AKG K702 Build your own cable... - Page 6

Interesting...

I need some help with the wiring of my cable - Mogami 2534. As I understood (from what I read), the right way is to connect 2 wires and the shielding of the cable to the earthing on the 1/4" plug side... right? But what about the Mini XLR side - connect only left and right, without earth?

Help.

The mini XLR should have three pins, on the picture below the third is just visible behind the lower pin.

You need good eyes but each pin has a number next to it corresponding to left right and earth (not visible in the picture and they are on the flat end next to each pin). Which ever maker it is there should be instructions somewhere as to which is which, I can't remember if it is universal. I found the easiest way to solder to each pin was to tin the wires and then touch the iron to the pin with the wire against it and the solder from tinning was enough to make the connection. Just make sure the strain relief and cover are already on the cable first.

EDIT - found this to show which pin is which

1 is ground or earth, 2 is positive or hot and 3 is negative or cold.

Well, I decided to test first one Canare L-4E5C I had. On the 6.35 mm plug side I connected: one wire for tip (positive), one for ring (negative) and 2 for the ground. On the Mini XLR side - just the positive and negative. The result - mono sound or something. :)
After that I connected the grounding for the Mini XLR. That do the job. The question is - do I need to connect the shielding of the cable somewhere and on which side? Only on the 6.35 mm plug or on both sides?

Anyway, just to report about the sound from the canare - no audible or very minor difference from the stock cable. I'm waiting for some better solder to come and I'll test the Mogami and/or the bigger Canare - L-4E6S.

Don't do anything with the sheilding or else you are adding it into a circuit.

My first dab at DIY after sampling a modded cable on a K702 at a local meet.  The cable was a Gotham Audio GAC-4-1 microphone cable, a Neutrik NP3x-B connector and a normal mini-XLR connector.

Has anyone tried the Gotham line of cable products? Thoughts?

Hi,

Thanks for this great thread which have saved me tremendous effort in looking for items around. I have decided to hijack this thread, since I'm on a project to build a couple cables for my 702!

Need some help on what cables to get, and where to get. Connectors - the connectors I use will standardized to the following.

FURUTECH, 2. FURU-FP-704(G).
SWITCHCRAFT TA3F mini XLR

To make matters simple, I'll pick 1 cable from each of the following category, so I can tell the difference between each material type.I hope you can help to recommend me some cables along with the source where to get them. However for budget sick I would like to keep the cable below 15 dollars per foot (I doubt this is possible for pure silver cable!)

A. Copper - I think most discussion are around these materials, and they generally fall under Mogami or Canare. I settled with Canare since I found a local supplier who was nice enough to give me a good deal on the cable as well as the connectors.

Milian Acoustics: Oxygen Free Copper (OFC)

Mogami Neglex quad cable: W2534

Mogami Neglex quad cable: W2893

Canare Star Quad Microphone cable: (L-4E6S / L-4E5C)

NEOTECH-75495 in http://www.partsconnexion.com

B. Silver plated Copper - I dont see much discussion around here. But I would like to see if there is any options here.

Milian Acoustics: Silver Plated Oxygen Free Copper (SPOFC)

ALO http://www.head-fi.org/t/374759/alo-sxc-cryo-wire-for-dyi

MPS PA-325 http://www.cryo-parts.com/index.php/interconnect/mps (Not exactly SPOFC, but rather SPOFC rapped around copper...)

C. Silver - I'll try to get UPOCC cables....

Moon Audio: Silver Dragon V3 (This is really expensive and somewhat beyond my budget now)

CONNEX-66070 (14.95 per foot in http://www.partsconnexion.com), 2X23 AWG, so I might need to by a pair to make a cable...

Some links:

http://www.mogamicable.com/category/bulk/microphone/quad/

http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=53

bump again.

bump still looking for viable SPOFC and pure silver cable :)

Will give that a try! Thanks.

If you purely come from the diameter for the end fitting, there is no worry. My supplier was nice enough to give me a cap with larger hole at the back, cable diameter wasn't much of a problem, except during soldering.

Good news is, FIRST CABLE is done!! Using the following

SWITCHCRAFT TA3F mini XLR

SWITCHCRAFT TRS

Canare Star Quad Microphone cable: L-4E5C

Yeah the mini XLR is a little monster - fortunately I didn't go for thicker cable, otherwise it would be a lot of work there...

Overall impression with the original cable is that

• Overall the sound becomes more 'solid', more projectile, and more weighty.
• BASS impact has been become more prominent. Faster attack and umph! Bass has definitely improved in every way, quality and quantity.
• The cable somewhat makes the phone more musical - its very difficult to describe, but listening orchestra music, the double bass and cello range of frequency has been brought more forward, and I really feel the music 'mood'.
• My friend mentioned the cable actually improved the spacing, and better separation. However I personally didn't feel it.
• However things are rather different on the treble - it got a little recessed, so the violins and guitars don't "scream" as much as the original. I like 'harshness' on the higher register of the original cable.
• Details remain the same to me.

Overall its an improvement over the stock cable, and I think it will justify the improvement in almost every genre listening,

From discussion with my friend, he advised me to go for silver cable, which will give me the violin and guitar "screams" that I'm looking for. I'm poisoned and will continue to seek for my silver cable!! I hope silver cables will answer my call in search of a "piercing violin" cable.

Perhaps I will upload some photos later. Let's see run in will some magic to the treble... Yes now I'm definitely looking for my silver core cable!! Please recommend me!

P.S.: On my Essence ST, I used to play on High Gain with the original cable. With this new Canare cable, I can put it to Extra High Gain and the harsh sounds seems to went away.

Seems like I dont have much choice for silver wire.

Only found 2 wires on  multi strand silver 5N UPOCC  which comes with multi connector and proper housing, which are

• Moon Audio Silver Dragon V3
• Neotech NEI-2002 Solid Silver Interconnect

http://www.takefiveaudio.com/mall/shopexd.asp?id=922

Others are either

• solid core silver (too stiff for headphone cable), or
• single conductor multi strand silver teflon / cotton (Does not have the proper housing IMO)... Not for my level yet...

Please correct me if Silver Dragon V3 isn't silver (SPC or something like that) :P

bump again for input...