[gug42]

Oh well forget to mention it : i will remove the shield
(By the way the sommer cable has a real good shield )

Hum perphaps better to stay with the "Sommer Cable Square 4-Core MKII Highflex". Sure about details and quality (OFC, 4x0,19, 102 strands, see link before)
The price remains ok (1,85€/m vs 0,68€/m).

Oh another question, for an interconnect XLR 3 pins câble, what AWG is recommanded ?

 

[Paladin79]

The Sommer cable sounds much better, ofc and high strand count.

More often than not I use 24 awg on XLR's, often 22 awg as well depending on customer demands and application. I am not sure if there is a recommended gauge. The distance and power usage have a lot to do with that. For home audio equipment say from preamp to amp 24 awg should be fine, (generally it is a short distance as well.)

 

[gug42]

Ok thank. I will stay with it
Yes short distance between dac and amp. Well so the sommer cable could do the job too i suppose

 

[Paladin79]

It should be fine for that application, even 26 awg could work there. I rarely use that wire gauge since we are sending out cables for many applications so I have to play it safe.

 

[gug42]

ok thank you

 

[andrewcox79]

I've been messing around with cable DIY for a bit now (made a couple of cables from parts, modified a couple of cables). There are lots of good threads (e.g. on /r/headphones and on head-fi) with Q&A, but very its a lot of information spread across a lot of different sources. There are a few well-organized guides out there showing you how to make a cable, but they generally focus following through the whole process without expanding on too many options along the way. I'm finding I'm learning from experience, and would love to have an organized place to share my experience, and to gain from others' experiences.

IMO, this could really use some kind of small wiki format. It would go into detail about:

• connectors: comparisons of different options for each type, wiring diagrams, for some types of connectors, I could even see a whole page dedicated to instructions / tips for using them right
• wire: silver vs copper? ofc? use starquad (and if so, canare vs mogami)? leave shielding / remove it?
• sleeving: techflex, nylon multifilament, paracord, PET, shoelaces(!). the benefits of each, the different sizes available for each and their compatibility with different wires
• tools needed / recommended: comparison soldering irons, solder, wire stripper, solder pot (for litz wire), eutectic solder, flux
• y-splits: heat-shrink only options, options for custom-made y-splits and hole size measurements for those (some vendors document this, some don't)
• techniques: tinning wires, braiding strands, etc
• heat shrink: 2-1 vs 3-1 (or even higher ratios), adhesive/double-wall vs non-adhesive/single-wall

Does something like this already exist? If not, do people think it sounds useful, and anyone have any ideas on where would be best to create it?

 

[Allanmarcus]

Does something like this already exist? If not, do people think it sounds useful, and anyone have any ideas on where would be best to create it?

the 'Articles' link above in Head-Fi is a wiki. Here's the link to the DIY Cable Info and Resources page. Please feel free to update it.

 

[Paladin79]

I've been messing around with cable DIY for a bit now (made a couple of cables from parts, modified a couple of cables). There are lots of good threads (e.g. on /r/headphones and on head-fi) with Q&A, but very its a lot of information spread across a lot of different sources. There are a few well-organized guides out there showing you how to make a cable, but they generally focus following through the whole process without expanding on too many options along the way. I'm finding I'm learning from experience, and would love to have an organized place to share my experience, and to gain from others' experiences.

IMO, this could really use some kind of small wiki format. It would go into detail about:

• connectors: comparisons of different options for each type, wiring diagrams, for some types of connectors, I could even see a whole page dedicated to instructions / tips for using them right
• wire: silver vs copper? ofc? use starquad (and if so, canare vs mogami)? leave shielding / remove it?
• sleeving: techflex, nylon multifilament, paracord, PET, shoelaces(!). the benefits of each, the different sizes available for each and their compatibility with different wires
• tools needed / recommended: comparison soldering irons, solder, wire stripper, solder pot (for litz wire), eutectic solder, flux
• y-splits: heat-shrink only options, options for custom-made y-splits and hole size measurements for those (some vendors document this, some don't)
• techniques: tinning wires, braiding strands, etc
• heat shrink: 2-1 vs 3-1 (or even higher ratios), adhesive/double-wall vs non-adhesive/single-wall

Does something like this already exist? If not, do people think it sounds useful, and anyone have any ideas on where would be best to create it?[/QUOTE

I generally just learn it and keep it organized in my head personally. Many of the things mentioned could easily take a page to explain or describe and you obviously have some experience since you know about heat shrink ratios and such. Sometimes situations change and you might shield in one instance and not another. One thought is to just mention one topic at a time in here and see all the different responses you get. I work in the industry and my thoughts are often different many of the DIY folks. Braiding alone can take up a large area to describe.

 

[andrewcox79]

the 'Articles' link above in Head-Fi is a wifi. Here's the link to the DIY Cable Info and Resources page. Please feel free to update it.

Ah, if I can also add pages to detail things there, looks like exactly what I want.

But first how can I edit it?

 

[Allanmarcus]

Ah, if I can also add pages to detail things there, looks like exactly what I want.

But first how can I edit it?

Great question. There used to me an edit button on the old site, but I don't see it anymore. My guess is that the article owner needs to set the permission to allow anyone to edit. I posted a comment on the article to this end. Let's see if we get a response.

 

[sovereign]

I have a Hakko FX888D arriving today. Any tips on temp and technique for soldering the center pin on an Eidolic 2.5mm?

 

[Paladin79]

I have a Hakko FX888D arriving today. Any tips on temp and technique for soldering the center pin on an Eidolic 2.5mm?

Use rosin core solder, heat the joint then apply solder to the joint as you hold your iron tip in place, if the center flux (inside the solder) is not enough to clean the joint you can use liquid rosin flux but rarely should you have to do that. I generally use 800 degrees but 700 should work nicely for your application depending on the tip used. I have used some Hakko irons and I believe the stock tip should be fine for your application. I use a panavise to hold connectors but helping hands devices can work in a pinch and cost a lot less. The joint when completed should be nice and shiny, make sure the solder flows smoothly over the joint.

The connector appears to have a hollow center hole so if you fill that with solder, tin the wire to be attached, then heat the joint and insert the wire you should be fine. The ground has a hole you should try to feed the second wire through once stripped. I would not pre-tin this wire since you want to be able to feed it through, bend it, then solder it for a good solder joint.

When you remove the solder tip from the joint, make sure the joint is not moved while the solder is still in a molten state. Just hold the wire there for 15 seconds or so without the iron tip present and you should be fine. You can always go back and resolder it a bit if necessary.

I just checked the tip size on a new in the box 888d I have here and it comes with a nice size medium tip that should work well with this application. Keep the iron tip clean by running it across a wet sponge (sponge provided with iron) and you should be fine.

If you have any old cables you do not need, you might want to cut those apart and practice soldering a bit, just tinning the end wires, which is good practice when installing wires in a connector solder cup, might be good experience before finally soldering this connector.

Tom

 

[sovereign]

The Eidolic center post is solid. I will be using Kester 44, which Kester recommends to use a temp of 750. My main concern is melting and ruining the Eidolic.

 

[Paladin79]

As I said if you apply solder to the center pin, and tin the wire, you really do not have to leave the iron on there that long. It was hard for me to tell in the photo exactly what you are dealing with.Practice a bit on other wire if you get a chance. It is a little hard to describe but you start to get a feel for how long to heat something before the solder flows. I mentioned 700 and 800 and 750 certainly falls in the middle lol. The hotter it is, the trickier it can be if you are not experienced, I do production work and my people are highly trained so I went lower for a person new to soldering.
Except for occasional silver solder I use little else besides Kester, and I have been through one of their training programs years ago.

Tom

 

[sovereign]

Missed the temps the first read- thanks.