[FraGGleR]

Quote:

keep in mind that very high quality wire will give you little or no benefit with a USB cable. since the signal is digital, it either works or it doesnt. this doesnt hold true for extreme lengths,but even then all nice wire will do is increase transmission speed slightly. fancy wire will do nothing for quality, so save your cash and just get some mic cable and make sure the cabe is properly shielded and grouded.

Is your opinion  Some people swear they hear differences.  Psychosomatic or not, if they hear something better, then they hear something better.
 
That being said, I have made completely unshielded and improperly grounded USB cables, and I have completely separated the power from the data lines in their own cables using Mundorf wire.  I have also followed the USB spec to a T.  Regular, micro, mini, host, etc.  They all worked!  So in most cases, make the cable that you want.  
 
As for shielding supplies, they are not readily gotten, especially something like aluminum mylar foil.  Tinned shield can be bought online, but it isn't cheap.  If you are willing to put in a bit more effort, you can harvest both shields from high quality coaxial cable.  Look at the specs and make sure they list 95% or better coverage from their braid.  Bonus if it is copper or tinned copper and not aluminum.  You have to be careful to not nick the braid while stripping the sheath or it can fray pretty badly while manipulating it.  Doublehelixcables sells nice aluminum mylar foil by the foot and is the only source I have actually found of ir that doesn't have adhesive.  I haven't tried the adhesive type, but I can't imagine it going well or not adding a bunch of stiffness.
 
And because this is a pictures thread:
 
Naked, non grounded vs separately shielded and grounded
 
 

 

 

[kchapdaily]

Quote:

Is your opinion  Some people swear they hear differences.  Psychosomatic or not, if they hear something better, then they hear something better.
 
That being said, I have made completely unshielded and improperly grounded USB cables, and I have completely separated the power from the data lines in their own cables using Mundorf wire.  I have also followed the USB spec to a T.  Regular, micro, mini, host, etc.  They all worked!  So in most cases, make the cable that you want.  
 
As for shielding supplies, they are not readily gotten, especially something like aluminum mylar foil.  Tinned shield can be bought online, but it isn't cheap.  If you are willing to put in a bit more effort, you can harvest both shields from high quality coaxial cable.  Look at the specs and make sure they list 95% or better coverage from their braid.  Bonus if it is copper or tinned copper and not aluminum.  You have to be careful to not nick the braid while stripping the sheath or it can fray pretty badly while manipulating it.  Doublehelixcables sells nice aluminum mylar foil by the foot and is the only source I have actually found of ir that doesn't have adhesive.  I haven't tried the adhesive type, but I can't imagine it going well or not adding a bunch of stiffness.
 
And because this is a pictures thread:
 
Naked, non grounded vs separately shielded and grounded
 
 

 

fair enough i suppose, and im not one of those guys who say all cables sound the same, i believe in high quality analog cables. but i just cant wrap my head around a digital signal being improved by silver wire. guess ill have to try for myself! great looking cables by the way.

 

[darinmc]

I had an HTPC connected to my TV via a cheap HDMI cable.  When I watched HD rips and used the skip forward function there was a delay, followed by a period of the audio and video chasing one another to resync.  I thought my HTPC was just having a tough time processing the large files.  Switched to a decent cable, suddenly there was no delay or lag.  The science behind it is beyond me, but that is my experience with digital signals.  Maybe there is something in the processing that can be affected by poorly transmitted information.

 

[kchapdaily]

that could have been any number of things. bad connectors, loose wires causing shorts, bad insulation, all kinds of stuff. im just saying that if the cabe is solid and the connectors are decent it should operate at the same level of quality as any other cable.
 
EDIT: im not trying to offend anyone, im simply stating my opinion based on what i understand about the nature of a digital signal, and my knowledge of engineering. i will not rule out the possibility of improved sound quality before testing such claims. but if a difference was there to be detected, it would most likely be on a high quality, transparent, revealing system where the usb cable is the "weakest" link in the chain. and if thats the case, an optical connection would be preferable anyway.

 

[darinmc]

Certainly a possibility.  I did try 4 different cables I had around the house though because I wondered the same thing.  Only reason I bought the nice cable was because I was working at Best Buy at the time and figured I'd see what the fuss was about with Audioquest cables (70% discount at that time).  The 4 cables did the same thing.  Doesn't mean there is a difference beyond HDMI spec, just my experience with the cheap cables I had.  

 

[cssarrow]

Thanks for the help Fraggler.

I bought the the gold plated diy usb connector, SMC Connector (for HE-400), and Carbon Fiber Sleeves from Double Helix for the USB and RCA Cable that im making.

As far as shielding goes, i will strip some shielding off a coxial cable or something i have lying around. Does standard EMI Aluminum tape work? (from Home Depot).

I've already checked out on DHC so if i order again its going to charge me another $7 for shipping :mad:

Do you know where i can find clear techflex or that shrinkflex (wrap carbon fiber sleeve) that you have on the first cable. I'm looking on ebay...but nothin..

- Tim

 

[FraGGleR]

Quote:

Thanks for the help Fraggler.
I bought the the gold plated diy usb connector, SMC Connector (for HE-400), and Carbon Fiber Sleeves from Double Helix for the USB and RCA Cable that im making.
As far as shielding goes, i will strip some shielding off a coxial cable or something i have lying around. Does standard EMI Aluminum tape work? (from Home Depot).
I've already checked out on DHC so if i order again its going to charge me another $7 for shipping

Do you know where i can find clear techflex or that shrinkflex (wrap carbon fiber sleeve) that you have on the first cable. I'm looking on ebay...but nothin..
- Tim

I think I got the clear heatshrink (pvc is more clear than regular) from Wirecare.com.  Maybe it was Cableorganizer.com.  It's been a while.  A good place for heatshrink is also AVoutlet.com.
 
I haven't tried the aluminum tape because it seems too stiff to me.  While you are shopping, grab some teflon plumber tape.  I use it to seal my cable once I have shielded it.  Also makes it easier to sleeve.
 
I PM'd you about the shielding

 

[Anthony1]

 
 
 
 

 

Sweet stuff Fraggler.. the sheath? Paracord?

 

[FraGGleR]

Quote:

Sweet stuff Fraggler.. the sheath? Paracord?

Nylon multifilament this time around.  Paracord didn't come big enough for that cable.

 

[questionasker]

Instead of creating another thread, I thought I'd ask this here. I'm looking at building a cable for my headphones, and I have a few questions.
 
I am probably going to use the silver plated wire sold by navship. I have heard teflon is not the best insulator, but it would be sufficient for my needs, right? I am also wondering what the best size to use would be? I was looking at 16 AWG (1.9mm according to the auction), as I have made a mock up of the cable with some ~1.9mm wire I have laying around.
 
 

 
Would this be a good cable design? I couldn't fit a 3 cable braid into one paracord sleeve, so I tried sleeving each cable individually and braiding that. I like the look, and it looks as though it will fit in the connectors I want. It will be a 3 wire cable (2 channels and ground) going from Mini XLR to 1/4".
 
If I am completely missing something here, feel free to suggest another cable design. 

 

[FraGGleR]

Instead of creating another thread, I thought I'd ask this here. I'm looking at building a cable for my headphones, and I have a few questions.

I am probably going to use the silver plated wire sold by navship. I have heard teflon is not the best insulator, but it would be sufficient for my needs, right? I am also wondering what the best size to use would be? I was looking at 16 AWG (1.9mm according to the auction), as I have made a mock up of the cable with some ~1.9mm wire I have laying around.




Would this be a good cable design? I couldn't fit a 3 cable braid into one paracord sleeve, so I tried sleeving each cable individually and braiding that. I like the look, and it looks as though it will fit in the connectors I want. It will be a 3 wire cable (2 channels and ground) going from Mini XLR to 1/4".

If I am completely missing something here, feel free to suggest another cable design. 

You should definitely do some searching, as your questions are common and there are a lot of great cables showcased to help you with making yours. A lot of information is exchanged in this thread, but it is still supposed to be a gallery. That being said, I will go ahead and give you my opinions. Stick to wires between 28awg and 24awg for heapdhones. As many strands as you can get to reduce stiffness. Navships wire has fairly thick teflon coating which makes it stiff and generates cable noise. Sleeving will only help marginally. The braid looks good.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Any Headphone re cablers out there.  Please send me a PM 

Brian @ BTG audio does it.

 

[cssarrow]

Instead of creating another thread, I thought I'd ask this here. I'm looking at building a cable for my headphones, and I have a few questions.

I am probably going to use the silver plated wire sold by navship. I have heard teflon is not the best insulator, but it would be sufficient for my needs, right? I am also wondering what the best size to use would be? I was looking at 16 AWG (1.9mm according to the auction), as I have made a mock up of the cable with some ~1.9mm wire I have laying around.




Would this be a good cable design? I couldn't fit a 3 cable braid into one paracord sleeve, so I tried sleeving each cable individually and braiding that. I like the look, and it looks as though it will fit in the connectors I want. It will be a 3 wire cable (2 channels and ground) going from Mini XLR to 1/4".

If I am completely missing something here, feel free to suggest another cable design. 

16AWG is too large. I'm using the 22AWG from Navships
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Gore-22-AWG-Silver-Plated-Tri-Insulation-Teflon-Kapton-Wire-19-strands-Red-/230883419086?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item35c1b963ce
Triple insulation (2 teflon, 1 kapton). At 1.73mm i still think it's extremely thick. I recommend 24AWG or 26AWG for flexibility. Your braid should do ok.

 

[Tjj226 Angel]

I am thinking about rewiring my AKG q701s. For those of you who have rewired your headphones, do the headphones sound better, or simply different. Say for instance you had a car. Some people would like to put flame decals on their care. It would improve the look, and your car would gain more attention which might give you a different experience with the car itself, but it doesn't change the actual spec of the car. It doesn't go faster, and it certainly won't use less gas.

Is rewiring your headphones like adding stickers to your car, or does it actually change the spec of your car or in this case, headphones?

My second question is that my sound card uses a 6.3mm jack. My headphones has a 3.5mm jack that has a screw on 6.3mm adapter. would I notice an improvement if the jack I use is a true blue 6.3mm one, or does it not make a difference either way?

 

[liamstrain]

Is rewiring your headphones like adding stickers to your car, or does it actually change the spec of your car or in this case, headphones?

 
 
Generally speaking, it's for aesthetics and usability, not sound. Some will argue differently, but there is not much science to support cables affecting the actual performance of a headphone.
 
 
 

My second question is that my sound card uses a 6.3mm jack. My headphones has a 3.5mm jack that has a screw on 6.3mm adapter. would I notice an improvement if the jack I use is a true blue 6.3mm one, or does it not make a difference either way?

 
 
It should not make a sound difference if it makes good contact. I *prefer* to use adapter cables rather than screw on or other hard adapters because I feel like that reduces strain on the jack. But there should be no sonic difference.