A discussion about high end hook up wire

I guess my comment was a threadcrap, carry on, my apologies. Feel free to delete the post if you like.

 

Considering your MFA amps, I think you are speaking about Scott Frankland being good friends with George Cardas. Scott is a highly regarded designer, and I'm sure you are very happy with your mono amps

 

Threadcrap alert: Yes, I'm happy. I've been working on projects with Scott for the past 10 years.

 

I rewired a Jolida JD-9 phono stage with the VH wire and got superb results. The wire that comes with it is worthless and the routing is terrible. So, a combination of better wire and better routing yielded much improved sound.

 

Thanks, rcspkramp.

I will include the VH wire in my eventual testing.

ccm

 

Cardas Audio internal wiring is usually a recipe for success. Some of my favorite speakers, such as Trenner & Friedl, use Cardas. When connected to Cardas on the outside, it's an improvement that's far from subtle.

 

Colleen Cardas used to have an MFA preamp, and she still thinks it's the best preamp she's ever heard.

 

Okay...I love Colleen Cardas with all my heart.

But I have no connection in any way, shape or form with Cardas Audio. Neither does Colleen.

But George Cardas gave me a couple of cigars for Christmas.

 

It would seem that George Cardas has a lot of friends.

We use Cardas in-wall AC cable on some lines, JPS superconductor in the others. We definitely had more dynamics and better bass performance after the dedicated lines thing, but too many things were changed at once to credit any one element. It's tough to be methodical and experimental when your walls are gaping open, and your system is hiding from the dust.

Still nothing from the Mundorf, Amtrans, Jupiter, Stage III, Auric, Legenberg, or Duelund users?

I mean, SOMEONE must be buyin' this stuff.

ccm

 

I had an MFA Luminescence preamp. Outstanding preamp.

 

I believe she had the same one.

 

I think the proper way to terminate litz wire is to tin it in a solder pot prior to making the connection, rather than trying to melt the insulation in situ as you're assembling the component. Especially if you're connecting to a circuit board.

 

Nope, this just in--it was an MC Reference.

 

Because it will also diminish resale value of most gear, unless it is specifically done by one of the modding house companies that mod consistently known pieces (ie Sony SACD players, you would rarely or never hear of one of them working on a Meitner player, hence the decrease in resale on that Meitner. I know if I were in the market for a CDSD I would want it bone stock and only have Emm Labs work on it).

In my experience the most transparent wire is gold plated silver (for interconnects, I haven't really messed with the internal wire in my components) I had custom wound for me.

 

From post #7 of this very thread:

Have you got any left? If you are willing to send a sample I could include it in some testing.

ccm

 

Internal hookup wire

When replacing internal wiring in audio components I use,

VH Audio - 24 gauge Cotton Insulated Silver Wire

This stuff is great!

Scott


http://www.vhaudio.com/wire.html

 

Hi Scott,

Is that the only wire you've tried? How did you arrive at this choice?

ccm

 

Oops sorry, I violated one of my own pet peeves (next time I will pay more attention). I can't actually sell or distribute the wire as it was done for me as a favor. I am looking into having significantly larger quantities made in which case I probably won't be in any obligations, but this is a ways down the line; the stuff is very expensive.

 

I recently used some short runs of Jupiter 23ga. cotton insulated solid silver wire for the signal in a 300B amp I built. I was concerned that it may sound a bit "hot" in the highs, but it has been nothing but smooth, extended and detailed. I've also used quite a bit of the smaller gauge Neotech teflon insulated copper for signal wire and it hasn't disappointed. The Jupiter silver may have a little more "air", but not too much in my application.

 

Thanks Henry! That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for!

I am REALLY interested in that copper core, separated strand wire. That seems like a very out-of-the-box way to do things.

ccm

 

Not hi-end but I rewired the output section of a Harman Kardon PA200 amp about a year ago. I used DH labs silver coated T-14 speaker wire in place of the original (nickel?) wire used by HK. Along with the wire I replaced the cheapo binding posts with Cardas CCGR binding posts.
I also installed an IEC socket to replace the captured 18g AC cord and rewired the AC section with 14g Belden wire.
Did it sound better? I thought so. Keep in mind I had more invested in the parts I used then I paid for the amp on ebay. The HK uses only discreet components combined with a low negative feedback design. I sold the Primare amp I had been using and kept the HK in play for quite a while.
Now I'm considering rewiring the input section but as this amp can be run in bridged mode I am looking at installing an XLR connector and running the amp as a mono amp with a balanced input. Should say I was looking at that as I kind of lost interest in the project.

 

Very well put. Sometimes you can really lose yourself thinking too much about this stuff.

 

I appreciate both points of view - but admire those who have the courage to go further. I can see some benefits could possibly be wrought from a unit where cost constraints kept expenses on the internal hookup wire at the absolute minimum, but for more high-end devices, it may be counter-productive. Still, I read of guys who have put Dueland caps in a Lamm, or re-engineered a BAT 75 (Dave Garretson on Audiogon)

"The BAT VK75SE is a nice piece, but about $500 in V-Caps, Schottky rectifiers & silver wire makes a stunning improvement."