Duelund DCA16GA

@cardani Very interesting. I was looking for WE 10ga on ebay and it seems supplies are dwindling compare to a year ago when I bought mine. Also, the price has gone up a bit. Where did you get your WE 10ga from?

Another reason, I'm little wary of bi-wiring with 10GA is that I"ve only binding post per channel in my amp. Not sure how I can put two 10GA bare wire to fit in the terminal. How did you do it?

I'm using Dueland 16GA as my speakers (Pure Audio Project Trio 15 Horn1) internal hookup wire. It replaced WE 16GA. It's still breaking in. But so far, I like the highs better. 

I've a question about speaker wire. Currently using WE 10GA. However, I'm planning to bi-wire. Common wisdom says to use the exact same wire and gauge for bi-wiring. That would mean double runs of 10 GA which is effectively 7GA. Is that too thick for a speaker cable? I heard thicker speaker cable can make the sound umm thick?

Go with the Duelund DCA 16awg, you should be happy with that cable.  

IS DUELUND DCA 16AWG BETTER THAN AQ TYPE 4 & KIMBER KABLE 8TC THXS I’M INTERESTED. IN THE DCA 16AWG MY TOWERS R 92db

I am building usb cables with the Duelund 20 ga this week and will report back. Also building a usb cable using Mundorf silver and gold wire.  

I just made two sets of 3.5M long balanced interconnects using the same construction method of a twisted pair of conductors encased in a noise-reduction braided tube as a spacer, then a tinned-copper braid shield connected at only the source end and then a counter-spiraled ground wire outside the shield and connected at both ends, with the whole thing covered in clean-cut TechFlex.  Both sets were made with Furutech FP-601/602(G) connectors.

The difference between the two sets of ICs was the wire used.  One of the sets was made from Duelund 20 awg tinned copper wire with a 18 awg ground wire and the other set was made from WE 16 awg tinned copper wire with a 14 awg ground wire.  

The difference between the two cables is interesting.  I like them both and would choose either in comparison to a pair of the same length of high quality Furutech u-P2.1 PCOCC 19 awg interconnects I own.  The Duelund 20 awg cables have nice tone and good dynamics.  The larger 16 awg WE wire cables have an even fuller tone and a bold, powerful sound.  The Duelund ICs do a bit more/better with the upper frequencies but I like what the larger WE wire does for bass and midrange.  The WE cables are not as burned in as the Duelunds, which spent 4 days on the Cable Cooker and then a day in my system.  I will burn both sets in more and report back.  I am very close to having my entire system wired with the WE (or Duelund) wire, including ICs, SCs, and PCs (but not my USB cables).

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Mitch2 & Grannyring; I am settled right now with a combination of both of you recommendations.  I am using Bi wire 10 awg Western electric with no connectors(bare wire). Surprisingly in my system, the single wire sounded with less highs and little less defined low ended; everything changed with the biwire, better highs, clear low end, more dynamic and of of course the famous nice midrange that this cables are famous for.  Thanks a lot for your inputs. Cheers,

@grannyring thanks for the info 

The oil is dried up and wax like. It coats the wire making for a less direct connection. That’s all.

Just curious what the concern is of not cleaning off the oil? Possible bad connection for the speaker posts? I haven't had a problem with the 16g speaker wire where I've used it and always thought that the oil is what partly helps give Duelund it's sound. Are you guys cleaning off the oil but then applying some type of deoxit gold or furutech liquid? Just wondering what people are doing.

Yes indeed I have always preferred solid core to stranded in the past  Howeve,  Duelund changed all that with this new wire. 

Just clean the rubbing alcohol. That is fine. I used a lint free cloth. 

Just pulled the trigger on 12 meters of DCA16GA. Hoping it's a big improvement over my AQ Type 4. Good price but very bizarre ordering process.

Earlier in the thread it was mentioned that the wire should first be cleaned to remove any oils. Would rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab do? Or is another solvent better.

Also I was a little surprised to see these were stranded wires instead of solid core. I had always assumed solid core was better. Is that generally true?

Blue Jeans coax - sounds good to me

Thanks a lot for the information guys.

What are people doing for digital cables?

Joel

Yes, twist every 1.5-2 inches and use a short piece of shrink tubing every 2.5-3 feet to hold the twist. Use bare wire for hook up. Be sure to clean the stripped ends as they will have some dried oil residue from the oil impregnated cotton.  

@joey54 thanks - very clear explanation.  Even I should be able to manage that :-)

janehamble

For speaker cables (14ft pair) you will need to buy an 18M length of the Duelund cable and cut it into 4 equal lengths. Then twist the pairs together into a right and left set. Strip the cloth off and connect to amp and speaker. Bare wire is the way to go for speaker cables.You should check Jeff's Place for information and pictures of this.

http://jeffsplace.me/wordpress/?p=10369

Joelha - Parts Connexion built my Duelund ICs.

Please excuse my ignorance - I'm just learning about Dueland.  For a regular speaker connection (single wired, around 14 ft) what is the process?  Am I correct in understanding these wires need to be constructed and 2 wires joined together?  I've noted that bare wire connections are preferred over bananas etc.  thanks for your advice.

I'm intrigued by those of you who have used either the WE and Dueland cable.

For those of us who are soldering-disabled what (or which company) do you recommend for creating IC's at a reasonable price?

What are people doing for AES cables?

Thanks to everyone for all the great information.

Joel

Remember Jack prefers the Dueland wire in his system , Glory says Jack made a mistake, High fidelity cables on the right system they are hard to beat. They are amazing cables.

"Bottom line is I now prefer the Duelund 16ga driving my speakers mids and highs" Hi Grannyring: so what cable are you using for the bottom? Asumming you are bi-wiring

I brought the Duelund 16ga stranded tinned wire, actually I was in Need of Western electric cable we16g and where I live I couldn't source it and as alternative I got the Duelund 16ga and in My rig it is sounding amazing.
The previous cables I have used are 2 to 3 times expensive and Duelund 16ga provides better imaging, good extension on both end of frequency and in simple words 'better sounding' and I believe in system matching and Duelund 16ga fits perfectly.

I still own my highly modified and upgraded set of AZ Crescendo speakers. Love them. Yes I have made many sets of ICs using the Duelund 16ga wire. I tried the 20ga and just prefer the 16Ga. The 16ga is a tad warmer and less lively. It is also more full bodied in my rig when used on some tube amps. The 20ga is more lively and for some that may be preferred.

No shield, just a simply twist.  

Hi Grannyring,
I have read you are making ICs from the Duelund 16ga stranded tinned wire and I am curious whether you have tried making any from their 20ga stranded tinned wire?  If so, what did you hear differently between the two and which do you like better?  I am about ready to make a pair but mine will be balanced using a twisted pair, spaced away shield and a ground of the same wire that is counter-spiraled outside of the shield.  Thanks for any information and/or listening impressions.  Also, I am curious what you are driving with your single run of WE10ga SCs - are you still using your Acoustic Zen Crescendo loudspeakers?

Thanks Grannyring & Mitch2: I wiil try first single WE10 and then maybe add the Kimber 8tc (9awg) on the bottom and hear the diffrences.  
    Has anybody compare the WE 10g vs the Dueland 12? I,m curious about this new cable.

Nice ride through Iowa! Awesome! Jealous for sure. Agreed on the WE10 wire. I love it. I suggest the poster try one run as I say above.  Iit is possible two separate runs will sound better. But perhaps not. Depends on speakers, amp etc...

In my system I found no big difference. 100 watt amp with AZ Crescendo speakers.  

I bought a bunch more of the WE10ga before I left to ride my bike across Iowa.
I biwire my speakers with a pair of 10 awg wires on top and a second pair on the bottom and I have considered trying star quad runs for 7 awg to top and bottom, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
As speaker cables, I think they sound great with a perfectly natural distribution of frequencies, if maybe a little mid-oriented.  Bass is full, textured, and has impact when it is on the recording.  Highs are smooth and natural IMO, but may not have enough emphasis for some.
I am running huge current into power hungry speakers so ymmv.  I use spades soldered to my cables but would not argue with those who recommend no connectors.  I like soldering the tinned wire for a more direct connection with the copper below the tin coating.
This wire is also perfect for power cables.  I use a star quad configuration for 7 awg to my two 300wpc Class A monoblocks.  A single twisted pair is just fine for front-end components and preamps.  This is the same wire TWL and Mojo Audio used in their highly regarded power cords of a few years ago.

I would not biwire. Just strip off about 5 inches and run the cable from the bottom posts to the top in a continuous run. My posts have holes that I ran the wire through. This is how I would do it. I love the WE10 on the mids and highs even more than the bass. I think you will like it better than the Kimber.  Give it time to burn in however.  Do not terminate....just strip and use bare wire.  

If you find it too warm sounding, I don't, then the Duelund 16ga would be ideal for you. 

Thanks Grannyring for WE10 link , i just order a parir which I will bi wire with my current my Kimber 8tc,,I,m also wondering about getting some 12 or 16  awg Dueland or WE for the top and leave the WE10awg for the bottom . Any Recomendations on awg for the the top? Dueland or WE?Current speakers are Gradient revolution with a x-over Point at 200hz.

I really like this cable too. The 16ag that is. The instruments sound more real. I think it made my system more musical. I am pretty surprised to hear this much of a difference. 

I am running them 8ft a pair. I was wondering if it would sound better if it was longer or shorter. I know this is a subjective question but maybe someone tried different lengths to compare. 

I will also make some interconnects from DCA20AG. All 3.2ft a pair. Curious how this will change the sound. 

Thanks Grannyring, looking forward on hearing them!

Wig

Let us all know what you think Wig.  $60 set of DIY built Duelund 16ga ICs.  Well at worst the price is right. At best they may totally surprise you. 

@grannyring

That would be awesome and can compare them to the 20ga IC that is being built for me! I can also put them on my cable cooker to further open them up.

Thanks,
Wig

Ha! I have built many sets. Sold a few sets also. Great IC wire. I don't use ICs anymore however. I can send you a 40 inch set to try using the 16ga wire. Let me know. I have an extra set that will need a little more break in.  

@grannyring 

Have you tried Duelund as RCA? I have some DCA20 ga built RCA coming to try as well; think I'm going to like the color these cables bring.

Wig

@grannyring thanks for that info.

This is the seller you want. He is the real deal and who we use.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/per-foot-Western-Electric-AIW-10ga-STRANDED-cloth-covered-gray-PAIR-/2316636...

I'd like to give the WE10 a go but I gather there's a lot of fake stuff around. How can we be sure we are being sold the genuine wire?

 Yes WE10 is still available on EBay. Great sounding wire for a steal of a price.

I have some Deulund DCA 16ga coming to experience this vintage tone that everyone is raving about! I'm so anxious to hear these after one week on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker and another week or so to settle into my system.

More to follow in about a month...

Wig

I'm considering try these Duelund as speaker cables and was wondering since a 12 awg is available, would you recommend 12 awg on the bass section and the 16 awg on the upper section or 16 or 12 awg all the way around?

Thanks,
Wig

Is it still possible to buy WE10 these days?

Also avoid binding posts. I mod my amp and speakers to only use binding posts as clamps, never to conduct signal. They also degrade sound in very obvious ways once you learn how to bypass them. 

Bare wire to bare wire is so much better sounding. Output wires from  the amp are clamped to my speaker wire directly. Same thing on the speaker end. Just think about that mass of brass covered in a thin coating etc... Avoid those binding posts! Even the best connectors and posts are bottlenecks. The improvement is shocking folks. Best mod I do and have done. 

Since the Duelund wire is tinned it will not oxidaize etc... I use it in my speaker crossovers and amp also. 

I have tried bare vs. connectors of varying types with WE and Duelund 16GA  (haven't tried 12 GA yet).

I prefer bare.  There is a purity to the sound that I like.  Various connectors flavored the sound, making things different, but not necessarily better.   

I have terminated many of the WE wires (same tinned copper type wire) and prefer soldered connections for the tinned wire because the tinned coating melts resulting in a more direct contact with the underlying copper.
Although some prefer no connectors, I am skeptical that the absence of connectors can be easily heard given that the speaker cables typically connect to two binding posts and the signal travels through a bunch of other solder joints in typical amplifiers and speaker cross-overs.  I prefer connectors for convenience.
I like the Cardas GRS copper spades but couldn't find them in a search of vendors this morning.  Another good option is to use the Cardas copper jumpers and cut off the link section resulting in two spades that you can solder directly to.  Use some thick, adhesive-lined heat shrink for a stiff and well-protected connection/termination.

Bare wire is best by far! By far. All terminations degrade sound and if you can go with the bare wire you will get a nice jump in sound quality. 

I have 12 awg as speaker cables, but bare cable connections to the Analysis Audio Epsilon speakers that are 4 ohms and not very sensitives. 
In my system they are keepers. The music is more authoritative and builds on a better foundation. Same density of sound that seems so characteristic of these cables.
Burn in can be a bit longer than 16 awg.