The role of audio cables in an analog audio chain has been a long contested topic in both hobbyist and professional audio communities. Beyond consumer music listening settings, professional audio engineers and musicians have long discussed the quality of audio cable materials in enhancing or not having any effect at all on the resulting sound. While the science does exist on the differences of electrical conductivity between wire materials, whether or not this results in audible improvements depends ultimately on the listener.

Within the Hi-Fi audio community, the general perception is that the purer the metal, the more conductivity it will be, resulting in clearer sound. This is often expressed as the “#N”, where # is the number of value places for the purity percentage of the metal. For example, a copper cable classified as “6N” means it is 99.9999% pure copper metal. “7N” would mean it is 99.99999% pure copper, etc.

Linsoul 7N OCC Cable   1.2m Supreme MMCX/0.78mm 2Pin Connector & 3.5mm/ 2.5mm/4.4mm Plug Upgraded Earphone Cable

THIEAUDIO EST Cable   26AWG High-purity Litz 5N Silver-plated OCC Copper Litz Cable with excellent hardware accessories

The majority of audio cables are constructed from oxygen-free copper (OFC), due to copper’s conductive properties.

KZ 90-11 Cable   High-Purity OFC silver-plated upgrade Cable, Good Wear Resistance, Sweat Resistance and Anti-oxidation

Beyond purity of the copper material, the thickness of the wires can also be considered. Oftentimes, audio cables will range anywhere from 10AWG to 28AWG (the higher the AWG, the thinner the wire). The thickness and length of the copper wire affects its electrical resistance and load-carrying capacity, with resistance increasing and capacity decreasing with the thickness.

THIEAUDIO Smart Cable   High-purity ultra-pure silver plated 26AWG OCC copper litz Cable for THIEAUDIO Monarch MKII/V16 Divinity

Tripowin C8 Cable   Extraordinary 28AWG 8-Core Silver Copper Foil Braided Earphone Replacement Upgrade Cable

Finally, besides pure copper, many audio cables are also available with silver-plated copper wires. These copper alloys have thin layers of silver or gold plated over a copper wire, which can enhance the electrical and thermal conductivity. Audio cables can be made with just OFC copper, silver-plated copper, or mixed strands of copper and silver-plated copper wires.

Tripowin Grace Cable   Detachable 4-Core Silver-plated OCC Hifi Audio Cable with Microphone, Wide Compatibility

THIEAUDIO Oceania Cable   High-Quality 24AWG Litz Type Palladium Coated Silver Cable with 2.5mm,3.5mm,4.4mm Plugs

Audio enthusiasts who may distinguish sonic differences between cable types often describe pure copper cables as sounding “warm”, “lush”, and having stronger bass impact. On the other hand, silver-plated copper cables may appear to sound more transparent and have better clarity in the treble.

Tripowin Zoe Cable   Designed in shiny colorway and high-quality materials to enhance the sound quality

Kinera Ace Cable   8 core OFC + OFC with silver-plated upgraded cable, Compact Replaceable Plug Design