Free speaker wire shootout - cat6 vs romex

[marce]

CAT 5, cat 5e, cat6, cat6a, cat7 Cable Standards | Cablek
A Few Things You May Not Have Known About Ethernet Cable Construction

Cat5e has published near and far end crosstalk figures...and better controlled than plain CAT5. It is enhanced CAT 5 to carry faster signals.
Even if the cores are different lengths will not make any difference at audio frequencies, we are talking 40ns/100m delay....
I would be interested in how like for like lengths of the various CAT cables would sound different!

 

[TheGimp]

I cannibalized some thick flexible power cords from Home Depot. They have 3 wires, though, so for convenience I connected white and green-yellow together, at least one of wires has a half of resistance.

Oh god Wavebourn.

You know better than that.

Now you have less resistance in one leg than the other and the electrons will pile up at the speaker end causing congested sound.

 

[lowtherdream]

The twist rates in CAT 5 are different! NOT the same, this is to avoid crosstalk between the LVDS signals.
How could the minor twist rates cause audible problems, work out the electrical length of cable when transmitting audio and you may fine that a few feet difference between one cable and the next will not make any difference what so ever.
Regarding CAT 5 or 6 , Andrew T did some measurements somewhere and I do believe using multiple pairs can increase the cables capacitance.
Me on Sy's recommendation chopped few feet of cable from my lawn mower, I believe the bright Orange colour of the dielectric is better for signal integrity and as an added bonus it always clashes with whatever decorating scheme my beloved wife dreams up, causing endless domestic friction. This could be solved if she went and bought some black or white cable🙂

The Belden CAT5e I used had all pairs with the same twist rate. The way the 4 pairs were twisted together did vary. I skinned the outer sleeve and used the 4 pairs to build speaker cables with 14 strands per pole.

 

[marce]

I would love to see the part number and spec, I believe the CAT cable specification calls for different twists.

 

[AndrewT]

...........Cat5e is often 24awg, 4 pairs, all twisted at the same rate. So all Cat5e wires have the same length inside the external jacket..................

Wrong.
Cat5 and Cat5e both use different twist rates for the 4 pairs.

Are your conclusions affected by this twist difference?

 

[2 picoDumbs]

I want to see pictures of these cheap ideas.
I might play around with cheap mains cable vs pure solid core.

 

[Andersonix]

I don't think that CAT3,5,6 stuff should be used as mains wiring, as its insulation is not especially tough and strips off too easily (as intended).

 

[2 picoDumbs]

I don't think that CAT3,5,6 stuff should be used as mains wiring, as its insulation is not especially tough and strips off too easily (as intended).

No. I'm using mains cable as speaker cable. I'm not really interested in Cat cable.

 

[tomtt]

the good news is - (on sale)

Shop Basics 20-Foot Outdoor Extension Cord | Big Lots

 

[Inductor]

Cheap black PA speaker cables also very good value.

 

[Inductor]

...

I guess I'll try that next and see the difference between 2 conductor solid core vs stranded core, all else being about equal.

Any answers? Stranded might not endure the effects of time, after 10/20/30 years w. oxidation.