High capacitance speaker cable

Why?

Yes really, why??

What possible benefit can this stuff (Goartz and Kimber spring to mind) bring to an audio system?

Why would anyone deliberately hang a capacitor on the output of their amplifier?

Bonkers if you ask me!

Anyone want to defend the practice?

 

As an arch enemy of them I can put the case.

Some amplifiers are over filtered on the output so that they can claim unconditional stability. The high capacitance in Goertz and Litz counters that by applying an inverse filter so opens and brightens them up a little.

Same for valve amps, the output transformers if just one massive filter, which is why it is *the* most important feature in valve power amp design. So valve amps are inherently bandwidth limited unless you spend a fortune on massive silver wired output trannies. So high cap cables can compensate a little for that.

But for some wide open unfiltered un-output transformered amps (mostly high current Darlington transistor types) high cap cables can be lethal as they present a short circuit (or effectively so low an impedance as to be one) at about 40 to 50khz where wide open amps are still *in*. NVA, Naim and (classic) Exposures come into this last catagory. All NVA and all early Naims, but I am not sure about some of the new ones, I am told some are now filtered.

 

So in reality they should be sold as special purpose cables, and mainly for low budget valve amps with less than great output transformers.

 

Yup! and over filtered unconditionally stable transistor power amps like Quads

 

Hmm.... but you'd be talking what... less than 1db difference up at 20khz?
I have the 1976 test report somewhere showing the effect of capacitance on a 405.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest!

 

Goertz say -

GOERTZ cables were developed by Alpha-Core, Inc. and adapted as a loudspeaker cable by Ole Goertz, a Danish electronics and audio engineer. The GOERTZ concept is patented throughout the world and founded on the principle that an audio cable should do absolutely nothing to the signal passing through it.

The distortion of an audio signal along a speaker cable depends on the cables electrical parameters, mainly its resistance and inductance per unit length.

A high AWG number means high resistance, which will degrade the bass and low mid range frequencies, whereas a high inductance will typically roll-off the treble and high mid range frequencies. Because both parameters affect the signal relative to cable length, they become a grave concern for long runs of wire in quality home theater and multi room audio installations.

The patented GOERTZ cables have become famous for their low inductance and resistance characteristics, as well as their unique flat packaging.

 

They are unwound capacitors.

 

Or high-budget valve amps with less than great transformers!

 

Don't get me going on cables.

79 stand speaker cable will do unless the run is very long.

And signal cables? If folk want to "tune" their system, why don't they buy one with TONE CONTROLS?

 

Hear, Bloody, Hear!!!!!!

Chris

 

Very long?

10mtrs? 20, 30 40?

Another county? Country? Continent?