DIY Cables -- Anyone Here Use Them?

I myself am considering upgrading my home theater to cat5 (Belden) cabling... though it does seem overkill considering that my home theater is only $800... I was hoping on finding some cat5 cabling instructions and maybe a way to make interconnects using them but I think they are for speaker wire only... but sheesh, dirt cheap speaker wire, pennies a foot (well somewhere close to that). And they are good, I've heard they sound better than like, expensive speaker wire (not that 30$ stuff but the 1000$ stuff) though it takes quite a bit of work to do.

I suppose making interconnects would be more costly, I dunno...

I was planning a video switch box, but someone at Headwise told me I needed to use Cmos switching for such high frequency needs. I was planning to just use a 5 pos rotary switch, solid silver wire (Very short lengths) and gold jacks. I just need to be able to switch between video sources to my television. DVD, Laser Disc, Playstation, VCR etc. My home amp has provision for switching all the audio, but video is a problem.
I am also going to make my own video cables. The core wire can sometimes be pulled out of this type wire and I was going to replace it with .999 pure silver wire. I will post if it is successful.
Dan

I traded some tubes for some Belden-based interconnects. Cables aren't here yet... I'll do a review in a week or so after I get them. Unfortuantely, I only have RS gold cables for comparison, but at least it's a start.

I use DIY cable for all my connections.Can better be had ?

Probably,

but I am satisfied with the performance

most low level cables are magnet wire,speaker cables are CAT-5 as are my wires for the portable rig

Headphone extension cords are microphone cable

I hear the beldon sounds good but it is just way too ordinary for me , I lean towards less is more

Is it really ?

Dunno,works for me though

****************************************8

Dan ,it was I that recommended cmos switching , soon as I dig out the shema from the zip disc library I can send it too ya

You get winzip yet ? If not you'll get it straight (no compression)

The reason I suggest electronic switching is the banwidth of the signal.Mechanical switches can run into all kinds of trouble at these freqs,but monolithic cmos switches work very well and are easy to implement

Rick

(gotta get those post up,startin' from zero again)

Here's one of those instances where our former resource would be handy; I do use them, but I cannot find the bookmarks for the 3 best DIY cable construction links.

I use 'em. I'm also the guy who made the pair DHWILKIN is going to review in a couple weeks -- so if they sound like ass, you'll all know who's fault it is.

Before DIY I used Monster's consumer-grade stuff, like you can get at Circuit City for $50. DIY beats it with a stick. I've never shelled out for any of the good commercial stuff, so I can't compare it. I think Wing has done the Pepsi Challenge with some Belden DIY vs. commercial products, though.

Summary of my experience: Belden 1505A, great for video and digital audio, so-so for analog audio. Terminate with Canare RCAP C4F.

Belden 1506A, great for video, pretty darn good for analog audio. Terminate with Canare RCAP C4F.

Canare Star Quad mic cable. Pretty darn good for analog audio. Terminate with Dayton Audio RCA's (available in locking or nonlocking) or Canare F-10. Or, get www.markertec.com to do it for you, pretty cheaply, too. Also good for replacing poor cabling in amps and CD players.

Belden 89272, really great for analog audio, but I'm not sure Belden still makes the same formulation I've been using. Terminate with Dayton Audio RCA's (available in locking or nonlocking) or Canare F-10.

Belden 89259, really great for analog audio, but hard to find anything less than a 100-foot roll, which costs over $100. Terminate with Dayton Audio RCA's (available in locking or nonlocking) or Canare F-10.

CAT5 braided speaker cables, great stuff, if you be sure to use the teflon-insulated Belden brands Chris and John recommend. Scrounge EBAY for a while and you'll be able to score some for cheap. Use the Rat Shack gold crimp-on spades to terminate it.

Aside from the Cables forum at audioasylum.com, this is the other seminal DIY cable link: http://members.nbci.com/Jon_Risch/

You can check out this page for some DIY cables and links:

Chris Venhaus' Page

I am currently constructing a set of 40 foot ICs (don't ask) using Canare LV-77s double shielded coax and Canare crimp-on RCA connectors. I also like the Canare star-quad speker cable and star-quad mic cable.

Try this link for building a DIY interconnect.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diyce2.html

And this link:

http://members.nbci.com/Jon_Risch/

Another DIY
link:http://whoville.ucsd.edu/~stark/audio/DIYaudio.html

Here's a DIY cable kit:

http://www.homegrownaudio.com/kits.htm

Homebrew them cables!

In my system, my home built cables are as good as any commercial cables I have tried and better then alot of them.

For DIY cables, are the plugs that need to be soldered better, worse or the same as ones where you don't need to solder cable to the plug?