Cable Pic`s of how you arrange your cables

[diviy]

Any chance that anyone can post up some pic`s of how they arrange the rear cables on you systems? My system looks like spaghetti junction behind my rack and any tips and do`s and dont`s where to place preamp,power amps,phono stage external power supply etc

Cheers Gerry

[RichB]

Arrange them in such a way they that they don't get on your nerves. Hide em behind cupboards and under carpets if at all possibe.

Spent all that mental energy you just saved worrying about something else instead ;-)

[Andrei]

If your cables are all shielded then in theory at least there should be no problem. I have a couple of unshielded interconnects and I keep them clear of anything else. The main cables to watch out for are the power cables as they carry the most current. I make sure they do not come into contact with any others.

[struth]

Have to say mine are a mess, but fortunately I love spaghetti:)

[The Barbarian]

I don't have many cables but what i di is keep them as short that they don't hang all over the place. Beauty of making up your own.. I also keep the mains & Interconnects away from each other.

[Oldpinkman]

Have to say mine are a mess, but fortunately I love spaghetti:)

Mine are a mess too - and I only love spaghetti as a food (and nostalgic memories of the daily commute across J6 M6 when I was at Uni).

I try to tidy - but never seem to succeed. Probably because I rarely make my own, and no sooner do I do a custom cable, than I move where things are. The real nightmare - for pretty, not "audio quality" issues is the back of the TV unit. I use cable ties, and try to organise things a bit. I also have the power coming in from the right of the unit, and the signals going out to the left. This was mainly to try to address a slight hum issue which turned out to be the inevitable ground loop (satellite cable on the chassis of a class 2 device was the rogue).

The key principle is try not to allow signal cables to run directly alongside power cables. It doesn't matter so much if they cross them, and touch them doing so. But (as I had) about 5m of shielded signal cable, running alongside power cables for a good 2m, is not good. Really by the time a signal cable gets to 5m long, a balanced connection is preferable. If your equipment has such a thing. Which mine doesn't :(

[Ninanina]

My cables are a bit of a mess too

I have a Russ Andrews - 'The Silencer', like this one: http://www.russandrews.com/product.asp?lookup=0&region=UK&currency=GBP&pf_id=1403&customer_id=PAA0346121114348PZUQZEUMFKSICWEM plugged in next to all this cable mess... I have no idea if it does anything to help but I guess having it doesn't hurt.. :)

[Tarzan]

Google 'Spaghetti Junction' and you are halfway there as to what mine look like.:lol:

[Joe]

Mine used to be a mess, but I'm down to only one set of interconnects and one set of speaker cables, so they don't have much scope for being untidy any more.

[Marco]

Well, folks, I’m going to be the odd one out here, as I’ve always advocated the significant sonic (never mind aesthetic) benefits of what’s often referred to as ‘cable dressing’. Here’s what’s going on, cable-wise, chez-Marco (although some things have changed recently, notably the interconnects, which are now Klotz MC5000):

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7223/img1774r.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/img1774r.jpg/)



http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/1892/img1779u.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/img1779u.jpg/)


The back of the system, showing Mark Grant G2000HD interconnects, with Eichmann (polymer) Silver-Bullet plugs, Yannis Tome 423.5 Phono Silver Litz tonearm cable and 223.5 Connect-Litz interconnects (both with aluminium-bodied Eichmann Silver-Bullet plugs), the latter from my SUT to preamp/phono stage. Also, Oyaide FTVS-510 digital cable, with WBT 0110ag RCAs. Observe the perfect cable-dressing! ;)


http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5134/img1777bo.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/201/img1777bo.jpg/)


Assorted mains leads, with modified Mark Grant mains block and Anthony TD's Tube Distinctions digital noise mains filter:


http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/740/img1772o.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/img1772o.jpg/)


If you want tidy cables, two things are paramount:

1) A tall rack, or racks, to store your equipment, so that all cables are kept well off of the ground.
2) Leave plenty of space behind the system, by pulling your equipment racks into the room a bit, which means you can get round the back of your gear and arrange the cables neatly.

Do that, and ’Spaghetti Junction’ will exist no more - your system will sound much better, too!! :)

Marco.

[Jimbo]

Well, folks, I’m going to be the odd one out here, as I’ve always advocated the significant sonic (never mind aesthetic) benefits of what’s often referred to as ‘cable dressing’. Here’s what’s going on, cable-wise, chez-Marco (although some things have changed recently, notably the interconnects, which are now Klotz MC5000):

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7223/img1774r.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/img1774r.jpg/)



http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/1892/img1779u.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/img1779u.jpg/)


The back of the system, showing Mark Grant G2000HD interconnects, with Eichmann (polymer) Silver-Bullet plugs, Yannis Tome 423.5 Phono Silver Litz tonearm cable and 223.5 Connect-Litz interconnects (both with aluminium-bodied Eichmann Silver-Bullet plugs), the latter from my SUT to preamp/phono stage. Also, Oyaide FTVS-510 digital cable, with WBT 0110ag RCAs. Observe the perfect cable-dressing! ;)


http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5134/img1777bo.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/201/img1777bo.jpg/)


Assorted mains leads, with modified Mark Grant mains block and Anthony TD's Tube Distinctions digital noise mains filter:


http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/740/img1772o.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/img1772o.jpg/)


If you want tidy cables, two things are paramount:

1) A tall rack, or racks, to store your equipment, so that all cables are kept well off of the ground.
2) Leave plenty of space behind the system, by pulling your equipment racks into the room a bit, which means you can get round the back of your gear and arrange the cables neatly.

Do that, and ’Spaghetti Junction’ will exist no more - your system will sound much better, too!! :)

Marco.

Nice Marco,

I learnt a lot about cable tidyness recently when i had issues with humming and strange effect of cables toucing walls etc.

I know some people think cable tidyness is bunkum and makes no difference but as in all things "Everything matters"

Swapping to mostly screened cables and keeping cables s tidy as possible has made a very noticeable difference and cannot be ignored otherwise one is not getting the best out of their system:)

I have yet to raise my speaker cables off the floor but I suspect this may only have a very small effect ??

[CageyH]

My speaker cables are already raised off the floor.
Only because my mono block amps sit on the base of my speaker stands, and I don't need much cable.

Seriously? Cables on the floor sound bad? Why is that? Can somebody please explain.

[Oldpinkman]

My speaker cables are already raised off the floor.
Only because my mono block amps sit on the base of my speaker stands, and I don't need much cable.

Seriously? Cables on the floor sound bad? Why is that? Can somebody please explain.

:)

[Stratmangler]

Seriously? Cables on the floor sound bad? Why is that? Can somebody please explain.

Because the electrons run down to the floor and find it difficult to climb back up to the speakers :)

[Gordon Steadman]

I spent some time making some cable supports. Beautifully turned out of special anti vibration and damped yew with the grain carefully orientated towards Mecca.

I called the wife in to demonstrate the night and day difference it made to have the cables lifted from the floor. She took one look at me and said, "You call me in here when I was doing something important to suggest I am a *ucking idiot - get stuffed" and went back to her ironing.

Funny thing was, I couldn't hear any difference, even though the air in the room was a nice shade of blue rather than its usual sort of rosy glow.

I just plug the leads in and let them all hang loose. I tried cable ties and they are a right pain if you have to move anything.

I'm afraid my cable scepticism just received another wee boost and so I just relax and listen to the music:)

[Marco]

Hi Jim,


Nice Marco,

I learnt a lot about cable tidyness recently when i had issues with humming and strange effect of cables toucing walls etc.

I know some people think cable tidyness is bunkum and makes no difference but as in all things "Everything matters"

Swapping to mostly screened cables and keeping cables s tidy as possible has made a very noticeable difference and cannot be ignored otherwise one is not getting the best out of their system:)

I have yet to raise my speaker cables off the floor but I suspect this may only have a very small effect ??

Cheers, dude. Arranging your cables the right way (preferably left 'hanging in free space'), behind your system, can definitely have a positive effect on sound quality. I’ve done it too many times over the years for it to have been imagined!

However, try as I might, I’ve never heard any sonic benefits from keeping speaker cables off of the floor. Dunno why… Mains and interconnect cables are a different ball game, though. Keeping those off of the floor (and away from walls), is definitely worthwhile, sonically. At least that’s what my experience tells me, anyway :)

Marco.

[struth]

My system must sound shite :doh:

[Marco]

Nah, these are just little tweaks that offer subtle improvements - certainly not ‘life or death’ :)

Marco.

[struth]

Just as well as I cannot get down there are sort them out. It would mean disconnecting everything and I cant so it'll have to do as is even though the mess annoys my tidy nature. actually it has never sounded as good, but that may well be in spite of the jumble.

[doodoos]

Marco, I do believe that your mains cable is touching a window shelf. Is this allowed?

[CageyH]

I would have rerouted my mains or ICs so they were as far away from each other as possible. :ner:

[Marco]

Marco, I do believe that your mains cable is touching a window shelf. Is this allowed?

Hi Robin,

Lol… Actually it’s not - it’s just the angle of the picture. There’s a good 2” between the cable and the window ledge, so all is well ;)

Marco.

[Marco]

I would have rerouted my mains or ICs so they were as far away from each other as possible. :ner:

Since the pic was taken (about a year ago), I have done.

I’ve also done away with the mains block and hard-wired everything into three separate 60A junction boxes (so all the 13A plugs and fuses have been removed, along with a shedload of sockets and connections), using some cheap-as-chips, but superb heavy-duty 6mm2 conductor solid-core mains cable, I picked up in a DIY store in France, made by a company called Nexans.

Essentially, it’s U1000R2V industrial un-armoured cable. Farnell do it, see here: http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/19010.pdf

The ‘ultimate’ cable for mains leads, for not a lot of dosh? I think so! For me, there’s no doubt that, for mains applications in a high-end hi-fi system, heavy-duty solid-core cable sonically outperforms the weedy multi-strand stuff found in common-or-garden ‘kettle leads’, or for that matter in many so-called ‘audiophile’ mains leads!

What I couldn’t fit into the junction boxes (as the cable is so thick and unwieldy), I’ve wired into Schuko sockets. I’ll take some pics of the new set-up. The system is seriously rocking now! :hairmetal: :hairmetal: :eyebrows: :eyebrows:

Marco.

[CageyH]

Apart from the size of the cable, it almost sounds like a standard install in France. :ner:

Out of interest, is there any issues (from a legal or insurance point of view) of not using BS qualified plugs in the UK?

[Marco]

Not that I’m aware of, as long as there is sufficient safety in place elsewhere within the mains supply network used.

I know in France you use Schukos, but you have still (Schuko) plugs on your mains leads, to fit into their matching sockets. All of my (ridiculously heavy-duty) mains leads, bar one, are ‘au natural’ at the end, and hard-wired directly to the incoming (dedicated) mains supply! ;)

Marco.

[cyclopse]

Apart from the size of the cable, it almost sounds like a standard install in France. :ner:

Out of interest, is there any issues (from a legal or insurance point of view) of not using BS qualified plugs in the UK?

I am thinking along similar lines. If something did go wrong which the fire investigation put down to the modifications then the insurance would have grounds not to pay out.

[Marco]

Absolutely, but statistically, there’s far more chance of fires being causes by Christmas tree lights than hi-fi systems! ;)

Also, I keep a very close eye on things (as I work from home and so am usually in most of the time), and when the system is not in use for long periods of time (such as during holiday periods), it’s shut off completely and disconnected from the incoming mains supply.

Incidentally, as a little addendum to this thread, we had a smart meter fitted last week by British Gas, who supply all of our energy, and I could swear that the system sounds better again now that the old meters have been replaced…. Free upgrades are always the best ones! :)

Marco.

P.S Where in the “south” do you live? I’m presuming it’s southern UK?

[Macca]

Don't listen to Marco,. This is how it's done:

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac233/Macca_photos_2009/NVA-A500001.jpg (http://s903.photobucket.com/user/Macca_photos_2009/media/NVA-A500001.jpg.html)

[Andrei]

Don't listen to Marco,. This is how it's done:

Having deeply considered the issue, and having obtained all the relevant professional advice, I have concluded you are correct. That is the precise pattern that I will one day achieve. Thank you Martin for your guidance.

[Gordon Steadman]

Looks familiar.

[Marco]

Don't listen to Marco,. This is how it's done:

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac233/Macca_photos_2009/NVA-A500001.jpg (http://s903.photobucket.com/user/Macca_photos_2009/media/NVA-A500001.jpg.html)

Ha - it’s all that ‘wuffle dust’ that’s making the difference! :D

Btw, when’s the Marantz arriving? :)

Marco.

[cyclopse]

Absolutely, but statistically, there’s far more chance of fires being causes by Christmas tree lights than hi-fi systems! ;)

Also, I keep a very close eye on things (as I work from home and so am usually in most of the time), and when the system is not in use for long periods of time (such as during holiday periods), it’s shut off completely and disconnected from the incoming mains supply.

Incidentally, as a little addendum to this thread, we had a smart meter fitted last week by British Gas, who supply all of our energy, and I could swear that the system sounds better again now that the old meters have been replaced…. Free upgrades are always the best ones! :)

Marco.

P.S Where in the “south” do you live? I’m presuming it’s southern UK?

I Marco I reside in Bristol so South West.

[Macca]

Marantz is here. It's not bad at all.

[Marco]

I Marco I reside in Bristol so South West.

Thanks. Stephen :)

Marco.

[Marco]

Marantz is here. It's not bad at all.

Cool - when ya updating yer Gallery thread (with pics)? :)

Marco.

[agk]

Mine used to be a mess, but I'm down to only one set of interconnects and one set of speaker cables, so they don't have much scope for being untidy any more.

Mine is the same. Neat and tidy as it really can't do otherwise.

[jandl100]

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5886_zpsf1e26851.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF5886_zpsf1e26851.jpg.html)

Werll ... I feel I should be embarrassed by the above rats nests, but I'm not.

Cable dressing is for dreebs. :ner:

Now I am a bit embarrassed by the next one, taken a few months back with a different incarnation of my system ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF0202_zpsc5d45b93.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF0202_zpsc5d45b93.jpg.html)

Too damn neat by half! :o