Opinions: Gold versus silver speaker cables

Big Red Machine · « **on:** 17 Jan 2008, 08:20 pm »

I have a gold digital cable on order. Can't afford 7 meters of gold IC's to the amps. So I have the short runs from the amps to the speakers at around 4 feet to reengineer.

Love silver, but hear so much about gold I want to give it a try. Anyone go down this path?

chadh · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 09:31 pm »

Gold makes me suspicious. Why does the relative scarcity of a metal (and consequently its price) seem to correlate so closely with the purported benefits of its use in cables?

Chad

p.s. Let me know if you think I should remove this cynical reply. I'm not looking to cause any dispute.

AliG · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:08 pm »

Gold sounds warmer (fuller body) than silver and copper..but it sacrifice a little bit of speed and attack.

nature boy · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:10 pm »

I tried Grover's silver cables, IC's and speaker cables, they just didn't float
my boat with a solid state amplifier.

NB

Sonny · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:18 pm »

Plain pure copper is all I need.
I've heard expensive cables before on nice systems...and well, I've also heard copper on the same systems and can't distinguish the difference, if any, and if any "better" than the other.
I think well made cables are all one needs...be it silver, gold or copper...

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:19 pm »

Chad, I see no issue with that.

I like snap and detail but I also like body and soul to voices and cellos, etc. I am not sure what "warmth" sounds like. If it means layed back then that sounds like "analog" which I definitely do not like.

I found that the Reality's were very close to the Poiemas but the Poiemas really added the snap I liked. So as far as silver goes, I like it. Would I get less detail with gold?

saisunil · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:27 pm »

Perhaps you may want to consider tubes in your systemn for that body and warmth.

In any case I have a pair Black Mountain Gold ICs and find them very transparent and enjoyable:
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc.pl?cablintr&1200882194

They are copper, silver and gold alloy and are going very cheap on audiogon which they promote their business before a review hits the market.

Cheers

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:30 pm »

Quote from: saisunil on 17 Jan 2008, 10:27 pm

Perhaps you may want to consider tubes in your systemn for that body and warmth.

In any case I have a pair Black Mountain Gold ICs and find them very transparent and enjoyable:
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc.pl?cablintr&1200882194

Cheers

No tubes!!

And I have some BM for sale as well.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:32 pm »

Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:08 pm

Gold sounds warmer (fuller body) than silver and copper..but it sacrifice a little bit of speed and attack.

Recent talk has been that PC's make a bigger difference than the other cables and I had experienced the opposite. Hate to blow a wad on gold and hate them!

AliG · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:36 pm »

But PC makes large different when you use it on the source... the effect of PC on amp is more subtle. But of course such observation is based solely on my own experience in my own gears....

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 17 Jan 2008, 10:32 pm

Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:08 pm
Gold sounds warmer (fuller body) than silver and copper..but it sacrifice a little bit of speed and attack.

Recent talk has been that PC's make a bigger difference than the other cables and I had experienced the opposite. Hate to blow a wad on gold and hate them!

Sonny · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:36 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 17 Jan 2008, 10:32 pm

Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:08 pm
Gold sounds warmer (fuller body) than silver and copper..but it sacrifice a little bit of speed and attack.

Recent talk has been that PC's make a bigger difference than the other cables and I had experienced the opposite. Hate to blow a wad on gold and hate them!

What amps did you finally settle on???
Also, well, I also wouldn't think that 6' of the finest PC cables (untreated of course) would make a difference from the thousands of feet of Power Company's cable feeding your circuit!

AliG · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:38 pm »

By "warmth" I mean more midrange...hence the vocal will appear closer to you.

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 17 Jan 2008, 10:19 pm

Chad, I see no issue with that.

I like snap and detail but I also like body and soul to voices and cellos, etc. I am not sure what "warmth" sounds like. If it means layed back then that sounds like "analog" which I definitely do not like.

I found that the Reality's were very close to the Poiemas but the Poiemas really added the snap I liked. So as far as silver goes, I like it. Would I get less detail with gold?

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:45 pm »

Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:36 pm

But PC makes large different when you use it on the source... the effect of PC on amp is more subtle. But of course such observation is based solely on my own experience in my own gears....

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 17 Jan 2008, 10:32 pm
Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:08 pm
Gold sounds warmer (fuller body) than silver and copper..but it sacrifice a little bit of speed and attack.

Recent talk has been that PC's make a bigger difference than the other cables and I had experienced the opposite. Hate to blow a wad on gold and hate them!

ANd BTW, I have a RS Haley now. Haven't even plugged it in yet.

I need to start a thread once all the gear is here about my transformation of the system.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:46 pm »

Quote from: Sonny on 17 Jan 2008, 10:36 pm

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 17 Jan 2008, 10:32 pm
Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:08 pm
Gold sounds warmer (fuller body) than silver and copper..but it sacrifice a little bit of speed and attack.

Recent talk has been that PC's make a bigger difference than the other cables and I had experienced the opposite. Hate to blow a wad on gold and hate them!

What amps did you finally settle on???
Also, well, I also wouldn't think that 6' of the finest PC cables (untreated of course) would make a difference from the thousands of feet of Power Company's cable feeding your circuit!

Belles 150A Refs and really liking them right now. 500 watts in mono mode is getting it done!

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Jan 2008, 10:47 pm »

Quote from: AliG on 17 Jan 2008, 10:38 pm

By "warmth" I mean more midrange...hence the vocal will appear closer to you.

Okay, maybe I should give them a try.

satfrat · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 12:07 am »

I too love my Poiema!!! IC's and SC's, I don't expect to ever trade them. But as for a digital cable, I went elsewhere to a gold/silver alloy of Crystal Cable. The VH Pulsar copper digital was also a good performer. If there's 1 other cable I would have liked to try, it would have been Kool Cable's gold silkworm digital cable. IMHO, folks who just stick with copper will never know how good their system could actually sound,,, but that's just my opinion, don't mean nuthin'.

Cheers,
Robin

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 12:26 am »

Quote

Belles 150A Refs and really liking them right now. 500 watts in mono mode is getting it done!

Their good amps Pete....enjoy !!! (nice to have that extra power)...

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jan 2008, 01:15 am »

Any more opinions?

twitch54 · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Jan 2008, 02:19 am »

Big Red Machine, not trying to highjack your thread, just wanted to say I love your Avatar, first time I ever saw a "Wide Cab" in flight ! Now if I could only get the UP to run their intermodal trains as good as the BNSF I'd be happy !!

Telstar · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 12:23 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 19 Jan 2008, 01:15 am

Any more opinions?

I'm considering Siltech interconnects, which are silver/gold.