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Gah! DIY vs Outlaw - Page 2

post #16 of 18
5/16/02 at 2:00am
Quote:
Originally posted by kwkarth
Just so you understand...

I was building my own cables before most of you were born, and I'm telling you you can't build cables as good as the outlaws for as cheap as you can buy them. So if you want to build your own for fun, that's one thing, if you're after the best quality and sound that you can obtain for the money, then that's another matter.
I'm hoping no one takes kwkarth's exhortation as a reason NOT to DIY...though you may not come out on top for bang/buck ratio, when you do it yourself, you gain valuable knowledge about how things work. That knowledge makes you a more powerful consumer, so when somebody comes to you with a new miracle interconnect and asks some outrageous sum for it, you can use your knowledge about what makes one interconnect sound different from the others to make a more informed choice.

After all, it's not the quality of the component, it's the synergy with the system...
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post #17 of 18
5/16/02 at 7:56am
Thread Starter 
true. I may just do both. Get the outlaw PCA, and build one.
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post #18 of 18
5/19/02 at 2:20pm
build the cables , I have and while I am not one to say a thing is better sounding than another (way too subjective) ,I can say the cable has surprisingly good sound for the price.
Plus the look is too coool
durability-
Use RCA plugs with strain releifs AND cover it with heat shrink for extra strength . Use red and black for L/R color coding or color coded plugs.
Variation-
twist two wire together and use clear plastic tubing (from pet store , the pump tubing used for aquariums).Still looks pretty cool but is a more "conventional" design.Just be sure to mark one wire at BOTH ends or you will have to use an ohmmeter to differentiate between the two leads (hot and ground)

Also it would not hurt to try the "risch" coax cables.Radio Shack carries the equivelent Beldon cables by the foot (actual Belden)

And finally - build some CAT-5 cables in the manner of Kimber Kable.

I use all of the above in combination with commercial cables.What sounds marginal in one application may sound killer (again ,use YOUR ears) in another.Short runs may not need shielding , long runs it may be essential.Match the cable to the application.

Build them if only for the enjoyment of "I did this".You will not be sorry

rickster
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