Skin effect is simply frequency dependant. The tendancy for the electron flow to move to the outside of a conductor is proportional to frequency. You are correct, the Skin effect doesn't really start to become a factor untill frequencies well beyond the audio spectrum in massive amounts, but at this level, we are talking about minute changes. C'mon, we are comparing different copper connections, not the difference between copper, silver and lead.

I came upon this interesting article that supports the Inductance and capacitance argument more than my 'time/frequency' standpoint. None the less, the difference between cables is 100% supported.

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/...bleFaceoff.htm

If you look at a cable as a load, and you should, Inductive Reactance and Capacitance Reactance will change conversely with a change in freq. This will effectively alter the reactance (AC resistance) of a cable as the frequencies climb and descend the frequency spectrum. A cable in other words is a dynamic load changing its behavior as the frequency feeding it is changed in a fixed and predictable way. I guess the ideal cable would have minimal capacitance (few stored electrons to oppose a change of voltage) and minimal inductance (less opposition to changes incurrent flow) and have minimal resistance to current flow (resistance).

Here is where I am going out onto my theoretical limb (this is my figuring not something I have read so feel free to correct if obviously wrong)
It is logical to assume the cables dielectric (capacitive nature) is altered by all materials of construction. It is logical to assume the more wires and twists/braids (the more complex the cable geometry) a cable has the more inductance it will have. The more parallel paths a cable has, the better the conductor material, the fewer grain boundaries, and the fewer electrical junctions the lower the resistance.

The inductive or magnetic field around a cable tells me there are electrons moving at the skin of a cable, knowing magnet and metal behavior, I know magnetic lines of flux move inside the metal as well. From that I believe electrons flow inside a conductor not just at the skin. Recent electrical theory states the electrons at higher frequencies move closer to the skin of a conductor, others feel almost all electrons are up there by the skin. This is where the polishing would come in… I don’t know… it has some empirical justification (reality appears to validate)

It sounds like the frequency discussion has merit. Fine. But is it 'audible'? Are these things happening at frequencies far and above what we can hear? It kinda sounds like it.

How about the heat generated from all those electrons bumping into each other? Hmmmmm me thinks some kind of cooling system is required to keep the sound pure. Perhaps a plastic tube coiled around the RCA cables with refrigerant flowing through it? [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]

[ December 16, 2003, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: SUX 2BU ]

JohnVroom - there is nothing at all wrong with anything in your last three posts. All I would add to it is that the effects are either too minor to be audible or outside our frequency range of hearing.

Dave - I'll try to hit that site later for a good laugh. To support my side I suppose I could link to any Physics text ;) oooh - -WAY below the belt [img]tongue.gif[/img]

You now we might get by on this heat production issue if we make the cables out of a really good thermal conductor like...copper. And then we make the cable long to maximize surface area, that will help too.
LOL

^ Sounds like Audiophile logic [img]tongue.gif[/img] Make the wire longer to reduce heat by expanding surface area [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

Well the answer "is it audible" appears to be relative (I say yes...she says no (Beatles tune popped into my head sorry)). The real question is why it is relative, to me it CAN be quite obvious other times it isn’t as obvious to me. That could be moods, hearing changes (inner ear performance caused by Metalica Maximus), and sinus's (that’s probably my issue).

Please don’t think the cable manufacturers do this for peace and love, they do it for money, and you don’t see too many cable manufacturers going out of business. They must make their product different even if that just means pretty PVC jackets. Some companies have engineers others sound engineer (they listen and change it to sound 'good'), others just market off the shelf RCA cables well. I would like to say dealers have your best interest at heart but they too need to eat and certain product lines are more profitable.
One bad design I sampled was obsessed with time alignment so he made this crazy IC cable that was as big around as a baby's leg and dropped the output 35 db ... I didn’t have enough gain to drive my home system to 85 db. It sounded OK but sheeez what an idiot. One cable was so stiff it would literally pull itself out of the female RCA... what are they thinking, one manufacturers claim to fame is using the golden ratio found in nature.
Let your ears be your guide, and then be happy!

Logic from Dukk and his brother Sux (hey that doesnt sound right) it must be sux and Dukks (that isnt any better) [img]tongue.gif[/img]