[slowpogo]

I'm considering making a relatively short (5-6 ft) headphone cable using 26-28AWG solid core wire, silver for L/R and copper for ground. It only needs to be three strands, since it will be used with "left entry" headphones.

My judgment tells me a 3-strand braid of that size wire should be pretty flexible, even solid core. My only concern is the durability of solid core wire. If small solid wire is bent back and forth a few times, will it break or get weak or deformed?

I will be simply sitting in a chair right next to the amp 95% of the time, so the cable probably won't move around much at all. Still, it is a concern. any advice appreciated..

 

[MASantos]

You should use equal number of wires for ground as for signal. If you have 2 signal wires, L and R, then you should use 2 wires for ground. A four wire braid( check the tutorial in my sig) is very easy to do.

Why are you using different materials for signal and ground? I've always read and heard that one should use the same wire for signal and ground.

If the cable will be used at home and won't be moved around too much, then using solid core wire shouldn't be a problem.

My 0,02€

Manuel



Quote:

Originally Posted by slowpogo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm considering making a relatively short (5-6 ft) headphone cable using 26-28AWG solid core wire, silver for L/R and copper for ground. It only needs to be three strands, since it will be used with "left entry" headphones. My judgment tells me a 3-strand braid of that size wire should be pretty flexible, even solid core. My only concern is the durability of solid core wire. If small solid wire is bent back and forth a few times, will it break or get weak or deformed? I will be simply sitting in a chair right next to the amp 95% of the time, so the cable probably won't move around much at all. Still, it is a concern. any advice appreciated..

 

[slowpogo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MASantos /img/forum/go_quote.gif You should use equal number of wires for ground as for signal. If you have 2 signal wires, L and R, then you should use 2 wires for ground. A four wire braid( check the tutorial in my sig) is very easy to do.

Well, the stock cable only uses three wires. If the cable had to split to both the right and left drivers, of course you'd need to use 2 ground wires. But with my headphones the cable only enters the left side. What advantage would doubling the ground wire have, if it's not structurally necessary--why not double the signal wires as well? Don't a lot of people make mini-to-mini cables with only three wires?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MASantos /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why are you using different materials for signal and ground? I've always read and heard that one should use the same wire for signal and ground.

I know of several interconnects out there that are hybrids (silver for signal, copper for ground). I think partly it's just economical--that's my main reason, anyway, I don't want to pay for 20 feet of silver wire, but I can do 12 or 13. Also I was under the impression that it kind of aims for "the best of both worlds," much like silver-plated copper wire; the brighter, airy quality of silver, underpinned by the warmer, richer sound of copper in the ground channel...

 

[warrior05]

If you use a 4 wire configuration it allows for balanced termination in the future. If you have no desire to go balanced than utilizing the 3 wire config you outlined will be fine provided you are planning on replacing the internal wiring that is going through the headband to the right driver. These days I direct wire to both drivers even with single exit headphones. Obviously, to do this you would have to use 4 wires.

I personally am not a fan of solid core wiring when it comes to headphone cables. I just don't think they are durable enough. I used to use SPC but now rely on Mogami's mini mic quad. It is durable due to the rubber encasement, insulating configuration is terrific, it is flexible and offers very nice SQ over stock.

My .02.

 

[threEchelon]

I'd go for 30 AWG myself.

 

[Sarchi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warrior05 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I personally am not a fan of solid core wiring when it comes to headphone cables. I just don't think they are durable enough.

How about magnet wire?

 

[nikongod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarchi /img/forum/go_quote.gif How about magnet wire?

unless you strand several together, NO WAY.

even if you do strand several together (for each channel: 4 strands of 28 for signal, 4 for ground), its still a mater of time, and a stiff cable. use of multiple solid0core strands works better for speaker cables as they dont move as much.

it will probably sound very good, but the longevity may be low. if you dont mind replacing it or are in it for experimentation value try it out.

 

[amb]

Using solid core wire (even as thin as 28AWG) for anything that would be moved around/bent/coiled/stressed/etc is just asking for trouble -- it would fatigue and break, not to mention that it isn't very flexible and resilient.

 

[threEchelon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Using solid core wire (even as thin as 28AWG) for anything that would be moved around/bent/coiled/stressed/etc is just asking for trouble -- it would fatigue and break, not to mention that it isn't very flexible and resilient.

That's funny, since my 30 AWG recable of my SA5000's is incredibly flexible. Other headfiers have done recables with 30 AWG wires and I haven't heard of them breaking.

 

[slowpogo]

To actually stress solid wire, wouldn't you have to bend it at a sharp angle, with a sharp apex? Even then, wouldn't it have to bend back and forth several times to begin to weaken? It comes on rolls, which vendors will cut sections from and coil again to ship to you, so coiling it is apparently not a big problem.

It seems that what would really do damage to solid core wire, would probably do the same to stranded wire.

In a way it seems paradoxical to me to call solid wire fragile. A significant portion of stranded wires that I've soldered to a PCB (like Pimeta), especially when I was starting out, stressed and broke off with what seemed like almost no movement--even bigger hookup wire like 20AWG. But this has never happened to me with solid wire.

 

[amb]

Yes, solid wire could withstand a little bending back and forth, but headphone cables live a rough life... How many headphone manufacturers use solid wires in their stock cables? If they did I think their support/return departments would be very busy.

The typical stock headphone cable use very thin strands (much, much thinner than 26-28AWG) in their cables for a good reason.

 

[slowpogo]

Quote:

The typical stock headphone cable use very thin strands (much, much thinner than 26-28AWG) in their cables for a good reason.

so...the thinner a strand is, the less prone to stressing and breaking it is? Tiny 32AWG stranded cable can be bunched, coiled, bent, etc. without damage...but a larger, solid size can't handle that stuff?

That's completely counter-intuitive to me, and I'm confused.

Anyway, I'm going to try making a relatively short cable meant only for sitting in close proximity to the amp--it won't move much at all. I'm in the mood to experiment. WCS is it breaks and I have 15 feet of nice wire that I can/will use for something else.

 

[threEchelon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, solid wire could withstand a little bending back and forth, but headphone cables live a rough life... How many headphone manufacturers use solid wires in their stock cables? If they did I think their support/return departments would be very busy. The typical stock headphone cable use very thin strands (much, much thinner than 26-28AWG) in their cables for a good reason.

I don't know of any manufacturers, but I know that Larry at Headphile uses solid core wire.

 

[amb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowpogo /img/forum/go_quote.gif so...the thinner a strand is, the less prone to stressing and breaking it is? Tiny 32AWG stranded cable can be bunched, coiled, bent, etc. without damage...but a larger, solid size can't handle that stuff? That's completely counter-intuitive to me, and I'm confused.

Why is it counter-intuitive? Think of it this way... for a given AWG spec, why is a solid wire stiffer (more resistive to bends) than a stranded wire? It's because the wire itself must "give" at a molecular level (compress/expand over its cross-section). A solid wire, with its larger diameter, will have to do this more. Over time, the wire will develop fractures and break.

Quote:

Originally Posted by threEchelon I don't know of any manufacturers, but I know that Larry at Headphile uses solid core wire.

And do you believe that such a wire would stand up to the same level of physical use/abuse of stock headphone cables?

 

[slowpogo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amb /img/forum/go_quote.gif And do you believe that such a wire would stand up to the same level of physical use/abuse of stock headphone cables?

Probably not, but people ordering custom headphone cables are probably prepared to treat them well, solid or not.

Personally I don't think my headphone cable gets abused much at all. I mean, apart from my fondness for throwing my headphones into the blades of a high speed fan.

I think if you can commit, as with any valued/fragile object, to just being careful with how you handle it, the solid-strand cable should hold up fine. Here's hoping, anyway...