Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › cable termination,length question
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

cable termination,length question

post #1 of 9
3/16/10 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 
some guy locally was unloading a few cables he made. i got a pair of 3 meter balanced cables. they are mundorf wire in teflon air tubes,wrapped in teflon tape and techflex. they have switchcraft gold plated connectors. they sound great. they were $40!

i was wondering if i shortened the cable to 1/2 meter and attached nickle plated(standard) neutrik xlr's if i would get a performance improvement?
or not worth the bother?

thanks,
music_man
Reply
post #2 of 9
3/16/10 at 8:37pm
I think the whole point of balanced cables is that they are more reliable over longer runs in areas where heavy EMI exists.

If it were me, I'd just run with what you have, but that's just my opinion.
Reply
post #3 of 9
3/16/10 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
indeed, balanced cables are for longer runs. so i guess the length does not really matter. i guess gold plated switchcraft vs. nickle plated neutrik is a tossup. people tend to like neutrik better but i don't know if it is worth bothering to take apart what i already have.
they are not very much different.

thanks,
music_man
Reply
post #4 of 9
3/16/10 at 8:48pm
Well, as you already have a pair of SwitchCraft XLRs, I'd cut it to size for your application, terminate it using the same connectors and use the remainding wire to build another or save for another project.
Reply
post #5 of 9
3/16/10 at 9:31pm
Thread Starter 
great idea! thanks. wow i could have like 3+ high quality cables for my $40 plus the connectors!

music_man
Reply
post #6 of 9
3/16/10 at 9:36pm
What do you think I did with my pair of second-hand HeartlandCables 89259. Got them at $40, connectors alone are over that price! Used the connectors on a nicer pair of cables, re-terminated cables with SwitchCraft for low-end use.
Reply
post #7 of 9
3/17/10 at 3:29am
Thread Starter 
switchcraft might be low-end to audiophiles. it is the staple in the live sound industry. neutrik is used throughout studios because it is not as physically strong as switchcraft but tends to sound a little better. as far as your rca's are concerned, yeah eichmann's are better than switchcrafts. xlr's i wouldn't go to crazy with upgrading.

btw, i am shaking my head at what i got for $40. these things are kick butt.

music_man
Reply
post #8 of 9
3/17/10 at 3:37am
I like the Eichmann RCA's, they're awesome.

For XLR's, I actually always use the Neutrik XX-series as they're very durable, look good and sound nice. I honestly wouldn't bother "upgrading" the SwitchCraft XLRs either.

Yes, you got one hell of a deal for $40! Congrats. I haven't heard the Mundorf wire myself yet, what is the signature like?
Reply
post #9 of 9
3/17/10 at 5:03am
Thread Starter 
it is total clarity. it brings out amazing detail. it is not really smooth but it is not harsh at all. there are cables with better prat though. honestly it is better than a lot of cables that cost thousands. at this point i have tried a lot of cables but certainly nowhere near all of them. i think these are going to stay for a while now.

most people like neutrik in the audio hobby. like i said, neutrik may sound marginally better. switchcraft xlr's are known for their indestructibility. vampire wire makes a several hundred dollar set of xlr's but i do not really know if there is a benefit. with rca's there are many different "grades".

music_man
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › cable termination,length question