LM based chipamps, What speaker wire are people using?

[filholder]

I have read on a couple of occasions that the original gaincard uses very thin (24 gauge i think) speaker wire and was just interested what people ae using on theirs and what people thoughts in general about that sort of thing are.

I am currently using some revatively normal multi stranded off the shelf speaker cable, QED something or other. I have been thinking about using some cat 5e cable i have got but wondered what people think would be the right number of strands to use. ie how many cable runs to use. Going by 47 labs i would only use one twisted pair, any ideas?

Fil

 

[karma]

i have made and used cat 5e cable and i found it not to be the best.


this is what im using now and it sounds sweet.

cheers.


http://www.decorp.com/dewire.htm

 

[dsavitsk]

I have read on a couple of occasions that the original gaincard uses very thin (24 gauge i think) speaker wire

I am on the other end of this. I use bi-wired Kimber 8TC which means 32 strands of Kimber TCSS going to each speaker. I like the cable a lot, but I can't offer an objective opinion about it. I purchased it 12 years ago and have used it ever since. Anyhow, the point is that it works fine.

 

[analog_sa]

i would only use one twisted pair

You may like it, who knows? I certainly hate it. Cat5 is tonally lean and a single pair will make it intolerable to my ears. Especially with a GC.

I have had reasonably good sound with the opposite - midrange Transparent cable. It manages to balance the GC tonality into reasonably listenable sound.

The copper foil is also not bad and certainly much better than any CAT5 concoction.

 

[Nuuk]

I found a single twisted pair of Cat5 a bit lean for my liking so I use two twisted pairs and have not felt the need to try anytihng else.

Of course now the issue has been raised (again), I'll be tempted to try something else!

 

[analog_sa]

Nuuk

Have you tried copper foils from an Alphacore inductor?

 

[Nuuk]

Have you tried copper foils from an Alphacore inductor?

Noy yet, it's one of those jobs that is on the 'to do' list! Where can I get hold of an Alphacore inductor? Or are there any alternatives?

 

[filholder]

Nuuk when you say 2 twisted pair i image you mean 2 twisted pairs from one cat 5 cable, as opposed to 2 cat 5 cables?

Sorry to bring this up i am just interested what people are using and wanted to see what i should be playing with. Of course i guess that the type of speaker you are using must have a fair degree of effect on such things.

I might try some different cat5 arrangment this week end, got a 300meter roll of some good solid core cat5e of a skip a few weeks ago so i keen to try it in various configurations. It is also screened which is handy since i use my hifi around loads of other electronic stuff such as games consoles and tv etc.

I will have a play anyway, no harm in trying. Should also have a SMPS powered t-amp up and running this weeknd, gonna be fun!!

fil

 

[Nuuk]

Nuuk when you say 2 twisted pair i image you mean 2 twisted pairs from one cat 5 cable, as opposed to 2 cat 5 cables?

Yes Phil, I take that horrible stiff sleeving off and separate the four pairs of wires into two pairs, using a 'pair of pairs' bigeyes: ) for each speaker.

PS I don't notice any difference between using a pair for each conductor and one wire from each pair for a conductor. Hope you are not too hot to understand that!

 

[filholder]

Thanks Nuuk,

Ok i give that a try. No thankfully the office has aircon, though the cycle ride to work this morning got me very .

Off at a tagent sorry guys but do you think i should add some caps after my SMPS before the t-amp boards just interested. I measured the outputs last night from my router power supply and got 60mv of ac. I think it might be an idea to put a few caps before the t-amp power input to reduce this a bit, any ideas how much?

Fil

 

[jackinnj]

Two CAT5 conductors get you to one size 18 conductor -- from 20 mils to 40 -- I think that you have to derate the "bundle" a bit, however.

I will try this -- CAT5 is as inexpensive as dead flashlight batteries. I have stated previously that I had a problem using it in amps as I tended to "nick" the wire which made it fragile -- but my eldest son got me a fancy wire-stripper for Christmas last year -- (he also bought the bottle of Tanqueray for the weekend) -- talk about a good son!

 

[Nuuk]

I have stated previously that I had a problem using it in amps as I tended to "nick" the wire which made it fragile

Carefully strip about an inch of the insulation. Take a short piece of 1mm diameter copper wire (from mains cable) and shape it into a hook, or whatever shape will best connect to the speaker terminals.

Take about 2 inches of sleeving removed from 2.5mm mains wire and thread the Cat 5 through it.

Carefully wind the uninsulated Cat 5 around the bottom 1 inch of 'tail' (the 1 mm wire) and solder it in place. Slide the insulation up so that it goes over the 'tail' and supports the Cat5 from bending where it comes off the 'tail'.

Where the Cat5 goes into my banana plugs, I use the removed sleeving from the 1mm copper wire (about an inch) to support it.

This arrangement has stood quite a a lot of handling without mishap!