Quality coaxial cable for i.c

[colinB]

I need to make a longer cable to run from my phono stage to my amp and im looking at an easy single core job.
As my tonearm cable has fancy WBT next gen Cu plugs i will probably get some Eichmann plugs for peace of mind.
There seems to be a different flavour of the month looking through DIY threads
from Belden to Banbridge and Van Damm. Its my first cable and i would like to get it right.

[Reid Malenfant]

Hi Colin, you could try this stuff from Maplin (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=9512) ;) It's what i use for single ended interconnects & i'm very happy with it indeed. I feel no need to upgrade at all :) I also use the stuff to run component video to a TV & projector & once again this stuff is unbeatable at the price imo.

I'm sure some of this or similar possibly two core + screen (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=26923) has been mentioned on here as being used by someone else for balanced interconnects & i also use that to, again i feel zero need to upgrade :eyebrows:

Good luck in your decision making.

[colinB]

Thanks Mark, that shark two core looks the buisness, braid and lap.
To make it pseudo balanced i have to solder the braid and cold wire to the earth terminal at the source end and leave the braid alone at the other end, is that right?

[Stratmangler]

To make it pseudo balanced i have to solder the braid and cold wire to the earth terminal at the source end and leave the braid alone at the other end, is that right?

That's what I've done, and I'm very well pleased with the results.:)

[colinB]

Thanks. Ive heard those Eichmanns are tricky to use which puts me of a little.
Im pretty good at soldering but they dont look as well engineered as the WBTs i have. I cant pay £90 for plugs though.

[Stratmangler]

I just used these connectors from Maplin - JU08J and JU09K (2 of each).

[Reid Malenfant]

Yes that's the way to do it as Chris says ;) Braid & white say at the source & white connected to the ground connection leaving the screen disconnected at the other end :)

Funnily enough that's exactly what i have done to :eyebrows:

You might find that it could be susceptible to RF interference over a very long run, i seem to remember finding this myself (I'm less than two miles from a fairly high power transmitter) :doh: However i have just had a bit of a brainwave that should cure it. If you do find RF a problem then get a couple of small 100nf capacitors (as small as you can find so they fit inside whatever plug you are using) & connect from the disconnected screen to the plug ground.

These will look like an open circuit at audio frequencies but effectively at RF they'll look like a short circuit thus they should get rid of the interference :)

[Steve Eddy]

Are you certain you want to go with a coaxial design? The reason I ask is you said you wanted "easy." Coax is easy provided you use it with a connector that's intended to be used with a coaxial cable. But that description doesn't fit either the NextGen's or the Eichmann's. "Easy" for those two connectors would be a simple, unshielded twisted pair.

And even when dealing with connectors intended to be used with coaxial cable, it's not as easy as it may seem as you need a good iron and plenty of heat to get a proper solder connection to the braided shielding.

If you want easy and you want to use the Eichmann plugs, I'd suggest considering going with a simple, unshielded twisted pair. There's a good variety of high quality bulk wire available and you can make a twisted pair with nothing more than a vise and a hand drill.

Add some cotton sleeving or some TechFlex if you want to pretty it up and you've got yourself a very nice cable. Easy peasey.

Just something to consider.

se

[colinB]

I only need 1m but i will give it a go. Years ago i blew money on a fancy mains block and my system had noticeably less noise. I wonder if that was something to do with the fact i lived under the shadow of Crystal Palace transmitter?
That or the fact the building wiring was a mess.

[Reid Malenfant]

Years ago i blew money on a fancy mains block and my system had noticeably less noise. I wonder if that was something to do with the fact i lived under the shadow of Crystal Palace transmitter?
That or the fact the building wiring was a mess.
Probably both :eyebrows:

[Steve Eddy]

Thanks. Ive heard those Eichmanns are tricky to use which puts me of a little.

Yeah. Unless they've changed things, they tend to be quite a tight fit and you can booger things up trying to force them on. Eichmann recommends softening them up with a hair dryer before plugging them in. I was once considering using them for my commercial cables but decided against them. I didn't want to have to tell my customers they needed a hair dryer in order to use my cables. :lol:

se

[colinB]

Yeah. Unless they've changed things, they tend to be quite a tight fit and you can booger things up trying to force them on. Eichmann recommends softening them up with a hair dryer before plugging them in. I was once considering using them for my commercial cables but decided against them. I didn't want to have to tell my customers they needed a hair dryer in order to use my cables. :lol:

se

What plugs did you settle for in the end? I suspect plug build is more important than the wire drawing process or copper purity but im only guessing.

[Steve Eddy]

What plugs did you settle for in the end?

I went with my long time personal favorite, the Switchcraft 3502AAU.


I suspect plug build is more important than the wire drawing process or copper purity but im only guessing.

I suspect you could well be right. Personally I don't worry much about the "numbers game" stuff. I just go with that which gives me the greatest pleasure and enjoyment, and I haven't found any particularly strong correlation between that and the "numbers."

Also, I take a holistic approach to it all. Even if something sounds good, if it's butt ugly, fussy, or just rubs me the wrong way philosophically, it tends to ruin the whole gestalt which is ultimately my final arbiter.

I am what you might call a holistic hedonist subjectivist. :lol:

Mind you that's just my particular approach. There are many other paths out there that are just as valid and everyone should choose the path that works best for them.

se

[DSJR]

I use Van Damme and am very pleased with the results of a number of their wires. The "shotgun" stereo coax is really good and you can either get the bits for £7 or buy a well made pre-assembled ic for £13.50 from SoundStable on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-0m-Twin-RCA-Phono-HiFi-Lead-Van-damme-Hi-Fi-Cable-/320567974944?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL

I'd say these leads are better than anything you can buy in a shop for less than £300, even if they're perhaps lacking the absolute "Nth" available via Mark Grant's offerings ;)

I've used and recommended Neutrik plugs for decades and even the cheapo Neutrik/Rean range of phono plugs are fine to me, unless you're a neurotic with a system teetering on the edge, in which case only expensive plugs will do (phono plugs and sockets are cr@p really in so many ways, but we're stuck with 'em).

As you're using a line level signal which is buffered, there'll be a couple of volts or so, so don't worry too much. A twisted pair would be fine I reckon, unless you have taxi radios or similar to worry about, in which case a twin screened mic cable (with outer screen connected at one end) might be better.

[colinB]

I read that PMC use Van Damm for their rigs. Good price too.
Thanks , saved me money. Still trying to save for my subwoofer so could do without the distraction. Thats why im making cables, i intend to take everything out from between the speakers after initial success of taking the AV rack out.
Made a big difference to the imaging. Then i will plonk the sub in between the Neutrons and hope for the best.

[Steve Eddy]

I read that PMC use Van Damm for their rigs. Good price too.
Thanks , saved me money. Still trying to save for my subwoofer so could do without the distraction. Thats why im making cables, i intend to take everything out from between the speakers after initial success of taking the AV rack out.
Made a big difference to the imaging. Then i will plonk the sub in between the Neutrons and hope for the best.

Good luck!

se

[colinB]

Thanks everyone , been a great help.
One last thing. Any tips on heatshrink. I dont have a heat gun. I dont think a hair dryer will do it. Can you use a lighter or something ?

[Reid Malenfant]

Thanks everyone , been a great help.
One last thing. Any tips on heatshrink. I dont have a heat gun. I dont think a hair dryer will do it. Can you use a lighter or something ?
Yes, but keep it moving fairly quickly so it shrinks slowly & doesn't burn the heatshrink ;)

[colinB]

Thanks:)

[Steve Eddy]

Yeah, hair dryers are pretty useless. Just tried an 1875 watt Conair. Pfffft!

Using a lighter is possible, but you have to be really careful and I'd recommend doing a few test runs beforehand to get the "feel" for it.

But let me ask you. Do you actually NEED to use any heatshrink?

se

[Thermionic]

If you electricity for your cooking I just hold the cable / heat shrink a couple of inches above a hotplate and this works pretty well. Let one side start to shrink and then turn it over, repeat until done.

[colinB]

Thanks for the ideas. Actually the heatshrink idea was from my obsession with the Eichmann bullets as the connection is very vulnerable to cable weight stress but i think i was over engineering a simple project.:rolleyes:

[Reid Malenfant]

No it's actually a decent idea :) Cables often get moved & twisted about & if the signal cable gets twisted internally you might get an odd strand break off. Even though it's not likely by covering it in heatshrink you absolutely prevent the possibility of there ever being a short circuit ;)

[Steve Eddy]

Thanks for the ideas. Actually the heatshrink idea was from my obsession with the Eichmann bullets as the connection is very vulnerable to cable weight stress but i think i was over engineering a simple project.:rolleyes:

But the vulnerability to cable weight and stress is an issue for the connection itself. Heatshrink's not going to make the cable any lighter or result in any less stress on the connection.

se

[Steve Eddy]

No it's actually a decent idea :) Cables often get moved & twisted about & if the signal cable gets twisted internally you might get an odd strand break off.

That's what the grub screw on the Eichmann's back shell is for, provided the cable's a nice round jacketed one of sufficient diameter. If not, then yeah, heatshrink can help.


Even though it's not likely by covering it in heatshrink you absolutely prevent the possibility of there ever being a short circuit ;)

It's no fun unless there's at least a chance of bloodshed. Or sparks and smoke as the case may be. :lol:

se

[colinB]

As much as i like the idea behind the Eichmann the German engineering behind the WBT makes it look scrappy regardless of audio quality.

[Steve Eddy]

As much as i like the idea behind the Eichmann the German engineering behind the WBT makes it look scrappy regardless of audio quality.

Certainly won't argue with you there. ;)

se