diy speaker cables

[hankl]

hi
Has anyone tried a design using 2 lengths of bare 14awg building type copper (romex) and 3 lengths of polyethylene or teflon tube? One wire goes into each of the 2 tubes and the 3rd tube is left empty. Each end of the 2 tubes, each containing one wire, are filled with about an inch of silicon caulk. About an inch of bare wire sticks out of each end of the 2 tubes for terminations. The three tubes are braided and held together with shrink wrap.

 

[templemaners]

Sounds like a waste of time, considering you can buy 100 ft of 14 gauge speaker wire for $20 + shipping.

 

[j_garcia]

What exactly would be the point? The signal will flow down the wire in exaclty the same way once you had these built. Speaker wire is without question the place you are least likely to achive any kind of difference in a system; so unless you are catering to the "cable risers" crowd, I wouldn't spend time on it.

 

[hankl]

I appreciate the respones. However, I think 2 important design concepts are:
1.Moisture resistant ptfe tubing: Sealed at both ends, after the wire is in the tube, creating an airtight environment, preculding oxidation.
2.Solid core wire versus stranded wire.
Stranding, either bare or covered in PVC or other cheap plastic coatings, have 2 proven downsides. One is oxidation of the strands, which could be overcome if they were sealed in ptfe tubes. However, the other problem is: The electrically induced vibration of the strands in a random manner.

 

[Swerd]

I usually run away from comments about audio cables, but yours beg commenting.

However, I think 2 important design concepts are:
1. Moisture resistant ptfe tubing: Sealed at both ends, after the wire is in the tube, creating an airtight environment, preculding oxidation.

Thin layers of plastic (regardless of their chemical composition) readily allow gas molecules to pass through. Oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, etc. all travel through most plastics, including PTFE. To be considered "gas impermeable" plastic must be thicker or coated with a gas impermeable layer.

Also be aware that silicon sealants contain acetic acid vapor (smells like vinegar) capable of reacting with copper.

2. Solid core wire versus stranded wire.

Are you aware that most if not all romex type solid copper wire is electrolytic tough-pitch copper, not oxygen-free copper?

Stranding, either bare or covered in PVC or other cheap plastic coatings, have 2 proven downsides. One is oxidation (see above) of the strands, which could be overcome if they were sealed in ptfe tubes. However, the other problem is: The electrically induced vibration of the strands in a random manner.

I think all your points, and mine as well, are irrelevant because none of these differences are likely to be audible.

 

[hankl]

I get the impression, maybe incorrectly, that you believe different cabling has no effect on sound. Also, that ptfe tubing ,regardless of type, are not moisture resistant. Why not use coat hangers as speaker cables?

 

[Shock]

I get the impression, maybe incorrectly, that you believe different cabling has no effect on sound. Also, that ptfe tubing ,regardless of type, are not moisture resistant. Why not use coat hangers as speaker cables?

Ding ding ding....round one.

But seriously, the cable will have no effect on sound. This has been proven time and time again.

 

[templemaners]

Why not use coat hangers as speaker cables?

Because, as I stated earlier, you can buy sufficient quality speaker wire for cheap as is.

Constructing different cables will magically unlock something you aren't currently hearing is just a fool's errand.

 

[Alex2507]

Why not use coat hangers as speaker cables?

What gauge coat hangers?

 

[hankl]

I am enjoying all the responses. Most seem to say that speaker wire has no discernable difference in effect on the amp or sonic output of speakers.

 

[jinjuku]

I get the impression, maybe incorrectly, that you believe different cabling has no effect on sound. Also, that ptfe tubing ,regardless of type, are not moisture resistant. Why not use coat hangers as speaker cables?

I believe that manufacturers can design a cable to sound different and then market that difference. I believe manufacturers put boxes stuffed with passive components and still call them cables (they aren't at that point).

I believe that recording studios from $20K to $1mil + use the likes of Mogami / Belden / Canare / Neutrik etc...

I also believe in either a DBT or A/B/X you can't reliably pick out something like AQ King Cobras and some Mogami Gold 1 meter IC's. Nor could you do that with some MIT EXP2's or Belden 5000eu.

 

[jinjuku]

I am enjoying all the responses. Most seem to say that speaker wire has no discernable difference in effect on the amp or sonic output of speakers.

Do you believe in burn in?

 

[Swerd]

I get the impression, maybe incorrectly, that you believe different cabling has no effect on sound. Also, that ptfe tubing ,regardless of type, are not moisture resistant. Why not use coat hangers as speaker cables?

Most, if not all plastics, including PTFE, are moisture resistant. It is important to distinguish between water in the liquid form and water in the vapor form. All plastic insulation that I know of can exclude liquid water, but not water vapor. To select one type of plastic insulation over another based on its "moisture resistance" is meaningless because they all allow water vapor (and other small gas molecules) to pass through.

If your goal is to exclude possible sources of oxidation from the copper wire, sealing your PTFE tubing with silicone will introduce a strong oxidant, acetic acid, which is in uncured silicone sealant. That will heavily oxidize the surface of the copper more than any thing you think you have sealed out. Try putting a dab of silicone sealant on some bare copper wire, let it cure overnight, scrape the silicone off and see what happens.

I have no intention of arguing whether speaker wire made with different types of plastic insulation result in speakers sounding different. There are no facts to support or refute such an idea. But I will readily argue against anyone who claims that the resistance to gases or vapors of various types of plastic insulation could make a difference. Their permeability to gases and vapors has been well established for many years. This may not be well known to you or others on internet audio forums, but such forums have been known for being sources of misinformation in the past.

 

[Swerd]

What gauge coat hangers?

I insist on 12 gauge oxygen-free coat hangers!

 

[Warpdrv]

Where are you getting those cheap @$$ coat hangers, most if not all the hangers I have are 10ga and extremely hard to cut...

And yes - I do not believe in SQ differences between speaker wire, if someone has sold you that bill of goods - I hope you have done a sit down to hear and differentiate the differences... Don't be an AudioFOOL !!

I've done a few sessions and couldn't hear the differences period - me and my buddy both looked at this guy like he was out of his mind...

 

[lsiberian]

I see nothing wrong with making nice looking cable for fun. But the math doesn't lie. You simply need the gauge for your application. Audio is for the most part a simple science. Of course there are ways to complicate the heck out of it, but a good system is a simple as you can get by with.