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20 year old Kimber should not sound this good ..

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

Look at a new penny and an old penny ...
One has been oxidized through contact with the air ...
Oxygen reacts with copper ..

Electricity is conducted along the outside of the wire not the inside ...
Never looked at the differences in conduction between the two and aural differences could only be detected by ear ..
Doubtless that the differences exist ..
Their significance is an open question ..
At some point the corrosion on the wire prevents conduction and you have to scrape the wire clean to achieve contact.
 
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The skin effect of electrical conduction is established science, but the aural effects of the "skin effect" are debated ..
It's pretty clear that different wire coating materials can sound different, but repeatability is always in question, because of variations in our hearing acuity ..
Listen, and if it sounds better to you, well then it is better ..
 
Lets be clear, skin effect only pays a part in high frequency transmission, well above the audio band. Megahertz, Gigahertz, definitely, Below 100 KHz, not so much.

Shelly_D
 
Lets be clear, skin effect only pays a part in high frequency transmission, well above the audio band. Megahertz, Gigahertz, definitely, Below 100 KHz, not so much.

Shelly_D

Your stance is clear, but then many people assert that there is no audible difference between different cables.
It's also been asserted that since all amps measure electrically the same, then all amps sound the same ..
I'm leaving all possibilities open, but stating that I clearly hear the differences between differing cables, and to my ear every amp sounds a bit different than another ..
The reasons why are an open question ..
 
Your stance is clear, but then many people assert that there is no audible difference between different cables.
It's also been asserted that since all amps measure electrically the same, then all amps sound the same ..
I'm leaving all possibilities open, but stating that I clearly hear the differences between differing cables, and to my ear every amp sounds a bit different than another ..
The reasons why are an open question ..

You can believe what you like, skin effect and the migration of the current from full conductor cross section to the surface is a verifiable condition and the frequencies at which it occurs is well documented.
 
You can believe what you like, skin effect and the migration of the current from full conductor cross section to the surface is a verifiable condition and the frequencies at which it occurs is well documented.

You're describing a measurable electrical phenomenon..
I don't have an established belief.. just remaining open to the possibility that the insulation material and topology of a cable conductor could conceivably have an audible effect on the reproduction chain ... and that the effect could be caused by the nature of signal propagation in the wire ... but still not be measurable with a standard electrical device..
 
You stated:

The skin effect of electrical conduction is established science, but the aural effects of the "skin effect" are debated ..
It's pretty clear that different wire coating materials can sound different, but repeatability is always in question, because of variations in our hearing acuity ..
Listen, and if it sounds better to you, well then it is better ..

I was addressing your comments on skin effect. The effect of cables on sound is one that I have learned to steer well clear of. Whether or not I believe cables can effect what we hear is not an issue I will comment on. I do choose to correct misquoting of measurable and demostible science.
 
You stated:



I was addressing your comments on skin effect. The effect of cables on sound is one that I have learned to steer well clear of. Whether or not I believe cables can effect what we hear is not an issue I will comment on. I do choose to correct misquoting of measurable and demostible science.

Which wasn't misquoted ..
I was aware of the electrical phenomenon and the frequencies at which it's been measured, but it certainly doesn't hurt the discussion to clarify. ....
 
This is the quote I referred to.

The skin effect of electrical conduction is established science, but the aural effects of the "skin effect" are debated ..
It's pretty clear that different wire coating materials can sound different, but repeatability is always in question, because of variations in our hearing acuity ..
Listen, and if it sounds better to you, well then it is better ..

I call your attention to the phrase "...but the aural effects of the "skin effect" are debated...". At audio frequencies, skin effect is not a factor in the conduction of the signal from one device to another. If the phenomenon is not occuring during the signal transmission, it cannot affect the resulting sound quality.

That was the intent and meaning of my post. In that respect I do consider this a misquote. If you wish to read it differently then fine, do so. This is my last post on the issue.
 
I know this is a old thread but I to use Kimber Kable, I use a pair of 8PR speaker cable
and it always sounds great!
 
This is the quote I referred to.



I call your attention to the phrase "...but the aural effects of the "skin effect" are debated...". At audio frequencies, skin effect is not a factor in the conduction of the signal from one device to another. If the phenomenon is not occuring during the signal transmission, it cannot affect the resulting sound quality.

That was the intent and meaning of my post. In that respect I do consider this a misquote. If you wish to read it differently then fine, do so. This is my last post on the issue.

Interesting way to put it given that the capacitance of wire coating materials is a measurable electrical phenomenon that has an audible effect at audio frequencies
and most of us are using wire with some kind of coating material bonded to it ....
And just to make us crazy, the capacitance of the coating material changes with use over time.....

When I mentioned skin effect, I was pointing at what is known about signal propagation and the resultant importance of the coating material ..

Different wires always sound different to my ear .. some subtly, others not so subtle..
 
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Those are the same speaker wire and IC that I used. I bought them due to great reviews and affordable pricing. I read in a Stereophile article it was best to use same manufacturer for both. I had no clue, so I did. Prior to that I had generic IC and Monster speaker wire. I did notice more clarity with the Kimber. The biggest surprise was the normal volume I listen was now a step and half lower on the volume knob.
 
Corrosion inside PVC insulation is due to the formation of hydrochloric acid from the degradation of the polyvinyl chloride. Will probably raise the capacitance of the cable, resulting in some filtering, but unless it's really bad it won't change the resistance. Not good in any case, and dependent upon the batch of PVC.
 
I’ve got the brown/black and gray/black Kimber wire and a pair of Zu wire. In addition, 10, 12 and 14 gauge OFC wire. I can’t hear any difference using Hafler, Adcom, AR, Mitsubishi & Accuphase amplification.
 
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