Phase linear 700b speaker terminals

[mlucitt]

I question that theory because house wiring uses single strand solid wire. Whatcha think, gurus?

It is correct, there are experiments that have taken the temperature in different parts of a single conductor copper wire (I don't know how) and the outside of the wire heated up faster than the center. Not sure if that was 60Hz or some higher RF frequency.

As far as why single strand solid wire is used in house wiring:

• Stranded wire is more expensive to make.
• At a given wire gauge, stranded is going to be larger than solid wire (it's the cross-sectional area of conductor that counts and there are going to be some air gaps between conductors with stranded). This could make a big difference if you have several cables in a limited space like an electrical box.
• The main advantage of stranded is that it's more flexible. You generally don't need this in home wiring because it's all put in place once and hidden behind walls/floors/ceilings.
• When you screw a solid wire into a switch or receptacle, you can tell if it's secure. You cannot see individual strands coming loose as you fold wires back into an electrical box.

 

[AngrySailor]

I always associated “binding post” with old Atwater- Kent and (GASP!) Crosley radios from the 30s and 40s where they were used for antenna connections, etc. I had one of those electronic exploration sets from Sears when I was a kid, all the connections were fahnestock clips. Funny how that sprang forth from ancient memories!

Regarding the loss over distance issue, I once heard that electrons travelled on the surface of a conductor, not actually through it, and resistance was reduced by using a greater number of strands in a wire. I question that theory because house wiring uses single strand solid wire. Whatcha think, gurus? Is this correct?

I’m no expert on this but recall reading that higher frequencies travel on the surface of each strand and that stranded wires therefore have more surface area? Not sure how much of speaker wire theory is snake oil though. I’ve in the past as a broke kid used 14/2 solid house wire and sounded fine to me then. I use 12/2 stranded trailer wire in the shop and if I recall 14&16/2 in the house as it was what they had. Stuffs cheap and has a decent outer jacket, nice and flexible too. I can’t get behind these $10k speaker wires, IF they make a difference, my ears, listening environment and noise from the house rattling are worse offenders...

 

[grapplesaw]

I’m no expert on this but recall reading that higher frequencies travel on the surface of each strand and that stranded wires therefore have more surface area? Not sure how much of speaker wire theory is snake oil though. I’ve in the past as a broke kid used 14/2 solid house wire and sounded fine to me then. I use 12/2 stranded trailer wire in the shop and if I recall 14&16/2 in the house as it was what they had. Stuffs cheap and has a decent outer jacket, nice and flexible too. I can’t get behind these $10k speaker wires, IF they make a difference, my ears, listening environment and noise from the house rattling are worse offenders...

Hi Andrew
I was reading your comment on wire and was chuckling to my self about my own beliefs on the subject. This is bigger is better and to big is not necessarily a good thing.

As I read this thread I am building an custom mono amp. As I was soldering a solid collector wire to row of outputs where I then solder a stranded wire to run to the fuse holders I though I should just run it as a single solid wire.

I guess I did have a conclusion and proceeded to do with Both solid and stranded.

after looking at several sites ( brought on by this thread) I may start using more solid wire. My final take will be different than some of you but it looks to me as there are a lot of snake oil salesman working the wire side of the industry

lots of good info here
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

and here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_wire

 

[Gepetto]

I always associated “binding post” with old Atwater- Kent and (GASP!) Crosley radios from the 30s and 40s where they were used for antenna connections, etc. I had one of those electronic exploration sets from Sears when I was a kid, all the connections were fahnestock clips. Funny how that sprang forth from ancient memories!

Regarding the loss over distance issue, I once heard that electrons travelled on the surface of a conductor, not actually through it, and resistance was reduced by using a greater number of strands in a wire. I question that theory because house wiring uses single strand solid wire. Whatcha think, gurus? Is this correct?

Yes and it becomes more pronounced the higher in frequency that you go to .

PS: Mark, some of my gang test equipment banks use Fahnestock clips on them (like 100 of em) .

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

I always associated “binding post” with old Atwater- Kent and (GASP!) Crosley radios from the 30s and 40s where they were used for antenna connections, etc. I had one of those electronic exploration sets from Sears when I was a kid, all the connections were fahnestock clips. Funny how that sprang forth from ancient memories!

Regarding the loss over distance issue, I once heard that electrons travelled on the surface of a conductor, not actually through it, and resistance was reduced by using a greater number of strands in a wire. I question that theory because house wiring uses single strand solid wire. Whatcha think, gurus? Is this correct?

I painted an electron green one time and used a high speed camera and a Peewee Herman Turbo Fist to hold it and recorded it's path.....

Yep, it traveled on the surface

 

[Gepetto]

If electrons did not travel on the surface, then Litz wire would provide no value

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

If electrons did not travel on the surface, then Litz wire would provide no value

AND, since they travel on the surface, wasting money on Oxygen Free wire....................................??????????

 

[mlucitt]

AND, since they travel on the surface, wasting money on Oxygen Free wire....................................??????????

Waveguides (at higher frequencies, of course) are hollow wires.

 

[Gepetto]

AND, since they travel on the surface, wasting money on Oxygen Free wire....................................??????????

Good question