These are all supposed to be 30 awg tinned copper wires with the aggregate gauge determined by how many wires are bundled together. From what I can find in a quick search, I believe this is C11000, also known as Electrolytic Tough Pitch (ETP) copper wire, which is coated with tin and then a type of thermoplastic insulation/dieletric. The cotton is over the plastic so it is not really part of the dielectric like the cotton on Jupiter Condenser wire, which is directly over the copper wire. I believe the cotton on the WE wire is a covering for durability (and maybe to reduce static build-up?).
Here is a document that may address some of the construction characteristics but requires some speculation as to how the vintage wire was made;AIW Wire Construction Guide
From what I can find, I believe a major supplier of the Western Electric (WE) wire was American Insulated Wire Company (AIW) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Here is what the factory looks like today...AIW Factory
The 16 awg wire seems to be the most common size discussed in these posts for audio purposes, at least recently, but I found posts from several years ago where Benjamin Zwickel of Mojo Audio was constructing and selling power cables made with WE wire, and his clients were very impressed when his cords bested incumbents costing many times more. Ben found that the larger gauge wire sounded even better in his power cords, which is interesting but not surprising since virtually every major cable maker goes up in conductor size for their higher-priced speaker cables.
The pair of speaker cables I made use four 16awg wires and four 14awg wires to each speaker with the two sets of four wires twisted together and then cross-connected, which reduces inductance...a good thing in power cables and speaker cables. Therefore, I have the benefit of the 16awg wire (but double the size) going to my MF/HF drivers and the benefit of the much larger pair of 14awg wires going to my LF drivers (for an aggregate of 11awg to the LF of each speaker). In a week or two, I will post what I think of cables made from the 10awg wire since I have some of that on the way. I plan to run four wires per speaker to the LF (for an aggregate 7awg per pole) and only two each to the MF/HF for 10awg per pole.
I like the sound of these speaker cables, but it is different from my other cables that use many individually insulated OCC wires (also in a shotgun, bi-wire configuration) resulting in an aggregate 11 awg going to MF/HF and also to LF. In short, I find the sound of the WE speaker cables to be a little thick (some might say dense), focused on the midrange where they provide a nice tonality, but also good-sounding in the LF or bass, where they have good body but without the bloat some cables allow. In the high frequencies, I find them a touch shelved-down, and maybe even rolled-off, but primarily shelved-down, meaning the HF, while fully present, seems to have lower output compared to the lower frequencies. This sound recalls earlier days when our speakers had large drivers and our systems were musical but not so detailed. I believe that is the attraction...it is nice to be reminded that perfection is not a prerequisite for enjoyment.
Here is a document that may address some of the construction characteristics but requires some speculation as to how the vintage wire was made;AIW Wire Construction Guide
From what I can find, I believe a major supplier of the Western Electric (WE) wire was American Insulated Wire Company (AIW) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Here is what the factory looks like today...AIW Factory
The 16 awg wire seems to be the most common size discussed in these posts for audio purposes, at least recently, but I found posts from several years ago where Benjamin Zwickel of Mojo Audio was constructing and selling power cables made with WE wire, and his clients were very impressed when his cords bested incumbents costing many times more. Ben found that the larger gauge wire sounded even better in his power cords, which is interesting but not surprising since virtually every major cable maker goes up in conductor size for their higher-priced speaker cables.
The pair of speaker cables I made use four 16awg wires and four 14awg wires to each speaker with the two sets of four wires twisted together and then cross-connected, which reduces inductance...a good thing in power cables and speaker cables. Therefore, I have the benefit of the 16awg wire (but double the size) going to my MF/HF drivers and the benefit of the much larger pair of 14awg wires going to my LF drivers (for an aggregate of 11awg to the LF of each speaker). In a week or two, I will post what I think of cables made from the 10awg wire since I have some of that on the way. I plan to run four wires per speaker to the LF (for an aggregate 7awg per pole) and only two each to the MF/HF for 10awg per pole.
I like the sound of these speaker cables, but it is different from my other cables that use many individually insulated OCC wires (also in a shotgun, bi-wire configuration) resulting in an aggregate 11 awg going to MF/HF and also to LF. In short, I find the sound of the WE speaker cables to be a little thick (some might say dense), focused on the midrange where they provide a nice tonality, but also good-sounding in the LF or bass, where they have good body but without the bloat some cables allow. In the high frequencies, I find them a touch shelved-down, and maybe even rolled-off, but primarily shelved-down, meaning the HF, while fully present, seems to have lower output compared to the lower frequencies. This sound recalls earlier days when our speakers had large drivers and our systems were musical but not so detailed. I believe that is the attraction...it is nice to be reminded that perfection is not a prerequisite for enjoyment.