Advanced characterisation methods were developed to design the magnetic performance and to provide a balanced capacitance, inductance and resistance - factors that, when correctly aligned, can improve the amplifier's sound quality. See the HiFi World November 2007 review.
The new DNM cable is attractive in appearance, semi-transparent and only 18.7mm wide and 2.2mm thick-- about the same size as the original DNM Solid Core. However, within this small size is contained a dual cable assembly that can be used to connect a pair of stereo speakers, or to bi-wire. (See the diagram here.) The cable ribbon is designed to easily unzip to separate the dual speaker lines and also to separate the individual conductors to allow easy fitting of the speaker plugs.
The recommended way of using the new DNM Stereo Solid Core cable is as follows:- The cable directionality can be determined by noting that the print runs in the same direction as the signal. At the amplifier end unzip the cable just enough to allow the plugs to be fitted and plugged into the amplifier. Then try to run the complete ribbon without unzipping as far as possible towards the speakers to gain the full benefit of the fixed spacing of all the signal lines. Run the cable along the planned path to the furthest speaker before cutting it to length. Then unzip the cable ribbon back to the point midway between the speakers to allow connection to the left and right channels. See the illustration.
The design of DNM Stereo Solid Core builds on the previous award winning DNM Solid Core mono speaker cable that was introduced in 1984 to an astonished audio world hooked on heavy multi-stranded cables. Over time the high resolution of DNM Solid Core won many users and set a better route towards high fidelity sound in the home.
In the US DNM Stereo Solid Core Precision retails for $12 per stereo foot. It may be the most cost effective upgrade you will ever buy for your home hi-fi system.
Eddy Currents Once the cross-sectional area of a cable exceeds a certain size, things begin to go badly wrong with the sound. Complex interactions between the cable and the magnetic fields generated by transmission of an electrical signal cause circulating eddy currents, which also generate significant magnetic fields.
A cross-section of a comparatively simple ten strand multi-core cable showing damaging field interaction. This magnetic mess reduces midband clarity and often creates a bright treble and indistinct bass.
These induced magnetic fields oppose the original signal - the result is distortion. In short - smaller cross-sectional area gives greater clarity.
When auditioning speaker cable, most of the differences heard are caused not by the cable itself but by the amplifier reacting to the revised loading of the cable. Large, multi-strand cables are recommended by some manufacturers because their low resistance is thought to maintain the amplifier's low output impedance. Whilst this is true, it has no sonic benefit at all because amplifiers sound better when driving through a resistive or inductive load.
Large diameter high-capacitance cables connect the amplifier's sensitive feedback control system to a short circuit, a type of load that invariably worsens the amplifiers sound quality.
A cross-section of the spaced pair DNM reson cable shows its simple, clean and uniform magnetic field frozen at an instant in time. It is easy to forget that music signals produce a complex, dynamic version of this picture-and the field interacts strongly with the conductors. Bearing this in mind, it would be amazing if different cable designs sounded the same - not amazing that they sound different!.
Smaller diameter cables with higher resistance and inductance help to isolate the amplifier's feedback control system, improving clarity throughout the frequency range.
This argument for the speaker cables applies equally well for each element in the audio chain, other cables and even electronics. So the interconnect cable is equally important and amplifier design is influenced by these considerations as well.
The final proof is in the auditioning. Although our cables are inexpensive by high-end audio standards, we believe that they prove their worth, no matter how complex and expensive the competition! Connectors A question often raised by customers concerns the use of plastic bodied RCA plugs on our interconnect cables. Compared with competitors, these plugs look rather inexpensive but they assist the performance of DNM reson interconnect cables. Using a cable so carefully designed to minimise magnetic effects with a large chunk of metal soldered on the end would be self-defeating.
Consequently, all our connectors have minimal metal content because metal is needed only for the signal path and the contact area.
This DNM philosophy is consistent throughout the product range. Its formulation is a result of careful research into the effect of dynamic magnetic fields on audio signals. Understanding field effects should no longer be a quantum leap in audio thinking - especially for a technology led industry!
