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Speaker cables comparison chart:: Much Needed

One of the problems in finding speaker cables for a system,is trying to determine first, what manufacturer model lines are approx equivalent in price, performance, and compatibility with speakers. For example, a friend hardily recommends Transparent Audio's Music Link Super, or one step down, Music Link. Nordost offers a similar model line up in their new LS series: Purple Flair, Blue Heaven, and Red Dawn....pricing is almost similar. Last is Kimber Kable speaker cable which offers a 4TC, 8TC, 12TC. Unlike the Red Dawn, the 12TC is much less expensive and equivalent in price to Nordost's Blue Heaven. KK's 8TC, Nordost's Purple Flair and Transparent Music Link are approx in the same price category.

The issue is which model of these brands provides the most bang for the buck, that is, transparency, musicality, and smoothness, and most importantly speaker compatibility. The Cable Company is not a viable outlet to evaluate these products Sometimes, they have neither the correct lenghts or terminations, nor model availablilty. Also,return shipping from Hawaii back to them is not cheap

Therefore, will appreciate comments and advice from members who have done a lot of speaker cable evaluation. Thank you
sunnyjim
tycobb
26 posts
 
MIT has dis continued 4 of their lines EXP AVT CVT Treminator and SHOTGUN great deals out there right now on these. I just picked up a pair of CVT's great improvement to me over Audioquest Bed Rocks
mental
1,029 posts
 
Always thought number of strands in the speaker cable was the key and beginning of what a speaker cable should be. Tinned, silver plated, blah blah and the jacket material...if I'm misled please enlighten me.
jburidan
672 posts
 
Preferred Speaker Cable Chart:

1. Wire = OCC = single crystal
2. Dielectric = FEP Teflon
3. Connectors = OCC = single crystal
4. Connector plating = silver or gold, if substrate is copper (Cu).

Note 1: Silver wire is brighter than copper wire.
Note 2: OFC is less expensive than OCC.
Note 3: Avoid brass, nickel, etc. content.
Note 4: Worldwide, only three or four manufacturers produce Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) wire.
Note 5: If your system sounds bright or fatiguing, you may be able to tame it with cables containing polypropylene, polyethylene, OFC, brass, etc.; and constructed with one solid conductor (skin effect) rather than many small braided strands.

Hope this helps.
mental
1,029 posts
 
I'll say this, I had no idea wires/cables of todays caliber existed. Guess you might say I'm a caveman, fell out my chair looking at some of these cables made today. Glad I stumbled into this forum, no way I could begin to learn even a small percentage of what most in here know.
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