[penmarker]

Yes

That sound is called microphony.

Also, 1 question guys, I am doing some minor modifications on my speaker amps and I am replacing the old unsuitable magnet wires I used for RCA input with a microphone cable.
Since it only have 2 cores with shielding, will there be any adverse effects if I use the shielding as negative terminals for the RCA input?

 

[Little Bear]

I would suggest you start with some wire from BTG Audio very nice stuff to work with and 26 awg goes at .80 a foot if you want to spend a bit more Double Helix is something to check out also both are very supple wires and damn you both as their Peptide litz cable is now DIY so I have got to try it.

Well I don't necessarily "want to spend more", unless it's worth it from the standpoint of either better fidelity or ease of working with it. I'm willing to pay the DHC price ($2/ft for OFC Cu), but not if the BTG cable would be just as good at less than half. I'm only looking to make (2) 5 foot cables, one for an LCD-X and one for an HD 800, both single ended with a 4-wire braid, so the cable choice isn't going to break the bank either way.

One advantage the BTG cable has is that it comes in either clear or black jacket, and the black would be desirable if I choose to leave naked the twisted pairs above the split.

BTW, this silver-plated copper stuff from DHC looks gorgeous, doesn't it? https://doublehelixcables.com/produ...e-hybrid-24awg-silver-plated-occ-copper-wire/ $2.75/ft is pretty steep though.

 

[Paladin79]

This weekend I should be working at home with a solder pot, rosin flux, 1,000 cables and an exhaust fan so if anyone has any questions pertaining to those items I should be able to post a few photos. I am also building a Bottlehead Crack with carbon fiber plates that will be totally black so I may build some black interconnect cables with black anodized head shells (DIY cables). I may even use some black mesh on those cables as well just for looks.

Tom

 

[Pilotdog68]

curious what you use the solder pot for?

 

[Paladin79]

Solder pots are used for tinning wires at a rapid rate but it is also very handy if you are working with litz wire. This wire has an enamel coating on each individual strand and you have to remove that coating in order to solder that wire to connectors. This can be done with a soldering iron but it is never easy and I am saying that as someone who has done a lot of soldering. Solder pots are not expensive, around $20-$25 for some models, you need bar solder and liquid solder flux in order to use them. The fumes are not pleasant or healthy so I will be using a portable exhaust fan since I have 10,000 individual stranded wires to tin (five per cable and each end gets tinned.) These wires are tinned before ferrules are attached but I doubt many people on here have a reason to know about those connectors lol.

 

[BillsonChang007]

I read somewhere that RCA are easily impacted by the length of the cables? I'm talkijg about XLR to RCA cable here as I intent to get an active speaker to connect to my iFi Micro iDSD / Garage1217 tube amp so might build a cable to connect. Or would it better to use 1/4 vs XLR and 3.5/6.3mm vs RCA for a sub 1m to 2m cable?

 

[Bascule]

Hi all..

So I started ploughing through the 100+pages of gallery thread and the nearly 500 pages of this one.. You're all awesome.

However, if anyone can shortcut things for me I'd be really grateful!

I'm looking for recommendations for cable and connector choice that I can buy in the UK specifically.

I'm looking to make a set of balanced cables for my Meze 99C phones (and possibly also my HD650s), but that have dual XLR connectors to run from a pair of Nuforce HA-200 monoblocks, as my second one is now on order (I have an M-Dac+ with balanced outputs to feed them, so it's all about the cables now.

OR - make/buy one to use standard connector type balanced cable that may work from a DAP (currently don't have one, but its a future plan) and have an adaptor lead from the Dual XLRs to that..

I'll need a pair of short M-F XLR cables to feed the amps too.

All advice gratefully received, open to any suggestions!

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Looking for information on "microphonics" and the type of insulation used. Teflon, PVC, Silicone, etc. Does anyone have links to anything worth reading? I'm googling away... but it seems that you don't get a comparison typically and if you do... it is very minor.

 

[Paladin79]

I read somewhere that RCA are easily impacted by the length of the cables? I'm talkijg about XLR to RCA cable here as I intent to get an active speaker to connect to my iFi Micro iDSD / Garage1217 tube amp so might build a cable to connect. Or would it better to use 1/4 vs XLR and 3.5/6.3mm vs RCA for a sub 1m to 2m cable?

I am not aware of RCA connectors being easily impacted by cable lengths you would use in normal audio equipment. There is some attenuation if you use coaxial cables at long distances but I am talking 100 to 300 feet roughly. One to two meters should never be much of an issue. Cables can be built using any of the connectors you mentioned and I do not see how one connector can be better than another. XLR connectors are considered balanced connectors but that being said you can even run unbalanced to balanced if done correctly. Running balanced to unbalanced can cause some issues depending on the equipment..

 

[Paladin79]

In the UK I would look for Neutrik connectors and Mogami, Canare, or Belden cable. Star quad cable could be used for the applications you mentioned, it consists of four wires and a shield the exact wiring of the headphones can be addressed by a lot of people here but if i get time later I will talk about it if no one answers. XLR to XLR are easy to wire, you can use a microphone cable (two wires and a ground) and wire 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3.

Tom

Hi all..

So I started ploughing through the 100+pages of gallery thread and the nearly 500 pages of this one.. You're all awesome.

However, if anyone can shortcut things for me I'd be really grateful!

I'm looking for recommendations for cable and connector choice that I can buy in the UK specifically.

I'm looking to make a set of balanced cables for my Meze 99C phones (and possibly also my HD650s), but that have dual XLR connectors to run from a pair of Nuforce HA-200 monoblocks, as my second one is now on order (I have an M-Dac+ with balanced outputs to feed them, so it's all about the cables now.

OR - make/buy one to use standard connector type balanced cable that may work from a DAP (currently don't have one, but its a future plan) and have an adaptor lead from the Dual XLRs to that..

I'll need a pair of short M-F XLR cables to feed the amps too.

All advice gratefully received, open to any suggestions!

 

[Hippocamp]

Making a cable for my M1060 V1, which needs mmcx connectors. The first cheap pair of connectors I tried didn't work (poor connection -- sound cutting in and out). I see that some aftermarket cables for this headphone use Eidolic mmcx connectors. But I can't find anywhere to buy them. Anyone know a source?

 

[BillsonChang007]

I am not aware of RCA connectors being easily impacted by cable lengths you would use in normal audio equipment. There is some attenuation if you use coaxial cables at long distances but I am talking 100 to 300 feet roughly. One to two meters should never be much of an issue. Cables can be built using any of the connectors you mentioned and I do not see how one connector can be better than another. XLR connectors are considered balanced connectors but that being said you can even run unbalanced to balanced if done correctly. Running balanced to unbalanced can cause some issues depending on the equipment..

What kind of issue are we looking at tho? Hiss? Popping? Damaging driver?

Will look it up a bit meanwhile thanks for the heads up!

Gosh is it so difficult to extend my hobby to speaker zzz

 

[NTK1]

I bought 1/4 paramax cord to attempt to sleeve Mogami quad cable which has a 6mm OD. After a really slow process I wasn't able to fit a y-splitter that fits up to 8mm cables. I could only slide 1-2 inches at a time, it was a pain.

I bought this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KUNEIJU/

Is there something else I can use that's easier to fit over the cable and not very thick?

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Which Mogami cable, and it sounds like you are trying to sleeve with complete cable intact.

 

[XenHeadFi]

Also, 1 question guys, I am doing some minor modifications on my speaker amps and I am replacing the old unsuitable magnet wires I used for RCA input with a microphone cable.
Since it only have 2 cores with shielding, will there be any adverse effects if I use the shielding as negative terminals for the RCA input?

Can you provide more information on what you are trying to do and what the cable is connecting? Is this SE or Balanced?
For some applications using a common ground between L/R is okay. For others, NOPE.

I bought 1/4 paramax cord to attempt to sleeve Mogami quad cable which has a 6mm OD. After a really slow process I wasn't able to fit a y-splitter that fits up to 8mm cables. I could only slide 1-2 inches at a time, it was a pain.

I bought this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KUNEIJU/

Is there something else I can use that's easier to fit over the cable and not very thick?

I do not think you will find sleeving any easier as the vast majority use the "inchworm" technique that I guess you used. Only other way is if the sleeve is much larger than the cable and then you have a ugly sleeved cable with wrinkles.

If you want a different quad cable, unstripped Mogami 2799 fits into 550 paracord for a total OD of about 4.2mm. Its a pretty tight fit.

For different sleeving...If 1/4 Paramax doesn't fit that cable, you have to go up to techflex-style sleeving. I do not know of any larger size paracord than "paramax". Not sure the thickness of TechFlex compared to ParaMax. Also, the ParaMax from Paracord Planet is almost exactly 1mm thick, unexpanded. After sleeving, I would expect the sleeve to become thinner. I would have expected that your final OD would be just under 8mm (6 + 0.98 + 0.98 or something)... Maybe the paracord from SGT is thicker? I have never used paracord from SGT before.

I just tried to squeeze Canare L-5CFW (0.300") into ParacordPlanet Paramax (0.250") and it was an utter fail. Waiting for 3/8" techflex to come in and see how that fits.