Cables are the part of a hi-fi system where the most smoke gets sold. WireWorld, founded by David Salz in 1980 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, treats the subject as engineering: it designs its cables around a geometry of its own, DNA Helix, and tests them by direct comparison against a connection with no cable at all. This guide explains which cable you need for each connection in your system, what changes from one series to the next and how much it makes sense to spend.
A brand that tests cables against no cable
WireWorld's reference is not another cable, it is no cable. David Salz developed a comparator that connects the source directly to the amplifier and compares that sound with the sound through the cable under test. The less a cable departs from the direct connection, the better it is made.
The DNA Helix geometry is the technical answer to that test: flat, parallel conductors wound in a helix to lower inductance and the interaction between signal and insulation. In speaker cables it repeats as Dual, Quad or Octo DNA Helix. COMPOSILEX 5 insulation and OCC-7N copper, purer than ordinary OFC, are the other variables that step up from series to series.
Which cable do I need for my system
Take stock of your connections. A stereo system with a streamer and an integrated amplifier needs a pair of speaker cables and one interconnect (RCA or XLR) between source and amplifier. If the source is a turntable, the cable between the tonearm and the phono stage is the most sensitive in the system, because the cartridge signal is a thousand times weaker than a DAC's. A subwoofer needs a mono cable, usually a long one. A home theater needs HDMI and a streamer can benefit from a shielded Ethernet cable.
In digital connections (coaxial, AES/EBU, USB) what matters is signal integrity and the noise that gets into the DAC; a well-built cable of the right length solves almost everything. Do not run 50 feet of copper HDMI to a projector: beyond 5 meters optical fiber is the right path, and WireWorld has the Starlight 48 Optical and Stellar 48 Optical up to 30 meters.
How much is worth spending on cables
Our rule of thumb, after 40 years of wiring systems: a small fraction of the system's value, in the range of 5 to 10%, and always after getting speakers, amplification and room acoustics right. A €2,000 system is well served by Stream 10 or Luna 10 speaker cables and a Solstice 10 interconnect, that is, €250 to €350 in total. In an €8,000 system it makes sense to move up to Oasis 10 or Equinox 10 for the speakers and Equinox or Eclipse for the main source's interconnect.
The order matters too. Speaker cables first, because all of the amplifier's power passes through them. Then the interconnect of the source you listen to most. Only after that come digital, power and network cables, where the differences are smaller. The Platinum Eclipse cables, in solid silver, exist for reference systems where everything else is already at the limit.
What changes from series to series
In speaker cables the ladder is clear. The Horizon (€81) is a flat 16 AWG cable 1.5 mm thick, made to run under baseboards and rugs. The Helicon 16X and Stream 10 are the first with DNA Helix. The Luna 10 and Solstice 10 (€223) are the ones we sell most for systems up to €3,000. The Oasis 10 has 60% more copper than the Solstice and the Mini Eclipse 10 (€636) already uses OCC-7N copper in a Quad DNA Helix. The Equinox 10 (€1,001) moves up to 11 AWG (4 mm²) and is where the Eclipse series sound begins. Eclipse 10, Silver Eclipse and Platinum Eclipse change the conductor material: OCC-7N copper, silver-clad copper and solid silver.
Interconnects follow the same logic at lower prices: Stream 10 from €35, Solstice 10 from €101, Equinox 10 from €244 and Eclipse 10 from €391, in RCA or XLR. For turntables, the Luna 10 (€180) and Solstice 10 (€224) come with a straight or angled DIN plug; the Micro-Eclipse cables serve high-end MC cartridges. In HDMI, the Sphere 48 (€70) and Silver Sphere 48 (€227) are Ultra High Speed copper cables up to 3 meters.
| Model | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon to Solstice 10 | Entry speaker cables (Horizon, Helicon 16X, Stream 10, Luna 10, Solstice 10) | from €81 |
| Oasis 10 to Equinox 10 | Mid-range speaker cables (Oasis 10, Mini Eclipse 10, Equinox 10) | from €512 |
| Eclipse series | Reference speaker cables (Eclipse 10, Silver Eclipse 10, Platinum Eclipse 10) | from €1,909 |
| Interconnects Stream 10 to Platinum Eclipse 10 | RCA and XLR cables between source and amplifier | from €35 |
| Tonearm cables Luna 10 to Micro-Platinum Eclipse 10 | DIN turntable cables, to RCA or XLR | from €180 |
| Subwoofer Stream 10 to Equinox 10 | Mono subwoofer cables, 2 to 8 meters | from €37 |
| HDMI 48 Gbps line | Radius 48, Sphere 48, Silver Sphere 48, Platinum Starlight 48 and optical Starlight 48 and Stellar 48 | from €41 |
| Coaxial digital Chroma 10 to Platinum Starlight 10 | 75 ohm S/PDIF cables | from €43 |
| AES/EBU Micro-Eclipse 10 to Platinum Starlight 10 | Balanced XLR digital cables | from €164 |
| Ethernet Chroma 10 to Platinum Starlight 10 | Shielded network cables for streamers | from €129 |
| Pulse | 3.5 mm mini jack cable | from €44 |
Why we chose WireWorld
We choose brands that invest in the product rather than in advertising, and WireWorld has fit that criterion for decades. The cables are designed with a verifiable test method, the specifications are published and the catalog runs from €35 to reference systems without absurd jumps between steps. At my HI-FI HOUSE, in Lisbon, you can hear the cables in the listening room connected to your kind of system and compare two steps before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Do speaker cables really make a difference to the sound?
They do, but less than the speakers, the amplifier or the room. A cable with enough cross-section for its length (2.5 mm² up to 3 meters, 4 mm² for 5 or 6 meters) and good construction is what counts. The differences between a Solstice 10 and an Equinox 10 are heard mostly in systems from €5,000 upward.
What length of speaker cable should I buy?
Measure the distance from the amplifier to each speaker along the actual route, around furniture, and add 50 cm of slack. Both cables in the pair should be the same length. WireWorld sells 2, 2.5, 3, 5 and 6 meter lengths, terminated with spades or bananas.
Does an expensive HDMI cable improve the picture?
No. If the cable meets the Ultra High Speed standard (48 Gbps), the picture arrives intact or does not arrive at all. What a well-shielded HDMI can improve is the sound passing through eARC to an amplifier or active speakers, and the noise entering the system. For runs over 5 meters choose optical fiber.
Read also How much does a good hi-fi system cost? and How to choose a hi-fi system: the complete guide.