Hi guys I currently have the QED micro wire and I know a lot of you recommend much pricier speaker cables but what I want to know is how can one speaker cable produce a bigger soundstage than another?
What makes one speaker cable better than another?
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By restricting the signal flowing through it less than another cable does.
In other words, it's not creating a bigger soundstage, but rather letting you hear better what your source component(s) and amplifier can do.
In other words, it's not creating a bigger soundstage, but rather letting you hear better what your source component(s) and amplifier can do.
In a word yes.
But it is best to sit down and listen to them and carefully fine tune and match them up to your system to help achieve the sound you are after.
But it is best to sit down and listen to them and carefully fine tune and match them up to your system to help achieve the sound you are after.
chebby
Well-known member
trevor79:....it is best to sit down and listen to them and carefully fine tune and match them up to your system to help achieve the sound you are after.
This can be difficult at a typical dealers. They will have an assortment of drums of cable out the back and will cut them to length and terminate them (solder spades/banana plugs etc) whilst you wait.
With some cables (Chord) they will order in factory terminated speaker cable sets to lengths specified by the customer. It is unlikely they will take these special orders back.
I can't imagine most dealers making up/ordering in half a dozen alternatives (to your specific length requirements) and letting you try them all out at home before choosing, especially if some of those cable sets cost £100's per metre!
This can be difficult at a typical dealers. They will have an assortment of drums of cable out the back and will cut them to length and terminate them (solder spades/banana plugs etc) whilst you wait.
With some cables (Chord) they will order in factory terminated speaker cable sets to lengths specified by the customer. It is unlikely they will take these special orders back.
I can't imagine most dealers making up/ordering in half a dozen alternatives (to your specific length requirements) and letting you try them all out at home before choosing, especially if some of those cable sets cost £100's per metre!
Sorry, I meant technically what physically makes one speaker cable different to another? i.e. we can say one cd player is a different to another one due to the circuitry but in terms of speaker cables, how can one differ to another?
chebby
Well-known member
hi fi newbie:
Sorry, I meant technically what physically makes one speaker cable different to another? i.e. we can say one cd player is a different to another one due to the circuitry but in terms of speaker cables, how can one differ to another?
Variables like conductor and insulator/dielectric materials, capacitance, inductance etc.
Sorry, I meant technically what physically makes one speaker cable different to another? i.e. we can say one cd player is a different to another one due to the circuitry but in terms of speaker cables, how can one differ to another?
Variables like conductor and insulator/dielectric materials, capacitance, inductance etc.
idc
Well-known member
The main difference is down to the quality of the product. Different grades of wire, whether copper or silver is used, the quality of the connection - bare wire is beaten by a banna plug is beaten by a basic phono is beaten by a higher grade phono connection. How the cable is constructed is also important. That is down to RFI which is electrical interference as the cable acts as an ariel. Good quality sheething and how the cable is wound will help to reduce RFI, which in turn reduces background noise, the hiss you can hear when your hifi is switched on. Though there are other causes of this hiss, such as the circuitry in your hifi.
idc
Well-known member
For more information that is generally presented in laymans terms go to
http://www.russandrews.com/category.asp?src="google&lookup=1®ion=UK¤cy=GBP&cat_id=PSPEA&customer_id=PAA2124029809124JULCUHXWQCNHJPJS"
http://www.russandrews.com/category.asp?src="google&lookup=1®ion=UK¤cy=GBP&cat_id=PSPEA&customer_id=PAA2124029809124JULCUHXWQCNHJPJS"
I tend to look for solid core 7N copper and avoid anything silver plated, the longer the run the thicker the gauge.
Interesting thanks, so could I make a worthwhile upgrade (from what i have now) with speaker cable at say 8.00 per metre?
idc
Well-known member
Probably, but only your ears will tell. Try a company that has a money back if not satisfied guarantee, QED have a 30 day return policy and another is Russ Andrews. Check terms and conditions, especially for products that have to made as opposed to standard.
All speaker cable is bad.
There, I said it.
OK then: all speaker cable is bad, compared to the theoretical (but impossible in practical terms) ideal of having the speakers directly connected to the output stages of the amp.
So really the 'best' cable is actually the least bad speaker cable - ie the one that messes up the signal coming from the output devices as little as possible.
It's for that reason some enthusiasts subscribe to the US audiophile preference for long interconnect runs between the preamp and the power amps, those power amps being as close as physically possible to the speakers, and connected to those speakers with short 'tails' of speaker cable.
But unless such a configuration is done properly - balanced connections can help in this respect, being less prone to interference - the 'long interconnects, short speaker wires' approach can bring as many problems as it solves.
There, I said it.
OK then: all speaker cable is bad, compared to the theoretical (but impossible in practical terms) ideal of having the speakers directly connected to the output stages of the amp.
So really the 'best' cable is actually the least bad speaker cable - ie the one that messes up the signal coming from the output devices as little as possible.
It's for that reason some enthusiasts subscribe to the US audiophile preference for long interconnect runs between the preamp and the power amps, those power amps being as close as physically possible to the speakers, and connected to those speakers with short 'tails' of speaker cable.
But unless such a configuration is done properly - balanced connections can help in this respect, being less prone to interference - the 'long interconnects, short speaker wires' approach can bring as many problems as it solves.
idc
Well-known member
...and keep speaker cable away from your mains cable, and every so often unplug and plug them back in and give them a clean to keep the connection as good as possible.
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