Cables (acoustic, interconnect) and their influence on the sound. Author: V. Puzanov, Bryansk This article does not include amplifier circuits and their calculations. First of all, it should provide guidance to designers of high-quality equipment and the radio just in the variety produced by the connecting cables, to show the advantages and disadvantages of certain groups of these products, as well as some recommendations for their application. I will say right away that the article does not claim to ultimate truth, and reflects my own vision, based on personal experience and that of my friends - the designers of high-quality sound components and musicians. Publications on this subject very much. On the various forums on the Internet and in various magazines, I often see different opinions on the topic of acoustic and interconnect cables, and many of them are diametrically opposed to each other. To understand, especially inexperienced people, sometimes quite difficult. Meanwhile, the sound of your radio complex can be "ruined" it is faulty connectors, despite the fact that its parts are configured correctly and perfectly sound. Before we give the estimates set forth the general concept, which I preferred. It is quite simple. I believe that every element of reproducing the complex leads to the inevitable degradation of the original signal, it is only important that this impact was minimal. And one more thing. I think that the sound cables should not make their own color to the original signal, that is to be neutral. Each track reflects a certain period of time with a characteristic ways of recording, performance style, the characteristics of sound, etc. Interfering with the original music signal (even via cable) is possible, but hardly necessary, as this will disturb the original interpretation of the musical works of the performer and the integrity of the perception of the phonogram. For comparative evaluation were selected following types of products. Speaker wire: 1.Noname Chinese-made (section 2.5 mm) - OFC 2.Belsis - OFC 3.CS 122 (Van den Hul) - Composite (copper + silver + carbon) 4.Supra - composite (copper + tin) 5.Ecosse Reference MS 2.3 - single crystal copper 6.UTP (twisted pair category 5) Interblock wire: 1. No name Chinese production - OFC 2. D-102V (Van den Hul) - Composite (copper + silver) 3. Daxx R88 - OFC 4. Ecosse Composer - single crystal copper 5. PRPPM - monozhila (copper) 6. UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair Category 5) Selecting products is not accidental. First - these cables are quite common, and secondly - the division can be traced to three main groups. Groups of approximately look like this: 1. OFC - Oxygen Free Copper. 2. OSC - single crystal copper. 3. Composite. To you, dear readers, do not get title, will explain very briefly the peculiarities of each group. OFC - oxygen-free copper wire, obtained from the blanks by cold drawing through a spinneret. The most common material. In general, a good sound, but there are drawbacks. When such a cable you see the purity of the material ... 99,99%, this means the purity of the material in the workpiece. When passing through the spinneret metal impurities saturates and its crystal lattice is disturbed. Also, do not know where these impurities - in the grains themselves, or at the border between them. Thus the inscription 99,99 ...% - pure marketing ploy, intended for the buyer. That is why cable OFC from different manufacturers and sound different. OSC - single crystal copper (method of Professor Ono), a wire is obtained using a special technology directly from the melt. Purpose - to provide long (up to 125m) crystals of copper, comparable with the length of the cable. As you know, when this is achieved by minimizing the transitions within the conductor. Composite (or composite, as you want) - wires, usually consisting of several metals (eg, tinned or silver-plated copper). The combination of metals (and non-metals, such as carbon) can make had some specific properties. Now listen. It uses a relatively simple system. The input source - CD player Rotel RCD-02S. The power amplifier - a homemade single-ended lamps on E83CC (6N2P) +6 P43P design my friend, AI Manakov (power 2.5 W). Loudspeakers - KEF-Q1 (Sensitivity 91 dB). At constant basic components of the system, take me, that is subjective allowed to judge their sound. First acoustic. № 1 from China showed the worst result. Sounding dull, devoid of emotional coloring. It seems that the sound comes from behind the wall. № 2 Belsis showed better results. The disadvantage - poor high-frequency reproduction. Low-frequency range in order. № 3 CS-122 (Van den Hul) - a radical difference. Very bright (almost too), surround sound. № 4 Supra - a delicate smooth (slightly smoothed) sound. № 5 Ecosse MS 2.3 - just super. Incredibly accurate transmission of all the nuances. Excellent transmission of low frequencies, flat middle, and a transparent top. № 6-Surprise. Twisted pair category 5 (all eight wires in the "pile" and the two wires transplanted each other). Surprisingly, but lost this lead only Ecosse, yes, and only at low frequencies. I is due to the lower section of a twisted pair of 1.6 mm as against 3.0 in Ecosse. If you have a high quality preamp, then just add bass. Given the price - a penny against the $ 45 per square meter in MS 2.3, it is worth considering. Now interconnect. № 1 - the same thing as acoustic. Score badly. № 2 - D102V (Van den Hul) - a very bright sound (later talk about it). № 3 - Daxx - quiet, fairly detailed sound transmission (just not enough brightness) № 4 - Ecosse - a great natural sound. In general, no complaints. № 5 - Surprise. Excellent balanced sound. Again, given the price-an excellent option. There is a lack of flexibility, but it is no longer sound. Any genre of music conveys is fantastic. № 6 - Twisted Pair - worse № 3, № 4, № 5. Several greased sound. Sound Stage somewhat dispersed, localization tools inadequate. As you can see, items with high price of not always overplaying their counterparts facing are much cheaper. Listen and decide for yourself. After hearing each person is unique, individual characteristics and its perception. Now let's talk about the results of listening. My opinion is clearly confirmed. I (and not only I) am skeptical silvery cable (do not think that I have no respect Products Van den Hul). Due to skin effect, high-frequency properties are grouped in the outer layer, where the subject at a different speed than the main signal. As a result, we obtain the phase mismatch and over-bright sound, which many take for detail. In fact, we get sound, exaggeration, and destroys the structure of music. That's it. The best results (from my point of view) were obtained by the use of cables from a single-crystal copper. The sound reproducing complex in this case was the most comfortable and close to the concert live. I do not think that you will argue that the problem of high-end equipment - to convey something that is conceived performer and sound engineer (in the case record). In second place (again, from my point of view) are oxygen-free copper cables, preferably well-known manufacturer (not to run into a fake). On the third - composite cables. But they (unlike the "neutrals") are more apt to become an instrument tvikinga under his equipment and his music. Incidentally, these cables are best sold. Again, this is my opinion, but disagree with him or not - your business. In any case, the choice is yours, dear readers. And one more thing. Often I have heard that the thicker the cable the better. Keep in mind - this is for DC and welding. For AC signals (as is the sound), the surface area is important, but not cut. Ideal a thick wire of circular section (monozhila), but because of the difficulty of its application have to compromise. I want to mention another important point. On Internet forums, as well as in letters, often asking questions about how the resistance loudspeakers better, 4 or 8 ohms. To simplify the story formulas, answer is simple. For the speaker impedance of 8 ohm speaker wire length can be 2 times greater than for a system with an impedance of 4 ohms (with the same thickness and the same sound quality). The same can be said about the section. For 4 ohm speaker wire thickness greater than 8 ohms. Those interested in more details, read the relevant literature. It should be said about the total length of connecting wires. As a general rule - the shorter the better (less loss). If you have to choose between the length of the acoustic and interconnect cables (due to the peculiarities of the location of equipment in the apartment), then I would recommend the use of acoustic short and long interblock. We can not ignore the influence of dielectric on the properties of cables. To help you correctly understood me to make a small lyrical digression. Out of school physics course, you know what a capacitor. This energy storage, which is formed between the two conductors of electricity (plates), separated by a non-conductive material (plate) - insulator. The capacitor is charged when the current (positive or negative polarity) passes through a conductor. As a result, a certain amount of signal energy is stored in the insulator and then "thrown" back (of course in the signal path), when the polarity of the current changes taking place. Just as in a capacitor, dielectric cable takes the energy of the acoustic signal passing through a conductor, and then emits this energy back when the polarity is changed. Throws it, just in the signal path and always in inverted phase. This accumulation and periodic discarding signal energy modifies the signal itself and, as you know, the sound system as a whole. Poor quality dielectric is often the cause of a particular sound underscore a cable, while good should not have his playing time. To minimize this effect, the dielectric in the cable must accumulate a minimum amount of energy (ie, have a low dielectric constant). Currently, the best insulator is DuPont Teflon. It is characterized by one of the lowest dielectric constant and one of the fastest-frequency damping. In second place are ethylene polymers and copolymers. And finally, most low-grade material for the insulator - PVC (polyvinyl chloride), rubber, thermoplastics, as well as nylon. Naturally, most low-grade materials for dielectrics are much cheaper, but the cables to which they apply, have a characteristic "sound handwriting. Finally, I must say that the six types of cables, the sound of which I have described here - a very small part of what we have to listen at all for many years. I really like the sound of cables XLO (Series Ultra), Kimber Kable (Series PBJ), Audioquest (King cobra), etc. Listen and analyze, trust your ears - the result will not disappoint you. Sincerely, Vadim Puzanov, Bryansk.
