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 Big TwistTM Interconnects
Introduction Since 1992, we've been fabricating our own interconnects and loudspeaker cables. Based on a concept pioneered by the late Harvey Rosenberg, these have evolved over time into an elegant solution, free from hype and pseudo-science. The basic ingredient is extra soft temper, .999 pure, fine silver wire, jacketed in PTFE (Teflon) spaghetti tubing. While complete DIY instructions are still available on our sister site, The Vinyl Tourist, we now offer these on a custom-made basis for listeners have neither the time nor the resources for home brew. In fact, our custom fabricated cables and cords will basically cost you the same amount as you would otherwise spend on DIY. How can we do this? As an OEM, we're able to buy wire and connectors in bulk at wholesale prices. We sell them for the equivalent of MSRP and the spread between the two covers our overhead and manufacturing costs. Because we only sell direct, you're basically buying them at wholesale prices, too.  Coils of Pure Silver Wire Pure Silver Wire Everything we sell or fabricate is made from extra soft temper, .999 ("3-nines" or 3N) pure silver wire which we purchase directly from a refinery located here in the USA — one that's been a leader in specialty metals processing since 1912. In our extensive listening tests, we've found that the temper (degree of hardness) is actually more important to good sound than the ultimate degree of purity. Once we tried it, it became immediately clear that the extra soft grade of silver exhibited dramatically less glare and more detail in the upper frequencies then the more commonly available regular or medium temper wire. This is the critical area of the sound spectrum which allows us, as listeners, to perceive the minute aural cues which characterize and differentiate various performance spaces. Consider this — In the typical audio circuit, it's not unusual to find metals like gold, nickel, copper, aluminum, tin, zinc, chromium, rhodium, even lead, somewhere in the signal path. For example, virtually all circuit board traces are made from copper that has some form of plating applied to reduce oxidation. In addition, most high end capacitors are fabricated with tin, copper, or aluminum foil. Resistors, as well as capacitors, often have gold-plated, copper leads. The major element in solder, even silver or lead free, is tin and most jacks, connectors, and binding posts are made from gold-plated or rhodium-plated brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. Looking at the big picture, by the time the signal gets to the audio cable, whether or not the wire is made from .999, .9999, or higher-claimed* purity silver is irrelevant. What actually comprises that fraction of a percent of impurity in "pure" silver? It's mainly copper and other trace metals which are already in the circuit, just like the ones mentioned above. Why pay up to 500% more for extra "nines" when you'll never hear them? * While refining silver to 99.99% (.9999 or 4-nines) purity is practical, though expensive, claims of 5-nines (99.999%), 6-nines (99.9999%), or even higher purity are simply false. Unless your're NASA and have unlimited funds, silver that has a degree of purity greater than 4-nines (99.99%) doesn't exist in the commercial marketplace. Jacketing: Teflon vs. Cotton The type of jacket or insulating material used on audio cables has become a topic interest in the high-end community and recently it's become trendy to install audio wire into cotton piping or even silk. The reason behind this is simple—cotton has a very low Dielectric Constant while Teflon' is relatively high. What does this mean? Simply put, the Dielectric Constant is a relative number which is used to compare the insulating abilities of different materials. Air has a Dielectric Constant of 1, cotton's is about 1.3, and PTFE Teflon tubing is 2. Therefore, the insulating characteristics of cotton are closer to plain air, than those of Teflon. This also means that cotton's insulating characteristic isn't very good, which is why it's no longer used on electric wiring. But how does this relate to the sound of an audio signal? Curious to find out, we fabricated a pair of interconnects from 30 gauge silver wire that was completely bare—it had no insulation of any kind. Of course, we could not twist the conductors as we normally do, but with care, we were able to install the cables from our reference turntable to our preamplifier without shorting the signal. To our surprise, we found that when compared with a pair of interconnects made in the usual way (30 gauge silver wire in a 28 gauge Teflon jacket), the uninsulated pair was much more open sounding and the system projected a much larger sound stage. Clearly, the closer one could get to plain air, the better the sound. Hence, the reason for using cotton.  30 Gauge Silver Interconnect Wire in an 8 Gauge (3.3mm) Teflon Jacket However, cotton's low Dielectric Constant also means that it offers little protection against outside noise (RFI and EMI). In fact, our uninsulated interconnects picked-up some noise from the turntable motor, which previously we never heard. We then tried a pair of interconnects made with 30 gauge silver wire and 8 gauge Teflon tubing. It turned out that the oversized Teflon jacket mimicked the perceived advantage of cotton piping (more air and a larger sound stage), while retaining the insulating properties of same-size Teflon (superior rejection of RFI and EMI). While the effect was not as noticeable with speaker cables, based on these experiments we're now fabricating all of our cables with oversized, flexible PTFE tubing. For the DIYer on a budget, we're still offering the more economical, similar-size Teflon jacket, as well. Shielding Audio cables not only conduct the audio signal, itself, but can act as antennas, picking up RFI (Radio Frequency Interference)—mainly in the form of AM and short wave radio broadcasts—and EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference)—usually a hum or buzz that's caused by a nearby electrical field. The later can be from an AC transformer, turntable motor, or an in-wall or under-the-floor power cable. When listeners refer to"noisy" cables, what they really mean is that the cable is picking-up unwanted noise from an external source. These phenomena are completely local and somewhat unpredictable. The only successful technique that can make cables completely immune from RFI and EMI is total shielding with a full copper braid and a shield-to-earth connection. This is the way balanced or XLR cables are constructed. Unfortunately, if not done properly, this type of direct shielding can also restrict the higher frequencies (>10KHz) which, in turn, reduces air and transparency. We're in the process of developing a shield that avoids this problem and plan to offer it as an option in the near future. Based on personal experience, most audio systems don't require shielded cables (especially in lengths of 2 meters or less), but in some systems they may be a necessity. About the WBT-0110Ag NextGen RCA plugs To terminate the interconnects, we especially like the WBT-0110Ag NextGen RCA plugs (shown in the photo at the top of this page) which utilize conductors made of pure silver, directly plated with platinum to limit oxidation. The body is constructed of Ultramid, while the negative contact uses Dyneon. In addition, the barrel is fabricated from an Aluminum/Magnesium alloy for improved rejection of EMI. Transmission bandwidth extends to 1 GHz and its 75 Ohm impedance makes this an outstanding connector for both digital (S/PDIF) and analog signals. What makes the WBT NextGen line particularly attractive is its locking feature. Turn the barrel clockwise to unlock it, insert the plug into the socket, then turn the barrel counter-clockwise for an extremely secure fit. The locking feature makes an especially tight contact without forcing the barrel onto the socket, which is essential for optimum signal transfer. The grip is so tight, that you can actually suspend your preamplifier from interconnects that are terminated with these plugs. In fact, this is how we first saw the them displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and it's what sold us on the design. While the suggested retail price for a set of four NextGen Ag RCA plugs is currently $360, as an OEM we can incorporate them into our designs for a much better price. However, because we're not a parts retailer, we regret that we cannot sell these to you separately. In the near, we plan to stock the more economical silver and silver-plated terminals from Eichmann and Cardas, respectively, neither of which feature a locking design. For a direct comparison of the Eichmann Bullet RCA with the WBT NextGen, we refer you to this review in TNT Audio. Speaker Cables: Power Amplifier to Loudspeakers 
16 Gauge Speaker Cable Wire in an 8 Gauge (3.3mm ID) Jacket — a 5 Gauge (4.6mm) Jacket is even better
For most installations, hardware termination is unneccessary. Just insert the end of the bare speaker wire into the center hole of the 5-way binding post or make a J-hook to fit it around the circumferance of the post.      However, there are situations, such as when you're bi-wiring a set of speakers from a single amplifier, that a spade insures a better connection. The spades we like best include (left to right) the Alpha-Core Pure Silver Spade, the Kimber Postmaster, and the WBT-0680Ag Silver Signature Spade. While we use WBT lead-free silver solder with the first two, the WBT-0680Ag spade utilizes a compression fitting that's tightened with a dedicated Torx driver (shown far right). Not illustrated, but available on special order, are the WBT-0610Ag Signature Banana Plugs.If you're undecided about which termination (if any) is sonically superior, this paper [with emphasis on the conclusions added], written by former GE research engineer Bill Kenney and published in 1995 by the Boston Audio Society, finds that using no connector is best, followed by connectors whose metal content is identical to that of the wire, itself. In addition, his research (for a US Navy project) showed that given a choice, compression fittings are preferable to ones that are soldered on and, due to their relative lack of contact pressure, banana plugs are the worst termination of all. His observations about the sonic anomalies caused by the interface of dissimilar metals is why we use and recommend WBT silver binding posts and RCA sockets, as well as internal silver wire in the signal paths of all audio components, themselves. It's axiomatic that the more similar the conducting metal content is throughout the signal path, the better the end results will be.  If you prefer, we can also add a protective cover of convoluted PVC tubing with a decorative nylon mesh overlay. While it has no effect on the sonics, in some situations it makes the cables easier to dress and adds an element of style. Recent Reviews of Our Cables and Interconnects One of our clients, Gerry E of Rocky Hill, CT, was kind enough to write a review of our cable products and post it on the Audio Asylum website. Click here to read it. DIY builder Thor Jensen of Denmark also reviewed a set of interconnects that he assembled with materials which we provided. Read his article here. What is a stereo set? As you scroll down, you'll see unterminated wire listed by the foot and by the meter, priced as Unbalanced and Balanced stereo sets. An Unbalanced stereo set is (4) pieces of wire—two pieces to make up the left cable or interconnect and two pieces to make up the right. For example, if you plan to assemble a two meter long pair of unbalanced interconnects, you would purchase a two meter Unbalanced stereo set. The total wire length is actually 8 meters, but it will be cut into four 2 meter pieces for your convenience. An Balanced stereo set is (6) pieces of wire—three pieces to make up the left cable or interconnect and three pieces to make up the right. For example, if you plan to assemble a two meter long pair of balanced interconnects, you would purchase a two meter Balanced stereo set. The total wire length is actually 12 meters, but it will be cut into six 2 meter pieces for your convenience. We also sell wire by the straight foot and straight meter. The price is the same regardless of how it's measured, but this allows you to buy coils for DIY projects where you're unsure of the finished length. Examples include rewiring loudspeakers, amplifiers or other components.
Due to the fluctuating cost of silver, prices are subject to change (up or down) without notice. Click here for the Common Sense AC Power Cord. 30 Day, Risk-Free Trial Try any of the fabricated interconnects or speaker cables at home for 30 days. Make a full evaluation in your own system, at your own convenience, without the pressures of time or sales personnel. If you're not completely satisfied with the improvement, return them in their original condition for a full refund. Certain restrictions apply. Tempo Electric LLC PO Box 770 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-0770 USA (518) 542-7004 The best time to reach us by telephone is 10AM-6PM, US Eastern Time. If you reach our voicemail, please leave a message with the best time to return your call. You can always contact us by eMail, instead. Either way, we will try to reply within 24 hours. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
