Silver Cable Musings
Pine Tree Audio Custom Solid Pure Silver Headphone Cable
Audio cables containing silver are bit of an enigma to some audiophiles and have developed a bad rap because of many misconceptions. As an owner of silver cables, both pure and a blend of silver and copper, I want to shed some light on this issue. Before we begin, please keep in mind that the research of Fletcher and Munson has proven that the human ear is most sensitive to frequencies in the range of 3.5KHz to 4KHz.
Silver cables have a misconception of being bright. They are not bright; however, they are brutally revealing. This is because silver has several important characteristics that make it a superior conductor. First, silver is the most electrically and thermally conductive metal known to exist on earth, silver is 5% - 8% more electrically conductive than copper, and silver can be plated over a wire or connector to increase its conductivity. Higher conductivity is a desirable property in audio cabling that enables current to flow more easily in a conductor.
Using silver as a conductor allows for the lowest impedance that can be had in an audio cable. This lower impedance will allow the audio signal to flow more freely. Think of water flowing through a garden hose, and then imagine replacing the garden hose with a firehose. The water in both hoses comes from the same water source but you will now get a larger volume of water to flow faster, and with increased pressure.
Because of its characteristics, silver will give you more of everything in terms of musical information. For example, if your system leans to the bright side, the addition of silver cables will allow that brightness to shine brighter, so to speak. If your system leans to the dark side, then silver cables will allow that darkness to well… be darker. This means that you will receive a more resolving signal to quench your audiophile thirst.
While silver is a fantastic conductor due to its intrinsic properties, it may not be the best cable choice for those that desire instant gratification. In my experience, the break-in for these cables can range from 300-500 hours, and during that time you will get glimpses of the forthcoming sonic bliss, yet there will also be times that you will need to turn the volume down. Compare this to taking that difficult hike up the mountain to reach the summit. It is a challenge to reach the top, however when you arrive, the reward was so worth the effort to get there.
Understand, that the sonic enjoyment from silver cables can come at the price of revealing any weak links in your system, should you have them. If you have the patience to allow silver cables to fully break-in, and your system is a good match for them, then you will be rewarded with a clean and agile treble, a liquid and airy midrange, and taught textured bass.