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Solid core Versus Stranded Speaker cables

Ok for starters I have never tried a solid core Speaker cable until recently. I was very skeptical of the solids performance but I'm glad I tried it. As a matter of fact I tried it and found it to be the best cable I have ever used to date. After much searching, getting opinions from fellow audio enthusiasts and trial and error I happened upon a seller here on Audiogon, JW Audio who offered a 30 day in home trial period with full money returned, no questions asked and took a shot in the dark. That shot hit the bullseye dead center. After receiving the Cryo Nova 12 foot long cables, I was somewhat stunned when I seen the cable, it was nothing like I expected but I connected it anyway. Holy S....t did it make an immediate difference and it keeps getting better. My entire system (Krell) opened up like peeling the skin off a banana. Highs, lows, detail, soundstage, depth, clarity and details that I was missing were revealed. ( and I thought what I had was really outstanding )

Which brings me to the point of this thread. Not knowing what makes a solid core or a stranded speaker cable more desirable aside from the obvious flexibility issues I'm curious to know what my fellow audiocrazies use and why they prefer one over the other or if they even tried both. Anyone willing to give up their opinions on the pros and cons of solid versus stranded speaker cable? I will start that I am a convert to at least this particular solid core speaker wire and unless someone can better it with the 30 day free trial period I do believe it is here to stay.

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wolf_garcia
6,737 posts
 
I started using Audioquest speaker cables back when they were stranded (!), and those looked sort of like Kimber cables do now (late 80s I think, and I still have those in my basement Cable Museum). That was the first time I'd actually heard speaker cables sound better than whatever I was using before those. I ran into Bill Low last year at an audio shop nearby and asked him about using a set of Type 8s I have as a simple biwire solution, and he suggested some Rockets and explained why...bought the Rockets, he was right.
mesch
3,529 posts
 
Wolf, which Rockets did you buy?
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noromance
9,993 posts
 
@pistha No. It is from PartsconneXion.com. Neotech UP-OCC PTFE. 

wolf_garcia
6,737 posts
 
I fund some inexpensive (relatively, certainly not cheap) but new 10' Rocket 33s (33s are the ones Uncle Bill recommended) on Ebay...double biwire on the speaker end, nice bananas, and a really great sounding cable. I understand people like the more pricey 44s and 88s but meh...these are great! I'm also having great results from Morrow cables...1s and 1.1s...made with simply less runs of the same stuff they put in more costly cables, and again, a great sound (replaced some AQ ICs), and a very quiet cable.
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amg56
887 posts
 

Is there a relationship of size (of wire used) and the distance to the speaker from the amplifier, the "size" of the speakers, (badly put but) from big floor standers that require a lot to be driven, to satellite type speakers?

I have 2 systems in the music/HT room. They are independent of each other except for power (coming from the same mains breaker source) and the ethernet hardwire.

The HT has 7.2.4 configuration fed from an Anthem AV60 to 2x525 and 1x325 amps (13 channels). There are obviously different lengths of cable feeding different sizes of speaker.

My music system is stereo only and is a different matter.

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