DIY Cable Questions and Comments Thread

[DMinor]

If it's the gauge that matters, get a thicker stranded cable... Unless the gauge is too small, the sound should be affected. Especially over shorter runs. Is there a specific type of solid cable you're looking at using?

 
No specific type of solid wire yet. I just love solid wires from my DIY LOD experience. I actually guess that the phone cables probably make the least difference in sound. But I am very impressed by the difference made by the IC cables tho. I always believe the audio path immediately before amp is the most important and has the biggest potentials for improvement.

 

[65535]

A difference between solid and stranded wires leads me to believe there is a more serious underlying issue. There shouldn't be a difference if the gauge is the same.
The best bet for headphone cables is 20-24 AWG stranded in a high strand count something around 32-104 strand. For interconnections 22-26 AWG is good. IEM cables can get away with 24-28 AWG just fine. All of these would be best made using stranded conductors. 
 
The only application I could possibly see using solid wire is for in-wall and internal wiring. There's not good reason to use it for any temporary connections.

 

[ostewart]

Is making a 10cm 3.5mm (female) to 6.3mm (male) an okay idea? And is there any custom made ones on this thread? Or the other thread? Couldn't find any..

Do you mean like this?
Not my finest cable unfortunately

 

[ostewart]

No specific type of solid wire yet. I just love solid wires from my DIY LOD experience. I actually guess that the phone cables probably make the least difference in sound. But I am very impressed by the difference made by the IC cables tho. I always believe the audio path immediately before amp is the most important and has the biggest potentials for improvement.

My solid core silver LOD has been going for over a year with no problems. It doesn't get flexed a lot but I love it. To be honest I would probably use stranded just because of durability next time. All the cables I now make use stranded because of flexibility and durability.

 

[DMinor]

My solid core silver LOD has been going for over a year with no problems. It doesn't get flexed a lot but I love it. To be honest I would probably use stranded just because of durability next time. All the cables I now make use stranded because of flexibility and durability.

 
The silver solid wires sold by Tempo Electric are actually very soft. I still have some 30awg bought from them. I may just do a fatigue test to find out how many cycles it can take before breaking. From what I feel, it's very ductile with the  PTFE Teflon Jacket and looks really doable for phone cables.

 

[ostewart]

I personally would use stranded for phone cables. Solid is ok for IC's.

The solid core I had, I did a quick stress test, bending backwards and forwards and it didn't break... So they can handle quite a bit of bending.

I have a borrowed pair of DT990's that have been recabled with solid core, I dont like it, it's too stiff.

 

[DMinor]

Now here is my question. Have you heard much more difference in sound from IC cables than from phone cables? tho I have not done any phone cables, I intend to believe the IC cables make much more difference. I could be wrong.
 
Has anyone tried this wire and jacketing?

 

[65535]

Make the cable with stranded conductors of an adequate gauge and you will get optimal results. For the best results in multi conductor cable use a pre-manufactured cable with known electrical characteristics.

 

[SkyBleu]

Do you mean like this?
Not my finest cable unfortunately

Close, but the other way around
 
So instead of the 3.5mm jack, it's a 6.3mm jack (male), and the female is the 3.5mm. 

 

[65535]

You could, but in that configuration a nice inline adapter works very well.

 

[DMinor]

Happy New Year! We just entered 2014 a couple of minutes ago. The iem's are doing great job as the fireworks are being played heavily outside.

 

[PETEREK]

So you must live....in Hawaii? lol or Alaska, or somewhere in west Canada? I had my New Years kiss about 5 1/2 hours ago haha (Michigan)

 

[DMinor]

  So you must live....in Hawaii? lol or Alaska, or somewhere in west Canada? I had my New Years kiss about 5 1/2 hours ago haha (Michigan)

 
I am in the middle of ocean, and this is all I know from my GPS:
21º 18' N, 157º 51' W 

 

[PETEREK]

   
I am in the middle of ocean, and this is all I know from my GPS:
21º 18' N, 157º 51' W 

Well if it's Hawaii, I applaud you for not boasting. Haha

 

[ostewart]

IC cables do make some difference, but IEM or headphone cables make more IMO.

I just like having all silver IC's just so Thats not the bottleneck in my system. Then match the headphone cable to the headphone.