How do I select a good pair of Speaker wires for my home stereo set up?

[Analogous]

I have been scouring the pages in the Cables section of this site, as also the wider landscape of the Interweb to discover a reliable method of selecting Speaker wires to make my set up even better sounding if possible. I am beginning to suspect I am chasing a vapour.

Beyond the flowery language used by manufacturers and a number of “satisfied buyers’ reactions there seems to be little or no way to judge and select. I suspect manufacturers may be a bit biased.

But I did discover that:
The one or two meters of wire matters specially with regard to the conductor - Copper, Tinned copper, OFC all have good electrical conductivity for the price. Silver is considered to be better by some for a higher price. Then Gold…Aluminium is looked upon with disdain. But with regard to differences SQ between them it’s all very subjective opinions, even if multimeter measurements are different.

Is lower resistance in speaker wires better for audio? (If so thicker is better and shorter length is better) Or the converse…

A lot of discussions are available on the topic of terminations, Gold seems to be a favourite (plated) This is strangely irrespective of the material used in the speaker binding posts or Amplifier output sockets.

Incredible amounts of money are spent by some on speaker wires alone. They seem happy. There is a big industry producing highly engineered and variously shielded speaker wires using copper, gold, silver or a mix of these. Aluminium is shunned.

Some contrarians are using Finolex and similar brands of electrical copper wires and seem happy too.

But I am not able to find any authoritative guidance on how to select/ choose.

So do I test speaker cables objectively with a multimeter and accept that any method that involves my ears to compare speaker wires is subjective, unreliable and non replicable?

I sometimes think I can hear a difference between two speaker wires (on the same set up, same song, volume etc) but I can not even start to decide which one is better. It then comes down to the one that looks better

How did you select the speaker wires you are currently using?
What did you consider while deciding?
How satisfied are you with these wires?

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

I have been scouring the pages in the Cables section of this site, as also the wider landscape of the Interweb to discover a reliable method of selecting Speaker wires to make my set up even better sounding if possible. I am beginning to suspect I am chasing a vapour.

Beyond the flowery language used by manufacturers and a number of “satisfied buyers’ reactions there seems to be little or no way to judge and select. I suspect manufacturers may be a bit biased.

But I did discover that:
The one or two meters of wire matters specially with regard to the conductor - Copper, Tinned copper, OFC all have good electrical conductivity for the price. Silver is considered to be better by some for a higher price. Then Gold…Aluminium is looked upon with disdain. But with regard to differences SQ between them it’s all very subjective opinions, even if multimeter measurements are different.

Is lower resistance in speaker wires better for audio? (If so thicker is better and shorter length is better) Or the converse…

A lot of discussions are available on the topic of terminations, Gold seems to be a favourite (plated) This is strangely irrespective of the material used in the speaker binding posts or Amplifier output sockets.

Incredible amounts of money are spent by some on speaker wires alone. They seem happy. There is a big industry producing highly engineered and variously shielded speaker wires using copper, gold, silver or a mix of these. Aluminium is shunned.

Some contrarians are using Finolex and similar brands of electrical copper wires and seem happy too.

But I am not able to find any authoritative guidance on how to select/ choose.

So do I test speaker cables objectively with a multimeter and accept that any method that involves my ears to compare speaker wires is subjective, unreliable and non replicable?

I sometimes think I can hear a difference between two speaker wires (on the same set up, same song, volume etc) but I can not even start to decide which one is better. It then comes down to the one that looks better

How did you select the speaker wires you are currently using?
What did you consider while deciding?
How satisfied are you with these wires?

After the recent gains I've had over the last one year or so. Iam beginning to come to the conclusion that everything is important and audible in a chain. But we are always limited to listening to only what the bottle neck in the system allows.

If we have good speaker cables from power amp to speaker, but poor interconnects from preamp to poweramp, then a change of speaker cables to much better ones, might not make much of an audible impact. But a change of interconnects to better ones down the line, will give the combined impact of better interconnects + better speaker cables, and then we end up believing that interconnects are more important than speaker cables.

The above has been my observation. And the challenge lies in identifying the bottle neck in our systems. That is where we might get maximum dividends from an upgrade. Having said the above, Iam not aware of any scientific method to identify superiority between speaker cables. And depending on the rest of the chain, if your present speaker cables are not the bottle neck, then changing to better ones might not even be noticeable sometimes. But if they are, then in you are in for a treat

My current bottle neck is my digital cables, as I've changed pretty much everything else. So that is where my next upgrade will be. Followed by a change in interconnects in the same price region and last will be my speaker cables. An improvement made at the head of the chain, trickles down everywhere. So the benefits start getting cumulative, as we improve the chain downwards, starting with power cables, then interconnects and lastly speaker cables. If we do it in reverse, starting from speaker cables, then we are limited by the bottle necks upstream. This is the Nordost / ansuz foundation theory, that Iam presently believing in, and gells with the recent gains I've made. All made at the top of the chain....just my 2 cents

Edit : My present USB cable is a generic printer cable from amazon. I will be replacing this with probably an Audioquest diamond cable. That will remove one known bottleneck in my system, and Iam expecting some big gains, considering the quality of the rest of the cabling that this generic cable might be presently holding back. So in the future, when I post how the USB cable is the most important cable in the chain, then we now know why

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

This can be considered as part II of the above Foundation theory that I've espoused. Established cable companies like Nordost, Ansuz ,Cardass or Tellurium etc have proven performance levels based on price. So one needs to do some research to find which companies signature suits them best, then move up these tiers. If we jump from a lower tier Tellurium cable to a higher tier Nordost cable, then we end up thinking that Nordost is better than Tellurium. But the improvement we get is because we've moved up a tier in price, and not because nordost is necessarily better than Tellurium.

And when we complete a tier and want to start upgrading to the next tier, it is suggested to start again with power cables, unless one has decent power treatment. If there has been adequate care taken into power conditioning and filtering, then we can skip the power cables, and start the next upgrade cycle, at next price tier interconnects, again lastly followed by speaker cables. Obviously, if one has 20 mtr long speaker cables, and only one meter long interconnects, then of course the speaker cable will in this case make more impact than a interconnect. So it takes identifying the bottle neck and then upgrading. I cannot write in more detail, without publishing a book, so fondly hope one gets my drift

 

[Analogous]

After the recent gains I've had over the last one year or so. Iam beginning to come to the conclusion that everything is important and audible in a chain. But we are always limited to listening to only what the bottle neck in the system allows.

If we have good speaker cables from power amp to speaker, but poor interconnects from preamp to poweramp, then a change of speaker cables to much better ones, might not make much of an audible impact. But a change of interconnects to better ones down the line, will give the combined impact of better interconnects + better speaker cables, and then we end up believing that interconnects are more important than speaker cables.

The above has been my observation. And the challenge lies in identifying the bottle neck in our systems. That is where we might get maximum dividends from an upgrade. Having said the above, Iam not aware of any scientific method to identify superiority between speaker cables. And depending on the rest of the chain, if your present speaker cables are not the bottle neck, then changing to better ones might not even be noticeable sometimes. But if they are, then in you are in for a treat

My current bottle neck is my digital cables, as I've changed pretty much everything else. So that is where my next upgrade will be. Followed by a change in interconnects in the same price region and last will be my speaker cables. An improvement made at the head of the chain, trickles down everywhere. So the benefits start getting cumulative, as we improve the chain downwards, starting with power cables, then interconnects and lastly speaker cables. If we do it in reverse, starting from speaker cables, then we are limited by the bottle necks upstream. This is the Nordost / ansuz foundation theory, that Iam presently believing in, and gells with the recent gains I've made. All made at the top of the chain....just my 2 cents

Edit : My present USB cable is a generic printer cable from amazon. I will be replacing this with probably an Audioquest diamond cable. That will remove one known bottleneck in my system, and Iam expecting some big gains, considering the quality of the rest of the cabling that this generic cable might be presently holding back. So in the future, when I post how the USB cable is the most important cable in the chain, then we now know why

Thanks!
So I have Van Den Hul power cord, Inacoustics interconnects, Blue Jean CAT cable, Chord Clearaway speaker cables and yet dil maange more Just don’t know what…. If at all there is a bottleneck. I am sure given time, this too shall pass.
Now that you have mentioned it I am beginning to wonder about the printer USB cable too.

 

[Analogous]

the improvement we get is because we've moved up a tier in price, and not because nordost is necessarily better than Tellurium.

That gives pause for reflection

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Thanks!
So I have Van Den Hul power cord, Inacoustics interconnects, Blue Jean CAT cable, Chord Clearaway speaker cables and yet dil maange more Just don’t know what…. If at all there is a bottleneck. I am sure given time, this too shall pass.
Now that you have mentioned it I am beginning to wonder about the printer USB cable too.

The best way is to borrow cables from friends and forum members and give them a try. Thats the only sure shot way to find out. In Hyderabad, we are always borrowing gear and trying out. It really helps to identify the way forward, instead of making it a guessing game

 

[Analogous]

The best way is to borrow cables from friends and forum members and give them a try. Thats the only sure shot way to find out. In Hyderabad, we are always borrowing gear and trying out. It really helps to identify the way forward, instead of making it a guessing game

That’s what I was advised by @arj !!!

Now who wants to lend me their cables

 

[arj]

So do I test speaker cables objectively with a multimeter and accept that any method that involves my ears to compare speaker wires is subjective, unreliable and non replicable?

I sometimes think I can hear a difference between two speaker wires (on the same set up, same song, volume etc) but I can not even start to decide which one is better. It then comes down to the one that looks better

How did you select the speaker wires you are currently using?
What did you consider while deciding?
How satisfied are you with these wires?

I doubt if anyone can answer that . Technically lowest impedance should do the trick..but if you are the sort who wants to and can feel differences then it gets weirder . eg I have a pair of High capacitance Ortofones which do their own thing as ICs.

With speaker cables every thing from the el cheapo but now unavailable Radio shack 12 gauge cables to the budget WE 16ga as well as the high end ASI livelines have worked wonderfully and lots of more expensive and cheaper cables not worked. For digital I somehow love the ASI livelines
Ill get over a couple to yours ..lets find some time

 

[Amarendra]

That’s what I was advised by @arj !!!

Now who wants to lend me their cables

One way to answer would be to start with material rather than brands. Example- copper vs tinned, Braided vs unbraided, shielded vs unshielded.
Go with the shortest possible length (1 meter ?) for the time you do the experiment. When using copper go with something like Finolex/ DAC cables rather than Wireworld For tinned cables- Belden. That way the experiment can be much cheaper. Braided, I can only think of Kimber cables. Shielded again- Chord or Belden or Furutech (TheAudioCo).

 

[Analogous]

One way to answer would be to start with material rather than brands. Example- copper vs tinned, Braided vs unbraided, shielded vs unshielded.
Go with the shortest possible length (1 meter ?) for the time you do the experiment. When using copper go with something like Finolex/ DAC cables rather than Wireworld For tinned cables- Belden. That way the experiment can be much cheaper. Braided, I can only think of Kimber cables. Shielded again- Chord or Belden or Furutech (TheAudioCo).

Thanks. Will definitely experiment

 

[arj]

Thanks. Will definitely experiment

i will get a regual copper braided, tinned copper and Solid core

 

[jenson]

After the recent gains I've had over the last one year or so. Iam beginning to come to the conclusion that everything is important and audible in a chain. But we are always limited to listening to only what the bottle neck in the system allows.

If we have good speaker cables from power amp to speaker, but poor interconnects from preamp to poweramp, then a change of speaker cables to much better ones, might not make much of an audible impact. But a change of interconnects to better ones down the line, will give the combined impact of better interconnects + better speaker cables, and then we end up believing that interconnects are more important than speaker cables.

The above has been my observation. And the challenge lies in identifying the bottle neck in our systems. That is where we might get maximum dividends from an upgrade. Having said the above, Iam not aware of any scientific method to identify superiority between speaker cables. And depending on the rest of the chain, if your present speaker cables are not the bottle neck, then changing to better ones might not even be noticeable sometimes. But if they are, then in you are in for a treat

My current bottle neck is my digital cables, as I've changed pretty much everything else. So that is where my next upgrade will be. Followed by a change in interconnects in the same price region and last will be my speaker cables. An improvement made at the head of the chain, trickles down everywhere. So the benefits start getting cumulative, as we improve the chain downwards, starting with power cables, then interconnects and lastly speaker cables. If we do it in reverse, starting from speaker cables, then we are limited by the bottle necks upstream. This is the Nordost / ansuz foundation theory, that Iam presently believing in, and gells with the recent gains I've made. All made at the top of the chain....just my 2 cents

Edit : My present USB cable is a generic printer cable from amazon. I will be replacing this with probably an Audioquest diamond cable. That will remove one known bottleneck in my system, and Iam expecting some big gains, considering the quality of the rest of the cabling that this generic cable might be presently holding back. So in the future, when I post how the USB cable is the most important cable in the chain, then we now know why

this is so true.

i recently bit the bullet and went for the ASI Livelines set put up on forum (minus the XLR), it seemed perfect for my setup as i have a CDP going into Integrated amp to Speaker...so except for the power cable to CDP, rest are from same family.

im yet to install all the components (Speaker Cable and Power Cord) but i did install the IC, and boy results were startling. i am now glad that i got the set...

but post ASI - i now understand how we connect our devices is super crucial and like YM mentioned, each change needs to be witnessed and lived with. read as many reviews as possible and make a judgement call. i can see that reviews about the ASI were pretty spot on in 6moons etc.

 

[spirovious]

How did you select the speaker wires you are currently using?
What did you consider while deciding?
How satisfied are you with these wires?

Mostly by listening and trusting ears. After comparing with other brands. Finally comparison with different gauges of same brand. If technically perfect cable is sounding good in real, then why would one choose it.

 

[Analogous]

Mostly by listening and trusting ears. After comparing with other brands. Finally comparison with different gauges of same brand. If technically perfect cable is sounding good in real, then why would one choose it.

Because “dil maange more”?
Today I tried a speaker cable that @arj kindly brought over and we both heard a difference. Slightly improved clarity and separation between instruments in the test tracks we played. Don’t know if any explanation of why this should be…

 

[dafreaking]

Could be a placebo too

 

[Analogous]

Could be….Both of us…
I don’t really have an explanation.
It was just three tracks (different generes)
Changing the cables took some time after each track and my memory of sound is shorter than Dory.
Was it real or imagined? No way to prove or disprove either

 

[essrand]

I think cables should be considered as a component of a system, as much as a DAC or Amp, since a mediocre cable will affect your system as badly as a mediocre speaker/amp/dac.

Mainstream cable brands are expensive, and most of the time, are very bling-bling : money spent on packaging and thickness of cables and jewellery value rather than performance, you don't get value for money, but some of them do perform. For e.g you can't go wrong with Siltech entry-level cables.

I am not sure I agree on importance of material in cables, I believe more in the competence of the cable maker and what material he chooses; in the hands of Shindo, silver sounds warm. I have heard copper cables sound bright, and tinned copper sound terrible. So....it's all in the hands of maker.

Evaluating cables is really hard and annoying, I agree. I have done quite a bit of cable-hunting and here are some offbeat brands that good price/performance ratio that I like: Acoustic revive, Audiomica, Acrolink, Ansuz (wow! all starting with A). I quite like Siltech 550 and 330 speaker cables as well. I plan to try Luna speaker and Auditorium A23 cables sometime soon, and have high hopes for them. BTW I hate every Belden speaker cable -- and it is not subjective, I can't understand how anyone who has gone beyond a Philips Powerhouse can stand those SCs.

Best bang for the buck for me has been entry-level Acoustic Revive. They are solid core, surprisingly, and that might have do with its ridiculous. performance for a very reasonable price. YMMV.

 

[Nikhil]

Some good points shared already. Here's my 0.02 ...

Cable material is a good place to start. Material used affects tone, color and texture of the sound. I've tried a few different materials and copper seems to be the one I like the most. My current choice is Tinned Copper which is a "vintage" tone that sounds very organic to my ears. Silver offers clean and brilliant highs.

Cable construction offers some more variables one can play with. I prefer multi strand "litz wire" cables. Many of the Japanese brands tend to use OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) copper which offers a crystal structure that sounds fantastic especially in the mids. Not going to delve into cable sleeves and insulation but these also play a role in your cable sound.

Cable gauge is something I discovered a few years ago. Thicker gauge cables give you more bass extension. Thinner gauge attenuate lower frequencies and sound faster/more precise.

I also tend to prefer bare wire connections over connectors. I have done back and forth on this and my conclusion is that connectors are convenient if you need to keep changing components. Depending on the materials used and their construction they have a sound signature. One has to try them out and see. Gold plated copper is my preference here.



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