Copper Grading, and Why It's Important
For years audiophiles have experimented, trying to search for the holy grail which is perfectly reproduced sound. The most important part of replicating the sound as it was produced in the studio is in the cables, and specifically the copper used. With all the cables we stock, we believe high copper grading is crucial.
Oxygen Free Copper, or OFC as it is commonly known after being developed in the mid-seventies is well known in the audio industry as the best choice for speaker cables and interconnects. It became increasingly obvious that the sound quality was related to the quality of copper used. Oxygen itself acts as a corrosive substance to copper; it oxidizes and turns green and flaky, so in doing so it loses the high conductivity that copper is so good for.
It all starts with the ingot, the raw lump of copper from which the cable is manufactured. The purity is measured by the amount of grains present in what will be the final conductor. After refining, it then goes through a extrusion process in an oxygen free atmosphere to reduce the oxygen content to less than a hundredth of a percent in most cases.
Silver-plating the Wire
Often, silver-plated copper can make a dull or lifeless system appear lively and vibrant. Silver is a better conductor than copper, but naturally costs much more which renders it redundant for solid use in cables. Silver-plated copper for use with home cinema systems is a positive step in creating impact for exciting scenes, but isn't recommended for dedicated audio use.
Listening via silver-plated cabling can feel a little harsh on the ear and what we call in the industry as a little too bright. This 'brightness' is fine, and actually enhances a 2 or 3 hour film for example. But for heavier uses such as listening to music, more traditional OFC cables are preferred.
 
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