Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watdcsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watdcsu!herbie From: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong, Computing Services) Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: RE: Super Cables Message-ID: <614@watdcsu.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-Nov-84 02:32:11 EST Article-I.D.: watdcsu.614 Posted: Tue Nov 6 02:32:11 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 6-Nov-84 05:44:15 EST References: <311@whuxl.UUCP>, <1000025@ea.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 41 Polk Audio cable is much more sensitive to the load presented by the speaker system and the capabilities of the amplifier with which it is used. If you are the slightest bit unsure, check first with someone who knows stereo design. Straight zip-cord types cables may not be as good as some of the more exotic configurations of cables, but it is sure a lot safer as a amplifer load. The other point is that with most amplifiers, differences due to something other than the change in gauge of the wire is lost in the limitations of the amplifier, not to mention the source. There are far fewer systems out there which can show a reliable difference in merely changing the configuration of the speaker cables than some netters would have you believe. However, almost all will show a benefit from increasing the effective diameter of the cable. If the Polk Audio cable you describe is the one that I am familiar with, it is far to thin to be any improvement over zip-cord of the same diameter. I have tried many brands of cables and the ones I am happiest with are a set of Fulton Golds. At $20/ft/channel, they are expensive. They are not wound specially to reduce inductance effects, but just separating the hot and ground sides of a channel get around most of that. The cable is 2 Gauge silver plated oxygen-free copper of several thousand strands. It doesn't have the high capacitance of coaxial and other wound cables, inductance is reasonably low, and resistance is about as low as practical for home use. A reasonable length of cable will set you back several hundred dollars. Is this what you're looking for? The other alternative is to wind you own as per Phil R.'s specifications. This will cost maybe $100 for a 20ft pair, but it might be what you're looking for. Then you have to figure out what you're going to connect them with. Buying all this cable, of course, is next to useless, unless you are also willing to change the cables within your speaker systems. They are usually in the 18 to 20 Ga range, with some as thin as 24. Until you do that, most of the possible benefits are lost in the cheap stuff they put inside. Until you get thick wire inside, which brand of cable you buy is irrelevant. Herb Chong... I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble.... UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!watdcsu!herbie CSNET: herbie%watdcsu@waterloo.csnet ARPA: herbie%watdcsu%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa BITNET: herbie at watdcs,herbie at watdcsu