UPOCC- Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Casting process is a patented state of the art wire extrusion technology developed by Dr. Atsumi Ohno of Japan’s Chiba Institute of Technology. The UPOCC process produces conductor wire of exceptionally high purity and large crystal size. Only three companies in the world are licensed to produce OCC grade cable. The UPOCC copper in Neotech and Legenburg cables has a purity of up to 99.99998% and an average crystal size of 125 meters! The purity and large crystal size are said to increase conductivity and reduce sound distortion. Both UPOCC silver and copper cable are available.
OFC- Oxygen Free Copper is high purity copper (99.999%), but it doesn’t necessarily have a large crystal size (0.02M). OFC is an excellent conductor yet it is a step below UPOCC materials.
SP-OFC- Silver Plated Oxygen Free Copper
Skin Effect-This is the tendency of high frequency electrical signals to travel along the outside of a conductor wire more easily than signals travelling along the inside of the wire causing signal distortion. Thicker (smaller gauge) and longer conductors tend to make this effect worse. Using smaller thinner conductors reduce skin effect, and in addition the shape of the conductor is said to influence skin effect. Legenburg’s rectangular conductors are said to reduce skin effect to zero!
Dialectric- This is a fancy way to say insulator. The dielectric is a very important component of cable construction. Most of the cables on this website use Teflon as a dielectric as it has very little impact on the signal. Teflon is more expensive than traditional insulating material but it is worth the added cost.
MCRPS- Mono Crystal Rectangular Pure Silver is a Legenburg innovation using UPOCC Silver extruded in a rectangular shape thus reducing skin effect. Silver is said to give a faster more accurate presentation than copper, while copper is said to have a slightly warmer more laid back presentation.
MCRPC- Mono Crystal Rectangular Pure Copper is a Legenburg innovation using UPOCC Copper extruded in a rectangular shape thus reducing skin effect. Copper has a slightly warmer sound than silver and has a more laid back presentation than silver which is said to give a faster more accurate presentation.
MCPS- Mono Crystal Pure Silver- same as MCRPS except the conductor is not rectangular.
MCPC- Mono Crystal Pure Copper- same as MCRPC except the conductor is not rectangular.
Spade (Y Spade) Connector- is a type of termination to the cable. The termination is as important as the wire conductor itself and can be the weak point in many cables. Having a monocrystal rhodium or gold plated connector will help to preserve the accurate transmission of the electrical signal.
Banana Connector- is a type of termination of the cable. The termination is as important as the wire conductor itself and can be the weak point in many cables. Having a monocrystal rhodium or gold plated connector will help to preserve the accurate transmission of the electrical signal.
XLR Connector- a type of termination of the cable. This connection is most commonly used in professional level systems while most home level systems use RCA connectors. XLR connectors are said to be balanced which reduces noise.
RCA Connector- or plug is the most common way to connect home audio components.
Biwire- is a method of wiring speakers using 2 speaker cables per speaker- one speaker cable for the woofers, and the other cable for the midrange and tweeters. At the other end, both cables connect to the same amplifier output terminals. In the case of Legenburg and Neotech cables a Biwire option can be specified that allows a single cable to be biwired and therefore eliminates the need for two cables per speaker.
Conductor- The material that conducts or carries the electrical signal from point A to point B. The material is generally made from copper or silver.
Inductance- the tendency of an electrical current to create a magnetic field. High levels of inductance reduce the quality of the electrical signal. The tubular design of many of the Legenburg and Neotech products reduces the inductance effects.
Capacitance- the tendency of a conductor to store electrical energy. Capacitance can distort signals, and a good dielectric is beneficial in reducing capacitance. Cable configuration is also a consideration when designing for a low capacitance cable. Larger- thicker cables have higher capacitance levels.
Resistance- is the tendency for the conductor material to resist electrical signal flow (a bad thing). Longer wires have more resistance as do thinner wires. Using the shortest cables possible is one easy way to reduce overall resistance. Having a wire just large enough to transmit the needed energy and small enough to minimize skin effect and capacitance is the balancing act.
Teflon® FEP- a material from Dupont that is used for dielectric (insulating material) on the highest end speaker wire. This insulation helps to reduce capacitance levels.
Crystal Size- Referring to the individual copper or silver crystal size. The larger the crystal size the lower the conductor’s resistance and the better preserved the electrical signal.
Silver- a conductor material that is known for its ability to conduct signals quickly and for its characteristic clean and accurate detail. Poor quality or poor designs can sound harsh and thin. Some think that tube amplifiers and silver are the perfect match, but much of the silver vs. copper debate comes down to personal preference and budget.
Copper- the most common conductor material that comes in many grades. Most cable manufactured domestically uses 99.95 percent purity, but higher levels of purity such as the UPOCC copper used in Legenburg and Neotech cables have a purity level of up to 99.99998%. Higher purity coppers are better conductors.
