[ThurstonX]

 
Do you burn the coating with a lighter?, please give me the link to this thread, if you know the page no

 
I did that once, and while it worked, it coated the wires with soot.  I used some steel wool and super fine emery paper to clean it off, but it was a tedious process.  In the end I used @TrollDragon's trick of melting it off in a solder ball, and augmented his trick by fanning out the wires and brushing with the iron's tip, flipping the fan over to get as much as possible.  My trick did break a few of the 100 strands occasionally, but done carefully it sped up the process, and I don't notice any problems where it counts.  A DMM is a must to make sure the wires are really conducting.
 
So yeah, extra work compared to standard wire, but I reckon all Litz wire is like that...?

 

[musicinmymind]

 

 
Do you burn the coating with a lighter?, please give me the link to this thread, if you know the page no

 
I did that once, and while it worked, it coated the wires with soot.  I used some steel wool and super fine emery paper to clean it off, but it was a tedious process.  In the end I used @TrollDragon's trick of melting it off in a solder ball, and augmented his trick by fanning out the wires and brushing with the iron's tip, flipping the fan over to get as much as possible.  My trick did break a few of the 100 strands occasionally, but done carefully it sped up the process, and I don't notice any problems where it counts.  A DMM is a must to make sure the wires are really conducting.
 
So yeah, extra work compared to standard wire, but I reckon all Litz wire is like that...?

 
understood, may have use a solder pot as well. If Litz sounds almost like Mogami wires, is it worth the trouble?

 

[Armaegis]

   
this site has Litz wires cheaper than air, have you used any of them, are they good?

 
Prices that are too good to be true, on a site hosted by angelfire???

 

[020Assassin]

Does anybody have the wire codes for the stock T50RP cable? I want to cut the stock wire and give it a male/female 3.5mm mini jack coupling, but I need to know the colour of the L wire and the R wire.

 

[TrollDragon]

   
Prices that are too good to be true, on a site hosted by angelfire???

That used to be Scott's site, he must have sold it to Mike.


 
Excellent wire from his site and great prices to boot!

 

[3l3tric]

So, I had this crazy idea for an unbalanced headphone cable shielding design, and I'd like to hear your opinions on whether it will work or not.
The MS Paint rendition is below, but this is what it consists of:
1. A layer of thin metal film shielding, such as Double Helix Cables' "Membrane" shielding, overlayed with shrink tube for stability
2. A copper mesh tube that covers both signal wires simultaneously
3. A copper mesh tube that covers one signal wire.
NOTE: In the cross sections, the central black area is the Left signal wire, the central red area is the right signal wire. Consult the color key for all other materials.
 
My thought is that, due to the increasing diameter of the copper mesh shield as the cable goes from Headphones to amplifier, I will be able to perform the necessary modifications to the shield and then slip it over the whole cable. The diameter of the mesh at the top is equivalent to the diameter of each signal wire at the thin insulation layer. The diameter of the mesh used from the Y-Joint down will be equivalent to the diameter of a circle with a circumference equal to 2 times the diameter of each signal wire at the thin insulation layer. At the conjoined section of the Y-joint, I will scrunch the mesh down to increase the inner diameter, and will then solder the middle of the tube together, creating two chambers. The upper areas of shielding will be soldered to this conjoined 2-chamber piece.
 
The reason for the full separation of the Left and Right channels is the Right-hand rule of physics, which in this case would allow for signal interference between the channels if the wires were not individually shielded from each other. The inner cotton and thick shrinkwrap layers are placed in their positions for spacing between the shielding and signal wires. The metal foil and copper mesh will be soldered together at the 1/4 plug end and the headphone connection ends, and this soldered "wire" will be connected to the ground terminals on both connections, making the whole shielding the ground wire and increasing its efficiency, as a ground plane does in an actual audio circuit.
 
What do you guys think? Image below.
If this is a good design, I think it will cut the cost of unbalanced cables down, as we'll only have to spend money on 1 expensive inner cable rather than two. And this design, using physics principles, will increase the performance of the whole cable.

 

[TrollDragon]

  So, I had this crazy idea...
...will increase the performance of the whole cable.

 
Wow that is a whole big pile of work to make a very stiff cable that will give no noticeable improvement over a piece of unshielded wire...
Increasing cable performance??

 

[jodgey4]

Well if it's a long enough cable running by some noisy electronics... it may not be that crazy. But I agree, for 98% of users, it's probably overkill and stiff. I'm sure that'd be a great build.

 

[3l3tric]

   
Wow that is a whole big pile of work to make a very stiff cable that will give no noticeable improvement over a piece of unshielded wire...
Increasing cable performance??

I figured that the whole point of DIY cables was building the best performing/looking cable possible.
 
What I meant by increasing performance was reducing potential signal interference and improving the effectiveness of the shield. Some methods I've heard about before explain to use a twisted pair of signal/ground wires and surround with disconnected metal shield. In practice, this design results in a higher chance of EMI from the ground wire and the metal shield is less effective.
 
My design, in theory, ensures that from bottom to top, the signal will be introduced to the least possible interference, resulting in the greatest possible integrity of signal through the conductor. In practice, I doubt it will be a night and day difference, since we're talking about cables here, but I think there may be a psychological impact from just knowing that the best possible cables are used. Additionally, I feel like there may be some additional clarity or overall lack of congestion, but these are just guesses that will not be resolved until I actually build this cable.
 
Finally, this design should, in theory, reduce the cost of cable built using high price conductors, such as Litz wires, as only 1/2 of the previously required wire will be needed, and IIRC, the supplies that make up the shielding will cost less than the ground wire.
 
I hope this makes sense. I'm not George Cardas, and I'm not asserting that music will sound totally different using this cabling method. It's really more a peace of mind improvement than anything else.

  Well if it's a long enough cable running by some noisy electronics... it may not be that crazy. But I agree, for 98% of users, it's probably overkill and stiff. I'm sure that'd be a great build.

I don't doubt that it's overkill, especially for an unbalanced kilobuck setup. But hey, go big or go home, I guess. I'd rather go to the extreme now than later.
 
I've decided to remove one layer of the cotton dielectric and heatshrink from the design plan, as I believe that it would needlessly add cost and thickness.
At this point, there are only 6 layers on top of the initial signal wire: Dielectric>Shrinktube>Foil Shield>Shrinktube>Mesh shield>Outer Shrinktube> (Optional) Fiber Mesh
Since the cotton dielectric will be pulled fairly thinly, and the layer of shrinktube above the foil shield will be as thin as feasible, I believe that this cable will still be manipulable and will not be overly heavy.
Additionally, I doubt I'll hear a totally dynamic difference, but I think that I may hear a slight difference just from knowing that the signal going from amp to headphone will not be interfered with in any way.

 

[Kamakahah]

I think everyone needs to go play the Google game and learn a little more about Litz cable. Specifically what makes it different, its purpose, and under what circumstances it actually makes a difference.

I think that'll help take some of the wow factor out of that term.

As far as the shielding theory above, it's fine but unnecessary for the majority of users under average listening conditions.
A cable like the one described above will lack the functionally that will be far more noticeable than the possible micro-plankton of sonic benefit from thick shielding. This is from my experience and understanding. YMMV. e.g. Your home is located in an area with exceptionally high levels of interference, but that's not the case for most.

 

[3l3tric]

I think everyone needs to go play the Google game and learn a little more about Litz cable. Specifically what makes it different, its purpose, and under what circumstances it actually makes a difference.

I think that'll help take some of the wow factor out of that term.

As far as the shielding theory above, it's fine but unnecessary for the majority of users under average listening conditions.
A cable like the one described above will lack the functionally that will be far more noticeable than the possible micro-plankton of sonic benefit from thick shielding. This is from my experience and understanding. YMMV. e.g. Your home is located in an area with exceptionally high levels of interference, but that's not the case for most.

Thanks for your input.

Since it's a headphone cable for desktop listening rather than an IEM cable, I think I'm going to use this design since it will have the best possible shielding properties out of any design I could come up with.

Just to be totally clear, I'm attributing any sonic benefits from this cable to the OCC signal wire I'm using, and I'm not expecting a sonic overhaul.

 

[Arty McGhee]

I think everyone needs to go play the Google game and learn a little more about Litz cable. Specifically what makes it different, its purpose, and under what circumstances it actually makes a difference.

I think that'll help take some of the wow factor out of that term.

As far as the shielding theory above, it's fine but unnecessary for the majority of users under average listening conditions.
A cable like the one described above will lack the functionally that will be far more noticeable than the possible micro-plankton of sonic benefit from thick shielding. This is from my experience and understanding. YMMV. e.g. Your home is located in an area with exceptionally high levels of interference, but that's not the case for most.

so after a little google-fu
i understand litz wire is for primarily for making coils 
that carry high voltages of ac current
while they will work fine as audio cables there seems to be 
no benefit other than selling fancy cables for a lot of money
this dude really bursts that bubble starting about 25 cents a foot
do people really believe that there is an improvement in quality
between litz and say a straightened out coat hanger
 
i like the silk coated stuff i could make a really cool cable for my grados
20 feet is like 10 bucks.. im there 
anybody know how to solder this stuff will my good ole kester 60/40 work on this stuff
gotta place an order now

 

[Kamakahah]

so after a little google-fu
i understand litz wire is for primarily for making coils 
that carry high voltages of ac current
while they will work fine as audio cables there seems to be 
no benefit other than selling fancy cables for a lot of money
this dude really bursts that bubble starting about 25 cents a foot
do people really believe that there is an improvement in quality
between litz and say a straightened out coat hanger

i like the silk coated stuff i could make a really cool cable for my grados
20 feet is like 10 bucks.. im there 
anybody know how to solder this stuff will my good ole kester 60/40 work on this stuff
gotta place an order now

Seems you got a good start from Google.

The price is definitely right. I ordered both silk and Teflon insulated wire a while back from there. I suggest ordering a bit larger than you'd expect. It's very thin and flexible. At times that makes it very hard to individually sleeve without attaching a guide. Is it worth the extra effort? Probably not, but still a decent value if you want to experiment.

You can use your 60/40 to remove the enamel. Just put a nice blob on the tip of the iron and run it over the wire for a bit. There are some other scraping methods. YouTube has a few videos for showing how to without a solder pot.

 

[Stillhart]

Hey all,
 
I'm ready to get going on my adventures in DIY cabling.  My first project is going to be just a replacement cable for my new HE-560.  I want to make a balanced cable running to XLR and then an XLR->TRS adapter for running SE.  
 
I've been reading a lot and have a pretty good idea of what to do, but I'm having a heck of a time figuring out which parts to order.  I want to do a braided 4-wire thing with nice sleeves on the individual wires.  
 
So I was thinking of getting some Canare L-4E6S and stripping out the wires, etc.  Is that overkill for a first cable?  It's kinda pricey considering I'l probably make a lot of noob mistakes.  There's also Gotham GAC-4/1 and Mogami 2893?  Those are thinner and more flexible I guess.  Thinner is probably better with those teeny SMC connectors, right?
 
And then once I get that handled, I need to get the techflex or paracord.  I read Techflex 3/32 somewhere; is that the right size?  I'm worried about micophonics with the techflex and I was wondering if there were other options that are softer.
 
Neutrik connectors on the XLR side and whatever I can dig up for SMC.  
 
LOL!  I feel like such a noob.  This is the hardest part by far!
 
EDIT - Can I just use Redco's house brand cable?  Seems to be equivalent to those others and a nice in-between size of 24AWG.  http://www.redco.com/Redco-TGS-QD.html

 

[PETEREK]

@Stillhart

I personally prefer Mogami over Canare. If you want the wires from inside the w2893 cable, order w2799 instead, it uses the same wires but has less to cut through.

As for the sleeving, if you want to braid 4 wires individually I recommend Type 1 paracord. When sleeving it, it's easiest to not strip the end of the wire until after you route it through the paracord. To put the wire through the paracord you should fold the beginning of the wire at about an inch or inch and a half in and put the folded end in first, it's MUCH easier to do it that way.

Neutrik XLR connectors are probably the easiest things to solder to in the headphone connector world, so you're in luck there. The smc connectors are another story. I normally use the ones Plussound sells as a pair. Solder the signal wire first and then route the ground through the connector and solder it to the OUTSIDE of the part surrounding the signals spot. Easiest way.

And finally, congrats on saving yourself a s***load of money on cables by doing it yourself. Even if you were to mess up 5 times making a cable, it will probably still cost you less than laying someone to make you a cable once. But beware, once you DIY a cable nicely once, every headphone you have will end up with a new cable. This is your warning. It's an addiction I don't mind having.