereo set ....and.....ENJOY.....!!!! The reason this cable is so good for audio is because the way it is constructed and the materials used. Oxygen free copper, thick core and outer layers, foamed PE insulator, braided copper outer layer over a 100% foil wrap. www.paratronic.fi/dokumentit/DB-Aircell7-UK-SF.pdf The 100% foil wrap keeps unwanted interference away. Especially this foil is SO very important for interconnect cables. The performance to price ratio is unsurpassed, of this cable. Sure, there are plenty of other cables that sound better, have better properties, but for the price (10 to 25 USD/Euros for 2 lengths), absolutely NOTHING will outperform this DIY cable !!! My other DIY interconnect consists of two lengths of A90PPP cable with the best and most expensive connectors WBT has to offer. Soldered with 20% silver solder. I have taken this cable to audio shops where they sell 1 million dollar (!!!!!!!!) stereo sets and my cable was as good as, if not better than their best cables....................... I rest my case. gigalink-mce.net/Datasheets%20Microwave/A%2090%20PPP.pdf And yes....... I have plenty of A90PPP for sale............... ;-) Aircell 7 is super cheap. That one, you can buy anywhere.
Thank you for the info! Actually I did do something similar to what you are describing, also in terms of expense. Check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u3EPL6hI_H4.html
I have watched the video and I truly doubt that red cable comes even close to the Aircell 7. Ofcourse, I don't have the possibilty to compare the two.... Your red cable is shielded, at least. That is important. But is the capacitance of the cable as low as that of the Aircell 7? Is the resistance of the plastic around the copper extremely high? And I see the cinch plugs are plastic, not metal. Plastic offers no shielding, whatsoever. The copper is not as thick as the copper in the Aircell. From what I can see, the red cable has a higher C, L and R than the Aircell, making the Aircell a better choice. Provided you use silver solder and metal cinch plugs, otherwise, the difference would be quite small. BUT...... audio is a strange thing. Sometimes, the most unexpected improvements can be found in the smallest of things, in the strangest of places. Maybe that red cable sounds even better than the Aircell 7. I can't tell until I made a comparison. My personal experience is that the Aircell 7 ( built as described) outplays EVERY other interconnect cable (under 80 Euros/USD per meter) I have ever made. Only my A90PPP sounds (a LOT!!) better than the A7, but hey.... I spent a fortune on that one..............!!!!
I Noticed a difference going from cheap cables to mid range but when we tried SO CALLED hi end cables i did not notice any difference ! I am really really glad i was able to just TRY them rather than waste money .I am now a firm believer in that CEILING point you cant really go above , when its awesome its awesome !!
So what / where is a good brand to buy for cables? I realize Monster cables are overprice but what about Monoprice or perhaps buying a brand name cable on Ebay or Amazon for half the price you pay in the stores? Thanks for the video.
Hi Raymond, check the video description for details! I personally do not think Moster cables are that good. Yes, on ebay you can find good used stuff and other similar channels.
Teflon is one of the best insulation solutions. Check also these videos I made: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u3EPL6hI_H4.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qlQXmQlBaVA.html
If this subject interest you, why not find a technical book that explains the concepts and give you actual insight. I had to stop after a few minutes - it is only a mix of myths and misunderstandings (Silver "sounds" brighter than copper, a cable with more strands takes more to drive, the (audio) signal only runs on the outside of the conductor...)
to en, thank you for your (polite) comment. Yes, I am surely not to be considered a scholar in this field. Nevertheless, I would like to explain better what I was trying so say in the video. Remember that this is and MUST be a simple video blog. Not an academic webinar. I have a PhD in another field so I know exactly what is research, how you do it and how you communicate it. I got a lot of critical comments (which is good) and every time I explain in detail my reasons people withdraw their comments leaving no trace of my detailed reply :-( Let's try again! So, coming to your critics. The statement that silver cables MAINLY sound brighter, I confirm it is true. What I did not mention, which probably you are referring to, is that a high quality cable with an excellent engineering, highly shielded and carefully planned geometry are superior and do not have this issue. Yes, in this case, I agree. Overall silver cables are the best, but you cannot just buy some simple silver cables, you have to buy high quality silver cables that cost an arm and a leg and so, cutting all this off, I just said that in the end, for the money, high quality copper is the best. Silver cables like the Nordost Odin are obviously going to be better but I think it is kind of stupid to suggest that level of cables. The proof of this is that I clearly states that silver cables are the best conductors. That claim is already bringing silver among the first positions if not the top of the line. I also claimed that in silver-plated copper cables the signal travels MAINLY (never said only) on the outside of the conductor. Apart from the skin effect, which is related to higher frequencies (audible and not audible, in contrast to other critics), in respect to the core, yes electric current travels MAINLY on the outside in general, and with silver-plated construction is is enhanced, due to the different materials involved and the conductivity of silver. Outside part, obviously does not mean the last molecules on the external surface but the outer portion of a cable in contrast to the inner portion. If I start saying all of this, trust me I will never have any followers on my channel! As you can see, no myth here. I am just trying to keep this simple. Finally, I did not say that 'a cable with more strands takes more to drive', I just said that it takes more power according to the number of strands. If we could connect 100 cables to the same connector, all of them would have to be feed. Certainly, a signle or 100 cables do not have the same amount of electric current passing through them. I know that the amount is very very low, but this value does change. The only things I can say is that this aspect is not relevant in interconnects. I just mentioned it but it is not useful to know.
Now that you took your time to answer, I will give you a just a few questions you can try to think about: 1) Say an output has an impedance of 100 ohm, the input has 5 kohm, and the cable that connects them 200 mohm. How much of the signal will you loose and why does this affect the sound? 2) If a silver cable has, say, 8% lower resistance than a copper cable, of same dimensions, why does it matter, and why not just use a thicker copper cable? 3) If currents flow on the outside of conductors, why is the resistance proportional to the area, not the square of the area?
Hello again, actually I answered after a few hours last time. Apart from that, if your point is to prove that I am not an expert in this field, there is no need to ask technical questions. As I have already stated in the previous message, I am not an expert in this field and I never claimed the be one. Moreover, the point of this video and my channel is not to give mere technical expertise, nor elevating me as a reference, but bring my experience to people who are interested in getting the best out of their hi-fi system with a cheap or fair expense. That is my final goal and I think that I have somehow succeeded in doing this. That is so, simply because the products I am suggesting have been personally tested by me with excellent results, they are truly of high quality and are equal or better than most of the so-called high end cables, which employ the same technology and cost 10 or 100 times more. In my opinion this is something worth saying and knowing. In communicating this I must touch a few technical arguments, which I try to keep at a basic level and I am the first to admit that I am not the most accurate in doing this, nevertheless the general elements that I outline are sufficient to understand what I am trying to say and in the end, fairly correct (i.e. not completely wrong). What is awkward here, is the fact that true experts or technicians watch mine or other similar videos, which clearly are of no interest to them due to their superior knowledge (nevertheless they seek them), and, instead of giving their contribution or suggestions, put great effort in demolishing, in pointing their finger at all the mistakes or inaccuracies, enjoying the fact that they were able to find fault in someone else's work in order to satisfy their ego. Maybe this is not your case, although unfortunately this is a strong trend on RU-vid and other social networks, but I think that the correct approach is to give a positive contribution along with a more than welcome constructive criticism.
Unfortunately no, it is good for plugging and unplugging. Good old Gold is probably the best for its antioxidation properties. Conductivity is only one part of the equation. Check this recent video I made on all top quality materials for audio: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YCgfQr84Yco.html
You can have both (the first regards geometry the second material)! A litz wire in occ copper! zenwaveaudio.com/product/neotech-22-gauge-upocc-copper-litz/
The sound engineers who created your favourite recordings didn't use special power cables or super expensive interconnects just good quality shielded or twisted pair wires xlr connectors (often neutrik) and the leads that came with the gear. The whole cable thing is an utter con taking advantage of the consumers lack of electrical engineering education and suseptability to one-upmanship, snobbery and supposed inside knowledge. ps. the audio in this clip has been through compression on uploaders computer then more on utubes servers.
Yes, in most cases you are correct, but thwre are a lot of labels that DO use high quality cables e.g....have you heard about Chesky records? Amazing quality...
High end studios also run with low impedance transformers throughout and use a double grounding technique where pin 3 is ground and every single piece of equipment is chassis grounded through a main spike 6' into the ground-- that's why the English call grounding 'earth' The end result rivals snake oil prices.
I did structured cabling for a few years after college. Worked along side a senior journeyman and industry techs running fiber, ethernet, 24v, 12v and all kinds of audio applications. We did a high end audio visual system for one of John Deeres conference rooms with klipsch and QSC, Several auditoriums with Crown CTs and Bose, School gymnasiums, Cinema's with Crown and JBL. We run all the cable then techs come in and set everything up with MEASUREMENTS and DSP etc. Not one time we used any of these BS cables. Not even in a University music hall and recording studio. No fancy OCC copper, silver or braided multistrand Kimber style cable. 🤔
I had a local dealer (Quinn Audio in the Greater Seattle area) lend me some cables to try. If it weren't for the ability to test these cables IN MY OWN SYSTEM, I wouldn't have ever experimented on my own. I ended up buying a Black Cat Silverstar digital coax cable, Black Cat Coppertone RCAs, and 3 Audioquest NRG power cables. Now, I am not a noob, and have been working in the audio industry for over 20 years now, but was SHOCKED at how much better both the digital cable and the power cables made my system sound! I wouldn't have guessed that either would have made much of a difference (as my main experience with aftermarket cables has been Monster...and my systems have been much more modest until recently), but they absolutely did! Bottom line, YOU need to LISTEN to a cable BEFORE buying on YOUR system with YOUR music! Find a dealer who will loan you cables to try...if you hear a significant difference, then buy them! Can't tell the difference? Then don't! It really is THAT simple, guys!
Why not mention about dieletrics? I'm very confused about what this does I know it's important to insulation and very important to the transfer of energy through the cable.
Youvare correct. For an updated and complete analysis for any type of analog cable see this more recent video of mine: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uVKFSquAhwc.html
you can almost always tell the difference, real advice is get a friend who have better ears (on hiish end you can easily test yourselves with lossless formats), so the point is for you to get used to better sound, maybe when you switch back aftet time, you understand what you lost
@@animalmuppetmonster664 You are full of just as much snake oil because you aren't an expert in debunking audio cables. THINK ABOUT IT before you post another nasty comment. There are top end mastering studios that use high end cables because they not only MEASURED differences in cables, but they also heard a difference and top end mastering engineers spend their life listening to subtleties in recordings. That's their job. go talk to Bob Ludwig. He's got more experience in his pubic hair than your entire body when it comes to audio, he has rewired his studio with better cables several times over. Because HE HEARS and MEASURES differences..
For a channel focussing on sound, the audio accompanying the video is pretty sketchy :/. Second, there's so much misinformation in this video, that I would highly advice anyone watching this to ignore all advice given.
@3.00, I believe the people who produced those slides are being intentionally misleading, and showing the microstructure of these metals at the stages in manufacture where there is the biggest difference. The grain structure at casting is barely relevant at all after all the stages of rolling drawing and annealing that are needed to produce very thin wires. Changes to the wires and connectors that affect conductivity, such as crystal structure and impurities, as long as you're not using ridiculously long or too thin cables, at the very most have a small effect at the high frequencies. If you can tell the difference, it would be more cost effective to just tweak the EQ a little to get the same effect. Grounding and shielding of cables is very important, but is much more heavily influenced by the design rather than the materials used. For example those square speaker cables look like a perfect design for getting lots of crosstalk and picking up EMI.
the fly in your neighbor living room make more change in your hi end music that the 99.98% not pure copper cable. People really like the snak oil taste.
Verry informative video, thank you for sharring your knowledge. I'm an audiophiller (even if is hard for me to consider this term because is not based on something concret) and DIY of many, many things and among them is making interconects for my own system and I may say I heard differences between different types of cables, especially in noise transmition (now I 'm using interconects made of cables with low impedance/low capacitance). I bought some time ago from somebody a few meters of 50 ohm cable, with coaxial 2 mm diameter(5,47 ohm/km) 100% double shielded (0,265 ohm/km), I haven't the time yet to make some intercon from it but surely I will do this year. I would be interested if somebody have experienced differences between coaxial cables of 50 and 75 ohm. As much as I know (if I know correct) connectors have around 40 ohm impedances so using 50 ohm cable it would be better because of less difference between impedance of connectors and cable. Thanks again for your video.
Hello Adrian! Thank you for your comment and for throwing in a new topic! This is a positive and constructive topic as a part of a dialog, as this channel was intended to be. I have no experience with coaxial cables but I am sure that you will have interesting results. I am not an expert of impedence, but a lot of people who do, say that with short cables as interconnects the ohm factor isn't too relevant. I do not know if this is true or not at the end of the game... Please let us know your discoveries and results in the future!
Recommend checkingn Neutrik ProFi RCA, Grover cables, Vampire RCA connectors, Amphenol (cheap). Neotech are so expensive.. I use mostly Neutrik and KLEI atm.
Most of lost occur on connector(99.9%brass crap). Learn about IACS and tellurium copper + silver plated is the solution and affordable / available now in 2020 if you google it. Silver soldier 10% for now, but nano copper paste is the future not available yet. Final fundamental is braided filter eliminates most distortion vs regular cable (no filter braid means it's a antenna, no shielding can filter out all the different frequencies in city, electric polls or your home electronics. But running on balanced amp dac is easier and cheaper than ridiculous high priced audio cables ).
Loss is a generic word. It depends what you intend. As I have recently explained here ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uVKFSquAhwc.html ) there are various types of loss and it takes place in all parts. I would not say the most in the connector, its the ensemble of factors that determin the amount and the quality of degradation. I don't need to learn or either google the things you pointed out they are well known to anybody interested in cables. First of all never mix metals, they have different electrical properties and they conflict so it is always better to stick with one. As I have explained in the video silver is mainly used as plating for skin effect, which takes place at a extremely high frequency. For the conductors I do understand the higher conductivity of silver but it need treatment otherwise it just oxidize and make things worse and I would use them (now, before I did) only with silver cables. Tellurium whas the thing 20 years ago (I remember the hipe for bullet plugs). Again, mixing metals is not a good idea and a lot of people have staretd to leave tellurium copper aside. In any case I do agree that it is better than normal or red copper. OCC copper is not superior only by conductivity but for signal trasmission thangs to a reduce presence of impurities. Check the video for more details if you haven't. Unless you live next to an antenna, braid and shiedling is not that paramount and it does increase capacitance with all the related issues. You should try no or light shielding and see for yourself, especially in power cables. Indeed, balanced connections in this regard aìwould be better but not everyone has them and the cables are usually standard quality. In fact I also made a video for making a high quality XLR cable eith high quality connectors: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bEXdmt_72pQ.html
Well I applaud your efforts and agree with some of your theory's on audio cables, there is so much more to cable technology which effects sound quality. Simply talking about conductors I agree i also like the sound of copper over Pure silver conductors, but there are silver coded copper conductors that sound really amazing. You also do not get into the size of the conductors how many and the stranding or braiding configurations. There is SOOOO much to cable technology that effects the sound it would be overwhelming to even begin trying to make your own cables, and in may cases you cant. You wouldn't be able to find or make certain configurations of cables. So ultimately your best bet as a consumer is to try different brands of cables to find the cables that sound best in your system. Sure you can make some cables that might sound ok but you will never achieve the quality of sound that these cable manufactures are able to produce. Simply find cables that meet your budget and complement the sound of your system. Most high end audio stores will allow you to try different cables in your own system before final purchase.
Thanks Kevin, yes, I did not go into detail on the geometry because I was focusing only on conductors and insulation. Why? Because Indo Motown cables but I don't start from scratch but from bulk cables that already have their specific geometry. Check other vid: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u3EPL6hI_H4.html
Agree I like Teflon as the insulation. Shielding is interesting as far as sound. Sure in theory shielding would only make sense EMI and RFI are issues that “seem” should be eliminated. But I have heard and own some unshielded cables that sound amazing. And no I don’t have issues with noise on these cables probably due to there braiding which in it self can reject these interferences. Yes the way a wire is braided can in it self reject EMI and RFI without the need of a shield. Cables have the same electrical properties of that of capacitors. Resistance, capacitance and inductance. Varying any of these property’s will effect the sound. Just like capacitors have different sound qualities so do cables. Same goes for resistors. But yes I think you did a pretty good job and it’s important that your viewers understand there would be a huge amount of trial and error to come up with the best sounding cables in your system and in each part of your system. That is why it might simply be easier to try manufactures cables to find the ones that sound best to you and your budget. This is a big reason high end cables are expensive they have done all the testing and prototyping to get to the versions they think sound best overall.
I own a pair of Sennheiser 800S headphones that I bought used. They came with $600 Cardas Clear headphone cables. They sounded great but on a whim after reading the copywriting on Audio Envy's website, I decided to try ToneKraft headphones cables. At half the price of the Cardas, the ToneKraft made the Clear sound like Mud! Way more nuanced but without a trace of analytical or sterile sound one might associate with such a resolving cable.
If sound quality was so dependent on some of these design features, then they would matter just as much inside the amp as outside... Yet no reputable manufacturer has ever used OFC or better grade copper on the PCB traces or wiring. They of course know not to waste a penny on it to keep their own production costs low! EMF shielding and signal degradation are concerns, but the length of cable most people will use are so short that these aren't typically issue and can be addressed with clever engineering solutions like balanced cables which you briefly mention. OFC actually has the same conductivity as common C11000 copper, and the highest standard specifies only a 1% increase in conductivity. So as I like to say, if you can't measure it, you can't hear it! I'm sorry to say but I'm disappointed that rather than clear up or explain consumer misconceptions this video propagates them.
Hi there, I am afraid that you are the one going by misconceptions. Here is a link of a great amp manufacture, PrimaLuna that obviously uses OFC copper in its products: www.primaluna-usa.com/point-to-point-wiring If I agreed with the common market trends I would be recommending high end ultra deluxe cables, instead I am revealing what are the materials and geometries that really make a difference in cables and then, in other videos I made, how to make your own.
@@anadialog of course very expensive brands will often use more expensive comlonents even though there is no audible difference. In this wsy they can spend $x more and charge $10x more. Many benefits including perpetuation of audio myths which help to keep higher margins. High end audio brands would claim everything makes a difference, probably at some point claiming the paint used on the case has special p rt properties. People worried about this stuff have become bored with mudic and now are obsessed with gear and really should instead become obsessed with double blind listening techniques.
Erik, why do you watch videos on cables if you do not believe in their effect? I any case I am doing the opposite of your comment. I am suggesting how to make your own cable DIY with the top notch materials found in $$$$ cables for just a few dollars. Here is the video where I physically make them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u3EPL6hI_H4.html
@@anadialog Google has started recommending theses channels for some reason. I do enjoy watching them but doesn't mean i give up my ability to assess the content.
I wish it was ability. In most cases, and I am not necessarily referring to you, its prejudice. I hate spending money on cables, its not fun or rewarding as other components but I must admit that they do make a difference. I also admit that this difference is not evident in all cases. Power cables are the most evident when used in amplification.
I actually do not know for sure. I suppose they use something like this: www.molex.com/molex/products/family?key=contact_lubricants&channel=products&chanName=family&pageTitle=Introduction&PN&
Well, usually producers tend to use multi strand cables to reduce the skin effect and make the cables much more flexible and easy to use. These are not completely insulated and some harshness may occur if the geometry isn't well conceived...this is a very difficult and long subject to treat...also a little boring ;-)
Thanks to this video, I got the data needed. I also have a question; I'm having a hard time looking for solder with silver content is fine just to use good quality 60/40?
No, no need, as I stated at the beginning of the video but OCC copper is by far superior to OFC. I have been making cables by myself for 10 years now and nothing beats OCC. I also did a video on how to make OCC interconnects at 10€ per meter! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u3EPL6hI_H4.html
Great video. One question: what's up with your lights?? Dude, you really need to invest in some kind of lights for your home studio. Cheers mate, keep them coming.
I think the use of Occ copper and occ silver in high end cables is one if the biggest 'secrets' in the industry, especially the fact that if you get it bulk it is not a luxury product...your suggestion in any case is interesting, could do that in the future ..I do have a good number of quality cables...
He can't come back with that. He'd spend thousands of dollars on cables but not get any equipment which has the capability to test the electrical parameters. You know what camp he's in. Also, a simple multimeter doesn't cut it.
Everyone knows that any kind of scientific measurement sucks the "brightness", "clarity", "warmth" and, most significantly, "soul" out of you precious cables.
I have expensive silver and copper cables. As well as home made. It's about establishing the connection between the components where the optimal can be achieved through non exotic materials if good quality. It's the synergy. My favorite is magnet wire on packing tape with Eichmann bullets.
There rarely are pure silver or gold cables. They're plated, coated whatever.. Where the actual conductor, mostly copper, touches the silver or gold, the audio signal gets distorted. There is no way to avoid this. The less transitions between amp and speaker the better. So don't use any plugs at all.
Best audio cables is a 2 dollar per meter CAT7 FTP or SFTP cables. Is quiet good up to several GHz. It might be enough for some audiofool, because their hearing frequency range is only few hundred MHz :))) For speakers, is the old cloth ironing cable with textile shield. 100 m is around 1 Ohm, cost only 23 cent/meter, and capable to carry 1-2 KW easily. Good up to 400V also! Is give You all high-end benefits, such as “clarity, openness, air, crisp, breathing” etc. Both of cables are Blind test proofed! Always with the same good results! you just have to lie something like this: this cable cost 3000 dollar per meter! Try it and You will be surprised!
Hi BMR Studio, thank you for your comment. I have no doubt that the cables you mention plus many more on the market are excellent audio cables! Never said the opposite. Actually, the purpose of this video (as from the title) is to find good stuff at a proper price. Now, I am sure that the cables you mention are great, but maybe they are not great for everybody. Apart from all the things that I mention in the video, ONE is a FACT. OCC or mono-crystal copper is by far the best conductor after silver (but silver, as we said, has issues) so, regardless the insulation and shielding, which are very important factors, this type of copper is fundamental to reach a high fidelity audio signal and the good thing is now they cost very low prices...if you know where to look and what to search for. One thing that I guess I am not making clear in my videos is that I totally agree...the audiophile market is going CRAZY and that is why I am trying to give some advice or suggestions on certain topics. Cables is certainly a hot one! In relation to the frequency range comment, have a look at this video of mine: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lGeh-PLySGE.html
9:16 ... As far as silver is concerned : silver oxide is a BETTER conductor than the metal itself ! Silver oxide is an exception. The oxide of most other metals are semi-conductors or insulators. Not AgO. The difference is minute, but it DOES conduct electricity better than pure silver. That's why it is used in electronics and electrical components. Gold would be too expensive. Silver is the second best option. It is often used on the contacts of solenoids (electrical relais). Silver oxide is a very hard cristal, therefor it is more wear resistant than silver. Conclusion: silver plated contacts actually IMPROVE with age, instead of decay ( as most other metals do). Everything in/on/around my stereo set is silver. The connectors, cables, interconnects, etc...etc... Surprised.....??!! ;-)
Here's a way to turn your existing speaker wire into a higher end cable. Both MIT and Transparent have their network boxes where you can just add them to a pre-existing generic speaker cable. They are supposed to work great. Sure they are kind of expensive, but certainly a lot less than their more expensive cables. They have different "bricks' for different gauge wires (10, 12 and 14 gauge wires) and for bi-wiring. They also have super expensive "bricks" for those that want to do it yourself a more expensive cable. Here's a link to Transparent's site. www.transparentcable.com/collections/custom-diy-speaker-cable-brick-networks. MIT's site is currently down, but they have a couple of wall plates for 12 guage wire. I forget what they are called.
You have been rude to me, I will continue to talk about cables as much as I want because it is my right to express what I believe, You said I wasn't a cable expert, ok, so are you a cable expert? it seems that you sell cables and talk about geometry and copper corrosion, inside an amplifier the printed board is copper, the coil of a speaker is copper, the crossover inductor is copper. See the bowerswilkins manual Never disrespect me again, I will continue talking about what I believe and you continue selling or whatever you do ... Your comments just seem to seek publicity more than anything else.
@@animalmuppetmonster664 Please read what I wrote as it took me time to do it. Exactly where was I rude to you? In the post you replied to had NO PERSONAL ATTACKS AT ALL. I have met with and have talked to engineers that are cable experts, and that's where I've learned about cables. Look up Bruce Brission. He is considered in the high end audio industry as the God Father of high end cables and he's the principal engineer at MIT Cables. I relate a lot of their research findings because it does apply to cables for audio so it's worthwhile learning from them because they probably have done the most research on audio cables than anyone else in the industry and there are a lot of other cables mfg. that have a lot of mutual respect for Bruce and his research and their findings, so I do believe it's very important to study. I just so happen to live about 40 minutes away from their factory and a friend of mine that worked at a local high end audio store went to work for MIT Cables for about 10 years and I had opportunities to visit their factory and actually meet have some discussions with Bruce. So I know a fair amount, but not everything about MIT Cables. Yes, I do use their cables and love them. Yes, they are expensive, but I like to turn people on to them as an option as they have a long standing in the high end industry as being amongst the best cables and they are used at top end recording studios like SkyWalker Sound and a few other top end Mastering studios so they have been validated by the recording industry to be worth using for those that want to invest in high end cables. I know I come off like I work there, but I don't, I just know a fair amount because when I like a product or the mfg. of those products, I like to learn as much as I can about their products and the company because it's just something I enjoy doing. Just like some car enthusiasts discuss cars and mfg of cars they enjoy. Same thing. Ever talk to a Porsche enthusiast? The problem with people that trash talk high end cables are typically those that simply don't understand high end cables, or maybe don't have the listening skillset to hear the differences in cables, so as a defense mechanism, they trash talk. Yes, I do know that there are always going to be some companies that are scam companies. and some of these scam companies aren't always selling expensive products. Many of them sell cheap products but they market them as high end. Seen that too. Now, copper layers of printed circuit boards have protective layers. Here's a link to an interview with an expert in printed circuit boards with a discussion of copper layers. He outright says exposure of copper in printed circuit boards are not desirable due to corrosion over time.. www.circuitinsight.com/programs/49590.html Inductors typical will have protection layers whether they have a clear lacquer coating or some form of protective layer over the copper. Many inductor mfg. cover with a layer of protection and some simply pour a glue all over the inductor to prevent them from eventually whistling when the copper wires become loose. I've seen that with some companies. Same goes for speakers, crossovers, etc. Now, cable geometry. Here's a link to a top end Cardas cable and they expose their cable. Notice how it's wound, and the use of those tubes which Is basically a way to use air as a dielectric. VERY expensive cables to mfg. and they have to be carefully wound and they have to go through many passes as they layer windings on top of each other. www.cardas.com/clear_beyond_ic.php Each of Cardas' cables have different cable geometries. you can look at most of these high end cable mfg. and they all tend to have very different and sometimes very unique cable designs and it's all about cable geometry. Now, ask the question, why would a cable geometry matter in a speaker cable or an interconnect? Answer, It will effect the behavior of that wire with regards to how energy at different frequencies is stored and released as it passes through the cable. Remember, cables are themselves, are a LCR filter. L meaning inductance. Inductance is created when a piece of copper wire is twisted. Cables are made of twisted wires. Depending on the gauge of the wires, how many wires, how many times they are twisted, etc. it will impact their inductance. C is capacitance. A capacitor is a component that has a positive and negative pole with a dielectric. Cables are typically mfg. with some form of dielectric inside, and depending on the dielectric they use, how much of that dielectric, will yield a certain amount of measurable Capacitance. And then obviously, R is Resistance and the wires themselves have a measureble amount of resistance. Since all of these things are in between a Positive and Negative pole that's connected with current, they create a LRC Filter. And what happens is that depending on the cable design, materials, if you measure the rise time and decay time of all of the frequencies between 20hz and 20khz, you'll see a response curve. This is explained in the MIT video. called "What's inside the box". They all this response curve an "articulation" curve and it basically tells us that cables don't behave the same and that's a certain measurement that can help understand how the cable is going to "sound" or effect the incoming signal. the reason why you won't read this in engineering books is that this was researched by MIT Cables and this is THEIR findings, and that helps them design cables.. They aren't a business that teaches people how to design audio cables, now if this was done by a University student or professor, then it would have been published and then maybe some books published on the subject. Companies, especially small, tend to protect their R&D findings as it's their competitive advantage but they have posted some videos, or White Papers or have discussed some of their finding in interviews. So a lot of that isn't a secret. It's just not widely known by everyone. Now an EQ is a box that has typically at least 2 or more LRC filters and we know them as tone controls or EQ controls. Some EQ's have MANY bands of EQ, so they have LRC circuits designed for those specified frequency ranges. But since a cable is fixed, you can't adjust them, but you can design them differently to achieve a different response curve. I would HIGHLY suggestion watching MIT's "What's inside the box" to learn how THEY design their speaker and interconnects to understand THEIR philosophy on cable design. They decides to design a cable they were happy with, but they decided to improve the sound quality or linearity by adding filter boxes they call "articulation" networks instead of calling them an EQ, because they don't behave like an EQ, they help the cable behave as perfect as it can in each frequency range each circuit is designed for and they wire in parallel to the cable. It's very interesting and unique way of designing cables for audio, but that's what they set out to do. Other cable mfg. can't really copy MIT exactly, so other companies like Transparent, do their own reverse engineered versions, but MIT has patent protection to prevent exact duplicates. Everyone else typically has to play around with cable geometries, and other materials used to try to achieve the same end result as what MIT Cables has been doing. Some cable mfg. use flat wire as that will have different levels of inductance. So there are some companies that will do that. Bertram Cables has unique cables with flat wires. www.highend.no/BertramE.html I have not heard them to say how good they are, but I have read reviews and the reviewers were very impressed with the sound. They do look awful delicate, but definitely a unique way to design and mfg. an audio cable.
@@animalmuppetmonster664 You sound like an immature child that makes very slanderous and immature statements. Heres one of your RUDE statements. "the fly in your neighbor living room make more change in your hi end music that the 99.98% not pure copper cable. People really like the snak oil taste." own up to your own rude and ignorance..
@@animalmuppetmonster664 But, are you a cable expert in the field of audio cables? If you are, then you should write about YOUR research findings, measurements, etc. to support your beliefs. There's a saying Ignorance is Bliss. You must be a very blissful person. At least I do know more about the subject than you because I do have a background in electronics, I have spent countless hours watching, reading, and discussing cables with people that ARE experts in the field of audio cables. It's an area that has a vast amount of information that one could spend a lifetime studying and researching. But some people like Bruce Brisson has spent literally over 40 years investigating audio cables and how they behave and what makes them sound different, how to measure them, and how everything inter-relates into a better sounding cable. It's something people should respect and obviously people like you don't. So. who would I listen to? Bruce Brissio whom IS a leading authority of audio cable design or YOU, some troll spouting ignorance.. THINK about it. There are two types of people, those that don't know that want to learn and then there are those that don't know that don't want to learn. You fall into the category of those that don't know and don't want to learn. Pretty sad.
BTW, the reason why high end cable companies use high purity copper is because it conducts better and is more stable and yields better results. Copper can be obtained in a variety of purity levels and these companies that want to make a high end cable, they will obtain the finest copper wire. There is also different methods for creating the copper wires they use to make stands of cables. Cardas owns the mfg. equipment for a very unique process for making high quality cable strands. Here's a link to Cardas' information about their unique copper wire that they sell to other high end cable mfg. I believe MIT cables buys their wire from Cardas.. Because MIT doesn't make the actual wire that is used in their cables. www.cardas.com/metals.php
in my experience, silver cables are more airy, but the lows do take a hit. In that regard will a silver quoted cable be the best of both worlds. What is your opinion in QED Silver Anniversary cable. I have a good offer on that. I a presently using Belden.
@@anadialog straight up. just buying some good OFC power cord cables for my guitar amps and if they produce results I'm looking for, I'm definitely gonna throw them on my computer and grab an extra
If you're looking for some scientific truth, research inductance, capacitance and cable damping factor/series resistance. Roll a long cable up into a coil and you'll get inductive losses - high frequencies are attenuated. Run a very long cable and you get capacitive losses which again attenuate high frequencies(due to the capacitive effect happening in parallel). If you have a cable that is too long or not highly conductive, you'll have losses in the cable that reduce the damping factor between the speaker and the amplifier. These are the things that matter. Guess what? Simple copper will do perfectly fine.
@@anadialog interconnects experience far fewer losses but are more susceptible to noise. I'm not aware that an interconnect would ever have a frequency response that isn't totally flat. What I want to know is what would make silver 'bright'?
Hi, don. Thank you for your comment. Yes, I completely agree if we are talking about SPEAKER cables or POWER CABLES. Then the parameters that you mention are fundamental (although the purpose of this channel is to be an EASY and relaxed communication, not too complicated). In INTERCONNECT cables, as in this case, only length (which I mention, max 2 meters) among the aspects you mention is truly relevant.The signal is so weak that the gauge of all these cables is more than enough and way less influential than in speaker/power cables. Obviously, the impedance factor that you mention (measured in ohms) is again mainly relevant to speaker or power cables and may regard interconnect cables if we are talking of DOZENS or hundreds of meters of cable, especially if carrying high frequencies. Again, in the world of short cables with weak signals such as those as domestic audio connections these aspects are not fundamental if not in speaker of power cables. Finally, I do not know if you are referring to this video, but in this case the purpose is to discuss about the materials. Future videos will address also the issues you have listed.
ana[dia]log -- ooops. my error . (when I heard "cable" I thought "speakers" .) Interconnects are different , as Emily Latella would say. I use quite a few of those and do notice a sonic difference between different lengths and brands in the high treble. Only way I figured to deal with it is to use as short as possible of the same brand and type as possible everywhere so at least I have some consistency to deal with. I wont begin to argue about issues of speed of the current, silver vs gold vs O2 free , etc.. thanks
It seems you are not understand technical things that you have learn electronic engineering. skin effect ocoure only at very high frequency, hundreds of megahertz and up,so silver coating doesn't contribute anything except for cost in low frequency like audio which is around 20 khz. Conductivity not required for rca interconnect between pre to power amp,or from cd player, because input impedance of the next stage is high so there is no loss from conductivity,but what important is the capacitance and inductance of the cable,the gold plating of connectors is only against corrosion. Only on speakers cable conductivity play major role because of the low impedance of the speakers than high currents cause voltage and power loss on the cables. You better not talk in thechnical areas you don't understand.
Its cables, not rocket science. It's easy to understand. You are reporting your preconceptions, some may be correct others are not. This was an inaccurate video but still valid in its true message. Here I made a detailed video on cables: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uVKFSquAhwc.html
Really interesting video. I'm looking at setting up a home theatre at my place and I would like to hear your advice on speaker cables. I'm looking at getting cable in bulk so that I can have enough to hide the installation properly. Thanks!
Dear Francisco, Thank you very much for your comments! Speaker cables are obviously different from signal cables. In any case, try to get your hands on OCC copper cables and use high quality connectors. I am sure that the results will be very good compared to the expense. Remember to always use the same length for the left and right cables! If by any chance you have bi-wiring or try-wiring speakers DO NOT use jumpers and go for a true bi-wire/tri-wire cable. Trust me...you will be rewarded!
Thank you for that. There seems to be so much opinion out there it's impossible to know unless I take the steps to start AB ing this stuff on my own. I found your video very informative and that' s exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks for taking the time. I will start experimenting now! And.. it starts with your recommendations!! All on you now Francisco! Lol hope you checked your work before handing it in. Ha!
Thank you Aaron for your comments. Check out this other video of mine where you may find further information on doing your own cables: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u3EPL6hI_H4.html The difficult part may seem the soldering part, but trust me, after a few attempts you will see that it isn't that difficult after all. I can also state that my own work isn't perfect (otherwise this would be my job probably!) but I must say that after buying for decades expensive cables, now, whenever possible, I do my own and the results are stellar. The important is to get good quality materials and find the place that sell them at a reasonable price.
Thank you for the video. Learn a lot now from you. I've already read from somebody online about soldering and crimping. Is it true that scrimping is better than soldering on interconnect cables if you use the regular soldering lead
Yes, you are right crimping is better if you have a full contact between the two connectors. In terms of soldering wire, yes, silver is better but if you did a good job with your led based wire it's ok. You wouldn't gain dramatic results just with that substitution. Instead, I would focus on the conductors. To achieve a high quality sound I cannot refrain from suggesting to look for OCC copper!
I made the experiment - Separated 3 meters of just one thin little thread out of the whole big fat monster cable which the other speaker had, and could NOT tell the difference!!! (mono) Even when it was loud... The speakers are 100 kg each and 300W Amp. Now it could be that with longer cables or extremely high volume there might be a difference. Probably. I don't know. Expensive cables seems like a waste of money
Honestly if you buy a cable that sells for $600 that has only maybe $50 worth of material and work put into it, don’t buy it. Companies make them extremely high end cables for thousands of dollars that really are not worth the price, buy something that is actually worth the price to avoid chasing something that doesn’t exist.
Basta analizzare la cosa da ELETTROTECNICO. Un cavo ha solo 3 parametri 1)RESISTENZA 2) CAPACITÀ 3) INDUTTANZA oltre al valore di tenuta dell isolamento. Nel mondo dell hi end per esperienza nella costruzione di Diffusori e amplificatori posso affermare che il miglioramento dell impianto non è da cercare su cavi esoterici .. bisogna considerare MOLTO DI PIÙ. L AMBIENTE in cui ascoltare e come posizionare i diffusori... Per chi vuole provare a basso costo una coppia di cavi RCA eccellenti e non superabili si procuri due spezzoni da 1 mt di cavo RJ59 e ci saldi i rispettivi connettori RCA . Per i connettori rca basta che siano “dorati” di media qualità .. i cavi così ottenuti ( uno per canale ) si potranno “tenere insieme “ con della guaina a vostra scelta oppure si possono anche lasciare separati . Mi raccomando il polo centrale dell RCA va collegato con il conduttore al centro del cavo RJ59 mentre la schermatura sarà il polo laterale dell RCA . Provate a confrontare questi cavi con qualsiasi altro prodotto di qualsiasi costo e fatemi sapere le vostre impressioni. Buon ascolto a tutti.
ANA[DIA]LOG Trovo sempre molto bello poter avere un confronto nel bellissimo mondo dell alta fedeltà . Spesso organizzo incontri serali con alcuni “amici” appassionati, così proviamo i nuovi acquisti e ci scambiamo le nostre impressioni in un clima assolutamente disteso e divertente. L incontro si tiene a casa mia poiché ho L ambiente e i diffusori ( da me realizzati ) che permettono una analisi più corretta di ciò che “ testiamo” . La cosa migliore è potere fare dei confronti “ al volo “ e sono spesso emerse cose molto interessanti .. un paio di sere sono state dedicate ai cavi .. e ciò che è emersa è una indiscutibile insufficienza dei prodotti veramente economici ... ci sarebbe da parlare per sere intere .. ma una cosa che vorrei sottolineare è che pochi smontano diffusori e amplificatori per valutare il loro cablaggio interno .. cosa che ho preso in considerazione sia nei miei diffusori che sul mio amplificatore “ titolare “ da me realizzato.. la mia catena è così composta lettore marantz sa7001 amplificatori in classe A ( vera ) dual mono e diffusori 3 vie con doppio woofer da 10 pollici mid da 165 mm in cassa chiusa in trans lamination e Tw in seta da 28 mm ... per tornare al cavo di segnale io credo che non debba avere un “ suo “ suono poiché in questo caso potrebbe essere considerato un EQ... la mia teoria di fondo è che la perfezione è raggiunta non quando non c è più nulla da aggiungere.. ma quando non c è più nulla da togliere.. mi piacerebbe farti vedere lo schema del mio amplificatore...o lo schema del crossover over dei miei diffusori..
Quanto mi piacerebbe avere qualche serata così! Anche per questa mancanza ho deciso di creare il canale...non sono un esperto di elettronica e dunque, se mi mandi qualcosa, con piacere, spiegami cosa sto guardando...
ANA[DIA]LOG Ti capisco ma per darti una idea di quello che è stato il mio percorso posso darti qualche dato .. ho mosso i primi passi nel mondo hi fi a 14 anni non accontentandomi delle prestazioni di un “cubo” Philips.. dopo 30 anni di “ lavoro e ricerca “ ho realizzato più di - - - coppie di casse e sub vari ... una decina di finali e pre .. ho iniziato nell era della carta e ho 18 raccoglitori di appunti e progetti con curve di risposta su carta millimetrata..😱 poi con L arrivo di pc portatili ne ho uno dedicato solo alla progettazione e alla misurazione ... con più di 60 giga di lavoro , progetti e misure .. ho collaborato con la CIARE anche nel hi fi car .. con un auto ( prima focus ) con un impianto davvero hi fi con cui partecipavo alle varie manifestazioni.. ho solo coppe del primo posto ( 35 ) di cui 5 nel circuito IASCA .. è stato un bel periodo anche quello .. quando i partecipanti sfoderavano ampli da migliaia di watt e io gli comunicavo che i miei finali era due da 28 w per canale ..😊 veri però ! Se mi lasci un indirizzo mail ti mandò qualche foto .. per lavoro non posso avere un profilo sui social .. L unica cosa che ho sempre riscontrato e che nel nostro mondo c è poca informazione.. e che un audiofilo deve avere molte competenze su vari fronti contemporaneamente soprattutto per costruire .. devi conoscere L elettronica , L elettrotecnica , la fisica , la psicoacustica , l ingegnerizzazione di un prodotto, le caratteristiche dei materiali .. e essere capace a lavorare fisicamente per produrli ... gli autocostruttori sono visti come cantinari che fanno schifezze che piacciono solo a loro .. e nel 90% dei casi è così ... ma il mio vantaggio nei confronti di un costruttore blasonato che deve VENDERE per vivere e che non ho vincoli derivati dalla produzione in serie .. se serve un rinforzo in più su un diffusore lo metto e basta .. senza dover pensare al costo su migliaia di pezzi da produrre ... non ho mai voluto trasformare la mia passione in attività per non dovermi trovare in questa situazione.. ho una mia “ targa “ che applico ai miei prodotti solo perché altri non se ne attribuiscano la paternità .. è più una questione di orgoglio... ho sempre realizzato “ prodotti “ per ME .. ma poi qualche amico me li “portava via “ costringendomi a rimettermi al lavoro per un progetto ancora migliore e .. definitivo 😂 ..
Fantastically esperienza, complimenti! Non faccio fatica a crederti o in vari casi, se conosci miei video, faccio anche io così ma solo sui cavi. Trovi il mio contatto nel tab informazioni del mio canale...cmq non mi hai risposto suo cavi OCC...
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