That's a twisted pair, there are cheaper ways to make it, but it has some logic - the electric field from the hot conductor is mainly to the ground wire. However standard _shielded_ twisted pair (STP) completely solves that problem and is readily available.Do the same criticisms apply to this IC?
"Each ****** Interconnect is made by hand because this is the only way to build a cable that has the absolute minimum contact with the insulator. The signal travels through a very thin polyester coated enamelled copper wire, which is spiralled around a much thicker bare copper ground. Because signal and return conductors are so tightly spaced external electric fields cannot get in. As a result, these cables completely stop hum in valve amplifier setups, whilst blocking radio frequency interference (RFI)."
He may know even less about electronics than you.Steve Luck said:
Any competent speaker cable will sound great - you just need low resistance and low loop area. It is not hard.
Low-level interference is not heard as such. Sometimes people even think the extra noise and tizz is extra 'sparkle' or 'air' around the instruments. This may be why really bad cables are so popular among those who do not understand electronics.
Yes. It is amazing how many different ways people have invented to make a really bad cable, but they have all been on creative writing courses so they know how to sell them to the gullible.dhsettim said:
Not really. Yes, it has two conductors and one is twisted around the other but it does not have the symmetry of two similar conductors twisted around a common axis. Hence it will not reject interference as well as a simple unshielded twisted pair. On the other hand, it will have lower signal return resistance than a twisted pair so if ground loops are a problem it might work better in an unbalanced situation than a twisted pair. A proper coax would work even better, of course, but let us not allow engineering to dispel audio myths and upset people. It is curious how some audio enthusiasts seem to cling to their ideas, a bit like the way children believe in Father Christmas.Mark Tillotson said:
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Please explain what a good cable should look like and how it’s constructed.
People buy whatever they are told is good quality and is within budget because they don’t all have PHD’s. Worse than that the same cables win prizes from hi fi magazines and Best Buy ratings. The only gullible ones are those spending hundreds of dollars a meter.
People on this forum have the skills to make their own so what should they buy?
People buy whatever they are told is good quality and is within budget because they don’t all have PHD’s. Worse than that the same cables win prizes from hi fi magazines and Best Buy ratings. The only gullible ones are those spending hundreds of dollars a meter.
People on this forum have the skills to make their own so what should they buy?
Balanced cables should have 2 conductors plus a full-coverage shield -
Single ended connections use this - single conductor and full coverage shield.
I've messed around with cables for 30yr, the best results are always what you'd find in a studio. Everything else is jewelry. (Which is fine if that's what you enjoy.
)
Single ended connections use this - single conductor and full coverage shield.
I've messed around with cables for 30yr, the best results are always what you'd find in a studio. Everything else is jewelry. (Which is fine if that's what you enjoy.
)
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I already have: twisted pair (preferably shielded) - for balanced connections, coaxial - for unbalanced connections, sufficiently low resistance - for speakers. That is about all you need to know.Steve Luck said:
You don't need a PhD to choose sensible cables. You should start by ignoring audio magazines. You need to be gullible to spend tens of dollars per metre; spending hundreds means you are foolish.
Almost nobody on this forum has the skills and equipment to make a competent cable, so we buy them from factories. You can be reasonably certain that anyone attempting to actually construct a cable (e.g. by winding/weaving one wire around another) does not understand electronics, and so should be ignored.
We do have the skills to attach connectors on the ends. Some still manage to get things wrong, by using the wrong cable e.g. twisted pair for unbalanced connections, Cat 6 for speakers.
Your picture does not seem to show very much twisting. Maybe the tails have been straightened to make the picture tidier?6L6 said:
Single Core OFC Screened Audio Cable - Sold per metre CAT.NO: WB1508 will do the job and should sound ok.
If you want to experiment Jaycar have enameled wire also.
Dan.
Indeed, and I have a 500m roll of the stuff - well actually probably only 480 m currently.
Unbalanced often uses RCA connectors (we call them 'phono' in the UK), although sometimes you will see 1/4" or 3.5mm jack or even DIN on older equipment.Steve Luck said:
Balanced generally uses 3-pin XLR.
SPDIF is different because it is a digital format - it is unbalanced and uses 75R coax, with either RCA or BNC connectors.
To OP Steve, STP has relatively thick insulation....good for lower capacitance but not so good interference rejection as enameled wire....take your pick.
For a twisted pair cable each leg can be made non-directional by use of two wires in opposing directions and twisted then this pair twisted with other matching pair......ie four wires total.
I have found such 'non-directional' interconnects to be preferable to other cables and as far as I am concerned wire directionality is real and I am not interested in debates or arguments regarding this point.
If one has not auditioned 'non-directional' cables and is relying only on hear say or text book arguments then do not respond.
Steve OP, if you are prepared to do the above described experimenting with enameled wire or STP strands you may find the sound you are looking for.
Also Jaycar sell this lead free solder - Lead Free Solder 0.71mm 200g Roll CAT.NO: NS3088....99.3%Tin/0.7%Copper which I find much preferable to lead based solders, YMMV.
Regards, Dan.
For a twisted pair cable each leg can be made non-directional by use of two wires in opposing directions and twisted then this pair twisted with other matching pair......ie four wires total.
I have found such 'non-directional' interconnects to be preferable to other cables and as far as I am concerned wire directionality is real and I am not interested in debates or arguments regarding this point.
If one has not auditioned 'non-directional' cables and is relying only on hear say or text book arguments then do not respond.
Steve OP, if you are prepared to do the above described experimenting with enameled wire or STP strands you may find the sound you are looking for.
Also Jaycar sell this lead free solder - Lead Free Solder 0.71mm 200g Roll CAT.NO: NS3088....99.3%Tin/0.7%Copper which I find much preferable to lead based solders, YMMV.
Regards, Dan.
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As you are not a Mod we are free to ignore this request.Max Headroom said:
It is virtually impossible for a short audio cable in a typical setup to be directional. That is a fact. If you believe otherwise then you are not testing what you think you are testing.
Twisted enamelled wire may have higher capacitance (and lower inductance) than twisted plastic covered wire. This is unfortunate, because with poor equipment it is usually capacitance you want to minimise.
I have auditioned enough interconnect cables to be certain that at least some are subtly directional and it's not due to construction 'defects' or funky 'audiophile' cables, I'm talking about standard decent quality coaxial cable with decent quality RCA connectors.
Duh, that's why I mentioned it.
Not so much 'poor equipment' as the typical 100R or so of build-out resistance of most preamps/line output stages and excessive capacitance causing premature HF roll off.
Dan.
100R output impedance can cope with 32nF before HF rolls off at 50kHz. That would be a lot of cable of any type. I was thinking of some device such as crude single valve preamp which might have an output impedance in the 5k region, then you need to keep cable capacitance down to 600pF. Even that allows a few metres.
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