9.5.13

The Silver Speaker Cable Option

By Alison Wilcox


Music, television and movies at home are increasingly popular ways to spend one's free time. With advances in technology these modes of entertainment are becoming better and better and how much you enjoy this experience can depend on the quality of the audio. For this reason, many people want to know the difference between using copper and silver speaker cable.

The most important aspect of speaker wire is its resistance. The lower the resistance of the materials used, the better will be the quality of the sound that is produced. The length and the thickness of the cord as well as the materials used are key factors in determining this effect.

There is an inverse relationship between the length of the wire and the clarity of the audio. Shorter wires mean less resistance and thus improved sound quality. Longer wires, on the other hand, will lead to greater resistance and a resulting reduction in the crispness of the sound.

The other factor, thickness, is important in relation to the length. The greater the diameter of the wire, the lower the resistance will be. A shorter, thicker wire will provide less resistance and thus better sound quality. As the length shortens, a wire of less thickness can be used to maintain a constant level of resistance.

The choice of materials for the wires is also important. Copper is used nearly universally for the fact that it is low in resistance and also relatively cheap. It will oxidize but it does not lose the capability to conduct when it does.

Given these facts, it's fair to ask what are the advantages of using silver. This particular metal conducts even better than copper does, which means that one can use cables that are longer and thinner than copper ones without sacrificing the quality of the audio.

There is one main drawback, however, to straying from the standard. As usual with higher-level resources, the cost of using silver can be quite a bit higher than that of copper.

Which is the better option will depend on your specific needs. If shorter and thinner wire is important for you for whatever reason and the extra expense is not a deterrent, then silver may be a good way to deliver the quality of sound that you want. Conversely, if money is a main concern and the length of thickness don't matter as much, you may get more or less the same sound from the less expensive copper wires.

It's impossible to say that there is one best choice for everyone. There are those that believe that it's always best to use the highest quality materials while there are others who state that the difference is negligible and not worth the extra cost. When making a final decision, it could be worth your while to sample both types to determine what your opinion is on this.

Each of the two types discussed have certain advantages and disadvantages. When choosing components for your audio system it would be helpful to understand these in order to make the decision between copper or silver speaker cable.




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