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1. I would stick to 26 or 24 awg, as many strands as you can get. In general, the more strands, the more flexible.
2. Silver plated copper is nor really any less flexible than regular copper, with the caveat that most cheaper silver plated copper wire is sheathed in teflon or pvc, both of which you want to avoid if you really want flexibility.
3. Silicone or a specially designed polyethylene will be the most flexible. Problem is that the better silicone wire is specialty wire for stuff like robotics and is more expensive per foot than some audiophile stuff. Toxic Cables had a batch of OCC copper in polyethylene that was so flexible, I mistook it for silicone wire. PM him to see if he has any for sale. You won't find something more flexible or limp on the market. The caveat with this, is that it is harder to work with because of its flexibility, and there is some grab to the polyethylene that makes sleeving with something soft nearly impossible. In use, without sleeving, it was too flexible for me so I ended up putting a 1/8" sleeve of techflex around it and then putting nylon multifilament on top of that. Still super light, very flexible when you need to bend it, but lays very neatly now in a large coil. But if a specialty wire isn't possible, stick to polyethylene. Mogami and Canare both use polyethylene, but it is a harder variety and despite some decent stranding and gauge numbers, they aren't as flexible as they could be (durability was top priority for these companies). Doublehelixcables, Toxic Cables, and Plussounds come immediately to mind for high quality, reasonable cost wire that is nice and flexible (and audiophile approved).
4. Nylon multifilament or paracord is the way to go for soft, flexible sleeving. Not many other options unless you can find cotton or silk, which is very hard to do. Any of the Techflex type stuff is going to add stiffness.
Hope that helps! Have fun with it.
I've searched here and can't seem to find a solution, so I am just going to ask for recomendations from those in the know!
The stock cable on my Ultrasones was the most annoying cable I have ever seen on a headphone. The bends where they fold it back and forth on itself for packaging will not come out, no how no way.
It's annoying like those cheap Yellow / Orange AC extension cords, the ones that are really nice when you first get them but after a couple of weeks use they get all twisted up under the jacket and are impossible to use or unwind. You just need to take a hatchet and chop them up into tiny little pieces to vent your frustration, which I have done in the past.
I have since removed the cable from my Ultrasones and have replaced it with a 3.5mm socket which works great with any mini to mini cable.
I would like to convert my DT880's to a mini xlr with the socket in the cup itself, all of that part is no problem, I am now in search of a good wire to use.
Since I live in Eastern Canada local wire shops are few and far between, the only one I know of here is Anixter which carries a Belden Star Quad, but I have not been there to look at this wire or any other type they might have. (Is anyone familiar with the Belden wire?)
Since there are so many choices of wire and insulation type, I'll get right to the point of what I am looking for.
Flexibility is my main criteria, I would like this cable to act like a piece of cotton cord or heavy string. I know it can not have the exact same physics as cotton cord does but I'd like to get as close to that as possible. (falls straight with very little memory)
1. What AWG and strand count would you suggest is the most flexible?
2. Does silver plated copper or just regular copper make any difference? (Only to do with flexibility, nothing about the sound.)
3. What type of insulation is the most flexible?
My old Sony headphones had this nylon type sheathing over a rubber core that had flat enameled wire that was woven with fibers, you know the copper / red /green stuff all twisted together.
I don't know what that wire is called, but is that wire available and would it be a better choice even though it would have to be sheathed?
In the end I would like to have a 4 wire loose braid to the mini XLR jack, so if I can find a wire with a black or clear insulation that would be perfect and I would not have to sheath them.
4. Does the sheathing type aid or hinder with flexibility? If so what is the most flexible type of sheath to use?
Sorry for the winded post with too many questions, but I have searched and can't seem to find a solution. If I am "Out to Lunch" with my expectations then please let me know.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this and for any recomendations you all might have.
1. I would stick to 26 or 24 awg, as many strands as you can get. In general, the more strands, the more flexible.
2. Silver plated copper is nor really any less flexible than regular copper, with the caveat that most cheaper silver plated copper wire is sheathed in teflon or pvc, both of which you want to avoid if you really want flexibility.
3. Silicone or a specially designed polyethylene will be the most flexible. Problem is that the better silicone wire is specialty wire for stuff like robotics and is more expensive per foot than some audiophile stuff. Toxic Cables had a batch of OCC copper in polyethylene that was so flexible, I mistook it for silicone wire. PM him to see if he has any for sale. You won't find something more flexible or limp on the market. The caveat with this, is that it is harder to work with because of its flexibility, and there is some grab to the polyethylene that makes sleeving with something soft nearly impossible. In use, without sleeving, it was too flexible for me so I ended up putting a 1/8" sleeve of techflex around it and then putting nylon multifilament on top of that. Still super light, very flexible when you need to bend it, but lays very neatly now in a large coil. But if a specialty wire isn't possible, stick to polyethylene. Mogami and Canare both use polyethylene, but it is a harder variety and despite some decent stranding and gauge numbers, they aren't as flexible as they could be (durability was top priority for these companies). Doublehelixcables, Toxic Cables, and Plussounds come immediately to mind for high quality, reasonable cost wire that is nice and flexible (and audiophile approved).
4. Nylon multifilament or paracord is the way to go for soft, flexible sleeving. Not many other options unless you can find cotton or silk, which is very hard to do. Any of the Techflex type stuff is going to add stiffness.
Hope that helps! Have fun with it.
