Wiring LM3886

Makk · 19th January 2011, 08:59 AM

Hey,
I've built LM3886 I ordered from chipamp.com. It has been working fine for couple months now. I'm satisfied with the sound, but still I have question.

Wiring from chip to speaker connections is now made with thin wire. Both positive and negative are 0,25mm. Is this too thin? Board has holes for 1,5mm cable. I have 1,5mm cable (solid) and 1,1mm cable (stranded).

Should I change this wire? Solid or stranded?

Do you think I'll hear the difference

Makk · 19th January 2011, 11:04 AM

Changed wire to solid 1,5mm. Don't know can I hear the difference, but it's not worse. Better bass with less volume? I thought this change would affect only with higher volumes.

AndrewT · 19th January 2011, 11:04 AM

Hi,
how short are your PCB to speaker terminal wires?
How much resistance do they have?
Have you twisted them?
Have you listened yet?

Makk · 19th January 2011, 12:13 PM

Length is about 20cm. I don't know about resistance. Didn't measure. They are twisted. They sound pretty much the same, but I think there is better bass now with lower volumes.

Andy5112405 · 19th January 2011, 12:18 PM

Basically the thicker the better and solid is better than stranded.

2.5mm UK Mains ring main cable is ideal and easilly available and affordable.

As your speaker has an impedance of approximately 6 Ohms at bass frequencies, any resistance in series with the output of the amplifier will attenuate the bass.

frank1 · 21st January 2011, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy5112405

........solid is better than stranded.

Why?

suntechnik · 21st January 2011, 04:34 PM

Theoretically current can go from one strand to another strand making many different pathes through strand surface that could vary total wire resistance withing short period of time that can be considered like noise. How it can affect sound in a real device questionable of course.

Solid wire means being on a safe side. Litzendraht is another extreme.

I vote for solid as well.

LAJ · 21st January 2011, 05:05 PM

The wire shouldn't be any smaller than the leads coming out of the chip.
The chip output leads were obviously designed to handle the output power of the chip.

Redshift187 · 21st January 2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAJ

The wire shouldn't be any smaller than the leads coming out of the chip.
The chip output leads were obviously designed to handle the output power of the chip.

For the length of those leads. You can't arbitrarily say this diameter wire will hand this amount of current. You need to include length.

LAJ · 21st January 2011, 06:59 PM

that stranded is better than solid.

19th January 2011, 08:59 AM	#1
Makk diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2010	Wiring LM3886 Hey, I've built LM3886 I ordered from chipamp.com. It has been working fine for couple months now. I'm satisfied with the sound, but still I have question. Wiring from chip to speaker connections is now made with thin wire. Both positive and negative are 0,25mm. Is this too thin? Board has holes for 1,5mm cable. I have 1,5mm cable (solid) and 1,1mm cable (stranded). Should I change this wire? Solid or stranded? Do you think I'll hear the difference

19th January 2011, 11:04 AM	#3
AndrewT diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Scottish Borders	Hi, how short are your PCB to speaker terminal wires? How much resistance do they have? Have you twisted them? Have you listened yet? __________________ regards Andrew T.

21st January 2011, 05:05 PM	#8
LAJ diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta Ga. USA	Here's my opinion. The wire shouldn't be any smaller than the leads coming out of the chip. The chip output leads were obviously designed to handle the output power of the chip.

21st January 2011, 06:59 PM	#10
LAJ diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta Ga. USA	I've always heard... that stranded is better than solid.

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19th January 2011, 12:13 PM	#4
Makk diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2010	Length is about 20cm. I don't know about resistance. Didn't measure. They are twisted. They sound pretty much the same, but I think there is better bass now with lower volumes.

19th January 2011, 12:18 PM	#5
Andy5112405 Banned Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Torpoint	Basically the thicker the better and solid is better than stranded. 2.5mm UK Mains ring main cable is ideal and easilly available and affordable. As your speaker has an impedance of approximately 6 Ohms at bass frequencies, any resistance in series with the output of the amplifier will attenuate the bass.

21st January 2011, 04:34 PM	#7
suntechnik diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: St. Petersburg	Theoretically current can go from one strand to another strand making many different pathes through strand surface that could vary total wire resistance withing short period of time that can be considered like noise. How it can affect sound in a real device questionable of course. Solid wire means being on a safe side. Litzendraht is another extreme. I vote for solid as well.

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