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Topic: Soldering Speaker Wire Ends (Read 13985 times) previous topic - next topic
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Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Does this make any sound difference to your system?

I have read that some people believe that it does.

I am interested on hearing peoples opinions on the matter.

I am considering doing this.

Lastly if it does benefit the system then what material should the solder be made out of for best results.

ie. silver based etc.

Thanks

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #1 –
Soldering the ends of stranded wire should make the connections more reliable but will not otherwise affect the sound. The type of solder makes no difference as long as it is compatible with the wire.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #2 –
What types of solder are compatible with speaker cable?

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Maestro777 on
What types of solder are compatible with speaker cable?


The ones used in electronics (as opposed to those used to fix plumbing, etc.). Tin-Lead-Rosin.

It won't make any sonic difference at all, but it might make it easier to connect/disconnect the wires if you do that a lot.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #4 –
The only advantage to soldering the speaker wire ends would be to reduce the effect of oxidation on the copper wire. That will keep your connection good if you are constantly connecting/disconnecting your wires. Also as stated, there won't be any sonic improvements, rather connectivity improvements.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #5 –
I believe that even this requires an ABX test on this forum... 
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #7 –
Quote from: greynol on
Be sure to dig back to your materials engineering and/or chemistry classes; solder corrodes copper.

That's what I thought, but I dare no statements hehe
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #8 –
...but copper oxidizes easily anyway, so hey!

Then one might consider how the metal at the speaker terminal might influence the situation.

Honestly, I've soldered my tips before and haven't been too concerned about it.  My stereos usually never stay in the same place to too long and because of my OCD, I'll trim the wire whenever I move them if it looks overly-brown.

How much is lost due to oxidation?  I haven't a clue.  My gut tells me very little.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Maestro777 on
What types of solder are compatible with speaker cable?
Be sure to use cryogenically treated solder with a gold portion not less than 2%! It will blow your mind away. 

Seriously, I'm also soldering my speaker cable ends. Simply because I don't want them to fray out. If that happens the small wires cut easily into my finger tips and it hurts... you know.  I never even thought about any negative (or positive) impact on the sound.

If you don't want to use solder on the cable ends at all you can use "proper" speaker cable connectors. The output sockets of my Yamaha amp are a hybrid and support both banana plugs and loose wire. It's a screw (for fixing the bare wire) and a socket for banana-plug-alikes in one. Because there are probably banana plugs around where you can fix the wire without soldering.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Fandango on
Seriously, I'm also soldering my speaker cable ends. Simply because I don't want them to fray out. If that happens the small wires cut easily into my finger tips and it hurts... you know.  I never even thought about any negative (or positive) impact on the sound.
Almost the same reason here. Except that I keep using the frayed end until the strands broke apart, fell to the ground... and I stepped onto them and got the strands embedded in my foot

Tweezers please...

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #11 –
Quote
The ones used in electronics (as opposed to those used to fix plumbing, etc.). Tin-Lead-Rosin.

It won't make any sonic difference at all, but it might make it easier to connect/disconnect the wires if you do that a lot.


Yes, there is not really a sound difference. All that talk about 24k gold or silver solder never was seriously tested, just something to boast about to other audiophiles.

It's mostly for safety's sake. With stranded wire the soldered ends won't easily fray, therefore lowering the risk of an accidental short-circuit hazard.
"Something bothering you, Mister Spock?"

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #12 –
Stray loose strands of wire are often hard to see, and instead of mating with the terminal might accidentally short to the adjacent terminal.

Edit: Beat me to it.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #13 –
Just to be tidy I like to crimp, then solder, then heatshrink, but most of mine are bare wires with the ends twisted a bit so they don't fray.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #14 –
I don't believe it should make a difference. I don't know if anyone's ever looked inside their speakers at the quality of components/wire in there but after seeing what was used inside my £300 KEF speakers I don't see any point spending money on good quality cable anymore

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #15 –
Quote from: probedb on
I don't believe it should make a difference. I don't know if anyone's ever looked inside their speakers at the quality of components/wire in there but after seeing what was used inside my £300 KEF speakers I don't see any point spending money on good quality cable anymore

Good point! Of course, there's soldering work done in the speakers themselves, so what difference does it make when applying solder to the ends of speacker cables? Ok, they're usually not soldered to the amp , but I can imagine that the resistance or distortion caused by all those fixed soldering joints accumulated would be greater than those two "safety" solder tips at the speaker wires, if it exists at all.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #16 –
Back in my audio fanatic days I noted that many sicker than I insisted on "Sound Pipes."  There were other large diameter cables and terminating them in the raw copper strands to attach to the huge speaker cable posts was de rigeur.  Oxidization was fixed by the occasional pruning back of this expensive cable.  Of course there are, too, the $15,000 twin six foot speaker cables with super NASA mil-spec terminators at each end.  You can hear the difference.  Yeah, right.   
Nov schmoz kapop.

Soldering Speaker Wire Ends

Reply #17 –
Quote from: Fandango on
Good point! Of course, there's soldering work done in the speakers themselves, so what difference does it make when applying solder to the ends of speacker cables? Ok, they're usually not soldered to the amp , but I can imagine that the resistance or distortion caused by all those fixed soldering joints accumulated would be greater than those two "safety" solder tips at the speaker wires, if it exists at all.

Yes, soldering joints, if well done, do not cause any kind of distortion. Anyway, I don't think a good contact with enough contact surface and adequate pressure causes it either.