From: andrew@alice.att.com (Andrew Hume)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Speaker wires
Summary: read the FAQ
Date: 2 Jan 93 23:48:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: alice.24536
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill NJ

In article <1i4pl0INNbmu@iskut.ucs.ubc.ca>, twong@civil.ubc.ca (Thomas Wong) writes:
> 
> Can anyone describe the differences between speaker wires? What
> characteristic should we pay most attention to? What is a good gauge to
> use....etc? Thanks.
> 
> Thomas.


	for your edification i replay the relevant part of teh FAQ.

16.0 Wire
	More than any other topic, speaker cables and equipment interconnects
	seem to use up rec.audio bandwidth echoing the same theoretical
	arguments, testimonials, and opinions.  Controversy can be stimulating,
	educational, and also amusing.  Please try to keep postings aimed at one
	of those three goals, and avoid the insults and emotion.  Also, try to
	avoid echoing a common position or principal, as described below.

16.1 Do speaker cables matter?
	Cables are connectors attached to wires. Wires generally have multiple 
	conductors optionally surrounded by a shield and outer insulative 
	covering. Cables can introduce noise into the signal, act as a filter 
	(and thus change the frequency response of the system), and provide 
	non-linearities from improper (intermittent/loose) connections to or 
	between the connectors.

	It is quite scientifically conceivable that some cables do cause a 
	difference in sound, because of the differences in DC resistance,
	interconductor capacitance, and connector attachment alone.  The effects
	of exotic conductor weaving and materials are not so well established.
	In general, these effects (once we eliminate DC resistance), seem to be 
	small. However, if your system is at least fairly good, then some folks 
	have observed (although not in an experimental, double-blind sense) 
	significant differences in system performance with different cables. 
	The effects are said to be quite system specific; the only real 
	guideline is to try them and see which ones seem to sound better in 
	your system. 

	Roughly speaking, the price ranges for speaker cables is low 
	(under $1/ft), medium (under $6-8/ft), and high (up to $100/ft and 
	more). Try to arrange it so you can trial such cables; at several 
	hundred dollars per set, experiments can be expensive.

	In any system or experiment, it is essential that the differences
	between cables be separated from the differences between connectors.

	You should have an EXTREMELY solid connection between cable and
	speaker.  Speakers operate at very low impedances, so that bad
	connections will create significant artifacts or signal losses at any 
	power level.  For example, if the connection has a linear resistance
	of just 1 ohm, the speaker damping factor will be dramatically 
	reduced, making bass muddy.  If the connection contains imperfect
	metal oxides, then a slightly rectifying junction will block the signal,
	producing compression, distortion, and other non-linear effects.

16.2 What speaker cables are commercially available and how good are they?
	There is a wide range of speaker wire available, ranging from
	30ga zip cord (~$.10/ft) to exotic wires costing over $300/ft.
	The material used ranges from copper to oxygen-free copper (OFC)
	to silver. (There are a bunch of others as well.) 

16.3 What can I use for budget speaker cables?
	First, a few words on terminology.  Wire is sized by AWG or BS gage
	number.  Larger numbers represent smaller wire.  AWG 40 (also called
	40 gage) is as fine as human hair.  AWG 12 is 2mm or .081" diameter.
	Some wire is classified as solid, because it contains one strand per
	conductor.  Other wire is called stranded, because it consists of
	many strands per conductor.  Stranded wire is far more flexible than
	solid wire.  Most wire is made from drawn copper.  Some wire is sold
	that is claimed to be made with a process that produces oxygen-free
	copper.  Oxygen-free copper has a different metallurgical structure
	than common copper and may or may not conduct current better.

	Some critical listeners have reported excellent sound from large
	diameter solid copper wire, such as home wiring "Romex 12-2".  At least
	one expert has said that common 18-gage solid copper hook-up wire sold
	by Radio Shack also works very well.  Also recommended on a budget is
	Sound King wire, a 12 gage oxygen free copper stranded cable.  This is 
	available from MCM Electronics for $.39/ft.

	The scientific literature indicates that small gauge wire generally 
	sounds worse than large gauge and that resistance-related effects of 
	the cable can be eliminated by using at least 12 gage wire, particularly 
	for long runs.  Of course, shorter runs are always preferred, because
	they come much closer to the ideal zero-length wire, with no resistance,
	no capacitance, no inductance, and no change in signal.

16.4 What can I use for budget speaker connectors?
	The worst connectors are push-down, or spring terminals.  Screw 
	terminals with solid copper wire are much better.  Gold-plated binding 
	posts and gold spade lugs are inexpensive by audiophile standards and 
	are extremely stable.  Binding posts with spade lugs can be tightened 
	to get a very good mechanical joint, and may offer the lowest 
	electrical resistance of any connector.

	Gold plated banana plugs and jacks are also very good speaker terminals.  
	Good ones are more expensive than gold spade lugs, however, they also 
	provide a bigger area of contact, and are more convenient when you must 
	frequently reconfigure the system.  Banana plugs should be periodically 
	monitored for corrosion and loss of spring tension.  Monster offers a 
	banana-plug connector with an expanding center pin that forms an even 
	better connection than common gold banana plugs.  At approximately $25 
	per pair, the Monster banana plugs aren't a budget connector.

	All else equal, connectors with gold surfaces are better than
	connectors with any other surface.  This is for two reasons.  First,
	gold is extremely inert, meaning that unless gold is exposed to very
	harsh chemicals or harsh vapors, it will not corrode or oxidize.  It
	will remain a pure, low-resistance conductor.  Second, gold is quite
	soft, so that if a gold-plated connector is squeezed between two
	metal surfaces, it will deform slightly to fill scratches and voids,
	giving a very broad, low-resistance contact area.

	Corrosion of connectors is often a problem. Gold-plated terminals
	and connectors somewhat avoid this problem; problems with other 
	connectors can be mitigated by unplugging and replugging the connector 
	on a regular basis, cleaning the contact areas with a pencil eraser, 
	or by using a contact enhancer such as Cramolin or Tweek.  When you 
	use a contact enhancer, be very sure to follow the directions, and 
	avoid spreading enhancer about your equipment.
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