[Saintkeat]

Yes oxidization doesn't change the sound. But rust does. It really was rust. It was so bad, it made those sections of brown really brittle. When I touched it, it was like brown powder. On top of which I was observing how the brown rust creeped up the cable from the iem pins.

Thankfully I could salvage the cable by hacking off the affected section and resolder new pins. It was just more work. And I've gotten a little lazy lately.

Hey cogs thanks for the info. I really like the look of that aluminum. I might try it one day and fill up the inside with epoxy. I'm starting to wonder if silicon might be better. But tough to use silicon for fine work.

 

[Speakerphile]

Quote:

Yes oxidization doesn't change the sound. But rust does. It really was rust. It was so bad, it made those sections of brown really brittle. When I touched it, it was like brown powder. On top of which I was observing how the brown rust creeped up the cable from the iem pins.
Thankfully I could salvage the cable by hacking off the affected section and resolder new pins. It was just more work. And I've gotten a little lazy lately.
Hey cogs thanks for the info. I really like the look of that aluminum. I might try it one day and fill up the inside with epoxy. I'm starting to wonder if silicon might be better. But tough to use silicon for fine work.

 
I could be wrong here, but rust IS oxidation.  I don't think copper "rusts" in brown, as that is iron oxide.  My thought is that either your cable was not really copper, or there was something else entirely going on.  

 

[Mad Max]

Yes, rust = oxidation
 
I thought I'd try out Amphenol's mini:
 

 
I love the look and feel, most of all.  Too bad that its fit in female jacks is much like the Neutrik rather than the Switchcraft.
I also dislike that it didn't come with a small, inner insulation tube like other plugs come with.  Edit: I somehow missed the insulation tube in the packaging, lol.
Removing the stock plastic boot leaves a very large opening for convenience, more than big enough for 2534 with its stock jacket.
 
I'll be using one of these plus blue 2893 later to recable my HD448.
 
Yeah, I love blue, and I loved the look of someone's cable earlier in the thread which was made with blue cable and those neat Oyaide minis if I remember correctly.

 

[FraGGleR]

Quote:

Yes, rust = oxidation
 
I thought I'd try out Amphenol's mini:
 
 
 
I love the look and feel, most of all.  Too bad that its fit in female jacks is much like the Neutrik rather than the Switchcraft.
I also dislike that it didn't come with a small, inner insulation tube like other plugs come with.
Removing the stock plastic boot leaves a very large opening for convenience, more than big enough for 2534 with its stock jacket.
 
I'll be using one of these plus blue 2893 later to recable my HD448.
 
Yeah, I love blue, and I loved the look of someone's cable earlier in the thread which was made with blue cable and those neat Oyaide minis if I remember correctly.

 
Look great!  I love the blue.  Is that paracord?

 

[.Sup]

Yes oxidization doesn't change the sound. But rust does. It really was rust. It was so bad, it made those sections of brown really brittle. When I touched it, it was like brown powder. On top of which I was observing how the brown rust creeped up the cable from the iem pins.
Thankfully I could salvage the cable by hacking off the affected section and resolder new pins. It was just more work. And I've gotten a little lazy lately.
Hey cogs thanks for the info. I really like the look of that aluminum. I might try it one day and fill up the inside with epoxy. I'm starting to wonder if silicon might be better. But tough to use silicon for fine work.

my Hifiman screws are all rusty, I can't even unscrew them to replace the can holders.

 

[Mad Max]

Quote:

 
Look great!  I love the blue.  Is that paracord?

 
"Electric blue" paracord.
I was going to go with regular blue, but "electric blue" has a bolder look.  The other one is more pale, mildly dull.

 

[julianbell92]

My first in a while and my first IEM cable as well, this one's for another head-fier 

 
Toxic Cables 26AWG SPC, genuine gold-plated Oyaide R/A 3.5mm, aluminium tube with black heatshrink for y-split (thanks cogs!) and wooden bead for slider.
 
 

 

[julianbell92]

Also, for anyone in the UK with a 'Lidl' nearby I found this on sale tomorrow for £5! You generally have to be pretty quick to get in on Lidl deals though.
 

 

[Toxic Cables]

You only received everything today, that was quick. Nicely done, looks very nice. Did you get that choker from Luke.

 

[julianbell92]

Thanks Frank, yeah Luke sent me one with the aluminium tube, decided to go for that instead of neutrik barrel in the end as it's a little lighter for IEM use.
 
Few other bits I've been meaning to post:
 
I sleeved shortened and reterminated a HD25 cable for another headfier a while back:
 
 

 
 
 
And I've made a 3.5mm-3.5mm specifically for use with AiAiAi TMA-1 Studio headphones which I won, although they're for sale as I decided to get DT1350s instead.
 
This one's Toxic Cables Copper round braided then nylon multifilament sleeved, with Lunashops 'Belkin' plugs, one rubbed down and sprayed satin black, the other with a 'brushed' finish, which cogsand gears gave me the idea for.
 
 

 

 

 

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

on project to create custom iem cable from pure silver solid core wire 28 awg.
 
 
can some one tell me how to insulate/wrap a solid core wire like litz technology?
what can I use to insulate/wrap a solid core wire?
 

 
Just use magnet wire. That's all litz wire is is some number of strands of magnet wire.
 
se

 

[colinharding]

Quote:

 
Just use magnet wire. That's all litz wire is is some number of strands of magnet wire.
 
se

 
Really? Isn't magnet wire just copper wire with an enamel on it?  I've only ever reterminated one litz cable, Audio Note cables, which are silver wire. To solder them onto the RCA connection the bare leads had to be dipped in a solder pot to take off the enamel.  Would the same process be required with the magnet wire?

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

 
Really? Isn't magnet wire just copper wire with an enamel on it?

 
The wire could be copper or silver or whatever, but yes, it's insulated with a thin film of enamel rather than a thick extruded insulation.
 
Quote:

 I've only ever reterminated one litz cable, Audio Note cables, which are silver wire. To solder them onto the RCA connection the bare leads had to be dipped in a solder pot to take off the enamel.  Would the same process be required with the magnet wire?

 
Ideally, yes. Of course you need to make sure the insulation is solderable. The most common are (polyurethane, polyurethane/nylon, solderable polyester).
 
se

 

[Mad Max]

Quote:

Also, for anyone in the UK with a 'Lidl' nearby I found this on sale tomorrow for £5! You generally have to be pretty quick to get in on Lidl deals though.
 

 
Almost looks identical to my Ratshack helping hands with magnifying glass.

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

Quote:

Wasn't saying you didn't know what you are talking about.  Just pointing out that even in less extreme conditions, some oxidation can occur.  And not just in DIY cables.  Stock Shure and Westone cables with clear pvc or whatever they use have been known to oxidize.  Shure claims no sound differences.  I saw your cable and that is the most extreme oxidation I have seen.  Brown is really interesting.  Not sure what that could be.  Probably exacerbated like you said by your extreme climate.  I just want people just starting out not to freak out if their copper turns a little green over time.

This is VERY reassuring...
 
I have been recently freaked out because some of my (somewhat new) DIY cables & recables (I haven't been doing this too long) where I've left the wire with clear dielectric jacket "unsleeved" have already started to turn greenish. The said wire in the cables are OFC and UPOCC copper inside... However the Sound Quality is just fine; I can't detect any audible degradation or channel/signal problems, despite the oxidation.
 
I'm glad this is somewhat "normal".
 
 
 
In my particular case, though, I think I'm having issues sealing my wires, and am letting "stray" openings for oxygen so I think that is why my cable's have oxidized so quickly. Oh well, this is all new (and still fun!) for me.
 
 
One of my "issues" currently is in figuring out how best tin and seal the "business end" of my wires in terminations.
 
Another is the solder type. I just learned what eutectic solder is the other day, and that the ROHS 4% Silver Solder I've been using this whole time is NOT eutectic.
 
I'll try to find and post my pics of the cables before & after to show off the "new" versus "oxidized" status... I also recabled another headphone, and need to take photos to post, but I need better lighting for that, and it's a bit early yet.