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20 year old Kimber should not sound this good ..

A

Akustic

Super Member
These are old ... been in that box for better than 20 years .. original Kimber Kable ..
(yea .. I'm old .. I was there when the original monster cable came out) ..

But they still sound delicious ..

Just spent some time buying relatively inexpensive $30-60 new twisted cables from Amazon and comparing them to these original Kimbers..
I had three amps on the table .. a B&K ST140, Aragon 4004 MKII, and a Yaquin EL34 tube amp, and 3 sets of speakers ..

More detail, sharper transients, more spacious, the Kimber just made it real on everything but the tube amp ..

Amps and loads .. for whatever reason, probably at least somewhat related to capacitance, the tube amp didn't sound better with any of the twisted cables. It sounded best with the parallel high strand count OFC ..

By all rights and the gods of oxidation these Kimbers shouldn't still be sounding like this ..
Quality .. I suppose that's why all these copies are available on Amazon
 
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I have recent Kimber speaker cables and like them with my Premier 11 power amp. They provided a good bang for the buck. Good product!
 
Akustic said:
These are old ... been in that box for better than 20 years .. original Kimber Kable ..
(yea .. I'm old .. I was there when the original monster cable came out) ..

But they still sound delicious ..

Just spent some time buying relatively inexpensive $30-60 new twisted cables from Amazon and comparing them to these original Kimbers..
I had three amps on the table .. a B&K ST140, Aragon 4004 MKII, and a Yaquin EL34 tube amp, and 3 sets of speakers ..

More detail, sharper transients, more spacious, the Kimber just made it real on everything but the tube amp ..

Amps and loads .. for whatever reason, probably at least somewhat related to capacitance, the tube amp didn't sound better with any of the twisted cables. It sounded best with the parallel high strand count OFC ..

By all rights and the gods of oxidation these Kimbers shouldn't still be sounding like this ..
Quality .. I suppose that's why all these copies are available on Amazon
Click to expand...

I don't understand your apparent surprise. As long as the copper doesn't oxidize or corrode from chemical reactions with air pollutants or other chemicals it comes in contact with, there is no reason for them to degrade.

Shelly_D
 
shelly_d said:
I don't understand your apparent surprise. As long as the copper doesn't oxidize or corrode from chemical reactions with air pollutants or other chemicals it comes in contact with, there is no reason for them to degrade.

Shelly_D
Click to expand...

The surprise comes from pulling too many clear coated speaker cables out of that box, and seeing the blue tinge all over wire which was coated with plastic the whole time but it obviously oxidized anyway .. happened often enough that I mostly prefer new wire these days.

..
 
Akustic said:
The surprise comes from pulling too many clear coated speaker cables out of that box, and seeing the blue tinge all over wire which was coated with plastic the whole time but it obviously oxidized anyway .. happened often enough that I mostly prefer new wire these days.

..
Click to expand...

Ok. It's funny. The last time I saw that kind of issue was back in the late 60's, early 70's in NYC. Haven't seen it since. Since I'm the guy that uses the cheapest interconnects I can get and hardware store zip cord for my speakers, you would think I would see that sort of issue on a regular basis, but have not. I have attributed the lack of corrosion to cleaner air, less corrosive chemicals (and less sulfur) in the air. I guess that may not be the case.

Glad they still work for you.

Shelly_D
 
Roadrash said:
I have Kimber Kable 8TCs and PBJs in my main system that were all bought used off of Ebay so I have no clue how old they are, but I sure do like them.
Click to expand...
Road, what do you like most about these cables? Do you like the Kimber or PBJs more?
 
shelly_d said:
I don't understand your apparent surprise. As long as the copper doesn't oxidize or corrode from chemical reactions with air pollutants or other chemicals it comes in contact with, there is no reason for them to degrade.

Shelly_D
Click to expand...
You're just no fun.
 
My Kimber speaker cable has been running fine for almost 30 years now. No complaints, no built-in obsolescence. Oxidation, if it occurs, will only happen on the exposed wire where the insulation has been removed. It's easy to fix - cut the exposed wire off, re-strip some insulation and re-connect.
 
AudioFeline said:
My Kimber speaker cable has been running fine for almost 30 years now. No complaints, no built-in obsolescence. Oxidation, if it occurs, will only happen on the exposed wire where the insulation has been removed. It's easy to fix - cut the exposed wire off, re-strip some insulation and re-connect.
Click to expand...

If it's a good coating with a good bond ... I've had both clear and opaque wire that was oxidized throughout .. YMMV
 
Hello guys,
Hello akustic.. :)

What is the Kimber 8TC Speaker Cable colors?
Are they the Blue and Black ones from the 80's?
I bought this around the 80's.
about 10 feet long.
I went to e-bay and seen these going for about 300+ dollars.

I better try using them, as, they must be something special about them.
I never thought about speaker cables and interconnects like I used too in the 80's.
I just took this photo of the Kimbers I got:
Maybe I'd better try them again soon.
Thanks for posting .akustic..:)
Brings back memories of those exciting times of the 80's.

AltonT.. :)Kimber Cable s.jpg
 
AltonT said:
Hello guys,
Hello akustic.. :)

What is the Kimber 8TC Speaker Cable colors?
Are they the Blue and Black ones from the 80's?
I bought this around the 80's.
about 10 feet long.
I went to e-bay and seen these going for about 300+ dollars.

I better try using them, as, they must be something special about them.
I never thought about speaker cables and interconnects like I used too in the 80's.
I just took this photo of the Kimbers I got:
Maybe I'd better try them again soon.
Thanks for posting .akustic..:)
Brings back memories of those exciting times of the 80's.

AltonT.. :)View attachment 1777810
Click to expand...

I have the old Blue and Black Kimber 8TC (pre 2004 purchase). But, while your's are Blue and Black, the gauge looks off. It doesn't have the correct number of strands, to me, to be 8TC. I wonder if it's 4TC, since my 8TC cable bundle is much thicker?
 
Hi StimpyWan,
I believe you.
It is me, who does not know/remember. and did not think of counting the wires in that bundle.
Thanks. Now, I know to look good at the wire sizes and amount/count/strands in the bundles.
I'd better pay more " Attention to Detail" ... :)
 
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