PTFE vs ETFE

[Martin Prothero]

Has anyone tried wire insulated with Tefzel (ETFE)? I'm interested in any comparisons with this and Teflon (PTFE). Thinking of building speaker cables and can find this material in bulk and cheaper that Teflon...

I downloaded a PDF and it tells me that ETFE's dielectric constant (at 1KHz) is 2.6 with a dissipation factor 0.0008 compared to 2.1 and 0.00005 for Teflon.

Question is what does it sound like in contact with copper or silver?

Any takers?

[Allen Wright]

We've used Tezel insulated wire wrap wire in several sizes for years with good results as general purpose hookup wire, and for low cost braided interconnects. We prefer the sound of the tin plated copper wire version over the sound of silver plated copper wire.

Sounds good to us, and it's 100x easier to strip and work with than Teflon insu wire. The wirewrap industry has simple inexpensive tools for stripping Tezel wire perfectly - I hate trying to cleanly and quickly strip tefon wire. Just &^%$#@! impossible.

Regards, Allen

[Martin Prothero]

Thanks Allen for the reply and comments. Have you ever conducted an A/B comparison? Does one offer a sonic attribute / emphasis that the other doesn't.

[Jim Leach]

Interesting information...

I have some fine gage tinned oxygen-free copper that I use for speaker cable (it is Plasma Gun power cable) and was ready to make myself a new set. I am currently using PVC/air insulation, running parallel.

I think I will go up to the full cable diameter (about 3/8 inch) and insulate it with teflon or this "Tefzel" stuff.

Not sure ablout speaker and equipment placement in the new room yet, so not quite ready for this additional project on my list...

[Allen Wright]

Originally Posted by Martin Prothero

Have you ever conducted an A/B comparison? Does one offer a sonic attribute / emphasis that the other doesn't.

No, Tezel is so easy to use, and available, and teflon such a bastard to work and less available, there was no contest. Didn't want to hear Teflon was better for these reasons. Tweaking can be taken too far.

Regards, Allen

[SY]

Allen, do you find Tefzel easier to work with than Kynar?

[jlsem]

Teflon is easy enough to work if your wire stripper is properly honed. Klein strippers take a find edge using an Arkansas stone and neatly strip Teflon as easily as anything else.

John

[Allen Wright]

SY,
I would say Tezel and Kynar, at least on wire wrap wire, are about the same as far as work ease goes.

And I've never noticed one sounding better than the other.

Regards, Allen

[Allen Wright]

Originally Posted by jlsem

Teflon is easy enough to work if your wire stripper is properly honed. Klein strippers take a find edge using an Arkansas stone and neatly strip Teflon as easily as anything else.

John

Cool, but not everybody lives in the USA, and hence don't have access to the tools you mention. Like WTF is an "Arkansas stone"?

The teflon wire I'd like to use is 30 AWG pure silver solid core intended for inside the body wiring for pacemakers etc - do your tools strip this perfectly?

It's also 20 - 50x the price of www.

Regards, Allen

[Martin Prothero]

SY
Kynar is often found together with Teflon and Tefzel (and other things that dupont produce) but according to their PDF does not have anywhere near similar dielectric properties.
I am only going on the measurements provided and have never heard them, hence the email.