1. Why use silver conductors?

Silver is about 8% more conductive than copper, as shown by the following chart of bulk resistance measured in micro-ohms/centimeter.



Silver	1.59 Best
Copper	1.72
Gold	2.44

In addition, oxidation (tarnish) of silver does not have the same detrimental effect as copper. Silver oxide is also a very good conductor unlike copper oxide which is a poor conductor.

Silver has a unique sonic signature, different than copper. A well constructed silver cable should sound more detailed, with a "faster" response.



2. Why use silver-plated copper instead of pure silver for conductors?

Copper is much more ductile (bendable) than silver. Pure silver wire is very brittle and is more succeptible to fracture/break with bending. Power cables for audio/video/home theater systems must be reasonably flexible and be able to withstand frequent bending. Silver-plated copper exhibits much of the ductility of copper yet retains the conductivity of silver.

Our silver-plated copper conductors are made of high purity copper to very demanding military specifications, they are fully stable, and do not degrade over time. These conductors are considerably more expensive than copper wire of the same purity, however the results are worth the additional material cost.




3. I have heard that silver cables are bright.

The most common sources of brightness in high-end systems are the result of:

• The room acoustics. In particular high frequency reflections in rooms without sufficient acoustic absorption can make a system sound bright.
• Noise introduced into the system in the form of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).
• Microphonic electrical signals generated through mechanical and acoustical vibration picked up by  the components (capacitors, resistors, integrated circuits, etc) within the system equipment.

A well designed power cable, for audio/video/home theater systems, whether composed of copper or silver-plated copper conductors will not impart additional brightness to a system. In fact the opposite should be true. These power cables are designed to reject noise pickup (through shielding and a well chosen cable geometry) and in fact will even provide attenuation (reduction) of EMI and RFI already in the electrical system of your audio/video/home theater system.

It is important to treat the sources of brightness rather than select cables or loudspeakers that roll-off high frequencies to compensate.




4. What is a dialectric? What is the best dialectric to use in power cables for audio/video/home theater systems?

A dielectric material is a substance that is a poor conductor of electricity (good insulator), but an efficient supporter of electrostatic fields.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) commonly known by the DuPont brand name TEFLON^® has the best combination of dielectric specifications of any material readily available and it will not catch fire or produce smoke. It is therefore the best material to use as an insulator for high performance audio or video systems.

Our silver-plated copper conductors are insulated with PTFE.

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Last modified: 08/07/07