Nah. I think they already figured it out in the middle ages, though most likely in Arabia. Apparently large scale alchemy never took on, it must have been too arduous.
But seriously. Check out Teresonic gold interconnects’ review, check out DualConnect gold’s review, check out really almost any review about interconnects with pure gold conductors in them, you will find praise and a mention of something distinct. Different geometries, but the descriptions tell us that gold wire carries something explicit of its own in any design.
Ohh Elk… I’m a novice. I’m merely interested in the subject, surely I know very little. Let’s get Galen here and I’ll seem like a flea.
Besides if I did know it all - I would either share the knowledge directly or first try if the community catches on to the idea independently through answering my questions.
Okay okay, I know a lot. But I’m a novice. Maybe an eternal novice, I just like knowledge.
Let’s say basic cheap OFC copper is a good conductor. Is it though, since there is AQ “Perfect-surface copper”, there’s even monocrystalline copper, there’s cryotreated coppers… Where does it become a good conductor? NOTE: the aforementioned techniques for copper will not (at least significantly) affect your measurement of its resistance. What makes them better then? An audio signal is a very complex waveform whose field will be affected by imperfections in the lattice structure, and this is not to do with resistance!
Again, go read numerous reviews about pure gold interconnects. They are from reputable reviewers. Gold gets its praise, though some say it’s too mellow. Some people like mellow.
(Remember, in an interconnect, resistance is even less of an issue considering the input impedance. Voltage doesn’t care, current does. So gold MIGHT not fit a speaker cable. Dunno, never done.)
PS. Aluminium is a TERRIBLE conductor… right? I wonder why it’s used in power lines, mains feeds… OH, maybe because it can be made appropriately thicker, it’s cheaper and lighter, etc. Are you getting the point or just testing me?
THE POINT, just in case: different conductors are more or less suitable for different applications. You can’t generalize a “better conductor”
It isn’t really up for discussion. When Gold is tested against copper of any grade if always has more loss. It is only used on connectors because it does not corrode. Silver is a better conductor than copper but it corrodes more. This is science.
Aluminum is interesting. It is a good conductor and cheaper; one pound of aluminum has the electrical current-carrying capacity of two pounds of copper. Pretty cool.
Yes it is science about resistance. What you don’t take into account is that resistance is not even an issue in audio signal transmission unless you, for example, use really thin wire for inefficient speakers.
It’s even less an issue in interconnects, as I said, the input impedance of an amplifier is tens of kilo-ohms, so you could say it’s “negligibly large”, now why do you think the interconnect should care much about resistance? To a point yes. And for RCA, the return lead (shield unless there’s a passive shield) should be minimally resistant. The signal conductor can very well be gold AND it will sound different than silver, NOT just because of their difference in resistance. Don’t get fixated on resistance as “loss”, it’s attenuation. This is why, according to your logic (?) the RCA with golden signal lead would be just quieter or have lost information. Doesn’t work that way. We don’t know why materials impart the effect they do on the EM field (the signal).
Try to understand outside the resistance bubble. It is not a problem, reactive variables are the problems!
And just some more… I’ll say bluntly, forgive me. It’s an inflexible attitude towards cable matters to glorify low resistance and will not lead to understanding a lot of interesting things.
Do you want superconductors for your audio cables? No resistance = best? If you do, you are mistaken. They are not suitable, only for power transmission. It’s very complex.
And yet.
This is not the case.
Anyway, should we be talking separately about audio conductors and general conductors of electricity? There is confusion.
Arenith, I’m not exactly sure what you seek here. You ask a simple question, answerable by a simple Google search. You then challenge, and even insult, everyone who offers you information and advice. And finally you run us all over with your personal “facts”.
ARE YOU FOR REAL?
I am sorry for what this has come to. I really am.
I just could not resist making the point across that resistivity is not the only parameter of a conductor when it comes to how it performs in an audio system.
Facts, well… I have facts and I have speculation. Haven’t insulted anyone, tried to (maybe too forcefully) open up a poster’s worldview of conductors. Knowing you Palouse, you are overstating the matter. Did you not notice the part with humour in it though?
I’m not giving up my view that it’s superficial to say a conductor is “better” (for audio) if it has lower resistivity. It’s a static, lonely parameter to judge a conductor…
Oh and… When someone says “this is science” I am compelled to challenge the claim if it does not hold in the field of science of audio. Not my personal facts, it’s the facts of many, many others who’ve heard and even measured the results at best!
Yes, let’s be kind to each other. Amen.
Acceptance for gold. Knowledge of gold. Revelations from gold!
What gives with you! You are so entrenched and deeply rooted - all of your posts/threads basically the same; obsessing about types of wire, insulation, metals, rare earth metals, fuses, circuit breakers etc, etc, etc. Are you a frustrated metallurgist or an alchemist? I just play music and enjoy it! Trust me on this - it is much more enjoyable / uplifting than vexing about all the different types of metals / wires / connectors / connections and the route if takes for the music to get to one’s ears and brain. The part that counts is what happens inside one’s head !!
Yes, yes, your analysis of my posting tendencies is correct… But I have to admit your attitude made me feel depressed. Why would you try to put down someone who clearly will be some day contributing to the advancement of the industry? Even if not, someone who is deeply rooted through interest and curiosity.
I’m appalled. Let’s just leave any technical ideation to the engineers and concentrate on the music, right… They will surely come up with somehing interesting, no need for us to think or be aware of any facts, it’s just the music that matters!
No, it’s not just the music. If you’re a nerd it won’t be just the music. The music is no less important, but for me, the hobby gets a lot more dimensionality with growing interest in the underlying technology. Oh, and it’ll hopefully even get me a job.
Why not sell your hi-fi and just imagine the music then.
Sorry. I don’t want to be rude. This just genuinely made me sad.
Go tell Galen Gareis that his lectures are superfluous and he should concenctrate on the music instead of nitpicking on electromagnetic optimization. After all, you can hear the music by hooking up with the famous coat hanger!
Yes, that is why it is used for the cables on power grids. I am not sure why gold is being promoted as a good conductor here; it is better than aluminium but worse than copper.
Occam’s Razor: Why not just imagine YOU are listening to gold, silver, aluminium, etc, etc.
Yes, I can believe that, I do think the help you require is beyond the reach of PS Audio Forum…
Please don’t reply or Elk will intervene and send me a Christmas Message in red ink.!