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Hookup wire for tube amplifier?

Wondering what kind of of hookup wire you guys have used and which you liked best. I'm considering OCC copper wire...the VHaudio OCC wire with Airlock seems interesting. Most have described OCC wire as very smooth but with detail, even a little dark. But I prefer that over bright.
http://vhaudio.com/wire.html

I tend to stay away from silver wire just because IMO it's a gamble. It can sound too bright and tonally thin sounding, although detailed. But if you know good silver hookup wire, I'd be interested. I find the Duelund silver hookup wire intriguing.
http://www.hificollective.co.uk/kits/pdf/duelund_wbt_interconnect_review.pdf
dracule1
jallen
502 posts
 
The VH wire is very good and it is difficult to do better with other wire.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,533 posts
 
Solid core copper wire is the way to go for best sound. No need to spend big $.
mitch2
4,089 posts
 
I agree with using solid core copper and the VH Audio OCC in foamed teflon should be quite nice. Another consideration would be the Jupiter copper in cotton wire. IC's I have made from that wire sound excellent.
dracule1 OP
1,085 posts
 
Thanks everyone for the info.

I think copper is a safer bet than silver. More predictable than silver. A good copper wire just seems to have more correct timbre of acoustic instruments, especially on brass and stringed instruments.

Is the Jupiter copper in cotton OCC?

I do like the VH Audio OCC copper with foam Teflon, but I don't think they are rated for high temperature or voltage. So I may use it for low signal section in the amp. For power supply and output tubes, I think OCC with regular Teflon insulation is needed.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,954 posts
 
The issue is break-in and longevity.

Copper seems to take longer to break in than silver does. If handled correctly they both get to the same place.

You have to be careful with silver- don't go with silver-plated copper and you have to be careful to use the right solder too. Silver wire usually has a Teflon insulation.

Copper works fine but you have to be careful with the insulation. Teflon will not block air from the wire, and the wire can't get oxidized! In addition the extrusion process runs at a high temperature so unless very special provisions are made the result will be that Teflon-coated OFC will not be OFC once inside the Teflon.

BTW, there are no wires that have more than 99.99% purity. If more than that is claimed either the supplier is misinformed or they are lying. I remember that there was a craze for '6-nines' copper a few years ago; when it was found out that such a thing does not exist, the various manufacturers that were making such claims quietly stopped doing so.

To retain its OFC status, the insulation has to be able to seal the wire; its helpful if it melts a little near the solderjoint. If it does that correctly it will be fine for decades.
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