Copper v. Silver IC sound

I am not going to verbally flame anyone, but I also have what some would consider to be a highly resolving system and have found the opposite of Jtinn with good silver wire.

If one uses silver wire of inappropriate quality, I would generally prefer the copper. The other disclaimer is that I am into tubed gear, which may make a difference over cable choices used with solid state.

When you get to the cost - no - object cables, I do not think the conductor composition really matters -- they all sound great, just different. I have tried a few of these cables, but in most instances have choosen to spend the majority of my money on components..

I agree with JK on this. I think that most sound differences between copper and silver ICs has to do more with the construction of the IC than the metal conductor itself. The only physical "edge" that silver has over copper is conductiveness. I'd say that even material cost is a wash when you start getting anywhere above 99.9% purity. Gold brings up the rear as far as electrical conduction goes, however it does not oxidize, so it is useful as a connector. If everyone knows this, well then sorry for stating the obvious. :-)

Jk: Thank you for avoiding flames. :)

OK, now back to the show...

Silver produces a higher quantity of quantum noise known as "Phononic Energy". In layman's terms, silver generally will produce a high frequency coloration ranging from a shimmer to outright hashiness depending on the quality of the silver. Lower purity, more hash. Higher purity, less hash, but still shimmery.

Some people just like shimmery and for some systems in need, silver may add to the quality of the acoustic illusion.

Phononic Energy?! Just means LOUDNESS, right? Correlated to sones, etc....
Yet indeed I find a shimmeriness (good word) for the silver IC I used from CDP to pre. A great all copper cable seems fuller in the mids, but I believe only because the silver cable's mids are laid back. What's the absolute reference here? I dunno...either the copper has a bump at 1-3k and/or rolls off up top AND/OR the silver has a dip and/or peak, respectively.
If this is all it's about, then sure you can mix and match, without respect to additive/subtractive order, right?
My Pass amps LOVE the silver in Red Dawn, but only after the copper Discovery Essence perfected (filled and flattened?) the source (EC EMC-1 MkII); the Pro-Silways are lean and WAY laid back by comparison, with a wispy shimmer up top.
So for me, great copper and then good silver works fine....
Keeping to one manufacturer for all cabling needs is a notion I still can't give much credence to, as the components (especially the transducers: source and speakers) and room are far more responsible for spectral and timing phenomena.
In the end, you'll just have to trust your ears, and perhaps avoid the extreme mismatches, like lean silver with cheap ss or extra-warm copper with high-output impedence SETs, etc.

Argent: You are correct with your statement regarding silver and conductivity, but only in regards to DC. From my understanding, anything above DC is an entirely different stroy.

Subaruguru: Phononic Energy does not mean "LOUDNESS." It has to do with "Josephson Junctions" and would take way too much room here to explain, and, it is not really forwarding this thread. I am sure if you have a book on Quantum Physics laying around, you can find a better answer than I can give. If not, call Jack Bybee, he certainly is quite knowledgable in the field. On another note, I will always have a fondness for the Pass amps. I owned the Aleph 0 monos and some of my best listening was with them. What speakers do you use them to drive?