Cable Building

Discussion in 'DIY' started by Skyline, Sep 30, 2015.

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  1. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I actually prefer the TRRRS because I can convert it to 6.35mm TRS. If it’s TRRS i can only choose convert it to balanced. (Unless the -L and -R are both grounded)
     
  2. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    TRRRS for headphones do not have ground connected, no difference from TRRS.
    TRRRS from source to say an amp, is 90% going to be desk based, so having an additional plug to use the 3.5mm's ground (or even USB's ground) is fully possible and not that much of a hindrance. This is how LHLabs recommends cables be wired for balanced out to amps/etc on their GOV2/etc.

    In any case, I'd be curious if any other manufacturers besides Sony and Senn (with the HDV820) use the pentaconns.
     
  3. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    A little help please. I'm making some solid core silver RCA interconnects. I started with 99.99% purse 24 AWG silver wire. I put the silver wire through un-dyed cotton sleeve. I'm using a drain with enameled copper and a braid for RF rejection. Plugs are on order.

    I'm looking for ideas for the outer sleeve. My first question is does the sleeve have any affect on sound? Second, some ideas are clear heat shrink; Heat shrink with nylon multi filament, just nylon multifilament, paracord (with or without an under-sleeve of heat shrink), or a real thick PET/Cotton tech flex stuff I have.

    I think the outer sleeve is mostly for cosmetic and cable protection, but are there any sonic implications?

    Here's my first attempt at the braid. I don't like it, so I will rebrand it later, but I'm posting this so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about.

    IMG_2563.JPG
     
  4. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    This diagram seems to show that the sleeve is ground.

    http://blog-imgs-96.fc2.com/f/i/x/fixerhpa/IMG_4961.png
    E738552E-5B1B-4337-8A57-239419F9AF40.png

    The ground is optional for headphones terminated with pentaconn since it’s probably for shielding. Either way, the sleeve of the socket can be connected to something and for my purposes I fully intend to connect it to ground.
     
  5. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    I thought the petaconn has left/right - for balanced, and common for SE. I was under the impression you use one or the other, but not both.
     
  6. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    Yes I also mentioned that in my post, perhaps not sufficiently clearly.
     
  7. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    I'd probably just sleeve the enameled drain wire in the same cotton when you re-braid. Then just heat shrink at the connectors and call it a day; it'll help make the braid more even.
     
  8. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Thanks. I thought about if the copper neede sleeve, and asked Mark Houston, the guy that posted this basic cable config on http://diyaudioprojects.com/Power/diySilver/

    He's the guy that suggested the cotton sleeve. At any rate, he's made a number of these cables and doesn't sleeve the copper with cotton, with no ill effect to RF rejection. It would, however, even the feel of the cable. IIRC, the tighter the braid, the better the RF rejection, right?

    I also though about leaving the cotton bare, but I'm not going to for two reasons. Maybe they are not good, so looking for input. 1) the cotton isn't all the robust for protection. 2) the cotton isn't airtight, so the silver will tarnish and potentially degrade inside the cotton if allowed the breathe.

    Anyone have experience with just buying shielding, like this
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-10M-3-3ft...eeve-Tubular-Cable-Wire-Z105z-ZY/152371475267

    So to clarify, the outer sleeve should have no affect on the sound?
     
  9. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    What's the new hotness in IC connectors? @Marvey, bought a bunch of wire before the move. Once I find it, I'm going to make you some new ravicables™ and some for my speaker system.
     
  10. Brad Tombaugh

    Brad Tombaugh Facebook Friend

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    @AllanMarcus, if you are thinking of heat shrink tubing, monoprice.com has 15mm x 100' in black on sale now for about $4...
     
  11. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    thanks. I need closer to 6 or 7 mm, and I would like clear. I will likely goto eBay.

    Usually MonoPrice doesn't charge an arm and a leg for shipping, but they want $16.31 for standard shipping for the roll!
     
  12. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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  13. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I found them a little while back on lunashop. The PCB mount doesn’t bother me too much. But for $23 I can get a 4-pin XLR and a 6.35mm TRS jack. I’ll wait until the price comes down before incorporating it into my projects.
     
  14. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    @zerodeefex good reliable connectors I use are the fake WBT
     
  15. aamefford

    aamefford Nothing like chamberpot coffee

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    It’s been a while since I’ve built anything. Like back when many were using the military surplus SPC that navships sold on eBay. It was actually decent wire.

    Anyway, my thought is that covering the full run in heat shrink might make it a bit stiff?
     
  16. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Be the first kids on the block to use this for audio... http://www.neutrik.com/en/data/xlr/
     
  17. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Bought a few. Thanks!
     
  18. Xen

    Xen Friend

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  19. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    You seem to have xlrs covered, for SE RCA the Furutech FP-126 G are excellent for not crazy prices if legit. And of course the old standby WBT Nextgen if you have deep pockets. The connectors IMHO, are more than 50% of the final sound.
     
  20. GanGreinke

    GanGreinke Friend

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    Can you reuse old connectors? I have some 4 Pin XLR connectors from old cables that I want to repurpose, but I can't get much of the solder off of the connectors. Is it better to just buy new connectors?
     

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