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Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
#185433 11/25/07 06:00 AM
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Greetings,

I was curious if others can post experience with the Belden 13xxA series speaker cable. The various versions of the cable are as follows:

1313A 10AWG 259x34 OFHC speaker cable
1311A 12AWD 168x34 OFHC speaker cable
1309A 14AWG 105x34 OFHC speaker cable
1307A 16AWG 65x34 OFHC speaker cable

I am a small upstart home theater/automation installer and have modeled all of my cabling from Bluejeans and Audioholics testing/suggestions. In other words I use Belden products across the board for most every interconnect. I have been using Belden 5T00UP 10AWG 65x28 ETP speaker cable in combination with WBT knockoff locking banana plugs. In reading posts on other various sites regarding Belden 1313A speaker cable I had to bring some in for testing in my home system.

I first have to comment regarding OFC/OFHC vers. ETP copper. I live in the Gulf Islands on the west coast of Canada. This is a coastal area obviously and a temperate rain forest. It's very humid here and the air is "salty". With that being said I have to post experience with 5T00UP oxidizing RAPIDLY. When I was replacing the 5T00UP with 1313A I was shocked when I looked at the amount and rapid nature of the oxidization on the ETP 65x38 strands. In some places it was almost going green! wow what an eye opener. In looking at another install where I used a big box brand OFC speaker cable using the same WBT knockoff also in an ocean front location I noticed WAY LESS oxidization…

After replacing the 5T00UP with 1313A I gave the system a listen. Hmmm... I won't post any adjectives/BS lingo to describe the difference. In a word... BETTER another word... CLEANER perhaps one more... LOUDER (higher SPL per same location on AVR4306 volume knob). In wondering if it was oxidization on the conductors inside the WBT knockoff locking bananas (GLS audio clones) I in-turn swapped them out for solid copper/gold plated bananas found at monoprice. Again no more adjectives/BS lingo in a word IMPROVED... I could actually hear an improvement listening to tracks I know intimately with changes in banana plug and speaker cable.

With this experience in hand and a hacksaw I cut through a WBT knockoff only to find the thing is made of CHEAP BRASS. I can’t help but wonder what affect the termination (banana used and it’s materials) has on the performance of a speaker cable segment. In my experience it does make a difference. I wonder if Audioholics testing regarding speaker cables had taken into consideration the materials used in the banana plugs and it’s affect on performance. To my ears it does make a difference. I also wonder if any testing can be done regarding the strand count. Belden 1313A is 259x34 while Belden 5T00UP is 65x28. In my experience 1313A sounds better than 5T00UP while using the same solid copper gold plated monoprice banana.

All tests where done with Denon AVR-4306 with Axiom’s flagship theater package. Also of note is the solid copper gold plated monoprice bananas can be stacked. This allowed me to replace the thin bridge plate to the second set of posts on the M80 v2 used for bridging when not bi-amping with a 3” piece of 1313A to another monoprice banana. Again an improvement. I wonder if anyone has even considered the materials (cheap brass/gold plated aluminum) used for banana plugs and binding post bridging plates.

Other please post experience regarding ETP oxidization, cable strand count and banana plug/binding post bridge plate materials and their affect on their system and “audio palate” LOL

Solid-State

PS ok sorry I had to post at least one line of that bourgeoisie fartsy BS "smoothsaying"

Last edited by SolidState; 11/25/07 06:19 AM.
Re: Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
SolidState #185438 11/25/07 06:51 AM
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Solid, welcome. Neither my personal experience nor my study of audio technology has indicated that there are significant problems in the areas that you mention. When oxidation(which isn't green)occurs from external causes it should be cleaned or trimmed off at the point making contact with the terminals. The electromagnetic wave carrying the energy and signals which travels along the outside of the wire isn't affected by the stranding or other variations in the interior of the wire. Belden or other makes of lampcord of an appropriate gauge for the distance of the run are fine. Brass is an entirely appropriate material for the straps connecting the speaker terminals, and designers wouldn't sabotage their own creation with something that harmed the performance.


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Re: Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
JohnK #185452 11/25/07 04:04 PM
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I agree that this is certainly the case for higher audio frequencies but at lower frequencies, the current flows well within the conductor. The skin depth at 100Hz for example is somewhere around a quarter inch.

I had direct experience with multiple, non-audio installations where cable conductors were turning green, smelling bad and becoming brittle. The problem was eventually traced to fungus attacking the PVC jacket. You should seek out an insulation that is known to be structured in a way that is fungus resistant or has additives to prevent microbial growth.


House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated
Re: Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
Mojo #185496 11/25/07 10:16 PM
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Hi guys thanks for the reply,

I have to add the speakers where the oxidization occurred are located high up almost on the ceiling as per customer request. Also they are Mirage Omni Oasis omnipolars pointing down so this isn't a huge acoustic performance hit due to nature of the speaker design. At the other location where the 5T00UP was used where little oxidization occurred the speakers are at stand high. Perhaps the heat and moisture located at ceiling hight might be a factor?

Solid-State

PS I will post photos of the oxidization after 8 months use when I get a chance.

Last edited by SolidState; 11/25/07 10:16 PM.
Re: Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
Mojo #185545 11/26/07 03:05 AM
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Mo, I was trying to just briefly summarize several points, and I wasn't referring to the small amount of the wave energy which penetrates into the conductor to latch onto the copper electrons for guiding the wave down the outside of the wire and is lost as heat. The reference was to the majority of the wave that remains outside the wire and actually carries the power and information to the speaker. This was discussed here in some detail a couple of times with links to technical info explaining how energy transmission along wires actually works, compared to the irrelevant water-in-a-pipe analogy sometimes seen.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.


Re: Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
JohnK #185548 11/26/07 03:34 AM
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At lower frequencies, the current density is well within the conductor. As the frequency increases, more and more of the current density is concentrated on the surface of the conductor.


House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated
Re: Belden 13xxA Series OFC Speaker Cables
Mojo #185564 11/26/07 04:48 AM
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Yes, it's understood that at audio frequencies the small portion of the wave energy which penetrates into the conductor penetrates entirely into conductors of the typical sizes used in audio, but what was being referred to was the energy remaining outside the conductor which actually reaches the speaker. One source which was cited here before is the excellent series by Dr. Lesurf which was originally prepared as introductory material for his students in electronics and physics at St. Andrews. See sections 6.2 and 6.3 for an explanation of energy transmission along wires. In addition, see Issue No.24 of The Audio Critic for the "Hip Boots" article beginning at p.75 , especially the explanation of the professor at pp. 76 and 81.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.



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