OCC cables anyone?

@zavato - having built countless cables over the years using Copper, OFC copper, Tinned copper Silver, Silver alloy and most recently UP-OCC copper, I would have to say that UP-OCC copper is my current preference

There are also differences between 5N UP-OCC copper and 6N UP-OCC copper that can be heard (believe it or not)

The areas that I find are improved include (in order)

1. dynamics - much faster than the other materials listed above
2. details - such as the micro details of the Venue acoustics
3. imaging - more spacious, with greater precision of artist placement

But to make a cable really "shine" also requires

1. a great cable geometry
2. the best insulations

Both of these contribute to the clarity, image and lower noise floor of the cable.

Some people do prefer a "smoother" sounding cables and will opt for wire like

1. Duelund Tinned Copper in a Cotton/Oil insulation
2. Mundorf Silver with 1% gold
3. VH Audio UP-OCC copper in the AirLok insulation

All three of these will remove "some" of the detail, and will "appear" as being a little less harsh, or smoother 

You also have to factor in the various components i.e. the "Synergy" of the system

But it is not a case of which is better

• there is no right or wrong at this level of performance
• it IS a case of personal preference

I do agree with the post above WRT the connectors - they also make a huge difference and using a poor connector may negate any advantage that using UP-OCC wire will provide

I use KLE Innovations Absolute Harmony RCA’s and their Banana plugs also

In ALL my cables, UP-OCC copper prevails because for ME it provides the best bang for the buck

But I am about to try a 5N UP-OCC solid silver wire in my interconnects, just to see what transpires.

So that may change my mind :-)

Regards - Steve

My post from 2014:
Audiogon Discussion Forum

Neotech and vh audio are my wires...find that interconnect (v twist) has made biggest plus in cable/eti/aeco connectors...using neotech/12 strand for jumpers.

I did a budget cable shootout last summer and they all were very close...In the end i chose vh audio 12 quad...which was $ than.

Mogami 3104... furez fz124as...canare 4s12...Canare 4s11

Furez was the only one that had properties/dialectic like the vh audio...that was detectable...i still need some hrs on them but...but my gear was hating me for it.

That was a good post as well noromance...And would agree the ends are alot of what the final say/sound is,ultimately the soundstage that vh/v twist produced has the qualities that just made it a done deal...as steve spoke about.

Always interesting to hear the latest Mr. williewonka. I use two pairs of your RCAs that are Tinned OFC copper. OFC is just fine. :-) MX110/C20 (either or) and a MC225. I use your RCAs two pairs. I've never seen a soul walk away from that combo not shaking their head. Nothing sounds like that with push pull small planars. The interconnects are the BOMB. I been using the 16 strand OCC/teflon and red copper interconnects as speaker cabling for the same setup. 

We didn't have this stuff or the planars/ribbons I use, in the 70s. Cables made a lot of difference in the SQ from when I first got the gear. OCC with good silver plating and very thin teflon in a ribbon is hard to beat too. Simple, easy to build, I really like them. :-)

Regards

Last night I swapped back to my OCC version of exact same interconnect cables, with the same design, length, same connectors as my OFC pair, made by the same Co. It becomes more of a comparison of the different metal used.  

Its still a surprise to me after years of testing and validating this - how its possible to actually hear deeper into the sound stage, with more detail and separation of individual instruments with OCC vs. OFC. Its not always "better" in all cases.  

There are times I also appreciate the different type of tone, texture, and mid-sound stage the OFC copper offers even with its noted granular flaws in the metallurgy strands. In my setup, the same OFC interconnects can offer a bit more of a vintage type of tone, which is fun too. I like both for different reasons. I still find myself swapping back and forth every once in a while between the two different types.