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“If ever there was a cable with an amazing cost-performance value, this is it.”
Origin Live cables are unique in the way they address the problem of tonal imbalances within a cable. This is not an easy concept to understand in theory and even harder to eliminate in practice. Due to capacitance and other factors, cables can seem to exhibit a sound like mechanical “ringing” which gives prominence to some frequencies. The effects are to cause blurring and tonal imbalance. For example, bass notes are prevented from dropping deep in the way you know they should. The reason may not be because your speakers can’t go deep but because the deep notes are masked by upper mid-range “ringing” in the cable.
A vastly oversimplified illustration to understand the principle of ringing is to consider a flash of lightning in a major storm. Lightening produces a loud roll of thunder. This is the result of air crashing into the atomised lightening gap. The echos from the landscape then add to the effect we hear as thunder.
When electricity passes through your cables it causes momentary electrical changes within the material analogous to lightning in air. These changes then input a delayed release of electrical energy back into the signal. This manifests itself audibly by introducing an effect similar to “ringing” which accentuates certain frequency bands. The effects vary significantly in frequency, magnitude and decay time depending on the cable you use.
When you hear thunder you observe two important facts:
Hearing the thunder is delayed from the time you first see the flash.
In a similar way for music, the slight delay time of signal after effects changes the “timing” of notes.A roll of thunder lasts a lot longer than the flash which created it.
In a similar way for music, any ongoing electrical after effects causes blurring and reduces clarity.
Through observation and intensive research, Origin Live has found a unique way to dramatically reduce these effects. The results are astonishing with major improvements to clarity and tonal qualities in the music.
Electrical “after effects” are not to be confused with mechanical resonance which many cable manufacturers refer to. Mechanical resonance causes conductors to vibrate microscopically against one another – this also degrades signal quality because it interrupts the electromagnetic field consistency around each conducting strand. 25 years ago Hitachi promoted high-pressure binding of stranded cable to reduce this effect – nowadays people add clamps and cable risers to slightly dampen such effects.
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It is now widely acknowledged that cables significantly affect how your system sounds. However, it is still common for people to underestimate this important fact. We have heard many testimonials of sceptics who have been astonished at the difference that simply changing a cable can make. Some folk would go so far as saying they can make more difference than changing something like an amplifier or speakers (this is sometimes true).
Why Cables Affect Sound Quality
The notion that cable design is simple and modelled on electrons flowing in an orderly fashion down a conductor is to go back 30 years. Back then most experts said cables made no difference. Before that, they said turntables made no difference and how wrong they were.
It is still common to find those who believe any difference in the sound of a cable is due to basic electrical values of – Impedance, Capacitance and Inductance. However, you can have 2 cables with identical electrical values and they will sound vastly different. There is clearly much more going on than just these factors.
In more recent years it has been generally accepted that Cables:
Conduct different frequencies at different speeds.
This produces blurring of the sound and intermodular distortion due to signals arriving at the incorrect time (phase errors).Attenuate (reduce the volume) different frequencies differently.
This alters tonal balance.Store and discharge signal energy due to capacitance effects.
This introduces smearing blur and lack of clarity.Resonate electromagnetically at certain frequencies – thus increasing their volume and adding delays to signal decay.
This introduces significant tonal inaccuracy and harmonic colouration. It can also subjectively obliterate lower level signal information rendering subtle details and nuances inaudible.Resonate mechanically at certain frequencies more than others.
This introduces degradation to clarity.
The above list is far from exhaustive but should suffice to demonstrate that there are complex and intertwined problems to overcome.
It is beyond the scope of this article to go into too much detail but it’s probably worth explaining phase error which you will see mentioned in more recent cable reviews. This is complex but put simply, it’s about ensuring that signal waves all arrive at the time they are supposed to. Easier said than done! The problem is that unless the design is right, high-frequency signals may arrive a little ahead of low-frequency signals. The signals then interact differently than they should and distortion results. The end result is a blurring of the sound and distortion.
Theory Does Not Explain It So It Can’t Be True
Theoreticians will no doubt tell you that this explanation is nonsense because the time difference is so small that it cannot possibly make any difference. This comment may well appear true but the theory is only gradually catching up with what we find in subjective practice.
No theory has yet explained the phenomenon of directionality in cables or how lightning can go upwards into the ionosphere. In fact, NASA scientists first stated that the pilots who witnessed such things were hallucinating until they got video proof. There is a lot we don’t understand.
But You Can’t Measure It?
Apart from theory I have friends who say “if you can’t measure a difference then it only exists in people’s imagination.” The interesting thing here is that there are subjective effects heard in cables that were rubbished 15 years ago and are now being measured because technology has caught up.
Even now I doubt you could measure any difference in signal passed through cryogenically frozen wire and unfrozen wire. However, in blind listening tests, there is no question that cryogenic freezing does improve the subjective performance of a cable.
Another example of “impossible differences” relates to digital cables. There are many reports that listeners can clearly hear differences between cables from digital sources such as a CD player to a DAC. Many electronics engineers stated adamantly that this is impossible. However, controversial explanations have been put forward which abound on the internet forums.
Proposed Solutions
Better cable design reduces signal degradation. This is a huge subject and we mention the above examples to illustrate why cable design makes such a difference. For over 25 years Origin Live has designed audio cables with innovative ideas. We probably produced the very first solid core design specifically for audio. We were also the first to use differing strand thicknesses within a conductor (an idea in common use today among leading cables).
Cable manufacturers propose many theories and offer various solutions such as
To Smooth and Improve Linear Signal Flow the Conductors Themselves Can Be Treated.
Mono-crystal structure to reduce grain boundaries in the metal
Cryogenic freezing to reduce discontinuities in the metal grain structure
High purity conductors
Creating ultra-smooth surface finishes on strand surfaces
Treatments to “burn in” and condition cables
Plating with variants such as Silver, Rhodium, Gold, Nickle, Tin etc.
Insulation and coatings to improve dielectric properties
Golden ratio of different strand diameters
Mixes of material
Mechanical damping via pressure binding, clamps, cable risers, heavy insulation etc
Special weave configurations
We could add at least 20 other factors to the list above and this soon adds up to tens of thousands of possible variants – all of which will sound different to one another.
Origin Live cables have won a reputation offering great value for money and are known to outperform others costing well over 4 times the price.
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This title is not said lightly. I have read over 4 Hi-Fi magazines per month for many years and see countless cable reviews. As a cable designer with many years of experience in the field, it has become all too apparent that this subject needs a lot of clarification. Origin Live’s very first product was a cable. In fact, back then in 1986, the company was known as “Cable Design”.
Is Cable Choice a Lottery?
Finding the best cable for your system can be like a shot in the dark. Some users have to try numerous cables before finally getting the results they want. Without meaning to sound arrogant I would suggest that reviews and specifications need a lot of help in their interpretation for reasons which will become clear later on.
Origin Live don’t offer a cable to suit every system and we do not believe that there is such a thing as “the best cable”. We do believe however that there is “a best cable for your system”. This article provides plain talk that could save you a great deal of time and money.
At quite a few Hi-Fi shows we have been accosted by sales representatives extolling the wonders of a new cable that we “must” try in our system and be “blown away”. Not being completely cynical, we usually give them a whirl. The interesting thing is that in spite of sometimes consisting of solid silver and costing many times more, we have only found one of these offerings superior and this was 11 times the cost. I hasten to add that auditioning was by impartial consensus, as we usually have non-staff present in the comparisons.
This story is not to say that most cables offered are poor but rather to illustrate that no cable will ever suit all systems. In the world of Hi-Fi equipment, cables seem to be one of the most system dependent items by a colossal margin which is one reason we hardly ever submit ours for review.
Myths and Dogmas
If you’ve read cable reviews, you will be familiar with various theories about their design. Before commenting on various cable philosophies you may want to know a little of our background for credibility. Origin Live started in 1986 by designing the very first solid core cable ever produced specifically for Hi-Fi. This cable continues to be a fantastic cable for valve amplifiers and only a small while ago replaced the “reference” cable used in a reviewers system. We later developed highly configured stranded cables and Litz wires. Walrus Hi-Fi described our cables as “the best kept secret in Hi Fi”. These comments should allay fears that the following comments are merely fanciful ideas. Cables are highly controversial so let’s consider a few dogmas.
Silver is the Best Material for Conductors in the Cable?
Silver wire seems to increase clarity, sometimes remarkably. However, it can also sound rather harsh and bright in the wrong system so one has to be careful.
PTFE is the Best Insulation Material?
PTFE has the best figures for practical insulation (apart from air or a vacuum). However, we have found it is not necessarily the best dielectric to use in cables – testing shows that it shifts the tonal balance towards brightness along with a reduction in bass weight. This can be accounted for in the way that dielectric properties vary with frequency. There are materials that seem to transmit more evenly across the whole audio frequency band.
If a Cable Has a Great Review Then it Must be OK
As we’ve already discussed, cables are very system-dependent, so any cable review that doesn’t mention the system used is of questionable value. As you will read in a moment, you can glean a certain amount of useful information from a cable review if you know the context.
We should clarify at this stage that tonearm cables and interconnect cables are not particularly system-dependent in comparison to Loudspeaker cables, which are probably the most system dependent item in the Hi Fi Chain.
Twisted Speaker Cables vs Flat or “Dumbell” Cables
The most fundamental difference between loudspeaker cables is whether the conductor cores are twisted or run parallel with one another. Your system will have a clear preference for one of these 2 types of cable. So when you compare cables, start by comparing a flat cable to a twisted one, rather than a whole range of say, flat cables. Once you know your system preference, you have immediately narrowed down the field massively.
Twisted cables offer a lower inductance load, which is generally considered a good thing from a theoretical stance. However, flat cables can sound better in certain contexts and have the attraction that they can more easily be fitted under carpets. If you are after the best sound don’t let this convenience sway you. A twisted cable can make a dramatic difference.
Subjectively, twisted cables bring the midrange forward and tighten up the bass. Spacing the conductors further apart and not twisting them has the opposite effect – they give the bass a more relaxed feel with longer decay of notes. Knowing this simple fact can help you correct a system imbalance by matching it to a more suitable cable.
If you have valve amps, you should almost certainly choose a twisted cable as this will tighten the bass by reducing the inductance load. Valve amps are notoriously loaded sensitive which is one reason this works.
Certain amps like Naim, Exposure and Linn have been designed for use with dumbbell cables (flat & spaced) – it’s usually best to stick with flat cables for these amps to give the best sonic results. More importantly, you can invalidate the manufacturer warranty by using a non-recommended cable.
Higher performing amps tend to use less negative feedback and sound better with the easier load of twisted cables. For example, most Class A amps will prefer twisted cables.
Sometimes the above guidelines are invalidated because an amplifier or loudspeaker response is not even. For example, if your system gives a very forward sound in the mid-band, you may find that a dumbbell configuration works best.
You should be aware that this is a tricky area where there are many exceptions to the rules. The best policy is to experiment between the 2 types of cable, and this should leave you in no doubt as to which is best for you.
Stranded, Litz or Solid Core?
Most cables consist of thin strands of wire bunched together to form 2 conductive cores. However, there are alternatives in the form of “Litz” and “solid core”. If you don’t know what Litz wire is, then it’s best described as a bunch of thin wire strands within a conductor, in which every strand is individually insulated from its neighbour. Favoured in many high-end cables, this configuration has the advantage of completely eliminating signal degradation caused by electricity jumping from strand to strand as it passes along the cable. Electricity “jumps” in normal stranded cable because it travels the quickest path. The bunched strands making up the cable do not run straight but have a slight twist to hold them together for manufacturing reasons. This twist causes “jumping” but any bend in the cable will have a similar effect. As one might expect, elimination of the jumping effect manifests itself in a very pure sound, devoid of grain and background haze.
A well designed Litz wire always seems to perform well as an interconnect. However, for speaker cables, it is not as consistent, perhaps because it presents a higher impedance for low frequencies. On account of this, it’s best avoided as a speaker cable on the valve and low power amplifiers. For anything over 40 Watts solid-state, a Litz cable can be a huge advantage.
Solid Core cable is usually a single, relatively thick conductor instead of a bunch of thin strands. Similar to Litz, there is no signal degradation caused by electricity jumping across boundaries and as you would expect, the sound is pure and transparent.
The tonal balance of a solid core wire is affected by the thickness of its core. Thin solid core wires (less than 0.5 sq. mm cross-section) are highly transparent but bass light, thick solid cores on the other hand are bass-heavy (2.5 sq. mm cross-section 30 amp mains wire) – mains wire with conductor cross-section of 1 sq. mm is about right for many systems and still popular in some quarters.
A large diameter solid core wire such as Origin Live Soli-Core is highly favoured by valve amp users. No one really seems to know exactly why thick twisted solid core wire works so well on valves but it outperforms exotic alternatives including Litz wires.
Connector Plugs
Plugs are influential on sound – yes, dare I say it, they are surprisingly audible. Different plugs influence the sonic characteristics of a cable significantly. Plug design is worthy of a separate article so I’ll save this for a later date. We are meticulous when it comes to sound quality and the fact that a plug is made from copper as opposed to brass is just the start. In a future bulletin, we’ll look at the results of testing 4 copper plugs made by WBT, Furutech, Harmony and ETI.
We have only hinted here at some of the research conducted into cables but hopefully, this article is of some help.
Notes
Avoid tin-plated cables.
Always allow at least a couple of hours break-in time for cable tests but 40 hours to be sure.
Cryogenic treatment works.
Claims regarding metal purity and crystal structure are important but of little account if the cable configuration and a whole range of other things are not right for your system.
Cable comparisons must be carried out in your system or they are of little value.
Don’t pay too much attention to the hype in brochures or reviews – my first introduction to cable comparison was with a highly reviewed £8/meter Oxygen-free, high-pressure wound cable (pressure winding reduces strand vibration and “jumping”) against a £0.32p/metre mains wire. The mains wire won hands down in a very standard system.
