Tonearm wire, silver or copper?
- Thread starter spiritofmusic
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As I mentioned up the thread a bit, my encounters with silver wiring haven’t in the main been positive but I’m currently running my SPU Century through a 1:26 Sculpture A silver SUT and it’s not showing any of the negative characteristics I’ve come to associate with silver. That’s now two instances where I’ve found no obvious downside, the other being the Transfiguration Proteus. In both cases I haven’t made a direct comparison with copper, the 1:26 copper SUT is out of stock at the moment.
More evidence that system building and synergy really are things.
I've moved some simple Rollerballs isolation from under my TT motor controller, and my silver wired LP playback has lost quite a bit of exaggerated sharpness.
I'm still going to get Cardas Clear copper wire made up, but feel less compelled to investigate.
I've switched from Ortofon 6nx-tsw 1010 (oxygen free copper) to Albedo phono tonearm cable (monocrystalline silver)
The difference was very noticeable with the Albedo being very smooth and natural,
even with my jelco 750 arm original wiring.
I would go for Kondo Theme 41 tonearm cable, if it wasn't so expansive.
The difference was very noticeable with the Albedo being very smooth and natural,
even with my jelco 750 arm original wiring.
I would go for Kondo Theme 41 tonearm cable, if it wasn't so expansive.
I remember this question coming up at our Oregon Triode Society meetings 34 years ago. I do not "know" the truth to it, but recall the opinion of the other members was that if you use silver wire the entire system needs to be wired in silver, same if you use copper. Sonic difficulties don't always arise but when they do it has always been (in their experience) when wire constitution has been mixed. That was the accepted wisdom 34 years ago anyway.
I have heard many Silver vs copper setups even one which was pure silver everywhere in the system, including pre& not my cup of tea detailed wirey and unnaturally brittle sounding IMO..
I Tend to prefer Copper, sound is more natural and consistent where Silver tends to be hit or miss , sadly , the audio curveball is always lurking , ready to make all claims or counterclaims useless ..!
YMMV ......
I Tend to prefer Copper, sound is more natural and consistent where Silver tends to be hit or miss , sadly , the audio curveball is always lurking , ready to make all claims or counterclaims useless ..!
YMMV ......
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Dialectric. Yes it has dialectric, which is enamel, like motor winding wire. Litz wire is made from this design.
That turned out to be completely false. Whatever sounds best is the interconnect that sounds best. There is no such rule in the universe. And it is impossible anyway. For example; Vacuum tubes are made of mostly copper, inside and out. Wall duplexes, house wiring, linear power supplies, source component circuit boards, to name a few, are not made of silver. If you go battery power, the batteries are not silver.
What has been proven consistently for the last 40 years in the audio world, is copper does sound different than silver, and other metals such as bronze or brass used in plugs and receptacles sound a little different. Even the plating and metal treatments, insulation, etc, contribute to the final sound.
Some of the best turntable setups I've heard, were ising Cardas products. Also a digital system with Sim Audio equipment, connected with Cardas cabling was outstanding, and easy to listen to at length.
Expensive van den hul mcs wire but the best sound i know absolutely robust in workmanship.
www.dienadel.de
Van den Hul MCS-150 M - Tonarminnenkabel | dienadel.de
I find in my system the best is a combination of the two, used where they're needed. I rewire all my tonearms with Kondo pure silver internal wire but then I use Townshend Fractal (which is copper) for my tonearm cable and all my interconnects and Fractal F1 speaker cables. Then I use copper based (not Fractal) ones for my power cords. I find it's there (the power) where silver can be the most brittle sounding - maybe it has an issue with the windings of transformers, I don't know, but I hate silver for power cords. It doesn't work for me at all. Of course, as with most things though, it's in the application... There's silver and there's silver. The same goes for copper, of course! Oddly, (and I've never found this before, as I used to mix and match, to get the tonality right for me), I find that the more Fractal I use (just not in the internal tonearm wire!), the cleaner, but also richer and warmer it gets, hence I'm Fractal most of the way through now...
Just my tuppence!
Matt
Just my tuppence!
Matt
Thanks for your replies one and all.
I'm likely to try making up silver AND copper wire, and make a reasoned comparison over time.
Zavfino 1877 Litz for silver, and this or Cardas Clear or Alphason OCC for copper.
I have overriding priority for the thinnest "not there" wire possible since this lash up will need to be one piece from cart pins to Straingauge energiser, and my air bearing LT arm must encounter no drag from this wire, thus precluding thicker, stiffer wire like Kondo.
I'm likely to try making up silver AND copper wire, and make a reasoned comparison over time.
Zavfino 1877 Litz for silver, and this or Cardas Clear or Alphason OCC for copper.
I have overriding priority for the thinnest "not there" wire possible since this lash up will need to be one piece from cart pins to Straingauge energiser, and my air bearing LT arm must encounter no drag from this wire, thus precluding thicker, stiffer wire like Kondo.
You may also want to try Audio Note AN-WIRE-300 tonearm wire. I use it on my ET-2 linear tracking arm and it does not influence arm movement at all. It's incredibly thin and very challenging to work with. That's a ballpoint pen for scale.
The Kondo silver tonearm wire consists of four strands of 0.09mm silver wire. It can be used in its stock form, with all four wires stranded together, or untwisted, allowing each extremely thin wire to be used individually.
Each thin wire is varnished separately, providing insulation. If you choose to use the wires untwisted, you can wire four tonearms instead of one.
Hi mtemur, I am planning to rewire my Rockport linear tracking arm with the Kondo silver wire. I am thinking of using just a single run, ie the four strands of 0.09mm would do all the left, right, +, -, to minimize drag. But I worry whether such thin wire would compromise the signal. I wonder whether you have any experience comparing the single run vs quad run? For reference, I believe the Kuzma Safir uses quad run of the Kondo silver wire.
Thanks
If you're goal is the thinnest possible wire, use Audio Note AN-WIRE-300. Each individual strand is 0.05mm. I think that's unnecessary, though. Three strands of 0.05mm wire per conductor is almost non-existent.
https://www.hificollective.co.uk/wire/audio-note-silver-internal-tone-arm-wire.html
https://www.hificollective.co.uk/wire/audio-note-silver-internal-tone-arm-wire.html
I rewired a couple of tonearms with standard 4 strands which were previously wired with 1 strand. Not a night and day difference but 4 strands sound fuller, bolder. By standard I mean Kondo silver tonearm wire.
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The inductance of the Linz wire is achieved geometrically.
Once they are unwoven then the inductance changes.
However that may not be what one wants to do.
Made a final decision to go with Zavfino 1877 Litz, 4-strand wire, each 0.23mm thick.
Copper and silver, so two lots of wire to compare and contrast.
WBT Nextgen RCAs, Alphason Audio Pin-Jacks cartridge pins
Useful fellow off here who'll get his soldering iron out, I'll identify him if he chooses to take credit for these, lol.
Copper and silver, so two lots of wire to compare and contrast.
WBT Nextgen RCAs, Alphason Audio Pin-Jacks cartridge pins
Useful fellow off here who'll get his soldering iron out, I'll identify him if he chooses to take credit for these, lol.
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