HOW TO CHOOSE A SPEAKER CABLE?

From Alan Shaw ( owner and designer of HARBETH speakers)

 … So, the moral of the story is this: the most important factor of the loudspeaker cable that you should select is the amount of metal in the cable core. More metal means lower resistance.

If the core is round (as most are) then the correlation is simple: the fatter the diameter of the metal core the better because the electrical resistance between amp and speaker will be lower.

Thin and really thin cores should be avoided regardless of how exotic the metal material is claimed as the lack of metal in the core conductor will increase resistance. That will reduce amplifier damping, effect the frequency response of the speaker and give unpredictable results that will vary from amp/speaker combination.

Do not be fooled by the diameter of the external plastic sheath: what matters is the metal content of the core. The more the better, without exception….”

+1 for Jpan. There are so many variables that you need to try them in your system. Some people state that power cables are the most likely to improve a system but my experience is I start with the speaker cables then the interconnects followed by the power cables hopefully all from the same manufacturer.

@akg_ca Then how do you explain the great sound I get from my Fidelium ribbon cables from Silversmith? Also, and I’m far from an expert in electronics, but my understanding is that an electrical charge/signal, travel on the outside of a wire, not through the inside?

@jpan 

+1

@bigtwin

This blurb is the mantra of Alan Shaw as a design engineer that was taken from his post in the HARBETH forum. I’m no engineer so I suggest you go ask him to explain .

he never said that thin round or thin ribbon ribbon speaker did not work, but rather that a bigger mass cable is a better approach IN HIS OPINION .

(1);FWIW, I also ran flat ribbon shotgunned NORDOST FREY’s in my prior array too. that 4x4 configuration was doubled up into a doubled up 2x2 configuration with matched jumpers instead of 2x4 biwires. So all I can report is that this “bigger / more / cumulative thicker “shotgunned” diameter cable configuration did sound better in my system than biwires. Go figger. Maybe he has a valid point .

(2) Dr Bews of LFD design fame has a parallel point of view. Here is his take on the LFD HYBRID SPEAKER CABLE model that has a thinner and a thicker speaker cable configuration.

https://generubinaudio.com/shop/ols/products/lfd-hybrid-speaker-cable-pair

” …. From Dr. Bews the maker of the fine LFD amplifiers comes this novel and superior speaker wire.

This cable uses PC-OCC multi strand and LC-OFC ribbon that is relatively expensive and labor cost is high (it’s a pain to make), but it’s the only way the makers have found to make a really good sounding single wired speaker cable.
LFD have been trying to manufacture this super single wired speaker cable from copper for nearly 10 years. The LC-OFC ribbon gives the very good bass and the PC-OCC multi strand gives a nice mid-band/top, either cable made as a single wired speaker cable have issues at the top end or the bass.
It might be a mad idea, but it works!..”

REVIEW:

"This wire will make your LFD amp sing! Works well with every amp I have tried it with!"--Gene Rubin

I’ve since upgraded to comparatively “fatter” CARDAS CLEAR REFLECTION that are better in MY SYSTEM than the prior NORDOST FREYs . Of course it is all system dependent, full stop…there is no definitive “best” in this hobby.