[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonjon0nline /img/forum/go_quote.gif What happens if one signal end is connected to tip and on the other end is connected to ring? Since you can't really tell with the Canare Starquad would it make a difference if the signal is oriented like that? I'm having issues with one cable where when fully plugged in I only get left signal and only when I unplug it some I get both channels working. Then again I'm using Radioshack plugs for that one, but I can't see how that would matter.

That's why you check with your DMM to see that you don't mix the wires. If one is tip (left channel) on the other side it's the ring (right channel), well, you get the idea, they'll just be flipped.

I can never understand why people do this "unplug slightly" thing, you are shorting out the right channel when you do this and are sending the left signal to both left/right. This can be a very dangerous thing on some equipment (tubes, discrete buffers, buffers without short-circuit protection), all of those can and will blow up under these conditions.

 

[jonjon0nline]

Oh wow, I'm a noob. I don't know why I didn't think of that... thanks

 

[Nicolas2305]

Hi there,

I'm completely new to the audiophile world and this forum wich i discovered a week ago and just passed my free time reading since then.

I've read all the pages in here(took some time with the links) and I saw some braided and some not. I decided to do some cables but I can't decide on doing it braided with four 18-20 speaker wire or with some canare starquad.

It's clear that the starquad will have a more sleek look but will I be able to percieve any difference in the sound between these two choices?

I will of course make some test runs to see what are my abilities before working on any high end parts but I'd like to know where I'm going.

Thanks.

BTW: Nice tutorial on all the DIY process !

 

[Hayduke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonjon0nline /img/forum/go_quote.gif What happens if one signal end is connected to tip and on the other end is connected to ring? Since you can't really tell with the Canare Starquad would it make a difference if the signal is oriented like that? I'm having issues with one cable where when fully plugged in I only get left signal and only when I unplug it some I get both channels working. Then again I'm using Radioshack plugs for that one, but I can't see how that would matter.

What are you plugging into? There are some vendors out there that make plugs and sockets that don't exactly comply to the industry standard for some connectors. Unfortunately, so equipment manufacturers use these parts

 

[jonjon0nline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayduke /img/forum/go_quote.gif What are you plugging into? There are some vendors out there that make plugs and sockets that don't exactly comply to the industry standard for some connectors. Unfortunately, so equipment manufacturers use these parts

They were going into Radioshack jacks, the ones that look like Switchcraft. It's a non-issue now that I wired them up correctly. Pics of new IC's later tonight

 

[Nicolas2305]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicolas2305 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi there, I'm completely new to the audiophile world and this forum wich i discovered a week ago and just passed my free time reading since then. I've read all the pages in here(took some time with the links) and I saw some braided and some not. I decided to do some cables but I can't decide on doing it braided with four 18-20 speaker wire or with some canare starquad. It's clear that the starquad will have a more sleek look but will I be able to percieve any difference in the sound between these two choices? I will of course make some test runs to see what are my abilities before working on any high end parts but I'd like to know where I'm going. Thanks. BTW: Nice tutorial on all the DIY process !

bump!

I posted this few posts before, I wanted if there is some significant advantage in the braided cables. I know they should be free of any electric noise since they don't have any shielding.

I assume they should be better than a starquad since you got more wires to transfer your signal but is this significant for the extra time worth of braiding?

 

[Hayduke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicolas2305 /img/forum/go_quote.gif bump! I posted this few posts before, I wanted if there is some significant advantage in the braided cables. I know they should be free of any electric noise since they don't have any shielding. I assume they should be better than a starquad since you got more wires to transfer your signal but is this significant for the extra time worth of braiding?

The braiding helps to minimize EMI. I think the starquad cable achieves this through shielding instead. I suppose the ideal solution would be to braid a shielded cable

There is also an aesthetic element. Some folks like the look of braided cables. Some folks don't. I like to braid the cables and then put them inside something like techflex, but this can increase microphonics depending on what you use and how the cable it built.

 

[Nicolas2305]

Thanks for your answer.

As I tought, there's not much difference in the performance of the cable and it's much more an aesthetis element than anything else.

Thanks again! I should start doing cables when I'm back home, I already have some friends who want some custom cables so I might be able to collect some money to invest in a DIY portable amp like the cMoy or Mini^3!!

 

[mace2]

Hi I am trying to pick up some wire strippers in preparation for ordering.. just wondering what guage of wire it should handle? I see some 8-20, 10-22, and 10-26?

Help appreciated, thanks!

 

[Casca]

Hi, read many of the post here as well as searching and reading some more in the DIY section, but still wanted to get a /nod before I /buy and pay the shipping fee from New York to Hawaii.

I'd like to make two short (just long enough to connect portable amp to MP3 player) and two long (@3' to 5') 3.5mm to 3.5mm interconnects for my amps to source. Two 3.5mm to 1/4 (actually not a 1/4 connector, but looks very close to that...its what we use in our intercom system on military airplanes and if the 1/4 is no good, might just have to raid our tweet shop) interconnect. Pretty set for what I need here, just stating it for an idea on how much cableing I might need.

Also like to make four detachable headphone re-cabling projects:

A Grado SR80 and a Denon D2000-
Was planning on putting 2.5mm jacks on the Grado and 3.5mm jacks for the Denon, was there a better way to do it, how bad is putting a jack here instead of connecting straight to the headphones?



Then my flight headsets, a David Clark with no active noise reduction and a FlightCom UME Cobra with active noise reduction that I never use..cause it sucks. Both have adjustable volume control which I would like to keep and mic booms and I think both under 20 ohms. Will I be able to use the same cable (Mogami 2534) for these headphones in order to use the mic or will I need something else?

Anyway, I have in my cart 100' of Mogami 2534 cable and enough 3.5mm plugs (right angle and straight) and jacks (may get 2.5mm as well just for the Grado) to do what I want plus some spares just incase. Should I get more cable? Looks like going for the 164' spool is $30 more and with shipping, it's cheaper for me if I buy as much as I might need at once. If this works out well, I may hook my nephews (3) and neices (2) up with recabled Grado SR 80's for Christmass

 

[tomjonesrocks]

I did a variety of searches in this thread for clarification unsuccessfully--in the case of the mini-to-mini cable (with switchcraft right-angle plugs), the Canare cable has 4 wires. 2 wires clearly go to right/left, and the third goes to ground.

I'm still unsure where the 4th (positive) wire goes?

 

[cyberspyder]

Two for ground, two for L/R signal.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjonesrocks /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did a variety of searches in this thread for clarification unsuccessfully--in the case of the mini-to-mini cable (with switchcraft right-angle plugs), the Canare cable has 4 wires. 2 wires clearly go to right/left, and the third goes to ground. I'm still unsure where the 4th (positive) wire goes?

1 wire Left
1 wire Right
2 wires Ground

EDIT: Also, I'm sure the answer is here somewhere, but the search feature on the site can be tricky and tough to use. Sometimes it is better to use Google to search the site.

EDIT EDIT: Of course, there's also this portion of the first post of the thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by brschmid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Step3: Reference Pic 3 Now you will see 4 wires. Pick 2 of them and designate them as ground and then the other 2 are left and right. Cut the insulation off the ground wires and solder them to the part of the plug that corresponds to ground, usually the part of the connector that has the most surface area and has threading on it for the cover to screw on to.

 

[tomjonesrocks]

I can't believe I'm posting this...but after 2 hours of work and no success I have to give up and ask.

*How* do you get the wires to "stick" to the ground part of the jack? I'm soldering and soldering and simply wind up with a big blob that is attached to the wires but comes right off the jack. What's the trick? Do you have to sand that part of the jack or something?

Thanks...

 

[The Monkey]

I've had that happen. Maybe try the following:

1) Make sure the soldering iron is clean, turn it up a bit, and tin it.
2) Tin the ground wires, then solder to ground lug.