bulding coaxial cable avice

smoothlondoner · 24th September 2012, 12:08 AM

Hi all,I know from past posts and my own trail & error tests that solid core copper cable gives much better results & a better tonal balance with low distortion.
Silver cables seem brighter & if you listen to them with good amp and cans you can realy hear the distortion and muddled sound.
So is the same then true for coaxil cable too?
I'm thinking yes but I have not tried it myself and wondered if anybody has tried different coaxil cables including solid core copper and silver?
Also I am considering building my own coaxil cable using 2 lengths of belden 1694A coaxial cable and just use the internal solid core conductors for the input & return paths like the chord company signiture digital construction.
Comments and advice much appretiated

marce · 24th September 2012, 12:48 PM

Digital signals are best transmitted with the signal and return in very close and intimate proximity, so from a signal integrity point of view either a standard co-axial or a shielded twisted pair, matched to the required or recomended signals impdance (50 ohm usually for digital.)
Digital transmission down a cable is digiatl transmission, silver or solid core are not important, impedance matching and a good close proximity to return current paths are.
The chord cable is not a good example of a digitalk transmission cable.

DF96 · 24th September 2012, 01:26 PM

It is almost impossible for the home constructor to make good coaxial cable, and there is no valid reason why anybody would want to. Even manufacturers struggle to maintain the required geometry, which is one reason why decent coax costs more than cheap stuff. It is one of those areas of DIY in which those who know enough to do it properly also know enough to not attempt it.

If you really want to make your own digital cable then twisted pair is much easier. Even then you will need the right test equipment to ensure that it maintains 75ohm characteristic impedance all the way along, and you will need baluns at each end to interface to the normal unbalanced equipment ports. Good luck!

24th September 2012, 12:08 AM	#1
smoothlondoner diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2012	bulding coaxial cable avice Hi all,I know from past posts and my own trail & error tests that solid core copper cable gives much better results & a better tonal balance with low distortion. Silver cables seem brighter & if you listen to them with good amp and cans you can realy hear the distortion and muddled sound. So is the same then true for coaxil cable too? I'm thinking yes but I have not tried it myself and wondered if anybody has tried different coaxil cables including solid core copper and silver? Also I am considering building my own coaxil cable using 2 lengths of belden 1694A coaxial cable and just use the internal solid core conductors for the input & return paths like the chord company signiture digital construction. Comments and advice much appretiated

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24th September 2012, 12:48 PM	#2
marce diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Blackburn, Lancs	Digital signals are best transmitted with the signal and return in very close and intimate proximity, so from a signal integrity point of view either a standard co-axial or a shielded twisted pair, matched to the required or recomended signals impdance (50 ohm usually for digital.) Digital transmission down a cable is digiatl transmission, silver or solid core are not important, impedance matching and a good close proximity to return current paths are. The chord cable is not a good example of a digitalk transmission cable.

24th September 2012, 01:26 PM	#3
DF96 diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	It is almost impossible for the home constructor to make good coaxial cable, and there is no valid reason why anybody would want to. Even manufacturers struggle to maintain the required geometry, which is one reason why decent coax costs more than cheap stuff. It is one of those areas of DIY in which those who know enough to do it properly also know enough to not attempt it. If you really want to make your own digital cable then twisted pair is much easier. Even then you will need the right test equipment to ensure that it maintains 75ohm characteristic impedance all the way along, and you will need baluns at each end to interface to the normal unbalanced equipment ports. Good luck!