2. cables
  3. 1005165106

Copper v. Silver IC sound

I think most would agree that there is a trend for copper IC's to give a fuller midrange at the expense of some transparency, and for silver to give a pure extended top end while sounding a bit lean elsewhere. Some people will "mix" their IC's, say, using silver from source to preamp, then copper from preamp to amp. My question is: In this example, could one "lose" the warmer midrange in the first silver run, such that it could not be "recovered" in the second copper run? Conversely, could an initial copper run "reduce" the highest frequencies, such that they would not be "available" to the silver cable during the second run?
Or, are all the frequencies always carried along equally by most silver/copper IC's, with the final "presentation" of mids versus highs determined by the last cable in the system? Obviously I need to just try the experiment, but I don't have all the cables on hand, and I'd like to hear the experience and opinion of others. Thanks.
ral
jallen
502 posts
 
This comparison has several problems with it. The two coatings/insulation are different. I prefer copper that has a enamel coating then teflon used as the dielectric. Silver I find is best used with polyethylene not teflon. Perhaps the best comparison would be silver with teflon and PE, and copper with the two same. Take the best of the two and compare them. And lets not forget the type of solder used. I prefer lead free WBT 4% silver. Jeff
rcrump
427 posts
 
Jallen, sorry you had problems with my methods, but this is as close as I could get given what I had available to me.....Incidentally, polyurethane is enamel and no additional dielectric is necessary as this is commonly referred to as "magnet" wire.....Also, I normally put sandwiches not wire in polyethylene and perhaps you mean heatshrink AKA polyolefin?
brianmgrarcom
1,317 posts
 
Why not just get a cable that uses both? Below is some text I took from LAT Internationals Web site on their IC-200 Mark II interconnect.

EXPLANATION OF OUR PROPRIETARY SILVERFUSE CONDUCTOR MATERIAL: Silverfuse is a near alloy of silver and copper. IT IS NOT SILVER PLATED OR SILVER CLAD. Plating (or clad, which is the same thing as plating) causes a dioding effect when signal is passed through resulting in brightness and distortion. The Silverfuse process starts with seven nines OFHC copper wire with a diameter that is slightly larger than the required size. It is then pulled through a trough of molten silver. The wire with a silver deposit, is then forced through a compacting die where it is subject to tremendous pressure. The silver and the high purity copper are fused together into a near alloy. The compacting fusion also reduces the wire diameter to the desired size. No dioding subsequently occurs with this process. The result provides for the benefits of silver; which are excellent definition and clarity, with the high purity copper benefits of warmth and mellowness.
subaruguru
1,376 posts
 
Hmm...my brother has been pressure-laminating precious metalds for Texas Instrments for 15+ years...mostly gold, some silver, for commercial, defense, NASA accounts, etc.
I'll try to remember to ask him if there's any diodic potential variation as a function of pressure at the metals' interface. He probably won't know...or care, but I believe as long as the barrier is anaerobic you're done!
Oh well...nice marketing ploy, anyway, eh?
More to discover