DIY Cable Questions and Comments Thread

[junkimchi]

I have decided to dish out and go for via blue splitters on my hd600/650 cable but I was wondering which of the following would work and is the smallest option?
 
ViaBlue SC-2
http://www.viablue.de/com/splitter_sc2.shtml
 
ViaBlue NF-S1
http://www.viablue.de/com/splitter_nfs1.shtml
 
ViaBlue NF-A7
http://www.viablue.de/com/splitter_nf-a7.shtml

The NF-A7 is a bit smaller, which is what I want, but would one 8.5mm opening be big enough to fit two strands of Paracord 550 Type 3?

EDIT: 

I believe I found the answer to my question in the DIY cable gallery. A user seemed to have created a cable successfully using the smaller NF-A7 splitter:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/71148/diy-cable-gallery/10530#post_8891093

 

[retrodisease]

550 Paracord has a diameter of 5/32 inch which is 3.96~ mm. In theory 8.5mm should be large enough.

 

[junkimchi]

Quick question. How do these splitters stay in place?

 

[jodgey4]

  Quick question. How do these splitters stay in place?

Usually hot glue and/or shrink tape.

 

[fiascogarcia]

Does an 8 conductor cable (4 wires per ear) for an iem require any particular type of connector for a Westone type 2 pin connector, or will any 2 pin connector accommodate this much wire?  Thanks!

 

[uncola]

Hey guys I'm planning on making my first DIY cable.. my headphone is a modded fostex t50rp that has a male mini 4 pin xlr.. a single one on the left cup.  
 
My headphones came with a canare l4e6s mini xlr female to male 1/4" plug cable.. and I opened up the 1/4" side to look at how it's soldered and it looks like two white conductors are soldered to the shield and two blue are soldered to the two other tabs..  and it looks like the braided shield in cable isn't attached to anything in the plug.. does that sound right?  Or is the canare braided shield  combined with the two white conductors that are soldered to the plug shield area?  It doesn't look like it is but I can't see for sure
 
I ordered mogami 2983 and a 1/4" stereo male plug and mini xlr female from redco.  Mogami colors are Black / Red / Blue / Clear
I think I found the info I need to wire both connectors on this page http://www.head-fi.org/a/diy-cable-info-and-resources#connectors
Tip: Left signal
Ring: Right signal
Sleeve: Ground  
 
What colors would I use for left and right, blue and red?  and then clear and black get used for ground?
Then on the mini xlr side.. 
Pin 1: Left positive (+)
Pin 2: Left negative (-)
Pin 3: Right positive (+)
Pin 4: Right negative (-)
would I then attach blue to left positive and red to right positive, then attach clear and black to the left and right negative spots?  and then would I solder the spiral shield to the shield tab?  or is that wrong and I would attach clear and black to shield tab.  or combine clear and black with the spiral shield and attach to the shield tab?  Anyone have experience with a cable with 1/4" and mini xlr 4 pin?  I guess I Just need to know what color goes where and if I do anything with the spiral shield or ignore it
 
 
http://www.neutrik.com/zoolu-website/media/download/113/Assembly+Instruction+-+Professional+Phone+Plugs+-+PX+Series    leads to pdf
http://www.redco.com/files/MINI_XLR_Assembly_instructions.pdf

 

[jodgey4]

attach blue to left positive and red to right positive, then attach clear and black to the left and right negative spots and probably just ignore the spiral shield.

man, colors are fun! if you do want to solder the sheilding, only solder it to one end (which i guess you would be forced to because the 1/4" is the only one with a ground tab, none on mini-xlr). sometimes if you attach sheilding to both ends along with negative/ground wires, you can get weird ground hum issues. but since you can't even do that, just do whatever.

 

[uncola]

Thanks jodgey4, that makes sense since I saw people say only attach the spiral or braided shield to the amplifier side of a cable and not the headphone side.
As far as the colors go.. as long as I use the same color for left and right on both sides, I should be fine?

 

[TrollDragon]

I've only seen the shield connected to one end on interconnects to keep grounds separate. I've havn't seen a shield implemented on a headphone cable yet...

 

[jodgey4]

  Thanks jodgey4, that makes sense since I saw people say only attach the spiral or braided shield to the amplifier side of a cable and not the headphone side.
As far as the colors go.. as long as I use the same color for left and right on both sides, I should be fine?

Fo sho. The colors themselves don't matter, but you want the signal going to the right place. Some cable looks all the same, so it's helpful to have a multimeter that can test continuity and make an idiot-proof BEEP when you touch two ends of the same wire. If you need any more help, ask away or PM me.

 

[uncola]

Thanks! I think I'm ready to make this cable!  I found a page telling the convention for the colors, I'll probably follow it for ease of remembering.
 
"There is a general "R Code" for audio equipment. R: Red, Right, Ring, Recieve. When you have a TRS connector (Tip/Ring/Shield) the Ring always goes to the Right channel on a L/R system, the Receive on a Send/Receive system. The Left/Send/Tip doesn't have a standard. Black used to be the common color, now it's white, sometimes it's blue. It doesn't matter because you use the R as the identifier. The bare wire is the shield, though it doesn't provide much shielding or grounding, it's purpose is to create the flow loop for discarded electrons. But since few know anything about that part of the system it is referred to as shielding, grounding, common, but it's all irrelevant."  
 
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/6698/headphone-wire-color-coding
 
sweet, I found a picture labeling the pins on a female mini xlr 4 pin.  
 
 
Headphone End of Cable - Female 4-Pin Mini XLR
Pin     Signal
1        Left +
2        L- through the Cable Shield
3        Right +
4        R- through the Cable Shield

 

[tehsprayer]

I am very new to use and was wondering all the stuff I need to make a custom cable for my MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs
 
I was thinking the blue dragon cable of 5 ft for $60 and not sure what common 1/4 plugs are the best, what would you suggest?
http://www.moon-audio.com/moon-audio-blue-dragon-bulk-headphone-cable.html#
 
 
Also what else do I need to make this cable. I think the alpha dogs use a special mini xlr the plugs in the left and right for each cup

 

[uncola]

hi tehsprayer, the alpha dogs use dual 4 pin mini xlr male connectors on their headphone cable.. you can buy the male mini xlr 4 pins directly from mrspeakers https://mrspeakers.com/product/cable-plugs-male-for-alpha-dog-and-mad-dog-custom-cables/  
and this page shows the pinouts  https://mrspeakers.com/mrspeakers-alpha-dog-headphones/  click on pinout for custom cables.  It looks like you'd need a cable with 8 conductors, 4 for each side.. I'm not sure though you better double check with someone more experienced
Left:
1 = L+
2 = L - (or ground for single ended cables)
3 = L+
4 = L- (or ground for single ended cables)

Right:
1 = R+
2 = R - (or ground for single ended cables)
3 = R+
4 = R- (or ground for single ended cables)

This might be the type of wire you have to use..  says it's 8 channel cable.. http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2932.html

and then I guess you'd just get a 4pin xlr for the other end of the cable if you have a balanced amp.. if not then some kind of 1/4" trs or 3.5mm trs.  I'm gonna use this 1/4" trs for my cable http://www.redco.com/Neutrik-NP3X-B.html

 

[jodgey4]

  hi tehsprayer, the alpha dogs use dual 4 pin mini xlr male connectors on their headphone cable.. you can buy the male mini xlr 4 pins directly from mrspeakers https://mrspeakers.com/product/cable-plugs-male-for-alpha-dog-and-mad-dog-custom-cables/  
and this page shows the pinouts  https://mrspeakers.com/mrspeakers-alpha-dog-headphones/  click on pinout for custom cables.  It looks like you'd need a cable with 8 conductors, 4 for each side.. I'm not sure though you better double check with someone more experienced
Left:
1 = L+
2 = L - (or ground for single ended cables)
3 = L+
4 = L- (or ground for single ended cables)

Right:
1 = R+
2 = R - (or ground for single ended cables)
3 = R+
4 = R- (or ground for single ended cables)

If it really is the same as Audeze cables, then you could always just use jumpers between pairs of pins to reduce to 4 conductors.

 

[tehsprayer]

  If it really is the same as Audeze cables, then you could always just use jumpers between pairs of pins to reduce to 4 conductors.

This is very confusing for me to understand. So the blue dragon cable is not compatible? I think the stock cable for the ADs is the quad star canare