Hello Again Thom,
        Thank you for you observations on speaker cables and skin effect. 
Comments like these are what this Echo used to consist of all the time and is 
what I cut my teeth on in the Audio World. More is to be learned from peoples 
experience than from all the magazine articles one could read. As in your 
message. 
        One topic you rarely see when talking about speaker cables is 
corrsion. It is mentioned as the reason for gold plated connectors. But 
beyond that, you never see or hear it. I can honestly say I never gave 
corrsion "in" the cables a second thought. And before you ask, Yes, the 
cables I replaced were almost ten years old and were foggy and weathered. In 
the Tara Labs promotional lit I don't remember OFC being mentioned, although 
I cannot imagine a cable being made without it. So your observation from afar 
could very well be right on the money! 
        The cables I replaced the Monster Calbes with made a difference that 
was more than just noticable. It was a big enough difference that it made me 
want to part with $200 (US), (an astounding feat), when compared to two other 
big name cables and my old ones. Whether it was skin effect, the place where 
the copper was mined, the insulation, etc., I cannot say. I can say I love 
the sound of them and that "on my system, they were a good investment". But 
then I have been around long enough to know that that could very well mean 
they will sound terrible on someone elses system.
        As for stripping the multistranded/ individually insulated, cables 
and doing any soldering.....not me! I bought them terminated, and terminated 
with spade lugs they shall stay. I wondered about that same thing when 
looking at the article explaining their build. I wouldn't dare think of it.
        In many ways I am at a disatvantage in the higher end stereo 
comparisons, etc. The few high end dealers we have in the Phoenix area have 
something far less than great audition facilities. Most are made for cool 
looks and have terrible acoustics. Most are either huge or closet size. I 
have yet to see one out here with real life room sizes. Most also, sign on 
for certain brands and in discussions...everything but those brands are crap. 
That makes shopping a real pain rather than a pleasure. It also makes mail 
order more attractive. Many of the mail order dealers here offer a 15 to 30 
day no questions asked return policy. It allows me to try things in my home 
and really see what I will be getting.
        Again, thanks! Your comments are greatly appreciated!
Cheers, John
 
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