Twisted Pairs in CAT 5 V1 DIY Speaker Cable

[Mat]

I have decided to try the CAT 5 - V1 Four Twisted Cables DIY speaker cables as described in http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/interconnects/DIYSpeakerCablesp1.html
Figure 7, Typical Cable Ends Finished for Testing shows the terminations.

The Question
Instead of terminating as shown in Figure 7, would it be a good idea to try to take one 24 gauge wire from EACH 24-gauge-twisted-pair to the ground connection and the remaining to the positive connection? So instead of running two CAT 5 cables to one connection, I would run four 24 gauge wires from each of the CAT 5 cables to form the ground connection (and the remaining 24 gauge wires to form the positive end).

This question stems from reading http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/cat5questions_e.html
This article very clearly states that, "the positive and ground have to be run through the same twisted pair. If you don't, the CMNR of the twisted pair is negated."
Is Common Mode Noise Rejection (CMNR) of the twisted pair a valid concern?
Would splitting the twisted pairs make the overall cable perform worse?
Would the extra work to split the twisted pairs be worth the effort?

Thanks.

 

[HowY]

I just dont get you guys with the cat 5...

it's solid copper (very high skin effect) and really
does NOT take power very well - so use as a low
level noise rejection cable OK -i'll bite- but to use
cat5 for amp to speaker connection is foolish...
(Audiophile.... please)

I know a bunch of you all seem to have done so...
but MY experience with usin' a cat 5 wire to push
audio for a spell was less than desireable.
Quick to distort and even presented some real
strange harmonics through the wall!....

I still use that run but it's now a low level feed BACk to the amp....

Toss the idea get some 14/16/18 guage bundled architectural
wire (can get it shielded) and go that route....

But to answer....

ya got 4 pairs of wires (solid copper usually)
each pair has a specific turns per foot.
so each pair naturally rejects any noise from the other.

the rejection is in the twisting of the pairs so it would seem
logical that there is a need to "balance" (if you will) the loads
(+ & -) twixt the pairs in a fashion better than I did, since
I'll go toe to toe in arguing the merits of cat 5 for audio and
especially in a resistive load suituation twixt amp and speaker.

If you all really use cat5 for "high end" audio ya must not
"LISTEN" to your audio at very "high" levels.... Geez!

 

[runninkyle17]

You must have had some really bad Cat5 cable to make you depise it like you do. I have had my receiver pushed up to around 85% of its max volume and there is no distortion at all through my speakers.

I know people will argue all day about what cable is the best or what DIY technique is the best, but all in all it comes down to preference really.

I went the Cat5 route for the look of the cable and the fact that I wanted to make my speaker cable look unique. I will have to admit though it does sound better than the crappy Radioshack 16 GA that I was using.

Just my .02!!!

 

[Mudcat]

Sorry for the late arrival, but I just saw this thread for the first time today.

I have decided to try the CAT 5 - V1 Four Twisted Cables DIY speaker cables as described in http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/interconnects/DIYSpeakerCablesp1.html
Figure 7, Typical Cable Ends Finished for Testing shows the terminations.

The Question
Instead of terminating as shown in Figure 7, would it be a good idea to try to take one 24 gauge wire from EACH 24-gauge-twisted-pair to the ground connection and the remaining to the positive connection? So instead of running two CAT 5 cables to one connection, I would run four 24 gauge wires from each of the CAT 5 cables to form the ground connection (and the remaining 24 gauge wires to form the positive end).

By using each twisted pair as a + and -, opposed to using all eight wire in a cable as + and all eight in another cable as - does not gain much or sacrifice much either, unless your amp goes buggers with high capacitance cables. A ten foot cable using each twisted pair as a + and - could have as much as 5000 picofarads (maybe more maybe less, but not much less and maybe a lot more) of capacitance. By using the V1 as shown, capacitance will be an order of magnitude lower (450 to 500 pF total for a ten foot cable).

The RFI/EMF rejection you get by using each twisted pair as + and - isn't as significant a gain over the V1 because of the amount of current flowing through the wire. The inductance of the V1 is higher, but only a little.

The V1 is now officially known as the Biohazzard 14, because it is equivelent to 14 gauge wire (actually it's 13 awg, but I've already hampered it by calling it Biohazzard).

but MY experience with usin' a cat 5 wire to push
audio for a spell was less than desireable.

Next time try using more than two 24 awg wires. The designs I've shown are equivelent to large gauge wire.

Quick to distort and even presented some real
strange harmonics through the wall!....

Most folks here use speakers as transducers, not drywall.