Real Cable SPVIM250 white

The white SPVIM250 from Real Cable is an audio cable sold by the meter, designed for hi-fi and home theater installations. It uses a copper-clad aluminum (CCA) conductor and features a structure suited for domestic use, allowing precise adjustment of lengths according to installation needs.

CA Technology: The Alliance of Copper and Aluminum

The SPVIM250 uses CA copper conductors, an acronym for copper-clad aluminum. This technology involves coating an aluminum core with a layer of pure copper. The manufacturing process forms a copper strip into a cylinder around the aluminum core, followed by welding the edges and drawing the assembly through a die, which compresses and stretches the whole while strengthening the metallurgical bond between the two materials.

This bi-metallic construction offers several distinct characteristics. Aluminum makes up about 76% of the conductor’s total weight, significantly reducing the cable’s mass. The outer copper layer ensures the necessary electrical conductivity and protects the aluminum from oxidation. This protection is crucial, as aluminum oxide forms an insulating barrier that would greatly degrade conduction performance.

The skin effect, an electrical phenomenon that concentrates alternating current toward the conductor’s surface at high frequencies, plays a particular role in CA cables. However, at audio frequencies (20 Hz to 20 kHz), this effect remains minimal, unlike in radio frequency applications where it becomes predominant. The audio signal thus mainly travels through the entire conductor, using both copper and aluminum.

Construction and Physical Characteristics of the SPVIM250

The cable features a 2 × 2.5 mm² cross-section, offering conduction capacity suitable for compact speakers, bookshelf models, and medium-power floorstanders. This cross-section maintains reasonable electrical resistance over moderate distances, typically up to 10–15 meters depending on the system’s sensitivity.

A low-density polyvinyl chloride (PVC) protective sheath covers the conductors. This sheath has a characteristic flat shape, measuring 4.5 mm wide by 9 mm high. This geometry makes it easy to run the cable under carpets, rugs, or baseboards without creating visible bulges. The low-density PVC gives the cable appreciable flexibility during installation, allowing bends without the risk of permanent creasing.

A linear marking on the sheath allows for quick identification of polarity, an essential element for maintaining acoustic phase between the different speakers in a system. This visual identification helps avoid wiring errors that could affect the spatial coherence of sound reproduction.

Applications and Positioning in an Audio Installation

The SPVIM250 naturally fits configurations where the performance-to-budget ratio is a key criterion. Multichannel home theater installations, which often require several dozen meters of cabling, particularly benefit from this economical approach. Surround speakers, which are generally less power-demanding than the main channels, are perfectly suited to the characteristics of this cable.

For stereo systems, the SPVIM250 is suitable for bookshelf and floorstanding speakers with standard sensitivity (87–92 dB) powered by moderately powered amplifiers (up to 100–150 watts per channel). The slightly higher resistance of the CA conductor compared to pure copper remains negligible under these usage conditions.

Installation professionals appreciate the cable being sold by the meter, which avoids waste and allows cost optimization on projects requiring various lengths. This commercial flexibility aligns with Real Cable’s philosophy of accessibility without excessive compromise on quality.

Technical Specifications

Composition

• Conductors with copper-plated strands for alternating current (AC)
• Conductor cross-section: 2 × 2.5 mm²

Protection and Dimensions

• Protective sheath made of low-density polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Sheath dimensions:
  • Width: 4.5 mm
  • Height: 9 mm

Packaging

• Sold by the linear meter