timk@uwstat.UUCP (02/03/85)
Dear Music Lovers,
A friend recently asked me if I had any spare speaker cable to
give her. I didn't but told her to buy heavy lamp cord. When I was
asked why I wasn't sure. I know all the audiophiles recommend heavy
guage wire and there is continual debate on whether lamp cord is as
good as Monster Cable(TM) is as good as Ultra Cable(TM) is as good
as 99.9% oxygen free wire ... I am not interested in that debate.
This was my explanation: Consider the electrical signal flowing
through the wire as a flow of water through a pipe. If the pipe is
too small, then the flow of water will be restricted. If the pipe
is large then there is little restriction to the flow. If an
electrical signal's flow is restricted it will disturb the signal
received by the speaker and the sound will be similarly disturbed.
Is there any truth to this explanation?
This next question concerns my system. I've heard that some
people solder there speaker wires (and other wires?) to the connecting
posts as they feel it gives a better contact and the loss of
flexibility is worth the improved performance. It sounds reasonable
to me. Many people here in the midwest are finding out how critical
a good electrical connection can be when they try to start their cars
(-28F(-33C) yesterday morning). Has anyone out there done this? Is
it worth the loss of flexibility? Do you have to use gold solder or
can a novice like me go buy a soldering gun and use lead solder?
All comments are welcome.
This last segment concerns record clubs. I was a member of the
RCA Music Club and the International Preview Society. I quit both
of them during the last year. Both sent me offers to become 'Half
Price Member for Life' which allows me to get the discounted price
without messing with bonus coupons. I rejoined the International
Preview Society but not RCA. Is this standard practice with the
record clubs? It seems as if it is better to quit the club than
stay a regular member. I don't like the policy that says good
members don't need to get the same attention and discounts as the
members that quit. I believe RCA owns IPS so it may just be an
RCA policy.
Tim Kramer
!uwvax!timk (I think!)