Copper vs. Silver interconnects


We are running two systems from one CD player. We have a SET (tube, obviously) amp, a hybrid (tube outstage) amp, and the CD player also has a tube. I love my Verastarr silver reference interconnects, but it's always fun to try out different cables.

I have listened to a variety of copper cables (Kimber, DH Labs, Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technology, etc.), and I find them to lack the clarity and lively authority of the silver cables in these particular systems.

My question is this: do I stick with the silver cables (or gold, palladium, beryllium, etc.), or are their some copper interconnects that would really be worth trying? I'm asking for your collective expertise/experience on this one, as I don't want to continue going through the process of buying and selling cables that are only going to sound veiled and/or dull in comparison to the Verastarr's.

Thank you for the input.
128x128boa2
Ptmconsulting, are you a drummer as well? I prefer tonal accuracy in the sound of the drums (again, silver has worked best so far in my systems), and the sense that the music is coming to me as opposed to me having to suss it out, for lack of a better term. I tried a pair of Analysis Plus Solo Crystals the other day, and they just couldn't muster the same clarity and attack in the drum sound as the silver Verastarr's do on Robbie Robertson's first solo album. Manu Katche--what a killer drummer!

And Walkelin,
Happy for you to sound fatherly, as it's got to take a village to raise an audiophile. And I can always benefit from parental wisdom.

Thank you all, indeed. It's been most educational.
Howard
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Not a drummer - a piano player and multi keyboardist in my college days. Lots of time in a room with a live drumset though, and there was one song we played where everyone switched instruments. I got to play the drums then.

I took tenor sax lessons about a year ago (always wanted to do that) and am now much more critical of horns too. Yes, it is true that only horn loudspeakers (i.e. Klipsh and such) can adequately do justice to brassy horns.

What doies this mean to me - that a REAL sounding system has great micro and macro dynamics. However, you can achieve a reasonable sense of tonal accuracy in a system that doesn't have unlimited dynamics too. This often means a lot of experimentation and different materials, as you suggested.

I use Jon Risch's Belden 89259/89248 twisted pair most everywhere, but on my DAC I added an extra 30guage strand of silver to each leg. Pure silver lost that midrange beauty that I like. The combo works best for me ... but only in that location - it's not as good as the pure copper anywhere else in my system. Go figure.

Enjoy,
Bob
Thanks again for all of the input. I'm going to try out the AU24's next. I'm not too harried about this process, given that I really like the cables I currently use. I just thought it would be fun to try out some others, and I'm always up for that "Who woulda thunk it?" experience. That's exactly what occurred for me when I first heard the SET/Klipsch pairing, and I've never found a setup that I like more.

Thank you again for the suggestions. Bob, maybe I'll have to give the Belden's a try as well.
All the best,
Howard
Howard, setting aside the obvious issues of taste and synergy... I was (and still am) a big fan of Siltech, most recently using SQ-80 balanced interconnects (which had replaced Kimber KCAG). IMS these ICs ran just to the bright side of neutral but the soundstage was deep and well-defined. Steve Creamer of Nirvana loaned me a set of his SX ICs about four years ago and these ultimately displaced the 80s. The SX' are very, very quiet, provide a wide soundstage and complement my tube/SS rig. I hate to keep pounding Nirvana's drum but I'm amazed more folks haven't checked out this fine, moderately priced product. Just my 39 cents worth...