DIY Cable Gallery!!

[gotchaforce]

Originally Posted by jmlpartners

Twisted Cat5 Speaker Cable

Compared to the jumble that is braided Cat5 speaker cable, this speaker cable sounds the way it looks: smooth and coherent. It is also easier and less time-consuming to make.

This looks real nice.. like a candy of some sort

how thick is the diameter?

[FallenAngel]

I was debating posting this in the "builds" thread, but since it has more to do with cables, it's here. In light of modding my iPod (thanks joneeboi for the great thread), I needed output caps to listen to my diyMod so after living with a hackjob for a couple of weeks, I finally got parts in to make these:



Both cables are made of Cardas 23.5AWG stranded wire. The silver cable has a pair of 47uF/6.3V BlackGate NX caps in it. The black scorpion looking Hammond 1455C802 case has a pair of Sonicap Gen 1 4.7uF bypassed by Sonicap Gen 2 0.1uF caps. Output is a short mini cable for portable use and a pair of Vampire RCA jacks for a stationary setup.

To say the least, I'm very happy with both cables, the Sonicap are much better than the BlackGates, no doubt, but for ultra-portability sometimes I'll just take the smaller dock.

Oh, and I'm very much hoping that this will be the last time I ever need to make an iPod connector, I hate those blasted little things! Making it with Cardas wire is just that much more of a pain in the butt.

[gallardo88]

I would also like to know the answer to ruZZ.il 's question

[Zorander]

Originally Posted by ruZZ.il

slightly off topic, but what do you guys do to minimize microphonics in HP re-cables? I've got a bag full of it in the teflon coated multi-strand silver plated copper..

Multi-filament nylon sleeves are typically used with HP recables and they have minimal microphonics.

[ruZZ.il]

Thanks. I'll experiment a bit

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Originally Posted by jmlpartners

Twisted Cat5 Speaker Cable

Very nice to see an alternative to the typical Cat5 braid. Might be interesting to try the same technique with a slightly thicker wire like Kimber TCSS or Vampire cast copper, or possibly using two different sized conductors. Do you have a picture of the Jig you used by any chance?

Originally Posted by ruZZ.il

slightly off topic, but what do you guys do to minimize microphonics in HP re-cables? I've got a bag full of it in the teflon coated multi-strand silver plated copper..

If microphonics are a concern and you are using a jacketless cable like SPC you should avoid standard PET Techflex and use multifilament nylon, which is a product made by Techflex but has a softer feel.

[nikongod]

In what can most readily be described in a fit of boredom fueled by caffeine I baked a pair of cables.

22ga magnet wire wrapped TIGHTLY around an x-acto knife handle then stretched over a single strand of 41ga magnet wire (yes, 41 ga, its about the size of a strand of human hair...) inside a nylon shoelace for strain relief.

RCA plugs came from radio shack, 6 for $3.50 WOOT!

Here they are sitting on my platter.

Between the turntable/tonearm breakout box and the Step-up-transformer is a 6 inch cable I made with "some not so clear tape" and 2 strands of 41ga magnet wire. It is not shielded, but the primary of the transformer is wired balanced and floating so there is NO hum, even with the tonearm ground wire removed.

The "peculiar junk" atop the otherwise aesthetically pleasing bottlehead seduction is a pair of binding posts to mount external loading resistors for the SUT. Loading the SUT properly is VERY important. The pot is there until I "settle" on a specific load at which time it will be replaced with a resistor.

A closeup of the new cables.

Version 2 will look more like what they are trying to be, with the coils extending into the RCA plugs... I dont think I will use such absurdly thin wire as I broke one moving it from my work room to my bedroom. Version 2 will also have a tighter wrap for the coils. I dont like how "free" the shoelace is in the cage.

Thus far they sound EXCEPTIONALLY dynamic. If there is a spike in the music level hang onto your earlobes. Anything with strong transients throws you into your seat.

[kugino]

here's my first cable...finally got around to it last night. the hardest part for me was stripping the wires to expose the bare copper...need a better wire stripper. other than that, i probably need some alligator clips and a better way to put on the heatshrink. but it sounds good so i guess i did it correctly. it's a 4-pin XLR to 2 3-pin XLR adapter for use with my GS-X. i did not ground the 3-pin ends...it's using canare star quad, some techflex, and neutrik connectors.

sorry for the crappy picture, too...just did a quickie in bad light on the camera phone.

[nrwilk]

This may have been asked before - in fact, I'm sure it has. But, I couldn't find anything after searching.

I'm planning on making some ICs (mini-to-mini, mini-to-RCA, and RCA-to-RCA) with some wire I have already. I also want to try some with CAT-5. What can I use to shield these ICs since the CAT-5 and the other wire is not shielded? I notice that many of you seem to order wire that comes with rubber tubing on it already, but is there any tubing like this available by itself? Or, will techflex work by itself?

Thanks for any tips and help!

EDIT: How about cotton or nylon tubing?

[Fungi]

"Shielded" doesn't mean that it has a material cover over it. The shielded mic cable has shielding inside the tubing, around the wires.