How to select a good Speaker Cable

Hi
Here is Mr.  Hiroko (Devialet) replay:

Hiroko (Devialet)

Jul 29, 2020, 12:04 PM GMT+2

Dear Michael,

Thank you very much for reaching out to us today.

I have received an answer from our engineer.
Please kindly be informed that the Spect of DF of the 120 is 8000.

Hope it helps your inquiry.

Have a great day!
Kind Regards,

Hiroko | Customer service & support Devialet

8000 is a very high figure for DF.
The highest I've ever seen!!!

For the calculations, you wont like it at all...
It calls for 25x 0 awg! @ 6ft. long cable.
This is impossible and very thick.
I would say:
1. Go as thick as you possible can.
2. Some  Devialet amps can be used as monoblock.
If you could afford that, a very short cable (10'' or less) would make it better, using still a thick cable (maybe #000 awg or 4x0 awg).

It might be that a second answer will arrive directly from their main office in Paris, with whom I spoke on the phone today.
If they provide a different figue, I'll update you.

Dear b4icu,

Thank you very much for the generous investment of your valuable time.

I look forward to hearing if Devialet in Paris has any additional information.

I will experiment with doubling up the 0 AWG six foot lengths.  You haven't been wrong yet, so I expect interesting results. 

Best regards,

J

Hi
Even though you may double the #0 awg, it is far from go all the required way by calculations.
I suspect that the way a D-Class Amp’s DF is calculated, may not be the actual DF.
I’m not shure. So things might be some less extreme than 8,000! 
However, the numbers are still high in relative to an A-B Class.

Doubling would do better. Hope you know how to get there...
Please be kind to update on progress and results.
Thanks.

I figured up of how to make a 4x 0 awg. It is a bit costly here (Israel).
For some #0 awg cable, I about to receive any day now, I paid $130 per
each 20ft cable. So a pair of 10ft. #0 awg, I will end up with $370 for the BOM.
a 4x 0 awg would pile up to way over $1k.
I don’t want to think of what a thicker cable will cost like!
I'm building a cable for domestic demo. 

Dear Michael,

The Devialet site states the following:

What makes a Devialet unique and standing out from any competition is its patenting amplification section ADH (Class A / Class D Hybrid). What you get to hear is the purity of a class A together with the efficiency of a class D. This allows us to have the best of both world.

Secondly, there is a DAC which is an integral part of the amplifier's circuitry and makes it difficult not to use.

Those 2 stages together give us such incredible characteristics such as less than 0.001% THD and less than 0.001 Ohm of output impedance. This alone gives you a damping factor between 6000 and 10000 which is HUGE! That means that the Devialet really holds the speaker. This results in a very precise sound stage and extremely well defined basses.

I buy 0 AWG on eBay for less than $2 per foot ( 1/0 AWG Gauge Copper Wire Cable, Super Vu-Tron Type W 2000V Heavy Duty with a flexible rubber sheath welding cable).  I prefer the "Welding Cable" with a rubber insulation since it is more flexible.  The strands are of a higher gauge.  I have tried "Power Supply Wiring" 0 AWG made with lower gauge strands and vinyl sheath.  It is much more difficult to work with as it not as flexible.  I noticed no difference in sound. 

Are you confident that your calculations apply to Magnepan speakers?  My experience so far suggests they do.

Thanks for your patience and help.

All good wishes,

J

OP,
On a lighter note, with quite a bit of reality:

Easiest way:
1. Know your budget (I am sure you are aware of this)
2. Read user reviews/experience, discuss with them (you are currently doing this)
3. Try the 2-3 cables that you finalized on, in your system (do this if you can)

There might be the best cable on earth that costs $50k. But does it's geometry or resistance or shielding matter to you if you cannot afford it :-)