Electrostatic speaker cables...


I just read SoundLabs white paper on electrostatic speaker cables. It recommends low inductance AND low capacitance for a speaker cable, along with a medium impedence.

I own a pair of Martin Logan Aerius i, and am looking for upgrade suggestions: I'm powering them with a VTL IT 85, and right now, am using MIT Terminator4 cables. I would like to find a cable that fits the above suggestions that is also biwired.

Any recommendations? Obviously, SoundLab's own cables would be one idea, but I wouldn't be able to audition them. I'm planning on loaning a bunch of cables from fatwyre.com...

Thanks..
128x128dennis_the_menace
Whoa...Tekunda, whoa! The velocity of propagation can be argued to be entirely irrelevant to a signal that is restricted to a maximum rise time LESS than a 20kHz. sine wave (at that!)...In fact it is virtually irrelevant to most RF applications.

As far as an adjustable "current rise time selector" someone will have to tell me just what that is in reality. Since the voltage and current are directly related and linked, I see no way to adjust the "current rise time" without altering the frequency response of the cable - ie. a filter.

By definition, ALL bass speakers are "slower" than tweeters, IF you mean that the time between a min and max excursion is longer, which it HAS to be because it is a lower frequency.
But if you are talking about acceleration, that's a different bird. It may be that some woofers are "faster" than some tweeters if you are talking about acceleration.

The *real* effect of speaker cables comes mostly as it effects the waveform produced by the amplifier, especially with reactive loads and/or amps that use a lot of feedback (which most do) and/or may not be totally stable into some loads or impedances.

If you do something via a cable that adds subjective "speed" or "impact" (etc.) I'd bet you can *see* it by looking at the effect the cable has on the output of the amp when you use a nice clean square wave as a test signal - in most cases you'll see the leading edge alter and the overshoot change. I'll give you odds on that one.
Tekunda, You should change your info, if you are not a private user, and represent a manufacturer!
I have mentioned in my initial post here, that I am the importer of HMS cables and NOT a private user.
Do you post in every post that you too are not a private user? I think once per thread! is sufficient. My profile also states that I am the importer of HMS.
Propagation speed????? You must be joking. This is not a common-clock digital system. This is analog audio for kripes sake! Series inductance is the most important parameter, followed by capacitance and dielectric absorption.

If you need a low-inductance, low capacitance cable, Which you do, this is a hard combo to come by. Most manufacturers dont even publish their numbers because they are so abbysmal. Here are the numbers on my cable for comparison (I consider this low inductance, moderate capacitance) I have quite a few customers with electrostatics - single-wired too:

At 10 kHz: L = .033 UH/foot, C = 118 pF/foot.

Nordost Valhalla comes close to this - measurements were published in Stereophile.
Bear: Velocity of propagation of cables IS quite pertinent in RF applications if you want to do things "right". Using cables cut to random lengths without factoring in the velocity factor can introduce errant vswr readings and alter the load impedance that the transmitter sees. This can be used to ones' advantage though if you are trying to use the cable as an impedance transformer.

Audioengr: The specs for your cables ( Empirical Audio ) are very similar to those of Kimber 8TC. The specs i've seen on these show .03 mH / 100 pF per foot. Their nominal impedance is 17 ohms. Electrically speaking, your cables and the Kimber 8TC's should load up relatively identically ( for all practical purposes ). Sean
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