[Jiggybutt]

People recommend the microphone cable for a couple of reasons:

It's cheap. Mogami W2799, for example, is $0.62/ft

For that price, you get 4 wires inside the microphone cable shielding (which most, thought not all, people remove).

Most of the time, you're not going to find speaker wire in the 24-26 AWG range. Most speaker wire is 12-18 AWG, which might work, but would be quite bulky for headphones.

Well, I live in Sweden, which means that I can't find it cheap around here. The shielding won't make a big difference, won't make much difference, since you can't connect it in both ends, only amp. Or am I wrong about how shield works?
 
Why is an awg that high needed? Is it the amp that needs the higher resistance? Or just that a thick cable is heavy for headphone use?

 

[Paladin79]

Well, I live in Sweden, which means that I can't find it cheap around here. The shielding won't make a big difference, won't make much difference, since you can't connect it in both ends, only amp. Or am I wrong about how shield works?

Why is an awg that high needed? Is it the amp that needs the higher resistance? Or just that a thick cable is heavy for headphone use?

.

The larger the wire gauge number the smaller the wire.26 AWG is small, 10 AWG is huge in comparison. AWG is American wire gauge. Some rf cable uses outside diameter in hundredths of inches but that is rare.

 

[Allanmarcus]

Does anyone have the pin layout for a standard 2-pin CIEM cable?

"standard 2-pin CIEM cable"? Is there such a thing? It would help to know what CIEM you have.
 
​Generally you connect one wire to one pin and the other wire to the other pin.

 

[liquidzoo]

Well, I live in Sweden, which means that I can't find it cheap around here. The shielding won't make a big difference, won't make much difference, since you can't connect it in both ends, only amp. Or am I wrong about how shield works?

Why is an awg that high needed? Is it the amp that needs the higher resistance? Or just that a thick cable is heavy for headphone use?

Thick cable is heavy and stiff. The thicker it is, the stiffer it will be. Most (not all, especially on higher end headphones) stock headphone cables are quite a bit smaller than 26 AWG, actually.

When I make cables, even for my single sided Beyers, I take the quad mic cable and cut the outer shielding off, leaving me with the 4 inner wires. Then I sleeve those with paracord (simply for looks) and braid them. I could just as easily leave all of the outer shielding in place (you don't actually connect the copper shield to anything in headphone cables, so it just adds weight). I go through the braiding process simply for looks.

 

[Jiggybutt]

Thick cable is heavy and stiff. The thicker it is, the stiffer it will be. Most (not all, especially on higher end headphones) stock headphone cables are quite a bit smaller than 26 AWG, actually.

When I make cables, even for my single sided Beyers, I take the quad mic cable and cut the outer shielding off, leaving me with the 4 inner wires. Then I sleeve those with paracord (simply for looks) and braid them. I could just as easily leave all of the outer shielding in place (you don't actually connect the copper shield to anything in headphone cables, so it just adds weight). I go through the braiding process simply for looks.

Allright. Yes, sleeving and doing a braid was my intention. The braid would actually help you against interference noise, so it's win/win with the looks.
 
I found this 25 awg that I may be able to import, though shipping costs more than the cable itself. 
http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2799.html

 

[liquidzoo]

Allright. Yes, sleeving and doing a braid was my intention. The braid would actually help you against interference noise, so it's win/win with the looks.

I found this 25 awg that I may be able to import, though shipping costs more than the cable itself. 
http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2799.html

Interesting that they say that's 25AWG. Mogami themselves say it's 26:

http://www.mogamicable.com/category/bulk/console/

That is good wire if you can get it. My guess is you could probably find it for a cheaper total price from the UK or Europe, but I wouldn't know where to look.

I used the same wire (well, the 2893, but it's the exact same wire) on the wire I used for my Beyers and I like it a lot. Very flexible, quite easy to work with.

 

[Paladin79]

Interesting that they say that's 25AWG. Mogami themselves say it's 26:

http://www.mogamicable.com/category/bulk/console/

That is good wire if you can get it. My guess is you could probably find it for a cheaper total price from the UK or Europe, but I wouldn't know where to look.

I used the same wire (well, the 2893, but it's the exact same wire) on the wire I used for my Beyers and I like it a lot. Very flexible, quite easy to work with.

sometimes they will list a drain wire as a different gauge but I would have to check it out sometime. Another interesting thing they can do is list what the gauge would be if you join two wires. 14 awg then becomes 11 awg as I recall. Gauge increases in increments of three from what I have been able to figure out. Electricians probably have to know such things but my so far my lack of education never hurt me none. (quoting Paul Simon)

 

[Jiggybutt]

hmm ok. So how about this, that is supposed to be awg 24? Is it too thick?
http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2534.html
 
I've looked aroud internet but it's not possible to order in europe in bulk and any other way they are all way more expensive.

 

[Paladin79]

  hmm ok. So how about this, that is supposed to be awg 24? Is it too thick?
http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2534.html
 
I've looked aroud internet but it's not possible to order in europe in bulk and any other way they are all way more expensive.

That wire is over a quarter inch outside diameter. I have used it for balanced cables and do not consider it too thick personally but individual wires are a lot lighter. I generally leave it in the jacket and split off at each end for each channel but that is for home use and cable weight on something like that does not bother me much.

 

[liquidzoo]

hmm ok. So how about this, that is supposed to be awg 24? Is it too thick?
http://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2534.html

I've looked aroud internet but it's not possible to order in europe in bulk and any other way they are all way more expensive.

24 AWG isn't too thick, but it will not be as flexible as 26 AWG (and it might be harder to get into #95 paracord). Plus it's more expensive. I'd go with the 2799 if it were me.

You could also go with Canare L-4E5C http://www.redco.com/Canare-L-4E5C.html which is supposed to be 26 AWG. Not sure if it really is. I've used the L-4E6S, though, and it definitely feels like 23 AWG, so maybe the numbers are right.

 

[Paladin79]

24 AWG isn't too thick, but it will not be as flexible as 26 AWG (and it might be harder to get into #95 paracord). Plus it's more expensive. I'd go with the 2799 if it were me.

You could also go with Canare L-4E5C http://www.redco.com/Canare-L-4E5C.html which is supposed to be 26 AWG. Not sure if it really is. I've used the L-4E6S, though, and it definitely feels like 23 AWG, so maybe the numbers are right.

Jacket thickness and composition as well as strand count can cause them to feel different. I am playing around with some 24 awg Belden with a 144 strand count that is buttery soft. (butter at room temp that is, not the stuff straight out of the fridge that you have to chisel apart.)

 

[PinkyPowers]

"standard 2-pin CIEM cable"? Is there such a thing?

It's rare that a CIEM uses a proprietary connector. Noble, Empire Ears, 64Audio, Spiral Ears, JHA, all use the same "Standard" connector. Jerry Harvey's Siren Series uses a proprietary 4-pin, because of that bass pot in the wire. I'm sure there are a handfull of other examples, but the standard is still the standard.

If you reverse the grounding and signal wire, you throw the driver out of phase with the opposite side. It does matter.

Also, I'm building a balanced cable.

 

[Allanmarcus]

 

"standard 2-pin CIEM cable"? Is there such a thing?

It's rare that a CIEM uses a proprietary connector. Noble, Empire Ears, 64Audio, Spiral Ears, JHA, all use the same "Standard" connector. Jerry Harvey's Siren Series uses a proprietary 4-pin, because of that bass pot in the wire. I'm sure there are a handfull of other examples, but the standard is still the standard.

If you reverse the grounding and signal wire, you throw the driver out of phase with the opposite side. It does matter.

Also, I'm building a balanced cable.

might this help?
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/71148/diy-cable-gallery/9015#post_8289474

 

[Jiggybutt]

24 AWG isn't too thick, but it will not be as flexible as 26 AWG (and it might be harder to get into #95 paracord). Plus it's more expensive. I'd go with the 2799 if it were me.

You could also go with Canare L-4E5C http://www.redco.com/Canare-L-4E5C.html which is supposed to be 26 AWG. Not sure if it really is. I've used the L-4E6S, though, and it definitely feels like 23 AWG, so maybe the numbers are right.

I can't get the 95 Paracord here. This is my alternative; http://www.ebay.com/itm/3mm-New-Tight-Braided-PET-Expandable-Sleeving-Cable-Wire-Sheath-17-Color-/252511003776?var=&hash=item3acad42480mp6gRC3itOFMfM8etnbHQMQ
Can't be too bad eh?
 
Edit:
Found paracord 90. maybe too small?
https://www.paracord.eu/micro-paracord

 

[Paladin79]

  I can't get the 95 Paracord here. This is my alternative; http://www.ebay.com/itm/3mm-New-Tight-Braided-PET-Expandable-Sleeving-Cable-Wire-Sheath-17-Color-/252511003776?var=&hash=item3acad42480mp6gRC3itOFMfM8etnbHQMQ
Can't be too bad eh?
 
Edit:
Found paracord 90. maybe too small?
https://www.paracord.eu/micro-paracord

Stay away from the PET if you can, that is plastic. I have not used the 90 yet, but it should be pretty small. 250 or 275 allows you to have a looser fit and decrease microphonics a bit. I also found some combination cotton and PET mesh which is not too bad. Lots of flexibility and you do not have to remove the nylon strings inside. I have listed that on here a couple times previously but if you have trouble finding it I will post it again. It is measured by flat width as I recall and on Ebay as well but it takes a lot of searching to find it.