Teflon Insulation: Thicker is better?
May 5, 2004 at 8:04 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 45
Edwood

Edwood

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For audio quality, which would be better?

Normal Wall

Thin Wall

Extra Thin Wall

I am going to roll my own insulated solid silver wires.
I suppose Normal wall would be more ideal for durability sake.

-Ed
 
May 5, 2004 at 8:51 PM Post #2 of 45
thicker wall...

teflon is a dielectric so the thicker the better the benefits...however there is a limit I've found.

Teflon isn't very flexible, so thick teflon is hard to work with.
 
May 5, 2004 at 9:18 PM Post #3 of 45
Oh forgot to mention, it doesn't affect sound all that much. What are the lengths of cable you are using?

If they are shorter then 1m, they don't adversely affect sound.
 
May 5, 2004 at 10:57 PM Post #5 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostlamb
Ed,

good place to buy teflon tubing: www.usplastic.com


I checked them out before. Not only do they not carry smaller ID tubing for 22AWG wire I'm using, they are alot more expensive than others. But they are alot easier to order from.

I found a good source, but they have a $500 minimum order. LOL, if I was going to rewire my neighborhood, it would be a good deal.

I am still waiting for a quote from www.action-electronics.com. Nominal (Mil spec) thickness tubing is a special order item for them. The thin wall stuff is readily available and very cheap. About $0.20/foot.

-Ed
 
May 6, 2004 at 4:18 AM Post #7 of 45
Ed,

Have you tried: www.mcmaster.com?


usplastic isn't very cheap
smily_headphones1.gif
. I know...I ordered my teflon tubes from them, and well, it cost more than my silver wire.
eek.gif
 
May 6, 2004 at 4:22 AM Post #8 of 45
From a sound quality prospective, the thinner the better. Remember, the best dieletric is air, and it's just about finding the closest thing to air. Capitence in cables is bad.

But, i wouldn't coat my own wires if you're trying to be a purist. You'll have a hell of a time getting the wire in the tubing if you don't use lubercant, and if you use it, you're compromising the dieletric.
 
May 6, 2004 at 4:28 AM Post #9 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ebonyks
From a sound quality prospective, the thinner the better. Remember, the best dieletric is air, and it's just about finding the closest thing to air.


The logic of the above statement (if there is any) just totally escapes me...
eek.gif
 
May 6, 2004 at 4:35 AM Post #10 of 45
What Ebonyks said is correct. Teflon is insulation, going with a thicker size will not give you any benefits other than further protection of the wire. If you're going to be coating your wire for any length over two feet you're going to run into trouble because the teflon will begin to "grip" the copper wire.

McMaster is a great source. You want Teflon PTFE tubing which is on page 94 of their online catalog.

[size=xx-small]Edit:[/size]Fewtch,

The thickness shouldn't affect the sound in a negative manner. I see it as a convenience and usability issue.
 
May 6, 2004 at 4:38 AM Post #11 of 45
Well if (as ebonyks suggests) "the thinner the better" then how far do you carry that... why not just make it infinitely thin, eliminate the insulation and touch all the wires together?

I don't buy his logic. If you ask me, it's neither "thicker is better" nor "thinner is better" but simply this: just about anything is fine at the very low voltages used with audio. If you're dealing with a thousand volt transmission line, it's a different story. At audio voltages, I don't think the thickness of insulation would make the slightest bit of difference in SQ.
 
May 6, 2004 at 4:43 AM Post #12 of 45
Fewtch,

I edited my post while you were writing yours.
smily_headphones1.gif


If the insulation is too thin it can be broken easily which would defeat the purpose. If it's too thick it's hard to work with. In my experience the easiest to work with is normal or thin-walled tubing. Thick tubing is really a pain.
 
May 6, 2004 at 5:17 AM Post #13 of 45
*thread jack*
I've read cotton has a better dielectric constant than teflon. Is it true though that it can become saturated from moisture in the air actually have a worse and worse dielectric as time progresses?
 
May 6, 2004 at 5:58 AM Post #14 of 45
Yes and no. Like any other material that absorbs moisture, it will also release moisture, abeit at a much slower rate.
 
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