Entry level cable group test - AOS event 31-10-2009

[John]

Marco I do not have the silver cables belonging to MAD Just the silver I use in my own system which are DIY jobs using 99.99 silver
Totally agree no right cable for every system but for myself its something I usually not think about as happy with my sound

[Barry]

Hi Guys,

Now that we have had a reasonable amount of feedback concerning JJ's blind cable test last Saturday, I'll be posting an addendum to my initial feedback later.

However to answer Peter's comment, my cables (a pair, 1 metre long) cost me £32 to make. Full details later.

Regards

[Marco]

Marco I do not have the silver cables belonging to MAD Just the silver I use in my own system which are DIY jobs using 99.99 silver

Ah, sorry, my mistake - I misunderstood you

Barry, I look forward to reading your further thoughts later

Marco.

[Barry]

Following feedback of the interconnect listening tests conducted by JJ last Saturday, a couple of people have asked me to make some interconnects for them. I have agreed to do this, but I do not really want to get heavily involved in manufacture. To allow others who might be interested in making their own cables, the following is a description of my interconnects used in the listening tests.

The cable is a conventional, inexpensive microphone cable, available from Maplin.



This cable (Maplin part code XS24B) is a coaxial cable using copper conductors. The inner conductor consists of 20 strands of copper, 0.12mm dia, having an overall cross-section area 0.23mm². The outer conductor is a lapped copper screen. Between the two there is a PVC dielectric insulation and over this, a 0.25mm thick semi-conducting layer. The purpose of this layer is to reduce triboelectrically generated noise and microphonics through cable flexure. A soft flexible cladding, 6mm OD, completes the construction.

The quoted capacitance is 135pF/metre. (Based on this figure, the characteristic impedance of the cable is calculated to be 45.6Ω; not that this has any relevance at audio frequencies.)

The RCA phono plugs are Neutrik ProFi NF2C-B/2, RS components part no. RS 484-8884.



I regard phono plugs as not being a particularly good design, but having been adopted as an industry standard, we are stuck with them. The Neutrik designs go some way towards addressing design shortcomings of the RCA phono plug. They are equipped with a spring-loaded sliding outer barrel which allows the outer connection to be made first on mating and broken last on de-mating. When mated with a phono socket and fully pushed home, the Neutrik plugs grip firmly.

The interconnects were made up using Ersin Multicore 60/40 tin/lead solder.

When making up cables take your time, don’t do it in a hurry. Work under a good light and use a thermostatically controlled iron (I use a Weller). Trim the cable following the dimensions supplied with the Neurik connectors. I prefer to use a scalpel with a sharp blade for this. Tin the conductors first; making sure that any excess solder is removed. Solder the outer conductor first and inspect it thoroughly before soldering the inner conductor. The plug has a solder bucket for the inner connection. Make sure that this is filled with solder, making a neat fillet with the inner conductor of the cable. Carefully inspect the solder joints and remove excess flux. Fit the black coloured cable collet and screw home the outer part of plug casing tightly. Finally check for continuity and isolation using an ohmmeter. Either conductor should display no more than 0.1Ω/metre.

That’s it: no cable ‘sexing’ (having a true coaxial construction, they cannot be directional); no pixie dust; no need to assemble when there is a full moon!

Regards

[anthonyTD]

Marco I do not have the silver cables belonging to MAD Just the silver I use in my own system which are DIY jobs using 99.99 silver
Totally agree no right cable for every system but for myself its something I usually not think about as happy with my sound

hi john,
what silver wire did you use in your cables out of interest?
A...

[Alex_UK]

no need to assemble when there is a full moon!

But that would help, right?

Seriously though Barry - well done!

[Joe]

Ok, sorry about the delay chaps, but this is my busy time of the year work-wise. I like to consider my opinions carefully before I post them, so that takes a little time
.

Thanks for the write-up, it was like being there!

I think it brings home the fact that you can't beat a prolonged home trial, with a money-back guarantee, because of the issue of musical taste (and preferred listening volume). I'm also quite relieved that I'm sorted for cables!

[John]

hi john,
what silver wire did you use in your cables out of interest?
A...

I just use dead soft silver 99.99
I always wonder around quotes that are higher than this purity as its my understanding it is not possible to measure beyond this point but as always I may be wrong

[Barry]

There are some loose ends to be tidied up on my findings of the listening tests. First of all I seem to have mis-labelled the speakers. Sorry JJ. I also made no mention of the later cable tests, an omission I’ll correct now.

The fourth listening test used more up-market and exotic cables to those used in the first three tests. The cables used were: Audioquest ‘Niagra’; JJ’s ‘My Audio Diamond Signature’ and Mark Grant’s cable. All these cables used silver conductors (?), and I assume that the Mark Grant cable used here was a different design to the Mark Grant cable used in the first three tests. The CD used Nils Lofgren ‘Acoustic Live’ (Demon Records, FIEND CD 934). Again without quoting my comments, I ranked the cables as follows:

1. Mark Grant
2. My Audio Diamond Signature
3. Audioquest Niagra.

No doubt if the tests were repeated the ranking could change. I can’t honestly say if the silver cables sounded any better to me than the copper cables, and thus justify the extra expense.

Finally we returned to Dire Straits’s ‘Money for Nothing’ to listen to JJ’s system, with and without, a mains conditioner (identity unknown). Frankly I could hear no difference whatsoever, despite the central London venue: ‘dirty’ mains polluted with SMPS spikes; the venue being flanked by two restaurants with their microwave ovens.

Regards

[John]

I guess for me this raises just how subjective sound can be and how important it is to hear equipment in your own system
The Mark Grant cables were the same used in the first test