Looking for really fine cables at really low price

Thanks Al! Very well done. Yes, it did remove a ground loop issue that only this amp seemed to have in my system. It was indeed a 60 htz hum through the woofers! I have had this same issue with other tubes amps and love the fact that a shielded cable removes this potential nagging issue.

I agree 100% with the un-shielded cable giving the perception of more air and top end extension if you will, when perhaps it is really high frequency noise. The absence of noise is a startling thing in a stereo system and something our ears have to get used to. Very interesting point/speculation Al.

I do notice I can turn up the volume with these shielded cables with no negative impact on my tinnitus. I cannot claim the same thing for past un-shielded cables of both copper and silver variety.

Charles, I will build a nude set of WE IC's and compare once it has fully burned it. I will use this one between my dac and preamp.

It may react differently in my system vs. another's based on Al's comments above.

Al, Thanks so much in particular for this comment.

"Regarding natural vs. artificial materials, it stands to reason that the characteristics of the insulating materials surrounding a conductor can affect the sonics of a cable in various ways. But I would be (very) hesitant to draw any general conclusions about natural vs. artificial without extensive and carefully controlled comparisons."

Folks, forgive the rant of a professional chemist and amateur philosopher. Nothing exists physically that is not made of chemicals or elements, which in turn are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Stated in philosophical terms, chemicals (and their constituent parts) are the material cause of all that exists, whether they be made by sentient or nonsentient efficient causes. Protons, electrons, and neutrons or their derivatives don't think. They do not know what or where they are, or how they came to be. Cotton is almost pure cellulose, which is a chemical. Cellulose does not know if its efficient cause is biosynthetic or not. It does not know or care how it came to be. It does not know if it was manufactured by people in a chemical plant or by "natural" means in a cotton plant that grows in the ground. The same is true of silk or latex rubber.

If one inherently rejects anything "artificially made," then what are you going to do for a conductor? The tin plated copper wires don't grow on trees. They are manufactured by humans in factories. The music we listen to is largely synthetic, coming into existence by the deliberate design and execution of human beings. Not many of you, I'm guessing restrict your listening to the songs of humpback whales. Nor do many of you, I think, travel by means of an all natural wooden wagon pulled by all natural mules. The outer jackets of your vacuum tubes are made of glass, not of silk.

Shall I go on?

Thank you Almarg

This does sound reasonable:
"un-shielded cable giving the perception of more air and top end extension".

But in this case I am hearing this openness throughout the entire frequency range. To my ears I hear a more fully developed harmonic structure from the bass thru the treble that I would argue sounds like it is simply the way these cables sound. Wouldn't it be great if we could all get togehter in the same room for some listening!!

Grannyring- looking forward to your observations once you build the second pair of IC's. This will be interesting.

This goes to Charles's suggestion: I have this idea: pull off all of the insulation from some WE16ga stranded wire and then re insulate it with cotton shoe lacing. Building WE16ga interconnects in this manner would let us find out what influence that rubber insulation has. Jet

Great posts.
Brownsfan,
How are the WE14ga working out? Plus, can we start the football season with a Giantsfan victory?! I'll let you know soon about the Capacitor/resistor/internal wire change results.