DIY Speaker Cable Face Off!

[Mudcat]

Excuse my total ignorance here, but from this page at Parts Express it looks like there are a few different types of Techflex:

flexopet
clean cut
flexo wrap

Sorry, You are correct. I used Flexopet for all my cables, except for a few (including the picture you posted) where I used some chrome because I like the look with the carbon flexopet.

And regarding sizes, I have no idea what will fit. I'd like to put together either the v1 or the v3, since you mentioned that the v3 is easier.

The V3 is actually 6 cables wrapped around a 7^th. Six cable of the same diameter will twist cleanly around a 7^th cable of the same diameter as the six. The 7^th cable in the center core is not connected to anything.

If we can reference the picture you posted so we can spell this out for me it would be greatly appreciated.

#1: Techflex right? But what type & size for v1 or v3?
#2: What are these?
#3: Again, Techflex right? But what type & size for v1 or v3?
#4: What are these?

TIA, apparently I have no DIY skillz....

#1<menu>3/4 inch blue flexopet over 1/2 inch chrome (mylar braided sleeving). This was a royal pain because the cable I was covering was a little more than 3/4 inches</menu>

#2<menu>1/2 inch heat shrink with a 3:1 recovery ratio. This is used to:
<menu><LI type="disc">code the connectors for + and -
<LI type="disc">control the ends of the techflex to keep it from fraying and/or unraveling.
</menu></menu>

#3<menu>1/4 inch carbon flexopet over 1/4 inch chrome. Just so you do not have to look at the ugly color that is used for the conductors. For V1 or V3, you should be able to use 3/4 inch without any problems</menu>

#4<menu>More heat shrink. I think this was 1¹/₂ inch stuff I had laying around. You may want to use something like a 1 inch 3:1 recovery ratio heat shrink. I used this to:
<menu><LI type="disc">control the ends of the techflex to keep it from fraying and/or unraveling.
<LI type="disc">give the zone where the bulk cable ends and the pigtails begin a professional look.</menu></menu>

When using techflex
<menu>
<OL type="a">
<LI>wrap one end tight using black electrical tape.
<LI>leave about a 1/2 inch gap and then using black electrical tape
<LI>wrap the entire cable in tape to tighten the techflex, remove the first wrap (step a). Leave about 1 inch at the other end.
<LI>Put on heat shrink. Aligning the ends of the heat shrink with the tape covering the whole cable. The tape will also act as a protector to keep the techflex from melting when using a heat gun on the heat shrink.
<LI>After applying the heat shrink tubing, covering use a sharp hobby knife and score the tape along it's length, gently make enough passes so that you feel the techflex withou actually cutting it.
<LI>You should now be able to "unzip" the tape from the cable. If the heat shrink cover to much tape so that it does not pull out, just score it around the cable using the edge of the heat shrink as a line guide.
</OL></menu>

 

[5stardog]

Interconnects

Great article. I am in the process of ordering and building a set of Cat-v5 for my home theater. I am currently using 12 AWG zip cord. I anticipate a nice improvement.

Do you have any plans to do a similar type of face off for interconnects. If there this analysis already exist would you please point me to it. I would like to build my own but not sure which recipe is the best.

Thanks,
Anthony

 

[deviousz]

When using techflex
<menu>
<OL type="a">
<LI>wrap one end tight using black electrical tape.
<LI>leave about a 1/2 inch gap and then using black electrical tape
<LI>wrap the entire cable in tape to tighten the techflex, remove the first wrap (step a). Leave about 1 inch at the other end.
<LI>Put on heat shrink. Aligning the ends of the heat shrink with the tape covering the whole cable. The tape will also act as a protector to keep the techflex from melting when using a heat gun on the heat shrink.
<LI>After applying the heat shrink tubing, covering use a sharp hobby knife and score the tape along it's length, gently make enough passes so that you feel the techflex withou actually cutting it.
<LI>You should now be able to "unzip" the tape from the cable. If the heat shrink cover to much tape so that it does not pull out, just score it around the cable using the edge of the heat shrink as a line guide.
</OL></menu>

Wow, thanks a lot for explaining all this... but I have no clue what you're talking about .

I think I'm too lazy, anyone want to make and sell me a set of these? Or are there any products out there that utilize CAT5?

 

[philh]

Wow, thanks a lot for explaining all this... but I have no clue what you're talking about .

I think I'm too lazy, anyone want to make and sell me a set of these? Or are there any products out there that utilize CAT5?

$100 / foot, guarantee that all your friends will be amazed, at what I'm not saying

I made some much simplier ones, just for the fun of it, while watching some mindless TV program.

 

[phiba]

Shielded CAT5 cable

Very interesting article. In your experience, what do you think would be the effect of using shielded CAT5 cable instead of unshielded? I suppose I would tie the shield drain wires together but not use them as signal conductors...The performance specs in the Belden catalog are the same.

 

[jpowell5]

I'd hate to think I muddled things up that badly, though I may have. I'll be rechecking and redoing everything in the future - because I got some new toys to try out and new materials to use (Cat 5e with teflon insulation and teflon jacket, and 14 awg silver plated copper with teflon insulation)

Mudcat, it was pointed at that there are numerous mistakes in the final tables for this article. I'd very much like to use this data to make a choice on speaker cable for one of my projects.

Do you intend to publish a corrected table in the near future? Otherwise this data is not very reliable as is.

Thanks

 

[DarkJ]

CAT5 Cables by TNT-Audio DIY done in 1998/9

I have to share with all DIY enthusiasts here one of the oldest websites that I have come across for DIY projects on CAT 5 speaker cables (I think it's Italian) http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html.

Their various DIY CAT5 projects were posted back in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and I was just reminded of it by the many CAT5 pictures here (including Mudcats various braided ones). Here's some of their famous 1999 Triple TNT:

 

[twindeltatandem]

Cat 6?

I wondered if you had considered trying Cat 6 versus Cat 5 wire? Since Cat 6 is designed to handle greater amounts of data (550 Mhz versus 100 Mhz) and has greater internal shielding built in, it would seem that a triple braid of twisted Cat 6 strands might be the "best" of all.

TDT

 

[hemiram]

I'm sure many people will disagree with your weightings for L,C,R, etc. Especially for capacitance, which should perhaps be much lower. Have you seen this article?... http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_2/ultralink-CL414-cable-5-2003.html

Colin Miller in this article says about capacitance....

"Capacitance is a parallel impedance factor in a cable. The impedance of a capacitor falls as frequency rises. If you took a tiny capacitor and put it in parallel with your loudspeaker terminals, it would reduce the bass. That is why they are used with tweeters in crossover networks. If it were a big enough capacitor, your amplifier would have a hissy fit, drive tons of current through it at high frequencies (as it'd look like a short), and smoke or blow a fuse. Except for long runs of exotic cables with lots of individually insulated conductors connected to inherently unstable amplifiers, there's not enough capacitance in a hundred feet of speaker cable to make any competent amplifier raise an eyebrow."

I bought a hunk of very nice looking power cable about 20 years ago, and planned to use it for my surrounds in a very large room. Each cable was about 40-45 feet long. I was using a Yamaha R-900 as a power amp to run them, and it didn't like the cables at all! It would shut off within a few minutes, and be very hot. 14 guage zip cord worked fine. I was using a Carver M400a and later on a copy (A friend built it) of a Mark Levinson amp (cant remember the model number anymore, sounded great, I lost it in the flood I had not long after I got it), and neither one of them did very well either running the cable to my front speakers. It was just three 10 guage conductors twisted with a white plastic center, nothing all that special. Capacitance was very high when I checked it on my meter. Eventually, I went to 12ga car stereo zip cord.


I still use the two pieces as extension cords.

 

[hemiram]

If this means did I hook them up to a speaker to see if they actually worked, yes.

If you are asking if I compared them to something else, again yes (no audible differences detected when compared to one another when hooked up to Mirage Onmi 7s play test tones in mono).

If you are asking did I listen to them and hear hallelujahs or halitosis or Halifax Nova Scotia, no.

How about CHU?

 

[lesliemcintosh]

Cat 5e

I noticed in the pictures that Cat5e was used rather than basic Cat 5.

Is there any plan to remove the twisted pairs from the individual jackets? It seems like this may increase the desired effect.

Also, I presume that the Cat 5e cable chosen was solid rather than stranded based on the 24awg statement.

It would be nice to see what difference that would make using stranded Cat 5e vs Solid Cat 5e.

Also any plans to review Cat 6 in the near future?


Thanks,

Les

 

[tsteves]

Personally I have tried the TNT and the Chris VenHaus speaker cables with the usual belden recommended solid wire. I don't think they measured particularly well, or sounded all that amazing. Capacitance was, of course, higher than most cables, but unless excessive it's not really a "sound" factor, but inductance, which is supposed to be their forte, was not all that low, and inductance can actually have an effect on the frequency response. You can make your own alternative style twisted-twisted pair cables with heavier gauges that will measure easily better. Lots of commercial cables measure better. If you end up having to buy a 1000 foot roll of CATx cable, you could make cables with Teflon coated copper at a similar cost, if lengths are not too long.

Chris VenHaus cable link:
http://www.venhaus1.com/diycatfivecables.html

 

[pkdenver]

CAT 5 Question

I just purchased a Mirage home theatre speaker system and a Denon 1704 Receiver and want to make sure I make a reasonable cabling decision for the speakers. I'm really in the dark when it comes to cabling but I do know that the Monster cable the salespeople try to add-on to the sale are way over priced and have always questioned the perfomance.

I've read through the articles on your site comparing the various manufacturer's cables and I just wanted some clarification on the usage of the CAT 5 cable. I have a box of CAT 5e cable and after removing the sheath it appears the 4 pairs of twisted wire are not braided or twisted amongst eachother. Is there a benefit to using the cable as it is out of the box or does it have to be removed and all the wires twisted together?

I also have a large amount of commscope 7538 Quantum High Perfomance HDTV cable. I read the COAX versus Zip wire article and it appears there wouldn't be a benefit to using the coax versus zip wire or CAT5. Is this correct?

Thanks for the awesome research and your web site.

Phil

 

[dave1490]

I noticed in the pictures that Cat5e was used rather than basic Cat 5.

Is there any plan to remove the twisted pairs from the individual jackets? It seems like this may increase the desired effect.

Also, I presume that the Cat 5e cable chosen was solid rather than stranded based on the 24awg statement.

It would be nice to see what difference that would make using stranded Cat 5e vs Solid Cat 5e.

Also any plans to review Cat 6 in the near future?


Thanks,

Les

stranded wire is for power handling.solid is for clarity.

 

[Sheep]

stranded wire is for power handling.solid is for clarity.

This is complete BS. Don't listen to him.

SheepStar

 

[mtrycrafts]

stranded wire is for power handling.solid is for clarity.

Where is this written in audio science? And why so?