Wondering what kind of of hookup wire you guys have used and which you liked best. I'm considering OCC copper wire. The VHaudio OCC wire with Airlock seems interesting. Most have described OCC wire as very smooth but with detail, even a little dark. But I prefer that over bright. I tend to stay away from silver wire just because IMO it's a gamble. It can sound too bright and tonally thin sounding, although detailed. But if you know good silver hookup wire, I'd be interested. I find the Duelund silver hookup wire intriguing. thanks.
I just use ordinary copper, with PVC insulation. In my opinion there is no physical justification for anything else. Others will differ, but are unlikely to give any plausible explanation.
If you prefer silver, then use silver but you might then need to use expensive silver-bearing solder too (for valid metallurgical reasons, not sound).
If you prefer silver, then use silver but you might then need to use expensive silver-bearing solder too (for valid metallurgical reasons, not sound).
That's depends not only on type of metal, but on construction.
Just typical internet rumor that silver sound bright. Not at all for
DH-Labs revelation interconnect (pure silver) and DH-Labs Q10 signature (silver-plated), but true for QUD, Chords and others...
If you are in US you can easily get DH-Labs AG-18. Not cheap, but good hook-up. Teflon insulated, pure silver solid AWG18 hook-up.
I would use something similar to what ever wire is in your output transformers and the rest of your amp. Probably is standard smaller gauge copper and there is an awful lot of it, so I can't imagine that a few feet of anything else would matter. If you sprung for fancy silver transformers, spring for the silver hookup wire too.
Hi really a gauge that big is needed ? is that high the current flowing through the wires in a tube amp to need AWG18 ?
honestly asking. I have no clue.
Thanks, gino
Hi this answer makes a huge sense to me.
Thanks for the advice.
I wonder which AWG wire use normally in output transformers.
I would be very curious to know.
And i think there are many feet of wire in the windings ...
Moreover ... what about speaker cables (sorry for the OT) with a gauge ten times the one of the woofer coil ? if not more ?
is not that overkill ?
Thanks a lot for the very valuable advice. It made me think.
Kind regards, gino
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Hi and thanks and perfect ! i understand better now.
But i have liked the advice to look at the gauge of the output transformers windings ... this is a very good advice.
I do not know how long is a winding ... but some meters more they will have a very little effect i guess.
Now i just wonder which gauge they normally use ... found this
Valve Amps: Output transformers
They say "thin" ... how thin is not specified ...
I start to understand why someone use magnet wires as hook-up wires.
Thanks again, gino
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Not a good idea. 'Magnet wire' (we call it enamelled copper wire in the UK) is unsuitable for hook-up as it has poor insulation - too fragile to maintain good isolation, yet often too thick to allow easy soldering. Hence you have to remove the enamel at the ends and add extra insulation. Why not simply use hook-up wire instead?ginetto61 said:
Each piece of wire in a system has different requirements and different constraints. This means that within a particular circuit loop you won't necessarily use the same wire everywhere. For example, the speaker circuit has a number of wires:
- OPT secondary
- amp internal wiring
- speaker cables
- crossover inductors
- speaker internal wiring
- voice coil
Some are constrained by total size occupied (e.g. OPT sec, voice coil, inductor). Some are constrained by flexibility (speaker cable) and terminations (e.g. must fit under terminals). Some can be partly mitigated by negative feedback (e.g. OPT sec). So each is chosen for its particular task and place in the system. Don't just blindly make them all the same size!
Thanks a lot again for the very helpful reply.
I understand you do not believe to that "inter-strand interaction/distortion" the people who prefer solid core/litz often mention.
They say (dont know it this is true) that in a conductor the signal tends to travel on the surface of the wire. So in stranded wire with the surfaces of each wire in contact this can create distortion effects ...
I am not a scientist ... but i have to say that i twisted some magnet wires to make an interconnect ... that sounded particular. More clear mids ?
Different sound compared to normal stranded ICs.
Maybe i was just doing a really bad cable with high F and inductance.
Thanks a lot again, gino
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