It's too expensivefor such things as military, telecommunications, etc which use miles and miles of wire. Only suitable for a niche market.
High end audio where most people don't know better and follow myths and trends that have no empirical data or proof other than in sighted tests they think it sounds different.
That is very true, if you don't make a good connection between the cable and the connector then it doesn't matter what exotic materials you have used.
If materials don't make a difference why not just use enameled bailing wire, mechanically fastened to the connectors?
Silver does conduct better than copper, so it's reasonable to assume that it could sound better although, depending on application, you might not be able to hear the difference.
I'm using Ohno silver wire in a passive pre build. I only use it for the signal hook up wire. In this application the small amount of wire I use really doesn't amount to much expense and is dwarfed by the total cost of the unit. So why not use the best wire I can procure? Maybe it'll make a difference, maybe not. It's hard to prove one way or the other. I suppose I could use ordinary lamp wire for the the signal hookup wire but that would seem to be penny wise but pound foolish.
Silver does conduct better than copper, so it's reasonable to assume that it could sound better although, depending on application, you might not be able to hear the difference.
I'm using Ohno silver wire in a passive pre build. I only use it for the signal hook up wire. In this application the small amount of wire I use really doesn't amount to much expense and is dwarfed by the total cost of the unit. So why not use the best wire I can procure? Maybe it'll make a difference, maybe not. It's hard to prove one way or the other. I suppose I could use ordinary lamp wire for the the signal hookup wire but that would seem to be penny wise but pound foolish.
I like pure nickel 99.9 % thick multi strand DIY home made .
nickel is the fastest electron conductor . lots of audio tubes use nickel plates .
silver have low resistance however silver oxide not realy .
Oxide will enter the silver no matter what in time . here on earth .
It can sound good for a little time but when oxide on micro level takes over your done.
Silver is good in the RF high frequency due to the low resistance and skin effect .
High quality copper transformer wire is fine with me as well the nickel .
i have no silver in my audio , i have silver plated teaspoons and silver teflon coax .
Teflon is a RF material to . normal transformer wire is better then with teflon in audio .
due to the monnies you spare for better electronics components ect.
How ever if you can keep the silver oxide free seal the ends with silicone you might hear a nice sound for a long time . avoid 2 way sig asym. coax type of cables at all times.
regards,
john
regards,
john
nickel is the fastest electron conductor . lots of audio tubes use nickel plates .
silver have low resistance however silver oxide not realy .
Oxide will enter the silver no matter what in time . here on earth .
It can sound good for a little time but when oxide on micro level takes over your done.
Silver is good in the RF high frequency due to the low resistance and skin effect .
High quality copper transformer wire is fine with me as well the nickel .
i have no silver in my audio , i have silver plated teaspoons and silver teflon coax .
Teflon is a RF material to . normal transformer wire is better then with teflon in audio .
due to the monnies you spare for better electronics components ect.
How ever if you can keep the silver oxide free seal the ends with silicone you might hear a nice sound for a long time . avoid 2 way sig asym. coax type of cables at all times.
regards,
john
regards,
john
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Hi John,
Interesting info about nickel. My Heathkit W5M's have some nickel plates in the output transformers. I didn't know you could get nickel hookup wire.
The silver wire I'm using has teflon insulation. I'll take your advice and seal the ends as best I can with silicone and marine grade shrink wrap. Copper also has tarnishing problems. Maybe the available gold/silver wire is actually the best available.
Regards,
Roy
Interesting info about nickel. My Heathkit W5M's have some nickel plates in the output transformers. I didn't know you could get nickel hookup wire.
The silver wire I'm using has teflon insulation. I'll take your advice and seal the ends as best I can with silicone and marine grade shrink wrap. Copper also has tarnishing problems. Maybe the available gold/silver wire is actually the best available.
Regards,
Roy
Hi Roy , thanks for the reply, Indeed they use nickel to mix in transformers sometimes.
Due to it` s magnetic most out there don` t like it for conductor however they forget the tube grids materials conduct to. however electron spin in magnetic materials like nickel and iron. in one atom grid of the magnetic material it helps the electron in that grid to move (turn in AC after zero) to the next atom grid very fast. Pehaps in non magnetic materials the electron more jumps from one atom grid to the other . like a little tiny spark .if there is too much dirt in the material .
Yes gold silver , nice one . very low resistance and highly corrosion-resistant.
Corrosion in space - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Get me some miles of that wire and i make you a birdcage hihi.
regards,
john
Due to it` s magnetic most out there don` t like it for conductor however they forget the tube grids materials conduct to. however electron spin in magnetic materials like nickel and iron. in one atom grid of the magnetic material it helps the electron in that grid to move (turn in AC after zero) to the next atom grid very fast. Pehaps in non magnetic materials the electron more jumps from one atom grid to the other . like a little tiny spark .if there is too much dirt in the material .
Yes gold silver , nice one . very low resistance and highly corrosion-resistant.
Corrosion in space - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Get me some miles of that wire and i make you a birdcage hihi.
regards,
john
Two minutes doing a basic calculation will convince you that this is not at all a reasonable assumption. Baling wire would be fine if you could get a good solder joint on it. Ditto the canonical coat hanger.
Hi Roy , i do my best . NASA once had a paper online ,they did study that maybe i can find it again one day.
However if you google electron spin in nickel there is some clue like wise the fastest computers work with electron spins .The miroscopic ordering of electron spins http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/ferro.html
a (audio) electric signal will make the action and in one atomic grid wil line up to the next and it spins and so on.
Like the magnetic is helping the tranfer go smooth and fast . orbital and spin magnetic moments .
here a funny you tube about that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7a0M11HIOY
Cheerio
John
However if you google electron spin in nickel there is some clue like wise the fastest computers work with electron spins .The miroscopic ordering of electron spins http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/ferro.html
a (audio) electric signal will make the action and in one atomic grid wil line up to the next and it spins and so on.
Like the magnetic is helping the tranfer go smooth and fast . orbital and spin magnetic moments .
here a funny you tube about that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7a0M11HIOY
Cheerio
John
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Would you propose using bailing wire for transformers?
Different requirements.
If I can sort out the gibberish here (not a trivial task), this seems to have nothing to do with electrical conduction.
I'm still bench testing my Subbu v3 DAC with Ponoma test leads, connected to an old Switchcraft connector, and some embarrassingly old 20 awg surround speaker wire as make shift interconnects...I was just telling myself the other day, "wow those test leads really sound sweet!" Just demonstrates to me how "important" interconnects and wire bits are...
Normally I like to use the PTFE silver over stranded copper for internal hookup, it is stranded but can be shaped and molded like solid wire, is flame retardant, and even sounds good.
I do have plenty of CAT5 laying around though, I will have to give that a try one of these days to see how it is to work with...
Normally I like to use the PTFE silver over stranded copper for internal hookup, it is stranded but can be shaped and molded like solid wire, is flame retardant, and even sounds good.
I do have plenty of CAT5 laying around though, I will have to give that a try one of these days to see how it is to work with...
How do signals realy propagate? and what does electron spin have to do with it....
Electrons move at 0.1mm/sec or so when a current is flowing down a wire.
As to silver is there any proof other than subjective I hear a difference that it is better than copper, this is another Audio myth, especially the 'silver sounds brighter' myth.....
Computers and electron spins, not for at least a decade if not longer....
You can use any reasonable conductor, provided you can make reliable low resistance connection to each end. Copper is used because it has the best combination of properties: not too expensive, easy to bend and solder, no serious surface problems. The fact that it also has one of the highest conductivities is useful for winding transformers, but almost irrelevant for signal wiring.rajacat said:
This assumption only sounds reasonable to people who don't understand circuit theory; in particular how a potential divider works. Those who can, will do a back-of-envelope calculation and convince themselves that as the conductor resistance is so small when compared with the load resistance it really doesn't matter what conductor you use.
It is very easy to prove. See above. Using ordinary lamp wire might be penny foolish as it may be thicker and have thicker insulation than necessary so cheaper stuff might do the job just as well.
I will take a wild guess and suggest that this might be because nickel behaves well in a vacuum and can cope with moderate heating.Astronod said:
My understanding is that Teflon is used where its low loss RF properties are useful (i.e. not audio) or where it produces the right sort of smoke (i.e. not audio).
I did three courses on Solid-State Physics at university. I don't remember them teaching me this - maybe I fell asleep during those lectures? Of course if you are right then magnetic materials (such as iron) would show better AC conductivity than non-magnetic materials (such as copper or silver); can you explan why measurements show the opposite?
Hi DF 96 .
No iron and nickel have higher resistance so conductivity will be less and more resistance compare same wire diameters .But why worry with less conductivity ?
You can take bigger wire more strands with less conductive materials .
In the past there was Sonic Link SG Control audio cable made in england.
There not bad at all . i have pure 99.9% nickel here import it from china .
Many strands to make one cable for speakers .
My self did test all kind of cables with the speakers , and i just loved my nickel better .
It not about all about conductivity it`s about propagation of the signals.
I tested silver copper and tinned copper and nickel with my ears .
Gold i have that just on my rca connectors and terminals(wbt germany) due to its soft and smooth connection without corrosion.
Like wise a normal HI FI sett have just there copper wire stick in to the terminals .
3 weeks later when take the copper out and take a knive to clean the corrosion you have better sound again .
regards,
john
No iron and nickel have higher resistance so conductivity will be less and more resistance compare same wire diameters .But why worry with less conductivity ?
You can take bigger wire more strands with less conductive materials .
In the past there was Sonic Link SG Control audio cable made in england.
There not bad at all . i have pure 99.9% nickel here import it from china .
Many strands to make one cable for speakers .
My self did test all kind of cables with the speakers , and i just loved my nickel better .
It not about all about conductivity it`s about propagation of the signals.
I tested silver copper and tinned copper and nickel with my ears .
Gold i have that just on my rca connectors and terminals(wbt germany) due to its soft and smooth connection without corrosion.
Like wise a normal HI FI sett have just there copper wire stick in to the terminals .
3 weeks later when take the copper out and take a knive to clean the corrosion you have better sound again .
regards,
john
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