Looking for really fine cables at really low price

Doing some late night listening on monoblock SET 300b amps tonight. I have been going back and forth between the shielded WE ICs I built vs the Belden. After some extended listening it is quite clear to me the WE IC is the better IC in my system on two different amps.

To summarize the differences I would say the WE is more open, resolving and reaches higher for sure. The WE is more full bodied and vivid with a bigger stage. The WE presents music with more dynamics and improved musicality. In contrast the Belden sounds a tad closed in and dark up top.

The Belden is very quiet and I like the solidity of the sound if you will. It has a nice ease and is still a great IC.

I did build a set of WE ICs without any shield....just nude and not jacketed at all. I put them in after about 20 hours of burn in and they were way to bright. They sounded brighter than my shielded version ever sounded. I bet they end up brighter in the end. We will see.

Thanks for the update Grannyring. I've got enough WE16ga for three interconnects so later on I should build a pair with shielding. We have folks coming over for listening and a barbecue today it will be interesting to see what they think of my nude Western electric interconnects. Jet

In terms of shielded vs unshielded cables, if anything were ever system dependent, this is certainly a good example. Enrivorment (RFI, EMI etc.) and components of choice will determine which is the best solution for sound quality.
Charles,

Interesting article on Jeff Day Blog "Adventures in Real Sound with Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki" explains much about why the WE16ga, where they are "coming from," history, what type sound Day and Yazaki-san are after.

I just got my bulk Belden and should have a pair of IC's completed soon. I'm excited! I've been running a 12' pair of WE16ga for a few weeks, connected to either Sonus Faber Liuto Monitors or Magnepan MMG's. Preamp is upgraded MFA Luminescence, and amplification is provided either by MFA Tube amps or NAD C272, depending on my mood. The WE wire is not twisted but I do use small nylon ties every 16 inches or so to keep the wires tidy.

I am very pleased with these speaker cables. In my system, music sounds more "alive" - perhaps it's fair to say it's closer to "the absolute sound" on a modest scale, than any other speaker cables I've had in my various systems. The texture of most instruments is more "palpable" to me. Piano is especially enjoyable. Jazz combos are glorious. Is"palpable" is roughly analogous to "timbral"? If my semantics are not apt, kindly weigh in. :)

I've got high expectations for the Belden IC's.