Serious Question About Silver vs Copper Conductivity for Power


Yes, I realize that this topic is going to bring out the sharks, but if I get at least one serious response, it will all be worth it.

I understand that silver conducts 7% faster than copper.  I also understand that using a dielectric insulation like Teflon is best at keeping the wire from overheating, stopping signals entering and stopping signals from leaving the conductor. I understand that a certain amount of math is involved in selected gauge of wire depending largely on how much power the component is going to take, and how much the amperage is (20 or 15).

My question is regarding certain features applied to either silver or copper conductors that may or may not have an advantage over one or the other.

I have the Kimber Kable P14 Palladian.  This uses 14awg copper conductors insulated in Teflon.  Then it adds a massive filter that attempts to mitigate the standing wave ratio to as close to 1:1 as possible. I had Kimber’s Ascent power cable prior.  It’s identical to the Palladian, except the filter. I have heard the difference between using those two cables.  Apparently, mitigating the standing wave ratio lowers the noise floor significantly. However, any filter that chokes the signal and will slow the electrical current.

As I understand it, the amplifier works by opening the rectifier to allow the capacitors to fill with energy that the system will draw from.  Being able to keep the rectifier open and fill the capacitors as fast as possible, reducing lag time, has the effect of creating more realistic and detailed sound.

With that said, changing to a power cable that uses pure silver insulated in Teflon, will ensure that power is delivered potentially faster.  Although, the silver power cable will NOT have a filter.  Therefore the standing wave ratio will not be mitigated and the electrical signal will not be choked either.

So, would the amplifier benefit from faster electrical current or slower, but cleaner electric current?  Since this signal isn’t directly applied to sound, the concepts of “colder” or “warmer” sound should not apply.

Can someone help me out without poking fun at the question?  Additionally, I am not interested in having a cable-theory debate.  If you don’t believe cables make any difference, I will not debate or have discourse on that topic.


 

128x128guakus

@holmz    Yes I should have said conductivity, not speed.  I am entirely prepared to accept your scientific explanation and I thank you for it.

But this element of the discussion relates to topping up large capacitor(s) in a power amp to replace power used by the unit in playing music.  If you employ a decent gauge of wire (as manufacturers put in the box for you), there is no way enough juice is not going to get to the cap(s), and no way sending 107 per time unit is going to be better than sending 100.  Indeed, the cap won't absorb anywhere near all the power that can run through the wire and will in fact draw a lot less than that.

The concern is entirely unwarranted and obsessive.

The mention of the 20ga power cord solution has me thinking that we have been expertly trolled… in masterclass fashion.

My thinking exactly! 😁

Mike

@grannyring 

The cable provided by the manufacturer is barely 18awg. It will still be twisted copper strands the thickness of a human hair.  The manufacturer didn't believe there was a fire risk with copper strands the thickness of a human hair twisted into an 18awg strand encased in PE. Copper and PE have lower melting points than silver and Teflon. Again, these silver strands are thicker and separately encased in Teflon before they are braided. I am not concerned about a fire risk, not even in the slightest.

My query is about differences in performance, not safety.

Concerning the mixture of various answers in this thread, I feel like they all counter each other.  On the one hand, saying that the type of conductive material doesn't matter, but on the other hand saying you need more conductive material. 🤔  Then suggesting cables don't make a difference, but getting a bigger cable is best 😏. 

In regards to being careful about cost, the cable I am getting is three times cheaper than the one it's replacing. So nay-sayers should rejoice in my decision 🤑. It just so happens that all the other super-expensive cables I have replaced in my system with this brand have each surpassed their predecessors. Albeit all those cables were Synergistic Research cables. This time it will be Kimber Kable. We will soon see if Kimber's pinnacle product can be bested by a cable some folks think is a fire hazard or snake oil.

It is easy to troll people who are in a rush to prove what they know, especially if what they know is not a lot. If this is a troll, a lot of effort has been put into it. The poster has system pictures with many expensive accessories.

 

The best example of this is when I was running Audioengine A2+. Those are tiny and needed far less power. Those were also running on the Palladian. The power main was the Shunyata Research Delta. I felt the sound quality was incredible, except a bit thin because of the size of the drivers. I upgraded to the HD6 with the expectation that it would sound better than the A2+.

 

The first clue should be the $699/pair, powered speakers, that makes up the reference system. Most should have checked out at that point if they didn’t check out from the insistence that those most likely to be able to answer the question don’t answer the question. Expert troll or begging the answer or just confused? Either way, it has sure brought some people out with some very curious ideas of how electricity and circuits work. I find it entertaining.

 

Concerning the mixture of various answers in this thread, I feel like they all counter each other.  On the one hand, saying that the type of conductive material doesn't matter, but on the other hand saying you need more conductive material. 🤔  Then suggesting cables don't make a difference, but getting a bigger cable is best 😏. 

 

Okay, I will play along just for fun. If you insist on only getting answers from people who don't have the knowledge to answer, why are you surprised that the answers are all over the place. People with the appropriate knowledge will all respond the same. People without the appropriate knowledge will be guessing and their answers will be all over the place.

 

 

@ditusa , unfortunately, it appears the poster has a real cable in mind.


https://www.lavricables.com/cables/master-20-core-silver-silk-mains-eu-power-cable/

 

The specifications for this are what I expect from a poorly engineered untested product on Alibaba or Ebay.