Searching the perfect cable section

[Alves]

Hello.

My DIY cables have the following specs. Based on your experience, do you think there's something wrong with this setup?

- Interconnect: 21awg (1 x 21awg solid silver conductor)

- Speaker cable: 10awg (3 x 17awg + 2 x 19awg + 2 x 21awg solid silver conductors)


Thanks and regards,
Alves

[PauSim]

Hi there

I´d do a little search before posting

[Alves]

Thanks for the link, but I've seen it before and that post doesn't answer my queries. It does not focus the loudspeaker cable section subject, and the few interconnect opinions aren't solid or deep. I am looking for knowledge and experience on this matter which I consider to be one of the major keys for building the right cable (number and section of conductors).

The post also doesn't exploit the combination of different section conductors. On interconnects I've only tried these DIY:
- 1x22awg (bass lacks impact; sound lacks body)
- 2x22awg (better, but lacks coherence and bass still lacks impact)
- 1x21awg + 1x22awg (better, warm, but clarity declined from 1x22awg)
- 1x26awg + 1x24awg + 1x22awg (better, excellent mids and treble but bass not quite there)
- 1x21awg (perfect bass, midband seems to have lost a little, yet a fine compromise).

These are just a few and basic combinations, probably not the best.

Now, about speakers cables, I've tried over 20 combinations, and I found this to be the best so far:
- 3 x 17awg + 2 x 19awg + 2 x 21awg.

Regards
Alves

[PauSim]

Alves,

That´s quite an effort you´re doing!

Perhaps I´m being too picky but I still find your queries a bit vague.

What is the configuration being used in your experiments?

Are you using always the same geometry and dielectric materials?

When you say "1 X ..." is that for a coax, I believe ? How closed is the shield to the wire btw?

And when you say "1 X ... + 2 X ... + ...", do all those wires act as signal conductors? And are they individually isolated?

(We´ll have to forget about the synergy between components and the "YOUR system, YOUR ears" thing. If your system had too much bass impact and body then the 1 X 21 awg would be the perfect cross-section, etc... otherwise we´ll be getting nowhere).

Epá, já agora és daonde?

Cheers

[lineup]

Originally posted by Alves
These are just a few and basic combinations, probably not the best.
Now, about speakers cables, I've tried over 20 combinations .....

Hello Alves!

Before you decide, here are a couple of links on DIY Cables.
See how others do it. Cant hurt.
You might already have studied these articles:

Cables, Interconnects & Other Stuff

Home > DIY & Tweaking > Cables


Good audio Cable's Constructing is not a very easy thing.
Some think so, but it is not.
Good luck

[PauSim]

Originally posted by lineup
[B]

Cables, Interconnects & Other Stuff

Home > DIY & Tweaking > Cables

Good advice.

I was about to protest regarding one of the sites, but now I (think I ) see you´re pointing in two opposite directions on purpose. Let´s see: one is Heaven, one is Hell. It´s up to the man to decide which is which.

[lineup]

PauSim

As I see it:
Whatever opinion you have today, it may be another tomorrow.
To compare your own opinion to other opinions puts your own ideas to the test.
If you are not sure about your idea, you maybe be afraid to hear others.
Also the more information you can get from persons that have done some thinking about it, the more you are ready to make your own choice.

I do not like attitude, which try to tell people what to think about cables.
They are free to think and do whatever.
I just want to inform what others have found and are thinking and doing.


There are more sides to a coin than one.
A human with two eyes can choose to use only one
and keep the other closed.
But would this be wise?



This question remains:
If cables are good enough specified for their job,
then, is it possible to hear any sound quality change
by using one cable or another?
And likewise:
If 2 transistors are close in specifications and good enough for their job,
then, is it possible to hear any sound quality change
by using one transistor or another?

Guess we will never know for sure!

[Alves]

lineup, thanks for the links.

PauSim,
I always use solid core conductors in every experiments, 99.99999% perfect silver by AudioTruth. All the wires are individually isolated (air and teflon). Geometry is a twisted serpentine like the one used by Kimber Select.
Shield is an external serpentine made of 1 x 22AWG silver (outside the level-2 isolation, which is very large - near 1" diameter teflon tube with very thick wall) - I have obtained marvellous shielding results by using this large teflon isolation and by moving the shield to the outside of the interconnect.
Connectors are WBT-108, crimp version - the best I've used so far. Better than my experience with other RCA connectors using silver solder. Near the RCA connectors, I use a third level of Teflon isolation that "eats" the connectors.

The most dramatic changes on my system were achieved by changing the cables and the speakers.
Previously to DIYing the cables I've used up to $5000 cables that were a bargain.

Regards
Alves

[PauSim]

Originally posted by lineup
There are more sides to a coin than one.
A human with two eyes can choose to use only one
and keep the other closed.
But would this be wise?

At night, if the enemy beams a strong searchlight at you, it´s best to keep only an eye open. When you start to become blind just close it and open the other, while shooting.
I learned this at the army

Cheers

[PauSim]

Alves,

I´m not familiar with Kimber Select.
What´s a twisted serpentine?

Have you tried a star-quad geometry using equal wires?
This configuration is excelent for bass and rhythm but is soft on the treble. Using 26 awg conductors or even thinner you could achieve a good balance.