solid and strand wire in amp

[infobot]

I have a small S5 electronics 8 watt tube amp.
Ages ago I upgraded the volume pot and the inputs. Just recently I put it in a nicer wood case.

Anyhow, when I first changed pots and inputs I used solid wire, because it was all I had onhand. When I changed cases the other day, I also changed all the solid wire (only used on inputs and volume pot) to the same guage stranded wire. Also the same make, both Radio Shack wire, as am a bit broke at times.

There seems to be a very noticeable upgrade in how it sounds, the only things changed was the wire types.

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My question is: would the change from solid to stranded wire to the inputs and volume pot make a noticeable difference in how it sounds ?

thanks

[tomchr]

Without measurements, it's hard to tell what's going on. But here are my guesses:

1) Perhaps you cleaned up a poor connection or cold solder joint somewhere.
2) The routing changed such that signal forward and signal return conductors became more tightly coupled, hence, less prone to EMI and/or inductive pick-up.
3) You changed something, thus, it must have a positive effect. This is commonly known as a placebo effect.
4) Your ears got a much needed break while you changed the wire. Hence, it now sounds better.

If the routing is EXACTLY the same and the wire material and cross-sectional area (AWG) is the same there is no scientific reason why it would sound any different. Some may argue that skin effect will give the stranded wire an advantage. But that only applies if the strands are isolated from one another. That's not the case in regular stranded wire. Besides, the skin depth at audio frequencies exceeds the wire diameter - unless you're using some ridiculously large wire.

If you had measurements that showed an improvement, I'd probably go with options 1 or 2 above. But without, 3 and 4 are just as likely in my opinion.

~Tom

[DF96]

+1

[data]

From my experience only (listening), I find a difference in the sound between solid core and stranded wire.

I prefer solid core

Edit:And I never expect the "measurement guys" to agree there is any difference, but they have a right to there opinion too.

[Original Burnedfingers]

quote:

If the routing is EXACTLY the same and the wire material and cross-sectional area (AWG) is the same there is no scientific reason why it would sound any different.


I will have to agree 100%. My personal experience has also shown that I could tell no differences between solid and stranded wire.

[Soonerorlater]

Just recently I put it in a nicer wood case.

What did you have before?

Don't think using stranded cable is any better than solid core. Like the mechanical strength of solid core though.

Besides it'll take at least five years for your cable to burn in before you can really judge!.....

[KrankKall]

I like using solid core wiring, because in my opinion, it's easier to solder (it stays where you put it).

Steve

[infobot]

Thanks for the replies.

Soonerorlater, it was in a Hammond 12" x 8" black metal case, with matching wire cage on top. It's now in a 12" x 8" wood box, with wood cover (run with cover open), but with the PC board moved from along the front of the case to along one of the sides (PC rotated 90 degrees).

Other folk, sorry hadn't taken measurements.
The pot and wire routing was switched from near one end of the PC to the other, wire length is exactly the same. Also was able to move the 3 transformers further away from the PC board.



*****
I'd read somewhere about solid and stranded, how one was better for AC or something, and another better for preamps, but couldn't remember what. Anyhow, based on that, I was fishing for any commonly agreed upon differences in using the two wire types for various applications.

I'd thought it might've been cleaning up connections or rerouting or even subjective listening change, but thought I'd check out the wire difference, if any, to rule that out.

Your answers, even varying, cleared that up for me - I mean there was no definite "we all agree that the types do some things better than the other, we use different types for different jobs" or similar.

So I'd say it's mainly that I'd cleaned up the connections, or the rerouting, or both.
There does seem a definite difference-could be my ears, could be placebo, but I'd lean towards cleaner connections over subjective as my guess.

Anyway thanks, helped a lot, and any additional replies much welcome too.

[tomchr]

Originally Posted by infobot

Soonerorlater, it was in a Hammond 12" x 8" black metal case, with matching wire cage on top. It's now in a 12" x 8" wood box, with wood cover (run with cover open), but with the PC board moved from along the front of the case to along one of the sides (PC rotated 90 degrees).

Other folk, sorry hadn't taken measurements.
The pot and wire routing was switched from near one end of the PC to the other, wire length is exactly the same. Also was able to move the 3 transformers further away from the PC board.

So in reality you changed a bunch of stuff and wonder what happened...

Moving the transformers away from the board is quite likely to have had an effect. Even low-level hum induced by power transformers can mix with the input signal and form intermodulation products. It's pretty easy to measure with a spectrum analyzer (or sound card) and can result in a bit fuzzy/hazy (for lack of a better term) sound.

~Tom

[infobot]

Technically, yup.

The thing I read about wire came to mind, I couldn't remember if it made an obvious difference or not, so thought I'd check out and rule that out or not first. Plus it was the only thing I'd swapped rather than repositioned. But yup actually a bunch of stuff.

Don't have an analyzer anymore but thanks that and the soundcard idea good to know.