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From: rdp@teddy.UUCP (Richard D. Pierce)
Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Mercury Filled Speaker Wire
Message-ID: <4346@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Sep-87 14:47:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.4346
Posted: Fri Sep 11 14:47:57 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Sep-87 18:49:36 EDT
References: <3816@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <578@uthub.toronto.edu> <3827@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>
Reply-To: rdp@teddy.UUCP (Richard D. Pierce)
Distribution: rec
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 83
Xref: mnetor rec.audio:3203 sci.physics:2144 sci.electronics:1273

In article <3827@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> (Commander Brett Maraldo) writes:
->In article <578@uthub.toronto.edu> (M. Kokodyniak) writes:
->> Metals are metals.  Electricity flows in the same way through all metals.
->> This includes copper and mercury.
->> 
->   Crap.  Then there should be no difference between coaxial cable, twisted
->   pair and transmission lines in terms of signal propagation.  BUT THERE
->   IS!
->

Double crap. He did not say "there is no difference between conductor
configurations" as you contend he did. He said "Electricity flows in the 
same way through all metals," a markedly different statement than what
you contend.

Secondly. crap to your "BUT THERE IS". A far more accurate statement
would be "BUT I (one of THINK, CONTEND, INSIST, BELIEVE, WISH, etc) THERE IS."

The issue of the audibility of wire is far from settled. To insist that
there definitely is a difference without being willing to submit the
contention to fair, unbiased and revealing tests is to beg dismissal of
that contention.

->> You have been reading too many audiophile magazines.  As far as audio
->> frequencies are concerned, no cables of typical length (i.e. fitting in
->> your living room) are going to behave like transmission lines.  Therefore,
->> the conductor material, wire configuration and spacing, and insulation
->> material are all irrelevant.  So audio signals will look the same on
->> copper cables as on mercury ones.
->   
->   Again: Crap.  What you have said here is simply a matter of opinion.  I
->   can hear differences between audio cables.  I can not report and
->   differences under controlled double-blind tests because I have never
->   taken part in one.  I am not attempting to convince you that I can hear
->   a difference, but what I hear is good enough for me.
->

Again, double crap. The statement "no cables of typical length are going
to behave like transmission lines [at or near audio frequencies]" is not
a matter of opinion, it is a statement of fact firmly secured in
transmission line mathematics. While I may not agree that "conductor material,
wire configuration and spacing, and insulation material are all irrelevant,"
to criticize your respondant on the basis of a strawman you have set up
is unfair and unproductive.

Commander, you may indeed be able to hear a difference between cables, you
may indeed THINK you hear a difference between cables. There may well BE
a difference between cables. But to declare established fact (tranmission
line performance, etc.) as mere personal opinion simply because it not
only does not support your contentions, but refutes them, demonstrates
ones misunderstanding at the physical processes and possibly some
psycho-acoustic effects as well.

Again, let's argue against the point that someone made, not what you
think someone made.

To add my one two cents woorth to the TECHNICAL discussion, there are a
variety of reasons why mercury is very poorly suited to audio-style
conductors. 

    1.	It has a relatively high bulk resistivity. For a given cross
	sectional area, it is much higher than copper, as you suggested.
	Even per unit mass, it suffers to many other conductors.

    2.	If you think skin effect is an issue, than multi-stranded solid
	conductors will far outperform a single liquid conductor

    3.	Mercury is just plain dangerous stuff.

    4.	If I heard you right when you sain the mercury is in copper
	jacketing, your going to be in for a real big surprise. Copper
	is soluble in mercury. Sooner or later, your little wires are
	going to start leaking. A lot! (take it from someone who had
	to deal with another inane mercury based audiophile product,
	the Keith Monks tone arm.)

    5.	Mercury, when exposed to air, quickly forms a skin of mercuric
	oxide, which present a very non-linear electrical junction with
	whatever interfacing conductor it meets. Most mercury switches
	are hermetically sealed with dry nitrogen or argon to prevent 
	this from happening.

Dick Pierce