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Joined 2002
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Sure, I use banannas actually. Check out the pictures on my website (sig) under "Speaker Cables".
I've had bad experiences with bananas in the past- possibly it's peculiar to the ones I used, but maybe not. They would slowly build up contact resistance until the distortion started getting audible. At that point, I'd have to plug and unplug them to clear it. It didn't seem to be corrosion issues, more of loss of spring tension. There are some locking jobbies that look attractive, but at this point, I've already moved over to spade lugs well screwed down.
For reliable, no-nonsense speaker cables, there's nothing significantly better than my Home Depot Orange Specials. Several of the more expensive "audiophile" speaker cables are now in a box in my garage.
For reliable, no-nonsense speaker cables, there's nothing significantly better than my Home Depot Orange Specials. Several of the more expensive "audiophile" speaker cables are now in a box in my garage.
Parallel one pair of wires. Doing so decreases the inductance and resistance. I agree with SY that thick mains cable like that is the most cost effective way to make high quality speaker cable.Cal Weldon said:
Myself, I use some thick OFC cable with transparent insulation because I love the way it looks. For connectors, I use Neutrik Speakons because they are extremely robust and make a nice 'click'. I don't like bare wires because with frequent removal/insertion (as seems strangely common in a DIY situation...) they tend to become damaged and corroded.
EZ_Angus said:
Well let's see what the wires think.
Power - always ready to do the work, not a floater
Ground - being grounded doesn't sound like floating
Neutral - as in not really sure or kind of floating if you will
If you are going to float a wire, I think the neutral should be the one.
Do we agree?
Cal
I'm using 'pure' silver wires, in a teflon tube without connectors.
Diameter is 0.4 mm.
This is an old picture, currently I use 2 strands in parallel for each side (so 4 strands per speaker) and have built my own gain clone clone to which the wires are soldered directly.
The teflon & silver are about €6 per meter, which makes it about €25 for stereo
Diameter is 0.4 mm.
This is an old picture, currently I use 2 strands in parallel for each side (so 4 strands per speaker) and have built my own gain clone clone to which the wires are soldered directly.
The teflon & silver are about €6 per meter, which makes it about €25 for stereo
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Am I deaf ?
I hope I am not deaf. But none of the wires, which I had tested gave a significant result during double blind tests....
Only connectors were critical in practice and I prefer screw terminals.
Also a fundamental theoretic approach did not outperform during real life test. The background was that the impedance of the wires increases at high frequencies due to the skin effect and also by wire inductance. Hm, so I tried 2x HF-Litz 150x0.1mm as a twisted pair.
...but for my ears it was all the same
Currently I am just using any reasonable cable and take care that the connectors are reliable.
Boring, but according my perception there seem to be many other and much more dominating impacts than the speaker wires....
I hope I am not deaf. But none of the wires, which I had tested gave a significant result during double blind tests....
Only connectors were critical in practice and I prefer screw terminals.
Also a fundamental theoretic approach did not outperform during real life test. The background was that the impedance of the wires increases at high frequencies due to the skin effect and also by wire inductance. Hm, so I tried 2x HF-Litz 150x0.1mm as a twisted pair.
...but for my ears it was all the same
Currently I am just using any reasonable cable and take care that the connectors are reliable.
Boring, but according my perception there seem to be many other and much more dominating impacts than the speaker wires....
Thought I might add this link,
here
But because of this I use Monster Navajo ( inexpensive ) and I use Tributaries banana plugs (I believe $20 for 4 plugs) into the amp, and bare wire into the speakers. I bi- wired these speakers with the nice banana plugs (its hard to fit bare wire in the speaker out on the amp).
Dont want to start anything here, but my bi-wiring sounded better than bi-amping using my amp.
here
But because of this I use Monster Navajo ( inexpensive ) and I use Tributaries banana plugs (I believe $20 for 4 plugs) into the amp, and bare wire into the speakers. I bi- wired these speakers with the nice banana plugs (its hard to fit bare wire in the speaker out on the amp).
Dont want to start anything here, but my bi-wiring sounded better than bi-amping using my amp.
@SY:
It takes me just "5 Mass" beer on the "OctoberFest" to become an overwhelming audio reviewer.
You are right. Usually I am trying to match fundamental physics theory with real results.
But aside my analytic attitude I am convinced that there are more things around than our school book authors would dream about!
So I sometimes try things which are not explained in a proper
scientific way. Human ears, or better our acoustical perception, is always somehow mystic.....
It takes me just "5 Mass" beer on the "OctoberFest" to become an overwhelming audio reviewer.
You are right. Usually I am trying to match fundamental physics theory with real results.
But aside my analytic attitude I am convinced that there are more things around than our school book authors would dream about!
So I sometimes try things which are not explained in a proper
scientific way. Human ears, or better our acoustical perception, is always somehow mystic.....
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