Solid copper vs stranded copper speaker wire?

[Lossless]

I use 4 conductor solid copper 14 gauge speaker wire bi-wired to my amp. I hear all this stuff about “Skin effect”, and wonder if that even exists for high power speaker wire?
I search the internet for 4 conductor 14g solid copper speaker wire and can’t find anything. Everything seems to be stranded wire nowadays. I bought my wire in 1993. I look inside of older high end amplifiers and they mostly used thick solid copper wire to connect the speaker terminals to the output circuit. Why not continue that trend all the way to the speakers?

What do you think is better, solid copper or stranded copper?
What is your choice of speaker wire and why? Pictures welcome!

 

[JoeESP9]

I use DH Labs Q-10 Signature.

 

[Lossless]

I use 4 conductor solid copper 14 gauge speaker wire bi-wired to my amp. I hear all this stuff about “Skin effect”, and wonder if that even exists for high power speaker wire?
I search the internet for 4 conductor 14g solid copper speaker wire and can’t find anything. Everything seems to be stranded wire nowadays. I bought my wire in 1993. I look inside of older high end amplifiers and they mostly used thick solid copper wire to connect the speaker terminals to the output circuit. Why not continue that trend all the way to the speakers?

What do you think is better, solid copper or stranded copper?
What is your choice of speaker wire and why? Pictures welcome!
View attachment 1399379

I like solid copper speaker wire because I feel the dynamic range is greater, the bass is much tighter, speaker damping seems better than when I used stranded 12 gauge speaker wire.

 

[Lossless]

I use DH Labs Q-10 Signature.

Is that stranded or solid core copper/silver?

 

[Pyrrho]

I use stranded wire. The reason is, it is more flexible, so it is easier to deal with it. Since no one has demonstrated an ability to hear a difference in properly conducted double blind tests, I am not inclined to believe it makes any difference to the sound whether the wire is solid or stranded.

 

[Dr. Ears]

I use 4 conductor solid copper 14 gauge speaker wire bi-wired to my amp. I hear all this stuff about “Skin effect”, and wonder if that even exists for high power speaker wire?
I search the internet for 4 conductor 14g solid copper speaker wire and can’t find anything. Everything seems to be stranded wire nowadays. I bought my wire in 1993. I look inside of older high end amplifiers and they mostly used thick solid copper wire to connect the speaker terminals to the output circuit. Why not continue that trend all the way to the speakers?

What do you think is better, solid copper or stranded copper?
What is your choice of speaker wire and why? Pictures welcome!
View attachment 1399379

Stranded, been there, done that!

 

[mythless]

Both, never heard the difference.

 

[Lossless]

I read that the English prefer solid copper conductor whereas Americans prefer stranded copper.

 

[JoeESP9]

Is that stranded or solid core copper/silver?

It's two 12 gauge and two 14 gauge conductors. They're Silver plated. I use banana plugs as terminators.

 

[Lossless]

It's two 12 gauge and two 14 gauge conductors. They're Silver plated. I use banana plugs as terminators.

Is that solid core or multiple strands per wire conductor?

 

[ic-racer]

I can't hear skin effect. My concern with large gauge solid copper is that if the wires get bumped, they will tear out delicate vintage connectors on either speakers or the back of amplifiers.

 

[Lossless]

I use stranded wire. The reason is, it is more flexible, so it is easier to deal with it. Since no one has demonstrated an ability to hear a difference in properly conducted double blind tests, I am not inclined to believe it makes any difference to the sound whether the wire is solid or stranded.

I can definitely understand flexibility issues if you move your speakers often. Like I said in my opening post, High end Amplifiers use solid copper single conductor wire inside to connect speaker terminals to the audio output stage in the amplifier.

 

[DavidF]

Audioquest uses single strand wire and provides some insight as to their designs on the website.

I have used both and have no preference as to performance. I find multi stranded much more practical to use, though. You need some good binding posts for solid wire in order to control that stiffness.

 

[JoeESP9]

Is that solid core or multiple strands per wire conductor?
View attachment 1399468

They're both multi strand. I don't subscribe to the British thing with solid core conductors. Besides, they're stiff and not easy to implement.

For those who are interested in solid core 12/2 Romex is $.43 a foot.

 

[the skipper]

You don't have to worry about skin effect at audio frequencies. Only at very high frequencies.

To combat skin effect on the microwave units I worked with, we used wave guide, which is essentially a hollow, rectangular tube.




Here's a little reading to clarify this.

https://www.belden.com/blog/broadcast/understanding-skin-effect-and-frequency

 

[Lossless]

• They're both multi strand. I don't subscribe to the British thing with solid core conductors. Besides, they're stiff and not easy to implement.

For those who are interested in solid core 12/2 Romex is $.43 a foot.

The Brits are manufacturers of some of the most popular high end speakers. Bowers&Wilkins, Gale, PMC, Wharfedale, I think they might have some knowledge about speaker wires.

For those interested, 12 feet of Q-10 Signature stranded wire only cost $1,275.00 for each speaker.

 

[the skipper]

Apparently you've never heard of Belden, have you?

 

[avionic]

You don't have to worry about skin effect at audio frequencies. Only at very high frequencies.

To combat skin effect on the microwave units I worked with, we used wave guide, which is essentially a hollow, rectangular tube.

View attachment 1399508


Here's a little reading to clarify this.

https://www.belden.com/blog/broadcast/understanding-skin-effect-and-frequency

F-15 RADAR and ECM..Lots of active and passive wave guides.

 

[the skipper]

F-15 RADAR and ECM..Lots of active and passive wave guides.

Northern Radio MRC-113 Microwave Radio Relay. Same here. ...and big ass Klystrons, too.

 

[avionic]

and big ass Klystrons, too.

TWT's and YIG OSC.