Speaker Cables

Dedicated to those large boxes at one end of the room
Post Reply
Lee S
Old Hand
Posts: 664
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:39 am
Location: UK

#1 Speaker Cables

Post by Lee S »

Hi all.

Last night I decided to have a fiddle with the cables inside and outside of my MLTLs. Originally they were wired internally with 8 cores of 26awg solid silver/ptfe in a Kimber style braid. Externally the same configuration but with 16 strands of 22awg.

Having read of folk using very thin wire, I decided to give this a go. I changed the internal AND the external for one single strand of the 26awg silver from the amp to the 206E.

Not what I expected really. The bass seems just as low and taught, if not a little more so, but there is extra HF extension and presence there now. More detail also. Overall a definite improvement than before.

What is this doing? Altering the damping? Adding slight series resistance? Removing a load of capacitance and increasing inductance? This stuff looks so thin and fragile, but it rocks!! I guess the amount of current produced by the 2A3 at 3.5 watts is negligible? I suppose it is probably a little larger than the coils in both the speaker and OPT, so why not use it?

Anyone else tried this? Any opinions? I think Scott has after reading a little over on DIYAudio.

Cheers
©2020 Lee
User avatar
al newall
Needs to get out more
Posts: 1737
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:55 pm
Location: Chester

#2

Post by al newall »

Nice one Lee. Something else to try then.

Just measured my silver wire... 2m short, bugger.
Maybe worth trying a single length of CAT5 instead.
Much to learn there is.
User avatar
Cressy Snr
Amstrad Tower of Power
Posts: 10582
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 12:25 am
Location: South Yorks.

#3

Post by Cressy Snr »

Hi Lee

I changed the wiring to my Metronomes last week from 2.5mm twin & earth to one run of twisted 0.5mm CAT5 wire. The results were remarkably similar to yours.

The wires to the subs are just 2 core mains flex so they are the next in line for changing. I have some QED Anniversary silver wire somewhere I can use for the bass runs to the subs.

Steve
User avatar
Scottmoose
Needs to get out more
Posts: 1802
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:03 am
Contact:

#4

Post by Scottmoose »

deleted
Last edited by Scottmoose on Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
andrew Ivimey
Social Sevices have been notified
Posts: 8318
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:33 am
Location: Bedford

#5

Post by andrew Ivimey »

- isn't there a kind of 2.5mm earth and twin that is not so much solid but three or four strands in each of the red and black cables;called 'stretched' or strung, hung or, well, someting. I have been told that this is a must use for mains and speaker duty.

anyone know what I'm talking about?
Max N
Old Hand
Posts: 1456
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:10 pm

#6

Post by Max N »

I'm not a big fan of expensive cable. I believe there's a lot of snake oil, and you can DIY a very good cable.
Having said that, I did find this to be worth reading. Take it with a pinch of salt, because they're not impartial, but there is some good info and at least there is some measurement, not all fluffy claims and subjectivism.
http://www.qed.co.uk/downloads/qed/broc ... nreprt.pdf
Post Reply