If you want to save money on the mini-xlr, ebay has noname ta3m that is brass contact, gold flashed (means very very thin gold plating, suggest treating it with deoxit/deoxit gold+deoxit shield to prevent rusting when gold disappears). The switchcraft copper alloy, silver-plated is superior in terms of durability and resistance, but like 3x more expensive.
Use neutrik for the jack, get a cheap 1/8 to 1/4 adapter with the same contact material.
Cable depends on how flexible, heavy, and thick you want it, and if you want to try shielding. Many people like mogami.
Some canare ones you may consider:
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=53 (LE6C very thick and heavy, recommend the smaller version LE5C)
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=54
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=59 (good low capacitance due to greater conductor distance being twisted pair)
For 4 conductor cables, combine two white conductors as ground, or two blue conductors as ground to be politically incorrect. I don't know what is the best way to connect conductors with 2 twisted pairs despite harassing electricians for answers for a while, but if I had to guess, I'd say let one twisted pair be both grounds, another twisted pair for left+right channels. Then leave foil shield/copper braiding unsoldered to anything, or else connect it to ONLY the amplifier end's ground, never at the headphone end's ground.
If you make your own cable you have a lot more to consider: total cost, braiding geometry, shielding, sheathing, insulation (if bare wire), and wire type.
For braiding geometry, I'm guessing either two twisted pairs to minimize internal interference, or http://www.vt4c.com/shop/program/main.php?cat_id=1009&group_id=9&hit_cat= .
Forget foil and braid shielding, it's hard as hell to do in DIY cables and adds bulk, if you want shielding just get a pre-made cable.
Techflex nylon sheathing if you don't want to leave cable bare, increases weight a bit and you can't see the cable aesthetics but is GOOD protection. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-4-BRAIDED-NYLON-SLEEVING-audio-TECHFLEX-25-ft-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35a1c1c12bQQitemZ230347096363QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear
also look here to see what sort of aesthetics you can do with sheathing if you want to go fancy, scroll down for pictures http://www.doublehelixcables.com/
I don't know much about ideal insulation, but I do like the physical strength of polyethylene, teflon I prefer to protect with sheathing. Here are some pictures of a doublehelix nucleotide cable with clear polyethylene insulation I made yesterday, still deciding if I should sheath it.
http://yfrog.com/eucimg0421j
http://yfrog.com/3dcimg0422tj
You should get pre-insulated wire heh heh, it's not fun in any way sticking wires through insulation. If you decide to insulate it yourself, you should get insulation with a lot of room for the wires to go through so you won't get stuck and have to cut up the insulation and do it 1-2 foot at a time, plus, air is an ideal dielectric so you are improving dielectric with bigger internal diameter insulation. Do it with gloves to prevent getting your skin oil on the wires and inducing corrosion, and consider applying deoxit+shield or deoxit gold+shield before insertion.
And I guess the most important part is what wire type you get :P. My personal opinion is that thickness is what matters most, not purity. 23 awg to 27 awg would be great for 6 feet headphone cable, preferably 30+ strands per conductor for durability, solid core isn't as good in terms of durability from constant flexing, but it can be used just sheath it and don't flex too much.
Edited by haloxt - 5/14/10 at 11:20am
