[Garbz]

Something happened when i opened another of my amps the other day I realised that the solder point was the strongest point in the connection. Indeed the wire snapped just before the point where all the stress was.

It now makes perfect sense to me to heatshrink a bit past the point to ensure that weak link stays stiff.

 

[Emon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 yes,this is a solid contact and one that is most likely stronger than the original but just like you try to avoid using series connected cables

I never said this should be used for splicing audio cables to lengthen them. As I've said several times before, it can be applied to quite a few situations, just be creative. I didn't make a post saying, "Hey, everyone go cut up your expensive audio cables and splice them together using this technique!" it's just an idea I threw out there because some people might find it useful for SOME thing. I don't get why you're so "against" it.


Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 f you care at all about signal integrity when the "fix" is to just get a longer cable with the only "weak points" at the ends,the plugs.where they belong

And as I keep saying, I never said you should splice interconnects. Also, I believe you just said splicing a cable, that is adding one solder joint, would affect the analog signal. Believe that if you want, but I'm afraid I can no longer discuss that topic with you.

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

I don't get why you're so "against" it.

because it is bad for audio and this is an audio forum.

if a design needs a "splice" to function then the design is flawed from the start and requires proper pre-planning and not a "fix" to get it working.

Do what you want man.I am entitled to my opinion and see no reason for any hostility for making a point from a sound audio direction.If you wanted no comments why post ?

enjoy and have fun.

rickster is out

 

[mono]

Everyone who solders their tubes in to reduce one solder joint(s), please raise your hand.

It is true that the ideal connections would have no solder joints if only they were a solid piece of metal. It's also true that "ideally" no unnecessary solder joints would be used. It should be avoided when reasonably possible. It is up to the reasoning of the builder.. there are many ways to reduce audio quality and IMO, this could be is farther down the list than many things.

Having written that much, for my builds I won't splice in the signal path, unless it were only an emergency or temporary/testing environment,.. BUT, if someone claims they can't hear a difference, it is their ears that count.

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

It is true that the ideal connections would have no solder joints if only they were a solid piece of metal. It's also true that "ideally" no unnecessary solder joints would be used. It should be avoided when reasonably possible. It is up to the reasoning of the builder.. there are many ways to reduce audio quality and IMO, this could be is farther down the list than many things.

while I will no longer continue to respond to the other area this I must.

First-that has aboslutley nothing at all to do with the topic.Nothing at all and is meant for sarcasm and nothing else.

Adding a GLOB smack in the middle of any signal or power transmission line is bad engineerering and no more.It is a lazy way to make anything and is fine for the prototyping stage of a project but I for one would not walk away but run from any product that had such construction methods inside.It would say much about how much the person making the product really cared about sonic purity.

Solder joints are local and small.this example is neither.

Why not just use a big hunk of metal and skip the wire altogether if this is such a good method ?


Quote:

Having written that much, for my builds I won't splice in the signal path, unless it were only an emergency or temporary/testing environment,.. BUT, if someone claims they can't hear a difference, it is their ears that count.

every time i read someone say they can not hear a thing that is clearly audible to most one of two things is in effect

1-their gear is not up to resolving micrdynamics and would not have an audible effect no matter WHAT was changed out.

2-they never did a direct comparison but wanting to make a point feel a need to make a staement just to do it

In a forum where so many are anal about what resistor sounds best I find it very hard to beleive there are those even contemplating adding in a joint with more sonic impact and more "metal" than any resistor below 10 watts in size.

again do as you will.it effects me not at all but i can not leave misinformation out there as fact for someone who doing a search and with limited knowledge does not at least have both sides with which to make a more informed decision.

and again and this time-rickster is outta this thread

 

[mono]

Quote:

In a forum where so many are anal about what resistor sounds best ..

That's quite true, some are more critical, picky, sometimes completely right and technically correct, but other times or people are seemingly, irrationally obsessed with certain aspects of DIY, but they have fun (I hope), I think some have more fun with the idea of being the most technically correct that's possible, even moreso than whether it even made a difference in the final result.

It should remain that way, fun and diverse, in that if someone wants to do it and is aware of this potential issue, they are making an informed choice and can make up their own mind about how (deeply they want to dive down the rabbit hole).

 

[rickcr42]

not sure what that rabbit hole crack is supposed to mean but i imagine directed at me personally because I don't agree ?

tell me where I attacked anyone or brought sarcasm into the conversation other than as a response to a mostly rude group who want no dissenting views.Why post at all ?

seems far better to just make some fan club and just clap one another on the back and agree on everything.Far better than having to think about two sides of anything.One actually means you have to do your own thinking,the other just go along with the crowd.

I leave the followers to do as they will having zero effect on my life or system but will never leave certain things to stand as fact when there are two sides and impressionable newbies reading.This is not a closed forum but for all to either add information or leave with some and not a personal forum for a singular beleif system.

Jump down all the rabbit holes you want but leave the friggin' sarcasm behind.There is no place for it here and will not be tolerated

 

[mono]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 not sure what that rabbit hole crack is supposed to mean but i imagine directed at me personally because I don't agree ?

No, it is directed at anyone and everyone. That's the beauty of DIY... it is a positive thing, not negative.

Quote:

tell me where i attacked anyone or brought sarcasm into the conversation other than as a response to a mostly rude group who want no dissenting views.Why post at all ?

I'm not trying to attack here, perhaps I didn't convey my thoughts well enough.

Quote:

seems far better to just make some fan club and just clap one another on the back and agree on everything.Far better than having to think about two sides of anything.One actually means you have to do your own thinking,the other just go along with the crowd.

I'm sure you see alot of that, it happens in most forums and may not be something that could or would change nearly as much as one would like it to.

Quote:

Jump down all the rabbit holes you want but leave the friggin sarcasm behind.There is no place for it here and will not be tolerated

I do think you took that wrong, it was not meant to be offensive in any way. It was not sarcasm. Rabbit holes are an obvious reference to Alice In Wonderland, which is an adventure with a lot of parities to DIY audio, IMO. I feel you expected it to be a counter-post and took it out of context, read more into it than was intended.

 

[Emon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 Adding a GLOB smack in the middle of any signal or power transmission line is bad engineerering and no more.

I didn't say you'd put it smack in the middle of a signal line. This could have a LOT of uses for DIY audio or just plain DIY. I know a lot of people who read the DIY audio forum don't just do audio for DIY. I mainly posted it because I found it to be a better method of soldering onto connectors whose solder tabs were inadequate for the cable I was using. This is a great technique for that, prevents creeping over time for one.

And you are right that solder joints are small and local. If you use this method properly (that is lashing before soldering) you pull the conductors very close, minimizing the solder between them. All joints, electrical, structural (like brazing with a torch) are always stronger with less solder. As for the analog signal passing through the joint, electrons tend to take the path of least resistance...it's unlikely that they would flow around the extra solder that much. Not to mention that such a small section of solder would add very, very little resistance to the path. Resistance is all about length, contact surface area and material.

Look, you're obviously a purist that takes pride in the highest standards of DIY and not making one compromise because it could affect sound quality. I'm not saying you go throwing solder joints into places they don't need to be, I'm just saying it could be useful in some situations, and I thought someone would find it useful so I started a thread on it. If your point is that, from a purist's point of view, it could potentially degrade audio quality, you should have just said so. Perhaps I should have noted it, but I don't believe it would make a difference, so I didn't even think of it.

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

If your point is that, from a purist's point of view, it could potentially degrade audio quality, you should have just said so. Perhaps I should have noted it, but I don't believe it would make a difference, so I didn't even think of it.

I can live with that but I thought this being an audio based forum and very specific to sound related projects my objections to this type of construction method would be obvious.Many including myself can hear sound degradation with even too large a wire being used for signal transmission and if not such a pain to work with i most likely would never go above 30 guage for audio signal wiring so seeing that "lash" sent me into a panic !

I am also very much a "one conductor per connection" kinda guy and feel the only reason for stranded wire is to satisfy flexability and ease of use,not for any performance gains no matter what the literature says it is designed for.

At every junction where there is comprimise there will also be those who will justify the act by coming up with "proof" why this is the way to go but following audio from its roots you will see constant comprimises made to satisfy the consumer at the lowest cost to the manufacturer.Not science but bottom line and then convince those tyou are selling to that the step back is actually a step forward.
Even something as simple as the RCA plug/jack should never have been established as the main means of audio connection.A sonic butcher of the first order but it is what we are stuck if our systems to be compatible and all audio products useable by all.
Even a lowly DIN jack is a better solution on many points (metal content and contact area for a couple) and the XLR far superior even for single ended connection but again,expensive and with compatibility issues if you are to interconnect various componants.

Yes,I am a pain in the a*s on this at times but while everyone is building cables looking to add the huge and massive (plus expensive) plugs having a metal shield because they look "cool" I am trying to find ways to eliminate all the extra metal while still retaining a good insulation material.
this last is damn near impossible because the manufacturers are the type to give you what you want and if that is over priced and bloated connectors they will trip on each other to come out with the largest and heaviest,some say "prettiest" precious metal RCA plugs human kind has ever seen !

My thought is they make better jewelry than they do audio connectors but that is just my opinion and I am definately in the minority

My nightmare system ?

It would look like a jewelry store window display,use wring pretty enough for decorating a home and sound like crap except at high SPL levels where everything is a blur anyway.Real music lives at the microdynamic level and below 1 watt.that is the domain of the small and light

 

[Garbz]

I know exactly what you mean. The first interconnect I made a friend said wow nice, you could wear that around you neck as bling bling when we go out tonight. $50 of bloody materials only to be completely annihilated by microphone cable with $2 xlrs on the end!

I'm so over reading into marketing bs.