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Speaker cable aging?

Hello,

I was talking with a speaker company rep, describing my system, asking about their product and he said I might benefit from new speaker cables.

I have audioquest Midnight 3 Hyperlitz speaker cables. I bought them used 3 years ago. I have never know anything else. I bought them based of their size, name and original price. I bought them from a friend and I payed next to nothing for them ($100 canadian).

The speaker rep said that because they are about 10 years old the copper could of oxidized thus deteriorating the sound? He said that it would of happened so gradually that no one (including my friend who is the original owner) would of noticed. He recommend going with a silver cable, he said he likes Goertz.

What would you think about this. I doubt he would lie to me, but how much am I loosing through these cables? Is it worth replacing them? If so with what? UHF magazine sells Sheffield Labs cable which is solid core copper with a silver coating. They are very cheap (relatively speaking), do you think these would be an upgrade?

Thought and opinions are welcome.

Thanks,
nickway
mattybumpkin
590 posts
 
Nickway,

I had demo'd the S2's in a showroom for about a half hour, and while a brief demo, I came away very impressed. Midrange was very natural and was definitely not recessed. There was a review of them online somwhere, yes?

If you are serious about new speakers, definitely hold off on new cabling. It wouldn't make sense to get new cables and then introduce new speakers which might not go well with the cables. You would want to choose your cables to fit the speakers.

Regards,
twl
3,251 posts
 
It is always possible that any cables made of metals can have oxidation over the years. As stated above, it is likely that it only would occur near the ends, but it is possible to have it all the way thru too. Connections are particularly likely to exhibit this.

Whether it will make a very large difference in the sound of the system would likely be related to the individual system in question.

Alas, very few things will last forever.
musicslug
430 posts
 
a while back, Michael Fremer (I think it was in his column) wrote about cleaning all his contacts with some metal polishing cream and how much it improved his system. I've had noticeable results from just using some hardware store polish. it's quick, easy and cheap; what the heck?
that being said, before you buy new cables, whether it's with your existing speakers or new ones, why not audition them in your system to see if the difference, if any, is worth the $1K?
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
This reminds me of an old "Candid Camera" (TV Show) where they convinced women who had brought their cars in for an oil change that they were due for an air change in their tires.

By the way, what harm is an oxide layer on the wires? Some wires are deliberately plated with tin, which is less conductive than copper, so as to minimize skin effect.
valinar
471 posts
 
With regard to your Paradigm studio 40's. I, too, have a pair of studio 40 v.3's. When I saw that Paradigm released the signature series I found a dealer about a hundred miles away, and went to listen to them. I use a Musical Fidelity a3.2 integrated amp with the a3.2 cd player. I listened to the signature s4's powered by a Mcintosh amp. The s4's definitely sounded better in every respect. Now all I need is the cash.
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