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Thread: DIY RCA cables - pure silver vs silver coated copper

  1. #81
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    There is also a lot of 'hoo-ha' about plug materials. The conductor cross section is what matters. You could have robust plugs made of any metal of choice really. if the conductivity is ample, you should not be able to hear any difference between, say pure silver or lead for instance (or any other metals). Not that I'm suggesting lead would make good plugs.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  2. #82
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    Quote Originally Posted by Infinitely Baffled View Post
    I didn't know this!

    So, then it is in principle better to use banana plugs - with their bowed-sprung pins - for loudspeaker connections than to seek out expensive plugs which claim to enable a greater pin contact area within the socket?
    IB
    I read LDR's post as meaning we should minimise the number of points at which connectors meet, not the surface area at any given point, which is a very different statement, was I wrong?


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  3. #83
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    Soldering connections vs using RCA connectors that involve one surface touching each other, will always make a better join. So Yes minimising
    connectors where you can do that- is far preferable. If though you have to use connectors making their contact as firm as possible is preferable.

    Where larger currents are involved found on outputs of amplifiers and speaker connections - and it is awkward to solder, then improving surface area
    like using a banana plug and socket is a far better choice, vs say a DIN loudspeaker connector.

  4. #84
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    I've always believed less connectors equals less to worry about. Until the isoldas wth their banana plugs I'd always used bare wire connections from amp to speakers. In truth I'd prefer the isoldas to be bare ended but they sound great so I'm leaving well alone.

    Likewise with interconnects, my Slagle Autoformer Volume control has hard wired interconnects running to normal RCA's. But will have to change when my new volume control finally arrives. I've a couple of Cardas Golden Presence interconnects waiting to go in - and all those connectors gives me the willies.

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  5. #85
    Join Date: Jun 2015

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    Default DIY RCA cables - pure silver vs silver coated copper

    Not relevant to the title but I just wanted to update the results of the cable mod to use the HE500s with banana plugs into a normal (speaker driving) amp. It's awesome, and I'm just using a cheap T amp. The headphones have really come to life not just in the bass but in treble and overall dynamics, balance and "fullness". This is compared to both a Meier Corda and an Audio Gd NFB-11. (Note this can't be done with a jack to banana adaptor as I have read connecting the T amp to a common ground will blow it.)


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  6. #86
    Join Date: Oct 2012

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lawrence001 View Post
    The image is a stock picture the cables I bought are 8m long so not short but I take your point about the gauge. Are there any advantages to thinner speaker cable (low capacitance?). They arrived today so I'll make a start when I have time. I'm going to take the first 3m with the mini coax ends and fit banana cables to try my HE500 headphones direct from an amp, that leaves me 5m to play with for cables with the first one. I'll try with the speakers before I cut into 1m length so I know how they sound as speaker cable.


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    No. Speaker wire should be really good 'n thick and kept as short as practical. That is all there is to speaker cable...
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  7. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    I see Jez got it wrong again . It's not the cables that should be covered in butter. After extensive testing it been proved beyond doubt that it's the amplifier that should be heavily buttered!!

    I prefer margarine myself.....


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  8. #88
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    Dripping is also very good for valve amps, so I have heard!!!
    Quote Originally Posted by alphaGT View Post
    I prefer margarine myself.....


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  9. #89
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    Hence my reason for stating between "like for like cable types" meaning' like for like cable construction, and configuration types!!! Diffrent plug types fitted to the same cable have almost always made the biggest diffrence in my experiments, than just changing the cable construction etc.
    Hope thats clearer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Reffc View Post
    Pedantry. "Mylar Foil" has for some time been a common usage term (irrespective of technical accuracy) to describe metalised Mylar (polyester) films. You and everyone reading this knew exactly what was being referred to so lets leave it at that




    I agree Anthony that connectors can indeed make a difference, as can the cable geometry, particularly with respect to things like shielding and cable capacitance when it comes to passing a signal from a MM cartridge to a phono stage for example. Any changes in sound will obviously be very kit (circuit) dependant
    "Today scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality"
    Nikola Tesla



    Its now a conspiracy theory to believe that the Immune system is capable of doing the job it was designed to do.
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  10. #90
    Join Date: Mar 2012

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    Quote Originally Posted by anthonyTD View Post
    Hence my reason for stating between "like for like cable types" meaning' like for like cable construction, and configuration types!!! Diffrent plug types fitted to the same cable have almost always made the biggest diffrence in my experiments, than just changing the cable construction etc.
    Hope thats clearer.

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