Which do you prefer, round-wound or nickel-wound strings? And if you have a sonic preference for one or the other, do you know the difference? Don’t feel bad if you don’t, they’re very similar — both round-wound and nickel-wound strings use nickel-plated steel wire to wrap around a steel core.
The difference is the shape of each string’s steel core. With round-wound strings, the steel core is round. With nickel-wound strings, the steel core is hex shaped. This difference can make nickel-wound strings sound slightly brighter, but also makes them more susceptible to string noise. There is no better or worse, so try them both out to see which you like better.