[Vedder323]

I read the awesome sticky on DIY cable and I wanna try it! I am using an EMU 1212m as a source and a PPX3 as an amp. Im wondering what cable you use and where you get it from? Thanks!

PS... Do I understand the sticky when he says you ONLY need 2 individual wires for a RCA-RCA interconnect? That seems awfully then for a good quality interconnect... Then again, im used to buying SUPER thick monster cables...

 

[JohnFerrier]

With a coupon, I obtained a free pair of RCA cables from RiteAid (drug store) and they sound great!!!


JF

 

[Megaptera]

You'll need a wire per channel, and one for ground. That's three wires if you're doing putting it all in one cable, or four (two pairs of two) if you're making each channel a seperate cable. Still it's pretty thin.

A lot of people like Canare Star-Quad, which is four wires inside one shielded cable. Lately I've been using a couple different Belden cables (coax and individual wires -- at work at the moment and don't remember the part numbers) and I've liked them a lot more. You can find all different types of wire at most of the standard places -- Mouser, DIYCable, and Pacific Radio are my main spots.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Why do you prefer Belden over Canare Star Quad?

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN Why do you prefer Belden over Canare Star Quad?

I recommend the highest performance to price ratio.


JF

 

[superjohnny]

I don't think free RiteAid cables can be considered high quality. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Canare star quad has 2 blue wires & 2 white wires. I use 2 for ground and 2 for the channel. So two cables makes a set (1 cable per channel).

 

[jboehle]

Belden 89259.

-Jason

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by superjohnny I don't think free RiteAid cables can be considered high quality. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

The connectors are gold plated, they seem well shielded (they may be double-shielded).


JF

 

[ixeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnFerrier I recommend the highest performance to price ratio. JF

then your cable would be - transmits sound @ 0 cost
gotta be among the highest performance to price ratio if not the highest

 

[Megaptera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN Why do you prefer Belden over Canare Star Quad?

I didn't dislike the Star Quad, but I was surprised at the difference I heard with the Belden cables. I'm a cable skeptic, but the Belden wires seemed to have very little impact on the sound.

Sonically the two Belden cables I've used (83005, a silver-coated copper wire with teflon insulation, and 89259, a shielded copper-wire coax with foamed teflon insulation) just sounded better. It may be partly because the materials and cable geometry are better in terms of what effect they have on the sound -- Star Quad has a really high capacitance, and the longer the cable, the more high frequency roll-off that gives you -- and it also might be that I used a higher-grade plug in the Belden cables. I've also made the Belden cables single-channel RCAs pairs, instead of a single stereo RCA like the Star Quad is, so that might make a difference.

Interestingly, I had pretty poor results with the Belden 83005 when I put a foil shield (pulled out of some Star Quad, though I doubt that matters) over it -- I honestly didn't recognize the sound I got through it. I don't know if the shield is interfering with the signal somehow or if I just didn't make them right. But it's still interesting.

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixeo ...if not the highest

They sound G R E A T! Can't imagine a better sounding cable.

Some interesting reading here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showt...threadid=23440


JF

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megaptera ...Star Quad has a really high capacitance, and the longer the cable, the more high frequency roll-off that gives you...

You mean radio frequency range, right?


JF

 

[Megaptera]

Well, I guess to fully qualify that statement, I should have said "the higher the output impedance of the component the cable's connected to, and the higher the capacitance per foot of the cable, the closer the high-frequency roll-off gets to audible frequencies".

I don't remember the exact capacitance rating of Canare's star quad or the Belden cable I've compared it to, but I want to say it's around 45 pf/foot (I don't remember the units exactly, but that seems most likely -- I'm pretty close on the actual numbers, though) between conductors in the star quad, and a bit higher between the conductors and shield, versus about 15 of the same units per length for the Belden. And even if I did remember the units reliably, I'm skeptical that it'd make an audible difference in a typical short-length IC. The only reason I mentioned capacitance (or the plugs) at all is that it's something that theoretically could intrude on the audible signal, so it might be partly responsible for the difference I heard. But the main thrust of my post was that I did hear a difference.

 

[Wodgy]

For interconnects I usually use Canare's GS-6, which incidentally is the cable Canare recommends for hi-fi interconnects. Canare Star Quad is more suitable for microphone cables; in that application you want noise immunity more than low capacitance.

 

[doobooloo]

Twisted magnet wires are also very good... My MagWires nakeds clearly have an edge over RadioShack RCAs in terms of detail and dynamics.