Author Topic: Speaker cables  (Read 29383 times)

Offline ozcal

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Speaker cables
« on: January 22, 2011, 09:23:18 PM »
Hi guys , making some speaker cables from some Solen solid core varnished copper inductor cable of 1mm cross section.These are to go between my Rotel Rb1080 and the Gales401a's.
How many stands per conductor? and should the live and return have the same number of strands?
Gordon
« Last Edit: January 22, 2011, 09:26:55 PM by ozcal »
Listening with my ears :)

Offline kajak12

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2011, 10:44:03 PM »
Hi guys , making some speaker cables from some Solen solid core varnished copper inductor cable of 1mm cross section.These are to go between my Rotel Rb1080 and the Gales401a's.
How many stands per conductor? and should the live and return have the same number of strands?
Gordon
try 1 for each polarity to begin with (give it time to burn in :P)
still discovering the link between electronics and audio reproduction.so much to learn and so little time

Offline ozcal

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2011, 06:49:27 PM »
Cheers Mario.
Listening with my ears :)

Offline flemo

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2011, 12:42:18 AM »
Hi Gordon,

Let me know how they sound as I too are looking at different cables for my Gales. 

I had to remove the Ribbontec cables as they added too much weight to the heavy sounding Gales. Currently I'm using the Bunnings 0.8mm solid core copper wire and it seems to be a big improvement. 

Pete.

Offline ozcal

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2011, 08:51:19 PM »
Hi Pete , the cables have been running in since the weekend but you have to bear in mind that I have changed both the dac output caps and the Auricaps in the Supratek to Ampohms as well.
Initially the sound was more detailed but etched ,as time goes on the sound is balancing out and is starting to sound , well ..... hairs on the back of the neck tingling :)
Listening with my ears :)

Offline Drew

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2011, 10:13:10 AM »
Hi Pete , the cables have been running in since the weekend but you have to bear in mind that I have changed both the dac output caps and the Auricaps in the Supratek to Ampohms as well.
Initially the sound was more detailed but etched ,as time goes on the sound is balancing out and is starting to sound , well ..... hairs on the back of the neck tingling :)

Hi Oz,

What otput caps did you put in??  Ampohms copper foils?

Interested how they sound when they are fully run in...
“Idealist: One who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup”

Henry Louis Mencken.

Offline ozcal

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2011, 08:06:05 PM »
Hi Drew , sorry missed your post.
The AMPOHMS that went into the STEK  were copper in oil and the dac ones were Aluminium in oil.
With the addition  of the 2 new sets of caps the best way to describe the sound would be more natural.I get a greater sense of being at the recording , less in the way of the sound.
I still have to get two other 0.1uf Ampohms for the pre and try a Jensen elctrolytic in place of the current Elna
The dac is in bits at the moment as I move it to a bigger case as the 2.2uf Ampohms wouldn't fit inside the old case.
Listening with my ears :)

Offline kajak12

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2011, 12:00:15 AM »

The dac is in bits at the moment as I move it to a bigger case as the 2.2uf Ampohms wouldn't fit inside the old case.
heaps of room on the outside ozcal  no need for a bigger case i dont have any problems with space  ;)
still discovering the link between electronics and audio reproduction.so much to learn and so little time

Offline ozcal

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2011, 07:29:41 PM »
Mario , you know us Glaswegians , we like our hi-fi's great sounding and neat , just look at the Linn stuff  ;D
Listening with my ears :)

crazikid

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2011, 07:35:04 PM »
ha.. i lived in glasgow for a couple of years. fun times, sh!t weather

Offline data

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2012, 12:50:50 AM »
Just thought I would put this in here  :D

I have been using solid core copper of 1mm for speaker cables, one run for each terminal, but just made some out of alarm wire, three paired runs two for negative and one for positive, with one of the negatives floating at the speaker end, these are in a pony-tail plait.

I think they are better!

Have to listen in the day when I can give it some volume but I think this type of construction may be better for me.

Offline ozcal

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2012, 03:27:43 PM »
Interesting Ian.
Is Alarm wire simmilar to cat 5/6?
Listening with my ears :)

Offline data

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2012, 04:20:43 PM »
Well, I think there are different types, this is just a very normal type of two runs of stranded (quite small in diameter) side by side, like lamp wire, but smaller gauge.

I think the 1mm solid core was attenuating high frequencies a bit, and this could explain some of the difference.

The sound is just more alive in comparison, maybe more finer detail (micro).

This is like this Bell wire on jaycar's site http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=WB1700&keywords=alarm+wire&form=KEYWORD I bought it from an electronics supply place, and they called it alarm wire, but there is a type like cat cable.

So with each pair I twisted the stripped ends together to get the needed diameter.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2012, 04:25:32 PM by data »

Offline vitavoxdude

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2012, 04:34:12 PM »
Interesting Ian.
Is Alarm wire simmilar to cat 5/6?
Cat 5 cable can sound reasonable but compared to dedicated PCocc ir Ag ribbon cables, hmmmm, not in the same leauge IMV.  :-X :-X :-X V
We all like different things so lets all agree to disagree and if any common ground is found then worship it.  Mine is the KD hence being present on this forum.

Offline data

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2012, 05:03:11 PM »
Yeah, I have tried the braided cat a while back and moved on.

In fact I used to use cat as hook-up wire, but prefer the Neotech copper these days.

Offline vitavoxdude

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #15 on: February 06, 2012, 10:48:03 PM »
Yeah, I have tried the braided cat a while back and moved on.

In fact I used to use cat as hook-up wire, but prefer the Neotech copper these days.
Neotech copper  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D yeah, a considerable improvement on cat 5 plated stuff.
V
We all like different things so lets all agree to disagree and if any common ground is found then worship it.  Mine is the KD hence being present on this forum.

Offline ozcal

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #16 on: February 06, 2012, 11:01:40 PM »
Ian , where do you get the neotech wire from?
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Offline data

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #17 on: February 06, 2012, 11:56:55 PM »
I get it from an ebay seller, he has even recently joined SNA, nice fellow that loves his tubes and owns one of Eric's amps.

I like this for hook-up and maybe ICs http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Neotech-UPOCC-Solid-Core-7N-Copper-24AWG-Blue-Teflon-/220867876913?pt=AU_Electronics_Accessories_Wires_Cables&hash=item336cc05831

And this might be good for speaker wire http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Neotech-UPOCC-Solid-Core-7N-Copper-20AWG-BLACK-Teflon-/220933770433?pt=AU_Electronics_Accessories_Wires_Cables&hash=item3370adccc1

He also carries a pure silver, but I don't want to offend Mario by linking that   :P

Just be careful not to mark the wire when cutting the Teflon insulator, as it can lead to the a brake in the wire.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2012, 11:58:35 PM by data »

Offline kajak12

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2012, 01:52:00 AM »
I get it from an ebay seller, he has even recently joined SNA, nice fellow that loves his tubes and owns one of Eric's amps.

I like this for hook-up and maybe ICs http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Neotech-UPOCC-Solid-Core-7N-Copper-24AWG-Blue-Teflon-/220867876913?pt=AU_Electronics_Accessories_Wires_Cables&hash=item336cc05831

And this might be good for speaker wire http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Neotech-UPOCC-Solid-Core-7N-Copper-20AWG-BLACK-Teflon-/220933770433?pt=AU_Electronics_Accessories_Wires_Cables&hash=item3370adccc1

He also carries a pure silver, but I don't want to offend Mario by linking that   :P

Just be careful not to mark the wire when cutting the Teflon insulator, as it can lead to the a brake in the wire.
Data i have heaps of silver wire would you like some? :D :D :D
still discovering the link between electronics and audio reproduction.so much to learn and so little time

Offline data

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Re: Speaker cables
« Reply #19 on: February 07, 2012, 07:44:51 AM »
Melt it down!

Make Jewelry... or Bullets  :D