Where can I find good & affordable silver-plated OFC copper wires?

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#4
Currently, am doing my diy amplifier.

I cannot make up my mind in chosing type of wire between 18awg/16awg, silver plated copper or tin plated copper for the entire wiring. What will be outcome after completion of my diy, the amp will sounded brightness or perhaps cleaner hi and lo or am not sure how it sounded like. Am hoping anyone from this forum has diy tried out and could give more advice of my diy. tq.
 
#7
bear said:
Afaik, all "teflon" insulated SPC wire is "oxygen free". Highest purity or monocrystalline copper is another matter.

Simon, we will have to disagree if your supposition is that they sound the same to the ear... 😀

_-_-bear
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If distortion measurements told the whole story designs would be much easier. I have found that silver plating yields measurements pretty much the same as plain copper. When I think it is important I use silver. Now if you want to send me samples of a silver plated whiz bang wire, I will not say no.
 
#8
I own both pure silver (Analysis Plus Silver Oval-In 1m) and silver plated copper (Nordost Heimdal) interconnect cables. Both are terminated by WBT Next Gen RCA connectors, prices of both are close.
Listening impressions are MUCH better with pure silver cable, with the Heimdal I got an impression of highs being in temporal and level disbalance with the rest of sound, something resembling me an effect of Dolby B noise suppression system used previously in tape recorders.
 
#9
Not to degenerate into an interconnect test debate, but unless the geometry of each interconnect is identical the comparisons may be confounded by more basic differences than the metals/wire used.

I have done this exact test (identical wire/identical geometry) and happen to agree with your report.

Simon, PM me?

_-_-bear
 
#11
The Teflon/silver over copper MIL-spec wire is widely used in aircraft manufacture.

It can be sourced as surplus almost anywhere in the world if you look in the right places. You can of course also buy it new but really there's no need since a sub-100 foot length is really of no use on an airplane where splices are not allowed, so it's always available in lengths suitable for audio use, from somewhere.

The silver is not there for electrical properties; it's a corrosion barrier. Aircraft also use tin or nickel coated copper wire for the same reason. Corrosion coatings are a big deal on aircraft since there are areas that cannot be reliably inspected on an in-service airframe; even the aluminum used for structure is zinc chromate coated.

Teflon is used for it's high thermal rating.

The MIL specs are fairly easily researchable; just Google* the number and you should get a quick answer to the spec it's built to adhere to.

* Google's tweaking of it's search algorithms seems to be affecting the usefulness of the results, so I find lately I need to use other search engines far more often. Oh well, it was a nice 10-year run.
 
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#13
I like the Neotech 24awg solid copper for use in signal hookup.

Some may think it is fancy, but I just see it as good 🙂

But for a cheap wire the mil spec is nice enough, just don't do using thick wire for the signal path, 20awg at the thickest.
 
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#16
hi data,

since am new in diy.

may i know the reason why use the 24awg or 20awg as standard...instead of 16 or 18awg?

how about the wiring for ac supply input to transformer, what will be the best wire size awg?

thank you in advance.
 
#17
#18
kheng69 said:
hi data,

since am new in diy.

may i know the reason why use the 24awg or 20awg as standard...instead of 16 or 18awg?

how about the wiring for ac supply input to transformer, what will be the best wire size awg?

thank you in advance.
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I think the smaller wire works better for the transmission of higher frequencies, i don't know the tech' reasons... but I used a 1mm solid core to connect the coupling caps in my amp and I thought the caps ware pretty poor sounding (veiled and rolled off), but I thought about the wire I used and on a hunch changed it to that 24awg and Bang! all the missing detail was back 😀

Not too sure on the aspects of wire used in AC application, I think the more important thing for a position like that is It's ability to handle the high power, but I do like the idea that electricity acts like water in a flow sense (I may get roasted here for this one), if the pipe is too small the flow will be constricted, obviously this doesn't work all the time like in my situation in the signal path 😕

I have only been playing with DIY for a relatively short time myself 😱
 
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