[Paladin79]

I had used up to 18 AWG for the terminals on 3.5mm, so I don't have the viablue because I don't like it pricing for the quality offered, but I don't think 24 AWG would pose a problem as it should be a very common sizes for 3.5mm

24 awg is quite common for 3.5 mm and my people have used it with those connectors for runs as long as 250 feet with no issues.

 

[graphidz]

Alright having a bad day today. Just found out that my beloved linum cable has connection issue on the 3.5mm connector side, rendering the left channel inoperable. Considering how thin this cable is, I'm going to assume soldering it back will be hell. Anybody done repairs on this? Any tips or guide?

 

[Paladin79]

  Alright having a bad day today. Just found out that my beloved linum cable has connection issue on the 3.5mm connector side, rendering the left channel inoperable. Considering how thin this cable is, I'm going to assume soldering it back will be hell. Anybody done repairs on this? Any tips or guide?

I repaired one for a friend. The wires can be soldered but you have to be pretty careful. I used a magnifier light, micro soldering iron and a solder pot.( I also inspected the wires with a Nikon dual ocular microscope before resoldering but that is not a common item.)
The biggest thing is just seeing the wires and making sure they are tinned properly. Unfortunately I had to replace the 3.5 mm connector and went with an amphenol connector that has a small rubber grommet that would allow for such small wire. They use litz wire as I recall. You can melt away the outside coating using a soldering iron if you are extremely careful but it is not a task I would recommend if you have not soldered before. I used a meter to determine the two channels and ground. 

 

[graphidz]

  I repaired one for a friend. The wires can be soldered but you have to be pretty careful. I used a magnifier light, micro soldering iron and a solder pot.( I also inspected the wires with a Nikon dual ocular microscope before resoldering but that is not a common item.)
The biggest thing is just seeing the wires and making sure they are tinned properly. Unfortunately I had to replace the 3.5 mm connector and went with an amphenol connector that has a small rubber grommet that would allow for such small wire. They use litz wire as I recall. You can melt away the outside coating using a soldering iron if you are extremely careful but it is not a task I would recommend if you have not soldered before. I used a meter to determine the two channels and ground. 

 
Don't think I have a fine enough soldering iron. I only have the same thing that you use to solder electronic components. Works OK for soldering bigger sized cables, but for this small, don't think it'll cut it. How many cores does the Linum uses? Going to have to test every cores to find which is ground I guess. But all things told, I think I'm going to have to send to someone with more experience, which probably have better tools too. Sigh...

 

[Paladin79]

   
Don't think I have a fine enough soldering iron. I only have the same thing that you use to solder electronic components. Works OK for soldering bigger sized cables, but for this small, don't think it'll cut it. How many cores does the Linum uses? Going to have to test every cores to find which is ground I guess. But all things told, I think I'm going to have to send to someone with more experience, which probably have better tools too. Sigh...

if you have an iron where the tip can be changed you might be able to get a smaller one but it is not my intent to discourage you; yours may work. I think there are only about seven strands, it is pretty small wire. I am not sure they use the same 3.5 mm connector all the time and you may be able to open the one you have to examine the wires. All I could do was cut the wires, figure out the wiring and add a new connector.

 

[graphidz]

  if you have an iron where the tip can be changed you might be able to get a smaller one but it is not my intent to discourage you; yours may work. I think there are only about seven strands, it is pretty small wire. I am not sure they use the same 3.5 mm connector all the time and you may be able to open the one you have to examine the wires. All I could do was cut the wires, figure out the wiring and add a new connector.

 
oh no. The negativity is from me and me alone lol. Anyway, If the cores are not that many, I could deal with it. I'd need to find a replacement tip  (gonna need to check if it's interchangeable anyway). Well thanks for the tip.

 

[cthomas]

So I'm thinking of modding this balanced cable...



...to fit these Sennheiser connectors.



Each side of the cable has 4 wires...



...and only 2 pins on the Sennheiser connectors.

Which wires go to the signal and which go to ground?

Thanks y'all

 

[Fasterball]

Can someone explain why we twist wires? Is it just aesthetics?

 

[rmoody]

So I'm thinking of modding this balanced cable...



...to fit these Sennheiser connectors.



Each side of the cable has 4 wires...



...and only 2 pins on the Sennheiser connectors.

Which wires go to the signal and which go to ground?

Thanks y'all

 
Most likely 2 wires per pin. If it were me, I would use a multi meter to figure out what wire is what and take notes for when I solder the connectors.

 

[Whitigir]

So I'm thinking of modding this balanced cable...



...to fit these Sennheiser connectors.



Each side of the cable has 4 wires...



...and only 2 pins on the Sennheiser connectors.

Which wires go to the signal and which go to ground?

Thanks y'all

Yellow wires are all grounds or negative polarity. Colored wires are positive and or signals.

Most of the time: Red is right channel and Green or blue or other colors are Left channel.

Use multimeter and check continuity to be sure, but those above are the common of typical wires and cables.

Another way that I am sure yellow wires is Ground or negative, because usually Ground and share the same color on both channels. You see yellow in both as the picture shown, so it is ground.

Red is always right channel

Another way to tell without using the multi meter here is once you cut off the right or left plugs, only cut one, and work on it. Again colored wires is signal or positive polarity and yellow is ground.

Have fun

 

[cthomas]

Most likely 2 wires per pin. If it were me, I would use a multi meter to figure out what wire is what and take notes for when I solder the connectors.

Yellow wires are all grounds or negative polarity. Colored wires are positive and or signals.

Most of the time: Red is right channel and Green or blue or other colors are Left channel.

Use multimeter and check continuity to be sure, but those above are the common of typical wires and cables.

Another way that I am sure yellow wires is Ground or negative, because usually Ground and share the same color on both channels. You see yellow in both as the picture shown, so it is ground.

Red is always right channel

Another way to tell without using the multi meter here is once you cut off the right or left plugs, only cut one, and work on it. Again colored wires is signal or positive polarity and yellow is ground.

Have fun

Thanks guys! What readings will the positive wires give compared to the ground wires using a multimeter?

 

[nasedase]

couldn't I burn the enamel off with a lighter? A lot of tutorials show them using that method. 

 

[nasedase]

From the input end. The earbuds are still attached. What would a multimeter tell me exactly? Which ones are ground? 

 

[Dyaems]

cant seem to find decent info on google, but anyone has a pinout for MMCX connectors? im trying to change my 2-pin Lear C10 to MMCX if it is possible. this would probably be the connector that I am going to use:

 

Spoiler: mmcx connector link

http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4974
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=5088
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=5027

 
not sure which one i should use in those three though. also if mmcx would be a better choice than 2-pin (westone) connector but that is altogether on another topic

 

[Shawn71]

cant seem to find decent info on google, but anyone has a pinout for MMCX connectors? im trying to change my 2-pin Lear C10 to MMCX if it is possible. this would probably be the connector that I am going to use:


 

Spoiler: mmcx connector link

http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=4974
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=5088
http://www.lunashops.com/goods.php?id=5027

not sure which one i should use in those three though. also if mmcx would be a better choice than 2-pin (westone) connector but that is altogether on another topic

The center pin is the positive terminal (R+ / L+) and either of those 2 pins can used to terminate the negative connection.(R- / L-) of respective channel.....