Author Topic: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2  (Read 36609 times)

Offline zenelectro

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Liked: 177
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #40 on: June 05, 2012, 10:14:55 AM »
The 24awg neotech interconnects have been running in continuously on my squeezebox for 3 days.   Just put them on the killerdac to ligthspeed connection, and unfortunately they have not hit a home run.    The top end is more pronounced than my penguin interconnects.

A few things;
- could be my dodgy workmanship
- could be the yarbo connectors
- my room has a tendency to the bright side,  any change that leans in that direction is immediately noticed.

I might change the connectors, as these yarbos are too freaking tight for my wbt's.


Might be RF. Might be grounding.

Your amps are solid state closed loop = very susceptible to RF. Your interconnects are nice antenna.

Most valve amps, especially SETs are very insensitive to it and just act like a big low pass filter.
SS amps can be a whole different kettle of fish.

2nd thing - how is the whole system grounded? Unbalanced consumer equipment (killerDAC)
can have many types of grounding configurations. Most home audio systems will have at least one ground loop
which may or may not pick up hum - it will most certainly have an effect on the sound even if there is no hum.

So whilst the interconnects are important (I've got lots of various hand made ones sitting around) it's worth remembering some of your audio is sneaking
around through / getting corrupted by various ground paths that you are unaware of.


Offline ozmillsy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2249
  • Liked: 277
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #41 on: June 05, 2012, 09:38:28 PM »
Hey T,  I'm not running SS at the moment.

I'm running an old Radford tube amp into Tannoy golds.

And yeah, I do have a hum happening in the system.  I think it might be the amp, but am not sure.
It's all about the music,, not the equipment.

Offline zenelectro

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 825
  • Liked: 177
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #42 on: June 06, 2012, 01:20:16 AM »
Hey T,  I'm not running SS at the moment.

I'm running an old Radford tube amp into Tannoy golds.

And yeah, I do have a hum happening in the system.  I think it might be the amp, but am not sure.

Radford - nice amp! How are you finding the sound compared to your old active SS system?

WRT amp hum, unplug the interconnects to the amp and short it's inputs. If the hum is gone, it's not the amp per se,
but probably an earth loop.


Offline ozmillsy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2249
  • Liked: 277
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #43 on: June 06, 2012, 08:43:50 AM »
The sgr's are cleaner, more extension, image better.

The Radford/Tannoy combo has a nice musicality, but there is some grain that I hear. Need to refresh the crossovers in the tannoys, and plan to make some cap changes in the amp.

I'll try that test with the amp, cheers.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2012, 09:02:57 AM by ozmillsy »
It's all about the music,, not the equipment.

Offline data

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 365
  • Liked: 24
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #44 on: June 19, 2012, 03:45:31 PM »
Hay mate, I got some IC off Geoff, one pair using copper and silver, the other pair all copper with copper Eichmann plugs. I have the copper/silver in my system and a mate now has the all copper ones.

I was talking to Geoff and he has found the Neotech wire takes some brake in, it goes kind of flat sounding for a while until more hours are gained.

Maybe give the IC's some more time.

No shielding on these ICs

Offline ozcal

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 466
  • Liked: 2
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #45 on: June 19, 2012, 04:29:32 PM »
The sgr's are cleaner, more extension, image better.

The Radford/Tannoy combo has a nice musicality, but there is some grain that I hear. Need to refresh the crossovers in the tannoys, and plan to make some cap changes in the amp.

I'll try that test with the amp, cheers.
Hi A, I am a Tannoy fan myself and have an old pair of the entry level Saturn S8' dual concentrics sitting in my cupboard. The Saturns are not in the same league as the proper DC's but they do share the family sound.
I have heard it said (Mick Maloney and others) that all the Tannoy DC's have a bit of a spike in the mids which can add a bit of grain bit I still love the sound , as you say "very musical".
Listening with my ears :)

Offline ozmillsy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2249
  • Liked: 277
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #46 on: June 20, 2012, 09:03:51 PM »
Hi A, I am a Tannoy fan myself and have an old pair of the entry level Saturn S8' dual concentrics sitting in my cupboard. The Saturns are not in the same league as the proper DC's but they do share the family sound.
I have heard it said (Mick Maloney and others) that all the Tannoy DC's have a bit of a spike in the mids which can add a bit of grain bit I still love the sound , as you say "very musical".
Hey G, things have evolved quickly, the grain has gone.  The issue was the cheapy tubes that came with the Radford.  New tubes throughout have made an incredible difference. 
It's all about the music,, not the equipment.

Offline ozmillsy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2249
  • Liked: 277
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #47 on: June 21, 2012, 08:17:12 AM »
Hay mate, I got some IC off Geoff, one pair using copper and silver, the other pair all copper with copper Eichmann plugs. I have the copper/silver in my system and a mate now has the all copper ones.
the other day I ordered the all copper kind, arrived yesterday.  I look forward to comparing them.

Quote
I was talking to Geoff and he has found the Neotech wire takes some brake in, it goes kind of flat sounding for a while until more hours are gained.
I did run them in on a second system. They weren't flat, they were bright.

Last night I changed the topology. I added a 2nd ground wire, and platted the 3 wires, with 1 of the ground wires only connected at 1 end.  Same connectors. Will see how that goes.
It's all about the music,, not the equipment.

Offline Jehuty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1403
  • Liked: 111
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #48 on: June 21, 2012, 10:08:54 AM »
Following this thread closely as I'm looking to get a pair from Geoff too. How about digital cable? Can I use the IC from Geoff for digital cable?

Thanks,
William
Not all that matters can be measured, not all that can be measured matters.

Offline data

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 365
  • Liked: 24
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #49 on: July 03, 2012, 09:21:15 PM »
Hay OZ, how did you go with the three braid IC's?

Oh, and what did you find with the IC's off Geoff?

Offline ozmillsy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2249
  • Liked: 277
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #50 on: July 04, 2012, 08:32:45 AM »
The 3 braid is better, this topology is also different because I used 1 run of 20awg on the ground/neutral,  this thicker wire is connected at both ends. The other 24awg neutral only connected at 1 end. 

I forgot about geoffs ic's, they've been running in on my squeezebox on a continual loop.

I'll give 'em a try when I finish porting my tannoys.
It's all about the music,, not the equipment.

Offline data

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 365
  • Liked: 24
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #51 on: July 05, 2012, 07:15:17 PM »
Interesting, I have also read that a larger return path is preferred by some folk, haven't tried it myself yet.

With the ones Geoff makes, some have said that the presentation moves back a little, and I have also found this to be the case, but It's not a negative for me, just different to the other ICs i have.


Offline ozmillsy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2249
  • Liked: 277
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #52 on: July 09, 2012, 11:17:46 PM »
Whacked the all copper Aurealis interconnects on, and they definetly sound better than my DIY cables. The Eichman plugs would have a big part in that.

Good value interconnects, that don't cost too much more than the cost of the parts.
It's all about the music,, not the equipment.

Offline qwerter

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 45
  • Liked: 0
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #53 on: July 10, 2012, 09:51:17 PM »
Interesting, I have also read that a larger return path is preferred by some folk, haven't tried it myself yet.

With the ones Geoff makes, some have said that the presentation moves back a little, and I have also found this to be the case, but It's not a negative for me, just different to the other ICs i have.



Geoff has send me his newly developed IC's and i really like what I am hearing. More forward sounding than the previous version. 

Offline braddo

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 62
  • Liked: 2
Re: DIY Copper Interconnects - mk2
« Reply #54 on: July 12, 2012, 09:09:00 AM »
Following this thread closely as I'm looking to get a pair from Geoff too. How about digital cable? Can I use the IC from Geoff for digital cable?

Thanks,
William

Side tracking a bit, I made a quick DIY digital cable cause I needed a quick fix till I find out if I can go I2s or not, and was using a borrowed digital cable (If I can't go I2s was thinking about a Lenehan dig cable). The one I was using was very good, to me anyways, really made an impact on my system (don't think for a minute I'm anywhere near the level you guys are at). So I got 3 strands 0.25 solid core, 1.5meters long, braided it (got mom to help 8)), 2 strands positive, 1 negative, cheap jaycar plugs, no solder. Sounded decent straight out :o

15 hours burn-in this thing started to really sing, was up till 5am on the second day when it started breaking in, and still continues to improve daily :o What can I say I'm blown away I was expecting pretty much NOTHING to come from this. Haven't made direct comparisons yet, but my money is going on the DIY to better the one I was borrowing. Surely this DIY cable is not true 75ohm.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 09:12:16 AM by braddo »