Hi guys Ive Just finshed making cat5 speaker cables, it was a big job as I run 3way active mains plus active sub and yes I can hear a diffrance much better than monster cable clone I was using. I want to upgrade my interconects and am looking for suggestons on DIY recipes. What are you guys out there using.
Cheers Max
Cheers Max
Hi, just to get back to the original question from the topic, I am using a cable made up of some Shark phono cable (Maplin part No XS39) with some fairly cheep endplugs. At the moment, this sounds quite good between me Cambridge D500se and Sony amp (a lot more deatailed than my freinds £30 one, but can't remeber what type that is), with a little more bass. But, I was wondering if I would see much of an inprovement in moving to a solid silver cable (Like Maplin No XS56) and some better neutrik phono plugs (ala No CC71).
If anyone has any experience with this type of cable, or silver cable in general, and the effects of better plugs, I would be interested in hearing your oppinions.
If anyone has any experience with this type of cable, or silver cable in general, and the effects of better plugs, I would be interested in hearing your oppinions.
I tried some off market solid silver wire made into a cable and it didn't sound well. OTOH, I just made my own Kimber Silver Streak cable, using 2 x TCSS and one AGSS wire and it sounds very good. So silver is not always the same and it depends on many factors. And I think that wire makes bigger difference than endplugs.
I don't care for silver wire in interconnects or speaker cable. I find its tonal balance on the cool side.
For a couple interconnect variations using fine copper litz wire, take a look at: DIY wire recipes
I am using the Teflon version for my primary sources, phono, preamp, dac, and the polypropylene version for secondary sources, tuner, cassette, etc.
For a couple interconnect variations using fine copper litz wire, take a look at: DIY wire recipes
I am using the Teflon version for my primary sources, phono, preamp, dac, and the polypropylene version for secondary sources, tuner, cassette, etc.
CABLE.
Hi,
No surprise, the cable configuration plays a big role as does the quality of the silver...same goes for copper or gold anyway.
CAT5 is a network cable that really pushes it. It can be made to sound very good for audio as Chris Venhaus has proven.
Crystalyne structure, purity, shielding etc, all play a major role.
And, more importantly...it doesn't have to cost an arm and a legg to achieve high-end results.
Cheers,
Hi,
No surprise, the cable configuration plays a big role as does the quality of the silver...same goes for copper or gold anyway.
CAT5 is a network cable that really pushes it. It can be made to sound very good for audio as Chris Venhaus has proven.
Crystalyne structure, purity, shielding etc, all play a major role.
And, more importantly...it doesn't have to cost an arm and a legg to achieve high-end results.
Cheers,
It Takes A Little Effort.....
Hello Max,
To make non-directional interconnect you need a single strand of insulated wire four times the length of the interconnect (eight times for a stereo pair).
I used plain copper (no platings), white pvc insulated telephone wire.
The active consists of two strands, ditto the neutral.
Each leg goes from the source connector to the load connector and back again.
The two actives are diametrically opposite as per the diagram below, ditto the neutrals.
To make this cable, make four holes in each of two 1 inch square plates (plywood etc), each with a hole at each corner.
Fit a screw and nut through a center hole in each plate.
Fix one plate to say a vice, and the other into the chuck of a variable speed (slow) drill.
Tie one end of the wire to one corner hole at the vice end.
Run this wire through one hole of the drill end plate, across the center to the diametrically opposite hole and back to the vice end and diametrically opposite the start end wire.
Now thread this wire to one of the unused holes and back to the drill end, and then back again to the vice end, and tie off in the last hole.
At this stage, mark the active strands just in front of the plates with a marking pen.
Now take the drill and pull on the wires so that they equalise tension and are in a square configuration without any crossovers.
With the drill dead square on, rotate the chuck whilst keeping suitable tension, and spin the wires tight enough to stay together reliably.
You may need to unspin the cable a little, and get an assistant to run up and down the wires with a cloth to help form them neatly whilst doing this.
You now need to cut the wires from the plates, cut the cable in the middle, and using a continuity tested determine which wires are the actives and neutrals, strip the ends and solder them into your chosen connectors.
The star-quad arrangement reduces loop inductance, and reduces RF pickup despite no shielding.
You may like to experiment with fitting a braid (metallic or not) over the assembly, but I have not bothered.
The non-directional arrangement gives much better depth imaging to my ears, and overall the sound is friendlier, smoother, more detailed and overall more pleasant than other cables that I have heard.
This non-directional characteristic also makes Absoloute Polarity more evident, and this is a benefit in my opinion.
You may like to try wire with different insulation material, but to my ear this pvc is quite ok.
Other members recommend teflon insulation, but to my ear this gives an un-naturally hard sounding characteristic.
I hope this explains it for you, and if you try it please tell us (me) of your results.
Regards, Eric.
PS - Goto Canare for more info regarding star-quad.
Hello Max,
To make non-directional interconnect you need a single strand of insulated wire four times the length of the interconnect (eight times for a stereo pair).
I used plain copper (no platings), white pvc insulated telephone wire.
The active consists of two strands, ditto the neutral.
Each leg goes from the source connector to the load connector and back again.
The two actives are diametrically opposite as per the diagram below, ditto the neutrals.
To make this cable, make four holes in each of two 1 inch square plates (plywood etc), each with a hole at each corner.
Fit a screw and nut through a center hole in each plate.
Fix one plate to say a vice, and the other into the chuck of a variable speed (slow) drill.
Tie one end of the wire to one corner hole at the vice end.
Run this wire through one hole of the drill end plate, across the center to the diametrically opposite hole and back to the vice end and diametrically opposite the start end wire.
Now thread this wire to one of the unused holes and back to the drill end, and then back again to the vice end, and tie off in the last hole.
At this stage, mark the active strands just in front of the plates with a marking pen.
Now take the drill and pull on the wires so that they equalise tension and are in a square configuration without any crossovers.
With the drill dead square on, rotate the chuck whilst keeping suitable tension, and spin the wires tight enough to stay together reliably.
You may need to unspin the cable a little, and get an assistant to run up and down the wires with a cloth to help form them neatly whilst doing this.
You now need to cut the wires from the plates, cut the cable in the middle, and using a continuity tested determine which wires are the actives and neutrals, strip the ends and solder them into your chosen connectors.
The star-quad arrangement reduces loop inductance, and reduces RF pickup despite no shielding.
You may like to experiment with fitting a braid (metallic or not) over the assembly, but I have not bothered.
The non-directional arrangement gives much better depth imaging to my ears, and overall the sound is friendlier, smoother, more detailed and overall more pleasant than other cables that I have heard.
This non-directional characteristic also makes Absoloute Polarity more evident, and this is a benefit in my opinion.
You may like to try wire with different insulation material, but to my ear this pvc is quite ok.
Other members recommend teflon insulation, but to my ear this gives an un-naturally hard sounding characteristic.
I hope this explains it for you, and if you try it please tell us (me) of your results.
Regards, Eric.
PS - Goto Canare for more info regarding star-quad.
Attachments
Re: STAR Q.
No I haven't tried shielding yet.
So far I have not had any hint of RF pickup, so I have not bothered so far.
The other day I pulled some coax out of the garage so that I can strip the shielding braid (plain copper), but have not fitted it yet.
There has been comments that if shielding is not required (because of RF), the sound can be better without it.
Do you have any experience in this ?.
Eric.
Hi Frank,fdegrove said:Hi,
Have you tried shielding, Eric?
Ciao,
No I haven't tried shielding yet.
So far I have not had any hint of RF pickup, so I have not bothered so far.
The other day I pulled some coax out of the garage so that I can strip the shielding braid (plain copper), but have not fitted it yet.
There has been comments that if shielding is not required (because of RF), the sound can be better without it.
Do you have any experience in this ?.
Eric.
Interconnects
Thanks Eric Ill be making some up and will post my resuilts when done. It will take a week or 2 as I live in the sticks and need to get some rca plugs, Iam also intrested to hear if anyone has replace there rca's with something else, if so what with and what did it sound like.
Cheers Max
Thanks Eric Ill be making some up and will post my resuilts when done. It will take a week or 2 as I live in the sticks and need to get some rca plugs, Iam also intrested to hear if anyone has replace there rca's with something else, if so what with and what did it sound like.
Cheers Max
RE:Re: STAR Q.
Hi,
The trouble with RFI is that, unless you're equipped to measure for it, isn't all that noticeable until you do away with it.
IME, some systems are more sensitive to it than others so it's worthwhile to experiment to see what performs best.
That seems to be the general consensus, indeed.
Whenever I use shielded wire, be those coax, twinax or star Q, I connect the shield only to one end of the cable.
By doing so it doesn't carry any audio and if you put a small lead at one end experimenting with shielding/no shielding becomes easier.
A good friend of mine even shields his speakercables this way and claims an improvement in sound quality.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions but as said it's worth to at least give it a try.
Cheers,
Hi,
The trouble with RFI is that, unless you're equipped to measure for it, isn't all that noticeable until you do away with it.
IME, some systems are more sensitive to it than others so it's worthwhile to experiment to see what performs best.
That seems to be the general consensus, indeed.
Whenever I use shielded wire, be those coax, twinax or star Q, I connect the shield only to one end of the cable.
By doing so it doesn't carry any audio and if you put a small lead at one end experimenting with shielding/no shielding becomes easier.
A good friend of mine even shields his speakercables this way and claims an improvement in sound quality.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions but as said it's worth to at least give it a try.
Cheers,
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