Flat vs. Standard Speaker Cable

[papostol]

Hi All,

Is there any known differences/benefits of using flat speaker cable as oppossed to the normal round type?

I'm looking into purchasing the Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cable but want to understand the advantages of a flat speaker cable before I took the plunge.

Thanks! Peter

 

[gene]

I'm looking into purchasing the Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cable but want to understand the advantages of a flat speaker cable before I took the plunge.

There are no real advantages to flat cable other than potential space savings and a slight less problem with skin effect at much higher frequencies than audio is concerned. The down side of sandwiching two flat conductors in close proximity is ultra high capacitance which can wreck havoc on amplifier stability and upper end frequency response.

In the case of the Nordost Blue Heaven cables you are looking at, they placed the conductors side by side to avoid the high capacitance problem, much like what Rivercable did with the Flexygy.

However, at the asking price of these cables, you would achieve more bang for your buck buying a cheaper speaker cable that measures well (check out our speaker cable face offs and DIY face off articles) and re-invest your saved monies into room treatment or perhaps upgrading your subwoofer or even adding another to smooth out bass response. I would also choose a cable with lower resistance than the Nordost and recommend 10AWG or lower effective (NOT aggregate) gauge cable.

 

[papostol]

Thanks Gene! Great feedback and I really appreciate this website!

 

[papostol]

Can't Decide on Speaker Cables

Great, now I can't decide which speaker cable to get. After reading the articles here, I was leaning towards the Cobolt Cables. Then I said, should I just kick in a little extra cash for the River Cables. Then I was thinking the Kimber 8TC with all their positive reviews.

HELP! I'm using NHT 2.5i mains and Outllaw Audio 775.

Thansk! Pete

 

[warnerwh]

Long story short. Buy the least expensive speaker cables unless you are willing to pay extra because you like the cosmetics better. Audibility is really a non issue unless the cable designer really screwed up and you wouldn't want to risk your amp on that cable. Spend money on buying/building room treatment or an equalizer, something that can improve the sound and that you are able to hear the improvement. Lots of arguement on the audibility of speaker cable and that alone should tell you how important the sound is compared to putting the money some where else.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Great, now I can't decide which speaker cable to get. After reading the articles here, I was leaning towards the Cobolt Cables. Then I said, should I just kick in a little extra cash for the River Cables. Then I was thinking the Kimber 8TC with all their positive reviews.

HELP! I'm using NHT 2.5i mains and Outllaw Audio 775.

Thansk! Pete

You keep convincing yourself a little bit better than th elast cable and you will end up with the expensive original cable you mentioned Or, even more expensive as there are.

Why do you need flat cables? Or just a question nothing to do with needing a flat cable under carpets?

The $.30/ft Home Depot cable, or low voltage landscape cable will do you just as well.

 

[Westrock2000]

I have Nordost Solar Wind and some of the origal cables (the basic copper speaker wire, and the biwire one 2-something)....anyways there OK cables, however beaware that the speaker cables are kinda stiff, so you can shape them easy, and with that if you step on them they crimp up real nice. Haven't caused any shorts or anything, but just something to consider. The Solar Wind IC is extremely floppy...its about as stiff as silk.

Cool cable, rough price

 

[papostol]

I'm now leaning towards DH Labs because they look well built and received positve reviews. The 8' pair with spades (single wire) is under $250.

If I buy inexpensive cable, I'll always be wondering if my system has more potential.

Thanks for the input!

 

[gene]

If I buy inexpensive cable, I'll always be wondering if my system has more potential.

Cost has little to do with performance of speaker cables. Measurements however do! Beyond a few $$$ per foot you are paying for cosmetics and NOT necessarily better performance.

 

[Unregistered]

if you buy expensive cables you will wonder if your system is up to par with your cables

 

[papostol]

I don't think $300 is too much to spend for speaker cable on $1,300 speakers(23%). I agree with most of what's been published on this site and any more would be irresponsible.

There has got to be something to all the cable reviews published.

Besides, I don't mind paying extra for the appearance since these things are laying across my living room.

 

[Audioholics]

If I buy inexpensive cable, I'll always be wondering if my system has more potential.

I say we stop doing measurements of cables, but then the five people who read them will be so disappointed.

 

[Steve1000]

I find that flat speaker wire sounds sort of flat and that standard speaker wire sounds sort of standard, sort of plain Jane. Okay, just to be clear, I'm JOKING. Expensive cables are a RIP-OFF.

Seriously, though, listen to these guys. They're passionate about the truth.

Hi All,

Is there any known differences/benefits of using flat speaker cable as oppossed to the normal round type?

I'm looking into purchasing the Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cable but want to understand the advantages of a flat speaker cable before I took the plunge.

Thanks! Peter

 

[warnerwh]

I had DH Labs cable and yes you can get a used set off of Ebay for 100 bucks. I sold them. Presently I'm using Knukonceptz silver plated 10 gauge cable. The insulation is Polyethylene which has a dielectric very close to teflon like the DH Labs. This stuff is 2 bucks a foot on Ebay or 1.50 a foot for the 12 gauge. My spades cost me twenty bucks so I'm into my cables for about 60 bucks and they should last alot of years as the silver won't be a problem and the polyethylene insulation won't rot and oxidize the copper. This is my system:
Audio Research LS 16, Parasound HCA 3500, Sony Dvdnc 555 ES and a modded Kenwood Kt 7500 tuner going to VMPS Supertower/R SE speakers. My point is this is 5 figures worth of gear, I've been in the hobby for over 30 years and I can't hear a difference AT ALL. My room btw is a dedicated room, full LEDE with bass traps and a quality equalizer. I assure you, a bass trap or room treatment is a much better place to put the money.
And yes I am fortunate in that I have a friend who is an EE no less that loaned me several sets of very expensive cable, I spent a couple of weeks trying to hear something, nothing, nada. I actually think DH labs cable bought used isn't a bad buy but no way I'd buy new. Get some used off Audiogon, wire goes for half or less than retail when used. Cheers

 

[mtrycrafts]

If I buy inexpensive cable, I'll always be wondering if my system has more potential.

In that case, you better get a bigger budget. Maybe the $1000 cable sare better than those for $250. You will be missing out. Why stop at $1k? You will be missing out unless you buy the $10k cables. How will you even forgive yourself, or live with yourself missing what your system can deliver with those cables?

 

[mtrycrafts]

There has got to be something to all the cable reviews published.

There just got to be something to those astrology charts in the newspapers.
There just got to be something to the praise John Edwards, Sylvia Brown get?
Or, anything in consumerland, for that matter.

Yes, there is something with those reviews, they are worthless, entertainment value only. I get a good laugh from them when I read them, not much anymore, same old boring stuff.

 

[briansmith]

I had DH Labs cable and yes you can get a used set off of Ebay for 100 bucks. I sold them. Presently I'm using Knukonceptz silver plated 10 gauge cable. The insulation is Polyethylene which has a dielectric very close to teflon like the DH Labs. This stuff is 2 bucks a foot on Ebay or 1.50 a foot for the 12 gauge. My spades cost me twenty bucks so I'm into my cables for about 60 bucks and they should last alot of years as the silver won't be a problem and the polyethylene insulation won't rot and oxidize the copper. This is my system:

This cable can be viewed at http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KASA10BK

Seems unusually cheap for what it offers. What effect (if any) will silver plated copper wire have on measurements? Secondly, PE is close to Teflon?

-Brian

 

[mtrycrafts]

This cable can be viewed at http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetail.cfm?prodID=KASA10BK

Seems unusually cheap for what it offers. What effect (if any) will silver plated copper wire have on measurements? Secondly, PE is close to Teflon?

-Brian

On measurements? A rather small decrease in resistance by the amoung of silver area vs the copper, rather small and insignificant since solid silver is only 6% better in conductivity than copper to begin with and a 1 ga change in copper is a 20% change in resistance.
10ga is nice and low in resistance Not sure you really getting much for that $2/ft price than the Home Depot cable for about $.30/ft, or less for their low voltage landscape wire.

PE has a bit higher dielectric factor but is nothing to worry about in a speaker cable

 

[Leprkon]

Silver Wires

and besides, we all know you can use those silver wires to strangle any werewolves who invade your home while you were watching Lord of the Rings... and you can't do that with plain old MONSTER cable...

sounds like it's worth the $ 10,000 investment to me...

am I going too far in using the same joke twice ? does it still count as another post ??

 

[Mudcat]

Get some used off Audiogon, wire goes for half or less than retail when used. Cheers

Yeah, it's already burned in

am I going too far in using the same joke twice ? does it still count as another post ??

Na. Use it until Clint locks you out.