Speaker wire changing color

[Acadian]

I was googling Monoprice speaker wire and came accross a thread where some people said their wire got dark or changed color.

Has anyone had this happen to them with Monoprice wire?

Thanks!

 

[Halon451]

That can happen with any copper conductor, over time. Oxidation, corrosion elements from the electrical connection itself, dirt, etc.

If you've ever unhooked a speaker that has been connected for several years (as in my Dad's house), the bare wire is pretty nasty looking. Best advice is to check it once in a while and re-terminate as necessary with a good clean connection, or use gold-plated connectors.

Monoprice makes excellent cables - don't get fooled into the more expensive brands (like Monster), as pound for pound, the Monoprice will perform just as well at a fraction of the price.

 

[Acadian]

FYI, i already ordered the 14AWG in-wall from Monoprice....waiting for it to get here.

What the people were saying though was that the cable was changing colour INSIDE the casing(?)....not at the ends.

(1) Is this common from Monoprice (or everyone)?

(2) Does it really affect anything?

Cheers!

 

[skads_187]

were the 14awg in stock at monoprice?

and actually does anyone know if there is a diff between purchasing from monoprice or bluejeans?

 

[sparky77]

Some of the wire that I've had for 20 years plus has changed color in the insulation only, used to be a clear green, now its a dark cloudy brown, however there is no signs of corrosion in the copper wire itself. 25 foot run with the opposite ends twisted together still measure less than 1 ohm with a meter. Very common situation with some of the lesser grades of insulation used on some wires, the only real concern is when the wire starts getting brittle and the insulation cracks easily, then its time to replace it before a short happens.

 

[mtrycrafts]

FYI, i already ordered the 14AWG in-wall from Monoprice....waiting for it to get here.

What the people were saying though was that the cable was changing colour INSIDE the casing(?)....not at the ends.

(1) Is this common from Monoprice (or everyone)?

(2) Does it really affect anything?

Cheers!

Some of the older cables many years ago had chemical reactions from the insulating jacket causing them to turn green.
That should not affect audibly what you hear though; just keep the ends clean or solder the end connection.

 

[Acadian]

were the 14awg in stock at monoprice?

and actually does anyone know if there is a diff between purchasing from monoprice or bluejeans?

Yup, i got an e-mail telling me the banana plugs were in-stock. Went it to buy them an got a message that the 14AWG was in-stock....so i bought both.

I think it was 2 days ago???

You can ask to be notified when stock shows up...

 

[Rickster71]

I use this, (see link) on all my connections. DeoxIT
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=54&ObjectGroup_ID=177

 

[Halon451]

I use this, (see link) on all my connections. DeoxIT
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CAT_ID=54&ObjectGroup_ID=177

Does it seem to help?

 

[Rickster71]

Does it seem to help?

Hi Halon,
One test I was able to make was the life of batteries in my remotes, and cell phones.
The companies' web site says their product will improve conductivity. Battery connections have to overcome less resistance, so batteries will last longer.
To make a short story; I marked, on the calendar when I changed batteries in my remotes.
I'm at the 13 month mark, with the satellite remote. They never lasted that long before.

Rick