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Solid core Versus Stranded Speaker cables

Ok for starters I have never tried a solid core Speaker cable until recently. I was very skeptical of the solids performance but I'm glad I tried it. As a matter of fact I tried it and found it to be the best cable I have ever used to date. After much searching, getting opinions from fellow audio enthusiasts and trial and error I happened upon a seller here on Audiogon, JW Audio who offered a 30 day in home trial period with full money returned, no questions asked and took a shot in the dark. That shot hit the bullseye dead center. After receiving the Cryo Nova 12 foot long cables, I was somewhat stunned when I seen the cable, it was nothing like I expected but I connected it anyway. Holy S....t did it make an immediate difference and it keeps getting better. My entire system (Krell) opened up like peeling the skin off a banana. Highs, lows, detail, soundstage, depth, clarity and details that I was missing were revealed. ( and I thought what I had was really outstanding )

Which brings me to the point of this thread. Not knowing what makes a solid core or a stranded speaker cable more desirable aside from the obvious flexibility issues I'm curious to know what my fellow audiocrazies use and why they prefer one over the other or if they even tried both. Anyone willing to give up their opinions on the pros and cons of solid versus stranded speaker cable? I will start that I am a convert to at least this particular solid core speaker wire and unless someone can better it with the 30 day free trial period I do believe it is here to stay.

gillatgh
64 responses Add your response
perfectpathtech's avatar
perfectpathtech
226 posts
 
I saw it mentioned about gauge vs skin effect in signal cables.
Our 2 sets of signal wires are solid core silver 10 gauge, all I can say is
no skin effect.

I also remember reading a few years back that skin effect does not come into play until a certain footage comes into play, I think it was somewhere between 15-20 feet.
noromance's avatar
noromance
1,780 posts
 
@digiman14. I am so with you. I used 14 gauge solid core mains Romex as speaker wire and it saw off Clear Day solid silver wire among others which sounded muted by comparison. I have since splashed out on $20 per foot pair 14 gauge OCC copper wire in Teflon which brings a snap into focus quality to the music along with more detail, insight and sweetness.
Post removed 
pistha
24 posts
 
@digiman14 - when you say solid core - do you mean like romex power cables? Or is there a place solid core cables are sold?

Solid core here. Tried it 20 years ago, never went back.
@noromance - do you get bare wires and wrap teflon cover on it?
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
I started using Audioquest speaker cables back when they were stranded (!), and those looked sort of like Kimber cables do now (late 80s I think, and I still have those in my basement Cable Museum). That was the first time I'd actually heard speaker cables sound better than whatever I was using before those. I ran into Bill Low last year at an audio shop nearby and asked him about using a set of Type 8s I have as a simple biwire solution, and he suggested some Rockets and explained why...bought the Rockets, he was right.
mesch
1,679 posts
 
Wolf, which Rockets did you buy?
noromance's avatar
noromance
1,780 posts
 
@pistha No. It is from PartsconneXion.com. Neotech UP-OCC PTFE. 

wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
I fund some inexpensive (relatively, certainly not cheap) but new 10' Rocket 33s (33s are the ones Uncle Bill recommended) on Ebay...double biwire on the speaker end, nice bananas, and a really great sounding cable. I understand people like the more pricey 44s and 88s but meh...these are great! I'm also having great results from Morrow cables...1s and 1.1s...made with simply less runs of the same stuff they put in more costly cables, and again, a great sound (replaced some AQ ICs), and a very quiet cable.
amg56's avatar
amg56
666 posts
 

Is there a relationship of size (of wire used) and the distance to the speaker from the amplifier, the "size" of the speakers, (badly put but) from big floor standers that require a lot to be driven, to satellite type speakers?

I have 2 systems in the music/HT room. They are independent of each other except for power (coming from the same mains breaker source) and the ethernet hardwire.

The HT has 7.2.4 configuration fed from an Anthem AV60 to 2x525 and 1x325 amps (13 channels). There are obviously different lengths of cable feeding different sizes of speaker.

My music system is stereo only and is a different matter.

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
4,382 posts
 
Here's  a link to Tempo Electric : Pure Silver Cables. Just scroll down a bit to see the chart. I've seen this chart on other sites as well (but they don't come to mind).

All the best,
Nonoise
amg56's avatar
amg56
666 posts
 
@nonoise Cheers for that. I will add this to my copious amount of reading on all subjects Audiophile. A.
bogeuh
1 posts
 
don’t be offendedbut sound is a very subjective thingwhy the obsession with objectifying itorhow something sounds depends on the subject, the situationwhy go for one specificif you guys have a preferred type of cable, you surely have a preferred setting for everything elsewhy does that need to be so?i’m not like that, i don’t understand it, for me sound can make an experiance better, like music that fits the mood, because at that moment in time and space, it harmonises with the rest
that specific sound to me is the perfect sound then and there
i think i can’t force that by looking for the "best" this or that equipment/setting
so i don’t bother at all
**** happens...or not
mail me if you have something to say
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
1,219 posts
 
The key to my experience with solid core conductors are several 
factors for instance , I use the purest  occ-0 Crystal Copper  much less grain structure in the metal higher purity,
2. - dielectric thin Teflon is the closest to air which would’ve the best dielectric , multiples of Individually wrapped conductors.
in my case 8-21awg Teflon- occ Copper strands which = a awg 12 
per legg , twisted together then tinned with a top Cardas ,WBT,Mundorf ,or Johnson’s 5% Silver solder crimp then done .
and use High purity Gold over high purity Copper, or Silver,
mo brass many cheaper bananas ,and spades use brass which defeats all your hard work it is 4x less conductive then Copper.
follow these guide lines and enjoy the musical results.
spatialking's avatar
spatialking
248 posts
 
For those of you who like solid core wire, try 14g Romex. Really! Tie the center ground wire to the black and connect those to your speaker black terminal. Connect the white wire to the speaker red  terminal.  Romex cable is designed so that the fields of the white and black wire don't interact. It's a cheap experiment. 
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