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The metal materials of headphone upgrade cables is crucial! Quick guide to the difference in sound with different materials!

6/2/2023

1 Comment

 

In the previous article, we believe that everyone has a basic understanding of headphone upgrade cables.

In the previous article, we have already explained what Hi-Fi upgrade cables are. In this post, we will talk about headphone upgrade cables in more detail, so that everyone can have a deeper understanding.

The material of the upgrade cable is crucial

When choosing an upgrade cable, the metal material used for the cable is essential to consider. High-quality cables are usually made of materials such as silver, copper, and gold. These materials provide excellent conductivity and can help improve the overall sound quality of your headphones.
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Common headphone upgrade cable metal materials that cannot be ignored

Silver wire
Silver wire is one of the best choices for headphone upgrade cables. It has the strongest conductivity and can faithfully transmit signals to provide the best sound quality. However, silver wire is also one of the more expensive choices.

Copper wire
Copper wire is one of the most common materials used for headphone upgrade cables. It is cheaper than silver wire but still has good conductivity and sound performance. Copper wire is a good choice if you have a limited budget but still want to improve your headphone sound quality.

Silver-Gold plated wire
Gold is one of the most expensive materials for headphone upgrade cables. It not only has excellent conductivity but can also prevent oxidation to some extent. This can extend the life of the cable. Gold-plated wire can enhance the sound quality, but it is very expensive.

​Gold-silver alloy
A gold-silver alloy is made by adding a small amount of silver to silver wire to create an alloy. It has excellent sound performance
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The impact of copper, silver, and gold on sound

The choice of material for headphone upgrade cables also depends on personal needs. For example, if your headphones require more bass, you can choose copper wire because it enhances the low frequency. If you prefer a more clear & resolution sound, you can choose top-quality silver wire. If you have a budget, you can choose higher-quality silver-gold plated or gold-silver alloy wires.
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Copper wire
Copper wire is one of the most common beginner materials. Headphone cables made of this material have a smooth, mellow, and rhythmic sound. They usually have stronger low-frequency performance and excellent vocal performance. For example, OC Studio's Orpheus MK5.5 is an excellent OCC copper upgrade cable that has been refined for five generations. Its sound and practical performance are excellent, and its price is affordable.
​

Copper-silver plated wire
Copper-silver plated wire is also a common headphone cable material. The sound of this material adds some brightness to the copper wire, allowing the copper wire to have some of the characteristics of silver wire. However, some cables may have problems with frequency band feel not smooth and not nature. In addition, silver plating is less to oxidize.

Silver
Silver wire is the best conductor, so it can faithfully transmit sound. It can generally improve the extension and high-frequency performance of sound, and the details are portrayed very well. However, low-quality silver wire may cause dry and even harsh sound. Therefore, OC Studio chooses famous factory in Taiwan, which is currently the only factory that has a patent license from Japan, to produce the top-quality single-crystal process material, which is superior to ordinary oxygen-free processes. For example, OC Studio's Zeus UEX is also a OCC silver wire that has been modified for multiple generations and can bring you an unparalleled sound experience.
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Gold-silver plated wire
Gold-silver plated wire is a headphone cable material based on silver wire with added gold flavor. Gold can make the sound sweeter and smoother. For friends who pursue vocal performance, this is one of the best choices. However, pure gold wire is rare because gold is not the best conductor, and its electrical conductivity is about 30% worse than silver. Also, its price is much higher. Therefore, we believe that it is more suitable for embellishing silver sound performance. For example, OC Studio's AuX is named after the symbol of the gold element "Au" and the latest version "X". Its sound performance is excellent and always in hot demand.

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Gold-silver alloy wire
The performance of gold-silver alloy wire is different from that of gold-plated wire. It also adds a sweet taste, but the overall sound is stronger, suitable for users who like strong rhythm. For example, OC Studio's Frozen has a light blue transparent appearance and is a flagship product launched by OC. Its sound performance is excellent in all aspects.

Understanding OCC (Ohno continues casting) single-crystal process

In previous articles, we have discussed the benefits of single-crystal materials, which are produced using a process known as Ohno continuous casting (OCC). This high-end process produces the most excellent material currently available in the consumer market, particularly for high-quality sound reproduction in headphone cables. The term "single-crystal" refers to a cable made entirely of the one crystal, which reduces the interference of grain boundaries on electronic signals. The sound performance of single-crystal headphone cables is exceptional, presenting more details and dynamics. However, they are more expensive than ordinary headphone cables. OC Studio uses UP-OCC material, the only OCC material authorized by the Japanese OCC inventor Professor Ohno through the transfer of technology from the Industrial Technology Research Institute and patent licensing. UP-OCC stands for "Ultra Pure," and it is produced by a Taiwanese factory named WAN LUNG ELECTRIC WIRE & CABLE. Previously, two Japanese factories obtained patent licensing, but they have now stopped production (Furukawa PC-OCC and Sumitomo XP-OCC, "PC" and "XP" are also factory code names).

Of course, you also need to find a reliable brand!

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Many internationally renowned brands also use UP-OCC as the conductor material because of its excellent performance. For example, OC Studio provides truly high-quality UP-OCC wire products. There are unscrupulous operators in the market who will label miscellaneous wire as OCC or UP-OCC. In most cases, it is difficult to distinguish between good and bad from the appearance of the wire, so choosing a reliable brand is also particularly important.​

summary

In summary, choosing the material for a headphone upgrade cable depends on multiple factors, including sound quality, budget, and personal needs. Choosing the appropriate headphone upgrade cable can improve sound quality and bring more enjoyment to your personal music experience.

FAQ about headphone upgrade cable metal materials

1. Which metal material has the best conductivity?


Silver wire has the best conductivity among metal materials, and the oxide of silver is also a good conductor. Therefore, Hifi audio and headphone cables use silver wire as the material.


1. Does the metal material of the headphone upgrade cable affect the sound?


Yes, it has a significant impact. In a cable, the longest transmission distance is the cable, so the quality of the cable has a crucial impact.


1. Does the metal material of the headphone upgrade cable affect the price?


Yes, and it has a significant impact. The cost of silver wire is at least 2-3 times higher than that of copper wire, and the processing cost is also higher.
1 Comment
Beau Stevens link
8/9/2024 05:19:21 am

Hello mate nice bllog

Reply



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In summary, OC Studio provides cables that look and perform beyond their price point. In an overcrowded and unnecessarily expensive after-market cable market, OC Studio offers a set of cables that can confidently compete with much more expensive competitors.
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  • Home
  • Upgrade Cables
    • Flagship Series - EN >
      • Frozen - OCC Gold/Silver Alloy
      • Caelus - OCC Litz Copper
      • Montana - OCC Copper(Soft fabric sleeve)
    • Classic Series - EN >
      • Ares MK2 - OFC Copper
      • Orpheus MK5.5 - Litz OCC copper
      • Zeus UEX - OCC Silver
      • OCAux - OCC Silver/Gold Plated
      • Monarch - OCC Copper+Silver
      • Grace2 - OCC Silver+Silver/Gold plated Hybrid
    • 旗艦耳機升級線 >
      • Frozen - OCC金銀合金
      • Caelus - LitzOCC銅
      • Montana - OCC銅,布網包覆
    • 經典耳機升級線 >
      • 阿瑞斯 MK2 - OFC銅
      • 奧菲斯 MK5.5 - OCC里茲銅
      • 宙斯 UEX - OCC銀
      • OCAuX - 銀鍍金
      • Monarch - 銀+銅混編
      • Grace 2 - 銀+銀鍍金混編
    • 升級線-加購選配區 >
      • 端子、接頭選配區(訊源端)
  • ABOUT
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    • 認識耳機升級線 - 中文
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