Wires & Stranded Wires

Mundorf develops wires and stranded wires to make signal transmission as precise, calm and low-loss as possible – electrically, mechanically and in terms of material physics. The goal is not mere connection, but audible quality.

In electrical engineering, a conductor is often viewed in simplified terms as a neutral transmission medium. Rather like a pipe through which water flows: if the diameter is right, all is well. The current is transported from A to B with as little loss as possible. Yet in high-resolution audio systems it becomes apparent that this idealized view falls short.

A conductor is not an ideal resistor. It is an electromechanical system with material-physical properties.

It consists of metal with a particular crystal structure, of a defined geometry (solid core or stranded wire) and of a surrounding insulator with specific electrical and mechanical properties. Each of these levels influences the transmitted signal.

This is why Mundorf develops and selects wires and stranded wires not merely by criteria such as conductivity – but on the basis of a holistic electroacoustic architecture.

Electrical engineering – the calculable level

On the first level are the classic parameters:

• Electrical resistance
• Conductivity of the material
• Cross-section and geometry
• Capacitive and inductive effects
• Dielectric properties of the insulator

This is where it is decided how little loss a signal suffers in transport.

Pure copper offers very high conductivity with excellent workability.

Angelique copper consists of a high share of high-purity copper and a deliberate addition of silver-gold. This defined micro-alloy optimizes conductivity while at the same time stabilizing the material structure.

Angelique silver-gold consists of 98 % silver, 1 % gold and 1 % copper. This alloy combines very high electrical conductivity with structural stability and long-term chemical durability.

Silver-gold consists of 99% silver and 1% gold.

The insulator, too, acts on this level of electrical properties:

PVC has different dielectric properties than, for example, PTFE or FEP. Materials with a low dielectric constant store less electrical energy in the field around the conductor and influence the signal in the time domain to a lesser degree.

These effects are measurable and calculable. Yet they do not explain everything.

Macro-microphony – the mechanical level

A conductor is never in absolute rest.

In loudspeakers, crossovers or equipment, mechanical vibrations are at work. These movements can modulate the conductor as a whole.

This is where macro-microphony arises.

Solid-core conductors have no relative movement of individual strands. They are geometrically more stable and therefore mechanically calmer.

Stranded wire, by contrast, offers greater flexibility but can permit micro-movements between the individual strands. These micro-movements are actively induced by the music signal and coupled back onto the signal. Here, too, the mechanisms of macro-microphony apply: energy loss through unwanted movement of the conductor and electromagnetic feedback of the movements onto the original signal.

The insulator also plays a role here – this time mechanically:

• It damps or stores energy
• It couples or decouples vibrations
• It influences the spring-back behavior of the system

PTFE behaves mechanically differently from PVC. Stiffness and energy absorption differ markedly.

Mechanical calm is not an esoteric notion but a physical precondition for undistorted signal transmission.

Micro-microphony – the level inside the material

The deepest level lies in the metal itself.

Every conductor has a crystal structure with grain boundaries, dislocations and internal stresses.

Electrons do not move through an ideal, homogeneous medium – they interact with this structure.

Alloys such as silver-gold or Angelique alter this microstructure:

• Stabilization of the grain structure
• Modification of electron scattering
• Reduction of internal micro-stresses

These effects are subtle. Yet they influence the fine dynamics and transparency of a system.

This is what Mundorf calls micro-microphony: feedback effects inside the material that lie beyond the classic consideration of resistance.

The Interplay

A conductor is never just metal. It is:

• an electrical conductor
• a mechanical body
• a material-physical system

Pure copper offers stability, substance and tonal balance. It transports energy with natural body and controlled dynamics.

Angelique copper combines the warmth of copper with the tonal colors and transparency of silver-gold.

Angelique silver-gold adds a touch more warmth to the unique radiance and transparency of the silver-gold alloy.

Silver-gold stands for maximum openness and impulse fidelity. Transients appear more immediate, spatial information more precise, the top octave particularly clear and differentiated.

Solid core favors mechanical stability.

Stranded wire increases flexibility.

PTFE/FEP minimizes electrical interactions.

PVC provides robust standard insulation.

Each combination produces a different system behavior.

Conclusion

Mundorf concerns itself with wires and stranded wires because signal routing is an integral part of sound design.

Not as an accessory. Not as a commodity. But as an actively considered system component.