A more interesting question imo is *why* silver is sometimes not better than copper for sound quality given that it is the better conductor....
Maybe it depends on where we live? Post #42 has a great link in it.
I don't know how important is the specific topic of this thread...cartridge headshell screws.
We don't see that many posts with silver and gold screws.
I'm all for learning, and I'm from the school of respecting everyone's wishes within the compound of related discussion; the effects of screws on the cartridge, and also the lead wires between the cartridge and tonearm.
In respect everyone's wishes. I fear to talk about silver wires versus copper wires between the cart and tonearm. If it was only me I wouldn't fear.
With that said, I believe in experimentation and in scientific facts; a combination of both.
Yes silver is the best conductor, then copper and then gold.
Copper can oxidize as silver does.
In one of the previous posts there's a picture of a nice cartridge with silver leads.
Silver gives tiny more extended highs. Some say even bright. Best, IMO, are people who experimented with both copper and silver cart leads, connectors @ both ends and the tiny short wires. Some carts have silver pins, some tonearms have silver pins. I'm all for silver leads between them.
The tiny audio differences perceived by our ears would subjectively influence our preference one way or another, considering a sufficient amount of time for adaptation.
It is that experiment with adaptation we rely best among ourselves.
We are minute intricately dedicated to our audio hobby, music reproduction @ its very best.
Everything is important. I'm wide open in learning about everything that's important, including cart screws and lead wires...from pure titanium/aluminum to pure silver/copper. ...And beyond.
Music matters, sound matters, air matters, water matters, life and death matter.
I also believe that extended highs can sometime give the impression of lesser bass; that makes sense to me, to my ears.
