Silver Wire Interconnects

I think if you have a big dollar system then you owe it to yourself to actually test different high end cables to see which one works best with your specific combination of components and your own ears. If you have a system that tends to be bright to you, then a cable that goes more in that direction might not be for you. Another person with a different super high end system might actually love that cable that's bright on your system....you get the drift. With my modest system, I find the biggest changes comes in the form of swapping driver tubes and not cables.

cci1492 wrote:I think if you have a big dollar system then you owe it to yourself to actually test different high end cables to see which one works best with your specific combination of components and your own ears. If you have a system that tends to be bright to you, then a cable that goes more in that direction might not be for you. Another person with a different super high end system might actually love that cable that's bright on your system....you get the drift. With my modest system, I find the biggest changes comes in the form of swapping driver tubes and not cables.

the fact is though, those big dollar systems, if one really gets down to the nitty gritty, are really not that much different or even better than the new generation ST70/ST120/M120!
Just because it is housed in a bling enclosure using so called high end tubes and exotic components does not necessarily make it any better than the above mentioned amps!
A lot of the high $ systems use way over designed power supplies as well as driver circuits with specs that put to shame the latest generation of passenger airliners, nothing sounds better, to my ears anyway, than a KISS system
Sure, some of those $ are tied up in very good iron and even high spec components, but again, that does not justify some of the just outrageously and stupendous $ being asked for them.
Like I always say, each to their own, if you have $ to throw around, well good for you, go knock yourself out and brag to your buddies!

erhard-audio wrote:

cci1492 wrote:I think if you have a big dollar system then you owe it to yourself to actually test different high end cables to see which one works best with your specific combination of components and your own ears. If you have a system that tends to be bright to you, then a cable that goes more in that direction might not be for you. Another person with a different super high end system might actually love that cable that's bright on your system....you get the drift. With my modest system, I find the biggest changes comes in the form of swapping driver tubes and not cables.

the fact is though, those big dollar systems, if one really gets down to the nitty gritty, are really not that much different or even better than the new generation ST70/ST120/M120!
Just because it is housed in a bling enclosure using so called high end tubes and exotic components does not necessarily make it any better than the above mentioned amps!
A lot of the high $ systems use way over designed power supplies as well as driver circuits with specs that put to shame the latest generation of passenger airliners, nothing sounds better, to my ears anyway, than a KISS system
Sure, some of those $ are tied up in very good iron and even high spec components, but again, that does not justify some of the just outrageously and stupendous $ being asked for them.
Like I always say, each to their own, if you have $ to throw around, well good for you, go knock yourself out and brag to your buddies!

Excellant..agree 100%..I consider my system to be on the hi-end side. I worked very hard for it and it did not come easy or all at once.
When I see cables 1meter in length at a cost of $11,000 my skin crawls. I say to myself the people selling those cables cannot have a conscience.
I have demo with others BJC, NAKAMICHI,MIT TERMINATOR ll and Audioquest cables, and we did not notice any difference in sound quality that would warrant higher than average prices.
If there is a high cost cable out there that really justifies ungodly price gougeing that makes a difference let me know.
Otherwise my Nakamichi speaker cables and my 8Audio interconnects will stay put!

yyep! I hear ya. for me having a hi end ~well... hi-fi system, means having the best sound i can achieve. and if a $35 roll of wire sounds better than some fine silver gold plated mezmerazamataz, well.. then thats the one im using. don't get me wrong. if i had the money! (and i don't) but if i did, id probably try that expensive stuff, just to see if it was actually better or different in a way that improves something. and if it did'nt warrant it. at that point i think the "return" money" would be better spent on one serious lobster dinner, a couple beers, and a full tank of gas for a ride.other than to be reminded of the wasted dough every time i listened to it. for me. its all about improvement.not the crow factor. -(bringing something shiny to the nest) but if that's what someone wants to do, who am i to tell them not to..outside of 1 time i may advise (if im positive) to say. ugh... no.. it's junk! after that, well, its on them, i tried.

lol, ok about 13 years ago i got this. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882155599  for my subs in my crown vic. i still have it. (sold the car) so i laugh,because i got sold by the installer on "magnetic flux tube" smh.. 12 gauge tinned copper single helix.. oooooooo... it can handle 1600 watts!  my system was only 200.
so i have bought into crupola.. should have educated myself then. lol that stuff is only about .50 cents a foot on ebay now.

The only reason I have SilNote Audio speaker cables and a power cable is because it was the best way of getting the owner of compensating me for a damaged audio component I purchased from him at Axpona. In no way would I have spent what he sells them for. To be honest...though I at first thought they did sound better I didn’t carefully compare his cables to 12 gauge copper wire. This thread inspires me to compare more carefully and report my findings.

that would be great!

A long time ago I also purchased 16 feet or so of AudioQuest Type 4 speaker cable along with Termination Pants (that’s what they are called) and Nakamichi banana plugs. I should assemble those cables and includes those in my test as well.

I am following these last few posts. Sitting on my fingers. Hard.

Dogstar wrote:A long time ago I also purchased 16 feet or so of AudioQuest Type 4 speaker cable along with Termination Pants (that’s what they are called) and  Nakamichi banana plugs. I should assemble those cables and includes those in my test as well.

I tried AQ type 4 and 6 years ago and found them to sound terrible. Really dark and dull compared to Kimber 4VS cables.

I recently heard of silver-plated Ethernet cables for audio streaming. Audio Advisor sells those. They are AQ cables, I think. Do they really think that silver plating is going to help bits get stored in computer memory better?

Peter W. wrote:I am following these last few posts. Sitting on my fingers. Hard.

If that implies that you don't want to comment on my suggestion that I perform a more careful test i am perplexed as to why. But...you do know more than I so rather than hold back I'd appreciate your comments.

In reality I am of the belief that the difference in sound quality really isn't exponentially better past a certain point...no matter what the component is...and it's all relative.

And maybe this is a good test for me to perform...if I am wrong I'll admit it.

Dogstar, not hardly directed at you specifically, but at the entire concept. But, please do keep in mind the definition of insanity during these discussions - doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results.
Givens:
Silver is a better conductor than copper.
Copper is a better conductor than gold.
Gold does not oxidize easily (if properly applied).
Silver oxides conduct very nearly as well as the metal.
Fine silver is highly resistant to oxidation _and_ sulphation.
We are discussing mostly audio frequencies, B+ to 500 VDC or so, and wallplate AC.
All, repeat, all the B+ goes through the output transformers (copper).
All the wallplate AC goes through the power transformer (copper).
All the audio frequencies go through the output transformers (which still remain copper).

We are discussing the last 10+/- feet or so.
We will assume (dangerous) that everyone in this discussion is comparing/using well made cables that are made with high quality materials, and are both designed and suitable to the specific application.
The science is well established.
After which we are removing to angels, pins, and dance steps.

One thing needs to be settled, however: High-dollar does not necessarily equal high quality. Examples of same are endless.

We are discussing the last 10+/- feet or so.
We will assume (dangerous) that everyone in this discussion is comparing/using well made cables that are made with high quality materials, and are both designed and suitable to the specific application.
The science is well established.

yes, and considering copper wire in a tranny will run to its highest frequency possible given the design and circuit,the speaker wire can never carry an audio frequency that is not given it.(excepting interference of course)
that said, even if silver has ability to carry frequencies higher than copper,your still only going to hear what is birthed by the transformer.

I too agree that if the speaker wire only comprises the last length of wire the signals the electrical signal is traveling through then it seems impossible for it to affect the sonic characterstics in the way these cable hucksters want us to believe.

Dogstar wrote:I too agree that if the speaker wire only comprises the last length of wire the signals the electrical signal is traveling through then it seems impossible for it to affect the sonic characterstics in the way these cable hucksters want us to believe.

William Claude had it right. Never give a Sucker an even break. And a Philadelphia Region native, from Darby, PA.

All this metallurgy!

FWIW, the power line on the pole outside your house is aluminum.
Maybe a "home run" of copper (or silver!) all the way back to the plant would improve things?
(along with a proper Wattgate of course)

I was pretty high when I put my system together ... does that make it a high end system?

Couple places I found sonic improvements were replacing the optical cable from the HTPC to the DAC, and going with a Pangea USB cable as well.

Also worth mentioning, I didn't get sucked into the "audiophile grade" speaker cable risers, but I've found that propping the cables off my carpeted floor using some DIY non-conductive blocks can eliminate some weirdness in winter when static comes to call ...

I truly believe some people hear no differences. Just like some people can't see all visible colors.

skizzo.. lol
corndog71. that's a fact.

corndog71 wrote:I truly believe some people hear no differences.  Just like some people can't see all visible colors.

...but I see dead people. And when I get high I see sound but no visible difference between copper lamp cord sound and SilNote Audio speaker cable sound.

lol, lampcord, basically what im using. heee heeee

corndog71 wrote:I truly believe some people hear no differences.  Just like some people can't see all visible colors.

Beliefs are irrefutable and ineluctable. That they may be in conflict with facts is inevitable and also irrelevant.

Perhaps it’s like this: if a person believes in in things such as God and Santa Claus then they are capable of hearing big differences and improvements in sound coming from a system with a high end cables and the people that do not believe in God are not capable.

well damn! lol, id say evolution is inevitable for the believers, they will learn as they go, (at some point) but then again that wasn't so for Duck Creek sulfur cycling microbial biota.(exception to the evolution rule) so i can only assume they have a long long way to go, tee heee. might as well put on a lead hat, and listen for the light of sub cycle frequency anomalies running through a the circuit that might improve sound. lol