Cable Building

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

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  1. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

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    Good point - I don't have an amp with a balanced out and I'm not planning on buying one, but who knows where the adaptor could end up after Mrsdegraded has killed me and sold all my stuff.

    And if I'd have thought about it properly, I could have saved myself the trouble of soldering one connection...
     
  2. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    Nice, clean and useful job. Good work, sir.
     
  3. monacelli

    monacelli Friend

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    Hi, guys. I'm interested in building an iEMatch-style headphone attenuation adapter, mostly for listening to iems on my Vali 2. The plan is to go 1/4" TRS male to 3.5mm TRS female via a stubby cable. I'm thinking of using the Neutrik NP3X-B or the Amphenol JS3PB-AU on the 1/4" end. I haven't found any great options for the 3.5mm jack though. Ideally, I'd like a gold plated jack, with the housing made of a high quality plastic like on the Sennheiser HD650 cable. Do you guys know of any good, reasonably priced options? I'm cheap, so I'm looking for something under $10 (for the jack), but would be willing to spend a little more for an appropriately terminated pigtail if the cable was reasonably good. (I am aware of the G1217 adapter that is similar to the one I've described here, but am not a big fan because the output impedance is a touch higher than I'd like). Many thanks~
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2018
  4. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    Can anyone recommend a cable that resembles the stock Sennheiser HD650 cable? i.e. one pair of wire per sheath, with two sheathes connected side by side?

    Like this, but without the shielding which would add bulk: https://shop.sommercable.com/en/Cab...h-Mikrofonkabel-SC-Peacock-MKII-200-0552.html

    I want to make a 3 metre* HD650 cable, rather than use an extension. Most 4-wire cables come in a star configuration covered by a thick and inflexible sheath. Nor do I want to strip and braid 3+ metres of cable. I tried that, and it turned into a tangled mess.


    * Despite the stock cable being listed at 3 metres in length, there's no way it's anywhere near that long.
    https://en-us.sennheiser.com/accessories--hd-650--cable


    Edit: I am a numbskull. I measured the two cables last night, the HD650 cable is bang on 3m. The HD800S XLR cable is more like 3.5m. Both are listed by Sennheiser as 3 meters.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2018
  5. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    You could try Mogami W2528, which has a single conductor with shield (use the shield for ground return). Also from Mogami is the W3106 which has dual conductors and a shield (probably too thick if you are trying for really thin). I don't know if you are going to find something unshielded from the pro lines of cables.

    Since you are in HK, you can also look for Oyaide cable. Nearly impossible to get their DIY stuff here in the US, but you might be able to grab it. I have have tried some of their IEM sized cables and they would work just fine for an HD650 cable. https://oyaide.com/catalog/products/p-4743.html
     
  6. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    You can try some options from Markertek: https://www.markertek.com/category/3-5mm-connectors-jacks-plugs
    Mostly metal bodies since most stock cables are overmoulded, but you could play around with heatshrink to get the desired robustness.
     
  7. AllanMarcus

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    I've never found anything that supple and isolated. The Sommer cable is good, but it's rather thick. It's the same cable as used by beyerdynamic for the T1, first gen. It's certainly usable.

    I think what you want is to just use quad cable, strip it, but don't unwind it. Then sleeve it in nylon multifilament.

    The stock HD650 cable is 3M long, so what's wrong with that?
     
  8. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    @JustAnotherRando

    Maybe you could try a HD-600 stock cable, mine measures 9 feet 10 inches from ear cup insertion point to the back of the 1/8 : 1/4 plug or 2.9997 meters.
     
  9. willsw

    willsw Friend

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    I made a 10' HD650 cable out of Mogami W2528 and like it. It's slightly thicker than the stock cable, but feels as flexible and not much heavier. I'd recommend it.
     
  10. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    Try searching for Gepco D61801EZGF

    It is probably the closest thing to the stock side by side HD650 cable, but in blue.
     
  11. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    Yep, you're correct. Turns out it's the 3m HD800S cable that's curiously off-spec. My original post has been updated.
     
  12. bobboxbody

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    [​IMG]

    Made a mini jack to RCA for my shop with some leftover star quad, neutrik connectors, and some sweatshirt hood drawstring that came out in the wash. It works and will hopefully last a little longer than the Amazon basics cable it's replacing.
     
  13. winterfog

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    Slowly gathering parts to build cables for the first time for my LCD-2.2 and HD650, mostly as soldering practice.

    Here's a question I haven't been able to find an answer to: Are there any perceivable & predictable sonic differences between a headphone cable conductor made up of numerous strands vs. a conductor made up of fewer strands or even solid-core? (That is, sonic differences, not mechanical flexibility and durability, which should both generally increase with strand count.) All other things being equal, would you want a headphone cable made out of more or fewer strands? Or does this make no perceivable sonic difference?

    My plan is to make 4-strand braided cables out of conductors with a transparent dielectric. That way it should look fairly nice without having to bother with paracord. I'm deciding between using the transparent conductors in:
    • Mogami 2791 - 24 AWG conductors made up of 105 strands of super-tiny 44AWG annealed copper (not oxygen-free, apparently).
    • Mogami 2534/2820 - 24 AWG conductors made up of 20 strands of 0.12 "Neglex" oxygen-free copper
    • Mogami 2549/2806 - 22 AWG conductors made up of 30 strands of 0.12 "Neglex" oxygen-free copper
    • Canare 4S6 - 20 AWG conductors made up of 20 strands.
    Anything else I should consider? Thanks.
     
  14. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    I dont know know if anyone can answer your questions here.

    More copper = more conductivity = good.

    I think about the number of strands and rhe gague of the individual stands, you are referring to the skin effect. Do some research on that amd I think you will find your answer.

    I think cables are just like anything else, it can add a hint of seasoning to the overall sound and can create or take away synergy from the overall setup.

    There is a bit it where the nuance of say 22awg or 24awg can be taken too far on a given system, so don't spend too much time.
     
  15. toddrhodes

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    Hope this isn't too obvious a question but I don't want to muck something up. I have 2 L/R RCA cables that I don't really care for much, but that have decent WBT connectors on the end. They are soldered, and I'm wondering if I can de-solder them and use them on a different cable (Mogami W2549). Dimensions work fine as far as cable diameter, but I'm guessing I want solder wick or a solder sucker to remove the old solder once it's heated up, then just use the new cable and re-solder? Or should I just discard them and buy new ones?

    Thanks for any help.
     
  16. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    It depends on how much solder is on those connectors and how much heat you apply to de-solder. You don't need a sick or a sucker really, unless you are getring rid of all the solder after removing the old wire.

    But basically, if you get the solder too hot, you can burn off all the flux and might wind up with a dull looking solder joint.

    Most experienced pros would remove all the old stuff and put in fresh. The connector leads will be probably nice and tinned after removal and the flux in the solder should be fine.
     
  17. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    Thank you. Since this is my first try, I'm thinking maybe it's best to just start with a new connector and work from there. I was playing with it today and there's quite a bit of solder on the center pin connection and it is a very nice, shiny joint. I appreciate the insight, thank you!
     
  18. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    So let's say I found a nice set of RCA/Phono terminals that offer rhodium plating but also have set-screw termination, for less than $20 shipped to my door. Did I screw up going with solder-less connections? I could see why they would potentially be worse, but I am prone to overthinking things, and this may not be an exception...
     
  19. willsw

    willsw Friend

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    If it's your first try I'd wait until you have more experience and are more comfortable soldering and desoldering. The quality of a cable's termination is arguably more important than the material of the wire or the connector.

    The first answer here gives good advice on how to use a solder-less connector. Solder-less connections, like compression connectors for coaxial cables, can be superior to most solder joints if it's done correctly. In terminating cables you have to consider both the electrical connection and mechanical stability. A well-soldered joint can easily become a poor connection if it wiggles all the time. This is especially true of headphone cables. In most cases, I find that soldering is the easy part and arranging the connector shells, heatshrink, and other finishing elements is the most difficult to be happy with.
     
  20. toddrhodes

    toddrhodes Friend

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    Thank you! I found a really, really good writeup on all this over on whatsbest and have decided - I want to learn how to do this. I've soldered before (though now that I have something showing me the way, I've not been doing it correctly but I can at least connect the dots better than if I'd never touched a soldering iron). So I've invested a small sum into a quality Hakko soldering station ($90 with a set of good fine wire snips) and i have decent Cardas solder already, so I'm going to give it a shot. I like learning things and I have the multimeter to test everything so I don't cause any issues. I'm sure it will take a few tries, but I'll get the hang of it. I'll also read your the link you posted, but prior to doing so, my idea was to at least tin the connector wires before inserting into the set-screw termination. We'll see if I have even a remote clue at that point :)
     

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