The Name:
Since these simple red wires virtually eliminate the
most common problems of typical speaker cables (usual
sonic signatures, hyperbole, and high prices) they have
been named the "Anti-Cables".
Handling:
The Anti-Cables are flexible enough to loop around
a Magic Marker size pen, yet stiff enough to hold that
shape after you let go. Because of their unique malleability,
they can be drawn and formed into virtually and shape
you need, but don't expect them to lie on the floor
like typical snake sized cables. It's not in their "Anti-Cable"
nature. The Anti-Cable wires handle very different than
typical speaker cables, but that is part of what customers
like about them.
The Difference:
The Anti-Cable wire is made of one solid piece of super
long drawn continuously cast Copper. They might look
skinny, but that is because the insulation is a very
thin red coating instead of the typical thick plastic
insulation. They are actually a heavy 12
gauge wire, even thought they look much smaller. We
believe the Anti-Cables are sonically transparent and
neutral because they virtually eliminate the most common
sources that give speaker cable their sonic signature.
- The 12 gauge solid core wire eliminates the complex
conductive and magnetic interaction that happens between
the many individual strands of stranded wire.
Note: Skin effect for a piece of 12 gauge wire is
real at RF (radio frequencies), but not audio frequencies.
The smeared sound usually attributed to "skin
effect" is most likely "dielectric effect"
as described in number 3 below.
- Keeping each wire somewhat separate minimizes the
magnetic fields of the wires from interacting with
each other.
- Most of all, beyond the extremely thin red coating,
there is nothing left but air, and air is the ideal
insulation dielectric!
Air is also why break-in time is almost non-existent
with the Anti-Cables. This is because “break-in”
is actually bad sounding dielectric material, which
simply sounds less bad with time. Since the Anti-Cables
have almost no dielectric material, there is almost
no "break-in". If you have ever experienced
a typical speaker cable breaking-in, you understand
how much the dielectric material affects the sound. Again,
it gets better with time, but the dielectric effect
will never fully go away (unless you simply remove it
like the Anti-Cables).
Here is some text from AudioQuest's Cable Theory
web pages:
"The problem is that any insulating material
next to a conductor acts like a capacitor which stores
and later releases energy. This is true of circuit board
materials, cables, resistors and of course capacitors.
The ideal wire is one with no insulation except for
air."
Although "air" is not so good, since the
copper will quickly oxidize. The thin red coating on
the Anti-Cable wire is the best solution: Very very
little insulating material, and air tight!!!
Doesn't it seem like typical speaker cables have it
all wrong?
Lots of insulating material, not air tight, and over
priced.
Managing the run:
The stiffness of the wires will help you to keep them
suspended in the air. Do your best (without getting
“Audiophilia Nervosa”) to keep them a few
inches away from anything, including the carpeted floor. Extra
long Anti-Cable runs can be better managed by attaching
a small plastic Cable Tie (included) every couple of
feet. This will help the wires move as one, without
adversely affecting the sound.
The Spades:
We use an industrial grade, lightly tinned, (to
prevent oxidation) solid copper spade that is specified
for Aircraft use. This means it is light weight, yet
built for high performance and high reliability. Each
Spade is "cold welded" (extreme high pressure
crimp) to the copper wire. |
