Where do I post about making your own cables ? Types and gages.

[Mr Jeff 7]

Hello everyone. I just had to open this can of worms ( Sorry ) to help me out. I am looking into building my own rca cables from the ground up in my speaker system and then speaker wires and a.c. cables as well. I would like to stick with the same brand all the way around if possible? So does it matter if I use brands like canare, mogami, Gotham , and use amphenol gold plates rca ends? I know it's pro audio brands but, most if not all. Hifi brands are to much money for bulk. I Am looking to use wires that will make my system free from any buzzing or humming in it. I know the cable has to be un balanced for the rca cable ? I hope this is right? Please help me because I am trying to save money and point me in the right Direction Thanks Jeff

P.s. I called cardas wire and it would cost me about $1,200 dollars for their mid stuff in my system.

 

[AuroraB]

And what exactly do you think is wrong with pro brands vs high priced snake oil??

 

[chrisb]

Source and line level forums, might e a more appropriate sub-forum maybe - but don't be surprised if no consensus is to be found anywhere on this site re "cabling". I might be out of line, but some of the worst "science" and ad copy in the audio world can be found expounding the virtues of particular brand names and technologies in this product category.

BTDT since the late 70's, and there are far better places in an audio system on which to spend stupid amounts of money chasing after the brass ring.

For myself, I've been happy with everything from home-made interconnects and speaker wire made from single strands of #24 solid stripped from CAT5 network cabling, to a couple of Chris VenHaus' braided formulas (until my fingers cramped up ), using everything from Switchcraft, Cardas, Wireworld, Eichmann Bullet plugs and speaker pods to the cheapest plastic RCA plugs from when Radio Shack actually sold parts.

Currently, speaker wire in all my systems is Home Depot brand #18 "zipcord" - about as vanilla a type of wire as can be found, and most interconnect cabling is either from their same department, or a nice combo pack of HDMI and RCAs from Costco about 5 yrs ago.

 

[xrk971]

I agree with Chrisb. I use anything I can find but the best line level cable I have had is RF quality RG-174 coax with crimped BNC connectors. Use BNC to RCA adapters. If not BNC crimped just solder RG-174 directly to RCA connector. Use good Amphenol brand crimp connectors with gold contacts.

For speaker level, I buy a bulk 500ft 18gage spool of clear insulation zip cord speaker wire. About as cheap as it gets. Spend your $ on speakers, drivers, amps, and room sound treatment.

For wire to speaker interface I use 5 way banana binding posts.

However, I have seen this new type of connector from GR Research. It appears to have the most contact surface and low ohmic losses. Does not appear to be snake oil.

Electra Cable Tube Connectors

Anyone who wants to charge you more than $2/ft for wire is selling snake oil IMO.

 

[Cal Weldon]

I Am looking to use wires that will make my system free from any buzzing or humming in it.

If you feel that cables do this then perhaps start at the lowest end of the scale until you have a better handle on it. No point in spending money while there are misunderstandings.

 

[rif]

If you want to stick with the same brand look at belden. They make thousands of different kinds of wire and cable and are well respected in many industries.

I've used their coax for line level with rca and bnc, as well as some 10 or 12 gauge speaker cable. I even use their cat6 cable in my home network.

No snake oil with belden, just lots of testing results,but not all parameters are relevant to audio.

 

[SY]

Don't get hung up on brands. One brand may come out of multiple factories and one factory might supply multiple brands. The brand is just an arrangement of printed ink on the outside surface of the insulation.

IME, the best wire source for interconnect cable is Guitar Center and similar musical instrument dealers. Low noise mike and instrument cables are exactly what's needed in audio (that means none of the teflon-silver nonsense).

 

[Mike Gergen]

There are some nice DIY cables here. Cheap too.

[TNT-Audio] - Internet HiFi audiophile magazine

 

[AndrewT]

Buy copper cables. Nothing more needs be spent.
The few ohms (or less) of a copper connect do not alter the voltage transfer to a 20kohms and upwards of receiving equipment.

 

[Speedskater]

There are some nice DIY cables here. Cheap too. [TNT-Audio] - Internet HiFi audiophile magazine

On some pages it's hard to separate the common sense from the nonsense. While other pages are total nonsense.

 

[Richidoo]

Gotham GAC-2 Install cable is a very good sounding budget cable for balanced or SE DIY ICs. Redco.com sells it for $0.22/foot. It is installation cable, designed for best sound at lowest price. It does not compromise sound quality for flexibility, abrasion resistance or hum rejection, none of which are very important in residential audio system.

Connector alloy is very important, look for high copper brass, or pure copper if you can afford it, or diy.

Another path to consider is silver conductors:

 

[sreten]

Hi,

I've found nowadays you can buy some very nice cables with very nice
plugs on e-pray for quite a bit less than you can possibly build them for.

If buzzing and humming is the only issue, cables that are well good
enough for that are not expensive, there are some great value
cables on e-pray IMHO. Some of the budget cables are really
quite outstanding quality for the very budget prices.

rgds, sreten.

 

[Mike Gergen]

For inter connects I use RG62 with Rheem RCAs. The RG62 is a copper center and copper braid that I found at a surplus shop for 10 cents/ft.

 

[Mr Jeff 7]

Wow. Lots of post. More then I expected. I am so glade I don't have to morage my house for my cables. I did go to a acquaintance's Hifi Shop a few weeks ago to see how the new location and set looked like. There was a guy next to me that bought nordost cables only 10 wires for $25,000 dollars. He was using credit cards. That just makes me sick. Also I was told if you don't buy good wire your foolish? Whatever. Any who Thanks everyone. I will save And build my own cables. No snake oil for me. Cheers Jeff

 

[marce]

I agree with Chrisb. I use anything I can find but the best line level cable I have had is RF quality RG-174 coax with crimped BNC connectors. Use BNC to RCA adapters. If not BNC crimped just solder RG-174 directly to RCA connector. Use good Amphenol brand crimp connectors with gold contacts.

For speaker level, I buy a bulk 500ft 18gage spool of clear insulation zip cord speaker wire. About as cheap as it gets. Spend your $ on speakers, drivers, amps, and room sound treatment.

For wire to speaker interface I use 5 way banana binding posts.

However, I have seen this new type of connector from GR Research. It appears to have the most contact surface and low ohmic losses. Does not appear to be snake oil.

Electra Cable Tube Connectors

Anyone who wants to charge you more than $2/ft for wire is selling snake oil IMO.

Hypertac connectors if you want the best... Not snake oil, not cheep, but excellent...
Smiths Connectors - Hypertac, IDI and Sabritec Brands - Smiths Connectors

 

[marce]

Gotham GAC-2 Install cable is a very good sounding budget cable for balanced or SE DIY ICs. Redco.com sells it for $0.22/foot. It is installation cable, designed for best sound at lowest price. It does not compromise sound quality for flexibility, abrasion resistance or hum rejection, none of which are very important in residential audio system.

Connector alloy is very important, look for high copper brass, or pure copper if you can afford it, or diy.

Another path to consider is silver conductors:

Cables don't have a sound, if they alter the signal so it is noticeable then they are faulty....
What does silver do that copper doesn't.....

 

[marce]

One of the biggest causes of buzzing is RCA cables with too low a shield resistance, allowing the lower frequencies it find other lower impedance path... a ground loop.

 

[Speedskater]

One of the biggest causes of buzzing is RCA cables with too low a shield resistance, allowing the lower frequencies it find other lower impedance path... a ground loop.

'marce' you have that upside down. You need to reread the Henry Ott paper:

"Balanced vs. Unbalanced Audio Interconnections"
http://hottconsultants.com/pdf_files/Audio Interconnections.pdf

Bill Whitlock suggest that the Shield/Return be the equivalent of 14AWG/2.0 sq mm or larger.

 

[Einric]

My favorite coaxial cables are RG400 and RG142.
RG400 uses a silver plated copper center conductor and dual 99% coverage silver plated copper braided shields.
It is priced VERY reasonably to the Audiophile snake oil stuff.

 

[Richidoo]

Cables don't have a sound, if they alter the signal so it is noticeable then they are faulty....

Then we better get rid of the faulty tubes, paper cones, vinyl, transformers, etc

Of course wires have a sound. There is no perfect audio conductor reference. There is nothing perfect in this hobby, or in this physical realm. And if there was it would be very expensive and therefore labelled "snake oil," right?

What does silver do that copper doesn't.....

Lower resistance = better damping. Try it for yourself.


Here's another DIY silver cable article.