Kimber Kable 8TC Speaker Cable

[ANADROL-50]

Is the Kimber Kable 8TC speaker cable really this good or is this review just nonsense ?

 

[Bokke]

its good cable

 

[alby]

I have got the old Black/Blue and think its really good - I also have Silver streak RCA , I think its the sweet spot in the range - higher than this and the benefits do not really justify the extra cost - but that's just my opinion - but I have tried them in my system and could not hear enough benefit - it also did not pass the "wife test - if she cant hear an improvement I cannot keep it!

As a note under the wife test she gets to hear both variants without knowing the cost and I keep her preference . 

 

[Swann36]

Hi great topic , I keep looking at this cable and wondering.. so I’m really interested in the thoughts of others like you [emoji2]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kernow]

It's a cable, some amps and speakers don't like braided ones. I found no difference between it and £3 a meter van-damme 

 

[Bokke]

14 hours ago, ANADROL-50 said:

Is the Kimber Kable 8TC speaker cable really this good or is this review just nonsense ?

Check out the Gothic cable also it has similar windings 

 

[Nativebon]

I've got a pair of the 8TCs and yes good cables but it's never that straight forward. Mostly depends on what the cable is connected to at both ends.

 

[ANADROL-50]

I've got a pair of the 8TCs and yes good cables but it's never that straight forward. Mostly depends on what the cable is connected to at both ends.

Is this because the output of amplifiers and the input of loudspeakers varies hence there is no one single perfect cable design ?

 

[ANADROL-50]

Check out the Gothic cable also it has similar windings 

This product should be better i guess as it uses silver instead of copper :-

https://gothicaudio.com/collections/litz-cables 

 

[JD68]

This product should be better i guess as it uses silver instead of copper :-

https://gothicaudio.com/collections/litz-cables 

My browser says that link can't provide a secure connection. 

 

[tuga]

Is the Kimber Kable 8TC speaker cable really this good or is this review just nonsense ?

It's a capacitor.

 

[Fourlegs]

It's a capacitor.

As I guess are all cables to a greater or lesser extent. The same guy who did the video has published his measurements - see link below. Whilst he admits the capacitance is somewhat higher (as a side effect of the low inductance) he concludes it should not be a problem for any competent amplifier and with normal speaker cable lengths. 
 

I have some 8TC (although not in a system at the moment) and it seems to sound fine. 
 

https://www.audioholics.com/gadget-reviews/kimber-kable-8tc-speaker-cable/measurements

 

[tuga]

As I guess are all cables to a greater or lesser extent. The same guy who did the video has published his measurements - see link below. Whilst he admits the capacitance is somewhat higher (as a side effect of the low inductance) he concludes it should not be a problem for any competent amplifier and with normal speaker cable lengths. 
 

I have some 8TC (although not in a system at the moment) and it seems to sound fine. 
 

https://www.audioholics.com/gadget-reviews/kimber-kable-8tc-speaker-cable/measurements

The capacitance is spec'ed at 346 pF/m, definitely too high for my amplifier.

That's 10x more than a regular cable, 20x more than a low capacitance cable.

 

[Fourlegs]

The capacitance is spec'ed at 346 pF/m, definitely too high for my amplifier.

That's 10x more than a regular cable, 20x more than a low capacitance cable.

The chap in his measurements section says, “The Kimber 8TC and 8PR cables exhibit about four times higher capacitance than standard 10-12AWG zip cord, and twice as high as its 4PR sibling. Again I don’t see this as a show stopper especially since most people purchasing these types of cables are doing so for short runs (under 50 ft) and are likely using high quality amplification that doesn’t have stability issues driving moderately high capacitive cables.”

 

[tuga]

The chap in his measurements section says, “The Kimber 8TC and 8PR cables exhibit about four times higher capacitance than standard 10-12AWG zip cord, and twice as high as its 4PR sibling. Again I don’t see this as a show stopper especially since most people purchasing these types of cables are doing so for short runs (under 50 ft) and are likely using high quality amplification that doesn’t have stability issues driving moderately high capacitive cables.”

"About four times"???

Kimber 8TC –> 346 pF/m

QED 79 - 58pF/m (very thick zip cord) –> 1/6

QED 42 - 49pF/m (thick zip cord) –> 1/7

QED Performance Original - 35 pF/m –> 1/10

DNM - 17 pF/m –> 1/20

Linn K20 - 16 pF/m –> 1/21

 

[ANADROL-50]

My browser says that link can't provide a secure connection. 

https://gothicaudio.com/collections/litz-cables

 

[antonio66]

It's a cable, some amps and speakers don't like braided ones. I found no difference between it and £3 a meter van-damme 

But now you've got and SME the differences will become clear 

 

[JANDL100]

It's been a few years since I tried 8TC. Must admit I found it a bit safe and tbh boring. 

Dynamically it was noticeably slow to respond to low level transients and seemed a bit uninteresting and laidback rhythmically. Top end seemed a little rolled off, closed in.  Not particularly transparent. 

To my ears the 4TC was better; faster, more agile if not having the bass weight of the 8TC. 

Quite similar to Van Damme, but more expensive! 

I'd classify both as Easy Listening, though. Not to my taste. 

 

[tuga]

It's been a few years since I tried 8TC. Must admit I found it a bit safe and tbh boring. 

Dynamically it was noticeably slow to respond to low level transients and seemed a bit uninteresting and laidback rhythmically. Top end seemed a little rolled off, closed in.  Not particularly transparent. 

To my ears the 4TC was better; faster, more agile if not having the bass weight of the 8TC.

The 4TC has just over half the capacitance of the 8TC, which is why there's less roll-off of the treble.

Interestingly I have also found the braided topology a bit "dull" sounding and not just "darker", it would be interesting to see research addressing the transient response of braided speaker cables. I don't use "transparency" with the same meaning as you, but I agree that Kimber speaker wires sound somewhat "veiled".

.

I find it very educational to try braided vs. spaced-conductor speaker cables, same with braided vs. coax vs. spaced-conductor interconnects.