Some folks market their more expensive models of gear note that it contains more silver, implying that it will greatly improve things. Yet others frequently claim that silver causes a brightness.
Is Silver good or bad? What are the considerations for understanding the reality behind what's going on?
From experience I have not tended (on average) to get along with silver plated copper cables - they have always sounded artificial to me (wrong tone and hard top end). For some reason, silver inside the tube amps I have heard has only been positive. The advantages of the silver versions of the Mayer gear (that I have heard and / or own) has been somewhat profound for the better. The silver Mayer components have sounded more liquid, alive and with greater insight. In terms of speaker voicoils - this is speaker dependent but certainly not advantageous at all across the board. This is a case by case.
Some folks market their more expensive models of gear note that it contains more silver, implying that it will greatly improve things. Yet others frequently claim that silver causes a brightness.
Is Silver good or bad? What are the considerations for understanding the reality behind what's going on?
From experience I have not tended (on average) to get along with silver plated copper cables - they have always sounded artificial to me (wrong tone and hard top end). For some reason, silver inside the tube amps I have heard has only been positive. The advantages of the silver versions of the Mayer gear (that I have heard and / or own) has been somewhat profound for the better. The silver Mayer components have sounded more liquid, alive and with greater insight. In terms of speaker voicoils - this is speaker dependent but certainly not advantageous at all across the board. This is a case by case.
Bill's comments mirror my own (FWTW ... ...).. Also FWIW, my thoughts on silver in audio systems: 1. For audio-signal purposes, silver-plated copper tends to sound more than a bit hard and unattrative to me;
2. Solid-silver conductors usually sound excellent...NOT bright, merely very transparent;
3. The quality of the silver makes an audible difference; my (and others', too) fave is Neotec's UP-OCC (ultra-pure Ohno Continuous Cast); and
4. For AC-power cable, silver plating tends to improve transparency.
I use Neotec's solid-UPOCC-silver-conductor ICs and have used and will soon-again use speakercables assembled with Mundorf Silver/Gold 18g. conductors plus 23g. Neotec 23g. UPOCC silver.. Can't afford silver-conductor powercable..
All my signal and speaker cables are Audioquest's solid PSS silver (1 pound of silver in my speaker cables). Headshell leads, tonearm cable are also silver. SUT's, PC's (all AQ Hurricanes), and component/speaker wiring are all copper. As far as I'm concerned, the more high quality solid silver I can add, the better - I never find it at fault for a bright or strident resultant sound. And It always yields more detail over copper. I haven't upgraded my PC's to silver due to their immense cost. But yes, I'm wary of stranded silver, silver without a good dielectric (I like air), and silver coated/plated - silver plated cables tend to sound unnatural. That said, the Koetsu coils are silver clad copper, and it's hard to argue the results there.
I've never been in a situation where it was the correct answer to be better. I've heard stereos that use it, and a few were nice. But I've heard it sound bad many times. IMO it's a way to get some "gains" in certain areas that can be achieved with smarter solutions that don't possibly make it more fatiguing to hear. But some gear balanced it well, so, whatever. I guess I can tell you I don't have any plans to seek it out.
Tannoy has copper drivers, and Jeff day uses duelund tinned copper wire. So what happens if on this case signal cables were silver, or internal cables were? Is there any synergy thing that goes on here or is it just mix and match to taste
Tannoy has copper drivers, and Jeff day uses duelund tinned copper wire. So what happens if on this case signal cables were silver, or internal cables were? Is there any synergy thing that goes on here or is it just mix and match to taste
I am using DIY solid core 12AWG silver bi-wired, so 4 x 12awg. Sounds better and more natural than any of the bought speaker cables inc silver plated copper and pure copper. Only thing is solid core is pretty rigid so not good if you need to move stuff a lot. I use Audio Note silver plated spades. Didn't like bananas, couldn't get a firm fit on my speakers.
BTW I also use solid silver multi strand Norne balanced cable on my LCD4s, blows away the stock cable by a country mile.
I find silver is more a bit more transparent than copper, and in a good system works wonders. Plated silver can make a system sound harsh. And solid silver may bring too much transparency to an already bright system, but IMO in that case the problem is elsewhere. Solid silver is in no way harsh to my ears, you just hear what is going on better, it doesn't increase harshness if it isn't there in the first place (source or amp or speaker).
Don’t have silver cables, but it would seem anything that improves electrical conductivity would be better. Now if I can just get absolute zero conductivity I will be done with cables.
Don’t have silver cables, but it would seem anything that improves electrical conductivity would be better. Now if I can just get absolute zero conductivity I will be done with cables.
I didn’t say ‘conducts better’. I said ‘improves electrical conductivity ‘. Silver has less resistance than copper. Also, playback is different than recording. Who knows how the music was recorded? I just want the playback to be the best I can afford.
I had in same time amp Audio Note Neiro and Kageki,exactly same amp with 2A3,only difference is that Kageki has the output trans in silver and sound of Kageki is much better,more transparent and natural,but always sweet and not hard
I'm generally fine with pure silver or pure copper (C10100). Though they each can have their own sound, I do not think either has a particular inherent characteristic, such as brightness or warmth. As usual, it depends on the implementation. Personally I do not care for a blend of either or with something else (eg gold), or a coating/plating, based on what I've heard over the years.
One thing to bear in mind when doing comparisons is that silver cables often have smaller gauges than their copper peers and this accentuates the perception of sounding more tipped up. Since conductivity is an expression of resistance, that extra couple % advantage that silver appears to have is quickly reversed.
I recently replaced my copper Slagle AVC with the silver version. The difference was rather dramatic, and nothing ever sounded thin. Initially, I did feel that the highs were a tad glassy though. I had used Neotech solid silver upocc 23 AWG hookup wire inside the unit, then switched the output leg from autoformer to RCA chassis connectors to 4x of Dave's 28 AWG silver gold wire per channel. This did bring back the timbre I prefer. I feel his silver gold wire does everything silver does in terms of detail, or it's so close that I'd have to strain to try to differentiate. But then it gives a slightly sweeter tone overall. In my system, at least, it sounds right.
My system signal path is now high in silver content... Silver coils in cart, silver phono arm wire and cable, to silver SUT, through another silver cable to phono. Through a non-silver interconnect to a silver AVC with silver and silver/gold internal wiring. Bass is better than ever in terms of solidity, detail and articulation. And so is the overall openness and air. Apples to apples, the copper sounds more fuzzy and veiled.
All that said, I also doubt I'd love the final result if I switched all interconnects and speaker wire to silver. I've never tried silver power cable wire.
Limited but very positive experience with silver transformers (mostly AN S6). Not so positive with interconnects and speaker wire. Very impressive "audiophile characteristics" but impossible for me to live with long term. Various makes: Siltech, Harmonic Tech, Neotech UPOCC.
