DIY Cables - Sourcing True OCC Copper Wire

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#61
NareshBrd said:
How else would he use speaker wire, except for speakers?

Another thread that goes on and on as a debate, that is what it is looking like.

OP, please, there must be more than a hundred threads here about speaker wires, their materials, and quality.

Read those, you might even find details of the test equipment.
When you can actually prove that the difference in normal EC grade and super pure cable results in better signal transfer, and it sounds better, we can think your theory has merit.

And there are members here who will try to duplicate your results.
So your tests must be repeatable by anybody in the world who has similar or better test equipment.

Until then, it is a theory.
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I’m just an audio enthusiast trying to eke out the last bit of fidelity, and have some fun making and testing out cables! There were a lot of helpful suggestions on the thread.
 
#68
I’m not even saying that OCC cables are better. I’m saying I’d like to source some OCC wire because it’s what I want to try in my own designs.

Consider that for a second. I am on “DIY Audio” asking a question about sourcing some DIY materials so I can DIY some audio cables.
 
#69
zygibajt said:
Where is the occ purity of material in it??
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Your post raises plenty of interesting questions. Being one who knows next to nothing about constructing cables i can only guess that you are very likely right. A lot of commercial cables i have look like an inexplicable mystery in both construction and material choice. But this is an entirely different topic.

When the topic is just metallurgy it will be fair to compare similar gauges using similar dielectrics and similar geometries. Nothing wrong with this being a parallel pair of solid core wires, the comparison should still be valid.

As regards to purity, it has been my understanding that OCC is pretty much as pure as it gets. Are there really different grades?

Something you don't mention which seems very important is the way and degree to which the wire is tempered. It's another mystery to me. In my understanding the OCC process should produce very soft wire, yet the Neotech in PVC feels completely different to the Neotech in teflon when both are stripped from insulation. Have you noticed? Do you have an explanation?

And what about the surface polish? Some manufacturers work on improving it while others don't seem to care much. Any insight?
 
#70
heyitsmedusty said:
When electricity travels through material, it has an easier time (less resistance) moving across fewer grain boundaries. Given enough power, the flow of electrons has no problem jumping those gaps, kind of like how electricity can literally jump across the air from a door handle to your fingertips when you have enough of an electron-differential between yourself and the door handle, say after your feet have exchanged enough electrons with a wool rug.
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Electricity doesn't travel through material. Electrons don't flow. Power isn't what makes "electricity jump across the air".
 
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#72
heyitsmedusty said:
I literally just said I also want to have fun making cables
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Thanks for an interesting thread and your good humour handling the haters.

I wonder if your way to kind responding to the haters? Some people just what to drag you down in the ditch they are in. Others have addiction issues and are cognitively knocked off. Others are militant trollers. Either way responding to them is unlikely to do more then encourage them.

I hope you start another thread to share your OCC adventure when you've got your copper crystals signing. What do you think of the idea of a home OCC cable test:
  • Make two very long interconnects, as long as possible so there are more crystals exposed
  • One cable made from OCC the other non-OCC, same gauge and insulation
  • Put two speakers side by side, one fed by OCC and one non-OCC
  • Listen to a mono track played either left or right
  • Get someone to randomly swap cables when you are out of the room. See if you can pick the cables on sound.
Thanks again.
 
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#73
Its not just OCC or not. For one thing it depends on line level or speaker cables. All aspects of cable materials and construction have the potential for audible effect. So, what are you going to measure? Harmonic distortion? If so you probably won't see much except maybe if you have bad loose or corroded connections at the ends. You could measure characteristic impedance. You could measure dielectric absorption, etc. There are a few AES papers that describe some cable measurements and effects on sound due to various physical effects. The hard part is this: how to correlate measurements with audible effects under different conditions, such as with different source impedance driving a cable.

Some reading material of possible interest:

https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=20755
 

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#74
Markw4 said:
Its not just OCC or not. For one thing it depends on line level or speaker cables. All aspects of cable materials and construction have the potential for audible effect. So, what are you going to measure? Harmonic distortion? If so you probably won't see much except maybe if you have bad loose or corroded connections at the ends. You could measure characteristic impedance. You could measure dielectric absorption, etc. There are a few AES papers that describe some cable measurements and effects on sound due to various physical effects. The hard part is this: how to correlate measurements with audible effects under different conditions, such as with different source impedance driving a cable.

Some examples of possible interest:

https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=20755
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I’m not doing any measurements. I’m not a scientist. I’m a hobbyist and I’m just looking to see if I like the way my system sounds with cables made with OCC wire, and a good way to do that is to make some cables with OCC wire.

The whole theory could be bunk, but since I’m the only one who spends any real time with my system, and my enjoyment is purely subjective, the only thing that really matters is if I like the way it sounds more.

If it pleases the gallery, I can put together a highly rigid and scientific scale to score my emotions as I use the OCC wires. I mean hell, that’s basically what Stereophile or any of those other hifi publications do!

End of the day, I’m just looking to try this material on some cables. And maybe I like them. I just wanted to find reputable dealers so I can trust that it’s the right material as I make them
 
#75
Odd. A lot is already known, and what you are planning to do is far from optimal even in terms of subjective experience. Its like saying I am going to paint my car green and see if I enjoy the road feel and handling more. Then again, if you are having fun maybe that's all that matters.
 
#76
Markw4 said:
Odd. A lot is already known, and what you are planning to do is far from optimal even in terms of subjective experience. Its like saying I am going to paint my car green and see if I enjoy the road feel and handling more. Then again, if you are having fun maybe that's all that matters.
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I’m talking about enjoyment.

It’s more like saying you want to try a different brand of tires and see if you like the experience of driving more, without taking measurements because that’s not something you normally do.
 
#78
kn0ppers said:
The more suitable analogy would be filling the identical tires with mystical air during a full moon instead of ambient air on just any day. And then believing you will feel the difference while driving. :spin:
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Or rather, being open to feeling a difference. I don’t know what will happen. I am just looking to source OCC wire (a real thing) to make some cables.

Again, a thank you to all the folks submitting merchants to help me source this actual real material that exists.
 
#79
Van den Hul makes some very good audio cables, if merchants are what you want. Not cheap though.

https://www.vandenhul.com/product-category/cables/
If looking for something more affordable, consider Canare, Belden, Mogami, etc., 'Star Quad' type cable. The way the conductors are arranged is effective for canceling unwanted LF coupling with external fields. It also reduces cable inductance which can be good for speaker cables, at least according to some measurements and listening tests in this very forum.
 
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