Internal Wire Gauge?

@williewonka Great read, thanks for the detailed post. 

And glad to see we're hearing similarly.  Always good to find another person who hears what you do so that you can pay more attention to their comments and recommendations.

And yet $100,000 CD players (and amps) are built on PCBs using generic copper, typically FR-4 substrates, though I have seen the odd PTFE, though their is little justification for it.

PTFE (Teflon like) insulated wire does not need to cost an arm and a leg, it is common for industrial and military uses and costs a fraction of "audio" wire..

Then again, using PTFE for hookup wire is pretty silly unless you are running twisted pairs (or similar).  Individual wire runs don't benefit for a low dielectric constant. You need two conductors to have a capacitor, so if one wire is 10mm away from another wire, and you have 0.1mm Teflon insulation, the air is still by far the dominant dielectric.

If you are selling things and want to impress people who don't know any better, sure use expensive wire that will make no difference. However, if you are building your own stuff, every dollar you don't waste on wire can be used in places where it will actually make a difference.

Different wire sounds different in my system and with my ears... even when it's connecting to generic circuit boards.  Cost is low compared to other things in this hobby because you're dealing in inches, not feet.  Easy to try.  YMMV.

@elliottbnewcombjr

"If/when you take the bottoms off vintage equipment or backs off vintage speakers, you will be amazed how small and common the wires were/are."


@audio2design,

"And yet $100,000 CD players (and amps) are built on PCBs using generic copper, typically FR-4 substrates, though I have seen the odd PTFE, though their is little justification for it."



Nor should we forget cartridge wires or internal loudspeaker wiring (coil and crossover). These are chosen to be fine by design, and not by cost.

Electricity seems to be a fickle beast and simply loves to flow. It doesn't seem to care too much about which route it has to take as long as there is a route. 

I remember reading about a loudspeaker designer who claimed he once ran his $10k+ top of the line speakers through a single strand of cable to see if they would sound ok.

Apparently they did.

Audiophiles on the other hand don't seem to satisfied until they've got the audio equivalent of running a garden hose through the Mersey Tunnel.

Suitable for Framing ...

"  Electricity seems to be a fickle beast and simply loves to flow. It doesn't seem to care too much about which route it has to take as long as there is a route. "