Each cable configuration exhibits its own characteristics. It’s a case of using the correct tool for the job.

Overview

Audio cables employ either solid or stranded conductors depending on the application for which the cable was designed. These conductors are usually arranged in one of the configurations outlined below. Each configuration exhibits its own characteristics.

Bunch Stranded Conductor

The bunch stranding method of construction is a relatively inexpensive way to produce a cable. Here the drawn strands are laid in the same direction, as a loose bunch. This method of construction is typically used in power cables, but can also be found in some hi-fi cables.

Since no particular attention is paid to the pattern in which individual strands are laid, the resulting cable‘s cross-section is not perfectly circular, and individual strand lengths often vary. Cables produced this way therefore exhibit variations in characteristic impedance in the longitudinal direction, making them challenging for exacting audio applications.

Concentric-lay Stranded Conductor

The concentric-lay cable comprises multiple layers of carefully laid strands (see diagram below). The number of strands per layer is limited, making it expensive to produce the perfectly circular multi-layered conductor required for high quality audio cables.

Rope-lay Conductor

In order to build up a conductor where both flexibility and size are important, multiple stranded layers are laid in a twisted rope-lay pattern. These layers can consist of bunch stranded elements or concentric-lay elements.

The concentric-lay method produces the higher quality conductor. Concentric rope-lay stranded speaker cables have a larger cross-section than simple concentric stranded cables and, therefore, more controlled, rhythmic bass.

Solid Conductor

The three construction methods outlined above produce cables with good flexibility, but often suffer from non-circular cross-sections. Perfectly circular cables can be produced more easily using solid conductors. However, when a solid conductor's cross-sectional area exceeds 1.5 sq mm, flexibility is lost, and bending readily causes the conductor to snap.

Although flexibility maybe a compromise, solid conductors pave the path way to improved fidelity. Lower inter and intra screen distortion, better geometry control and improved dielectric and screening efficiency make this type of construction method the best possible.

Construction: The Proximity Effect

When cables are positioned side by side (in parallel pairs, or ‘figure of eight’ speaker cables), the going and return currents flowing in opposite directions repel each other because of the associated magnetic fields.

The current flow therefore becomes non-uniform across the cross-section of each conductor. This increases the conductor’s resistance. An alternative and more effective method of cable construction consists of twisting the two conductors together so that they are not parallel to each other and therefore do not suffer from the proximity effect.

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