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speaker cable

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Posted on September 21, 2015 at 11:22:03
rockanroller
Audiophile

Posts: 84
Location: ohio
Joined: March 29, 2015
 Hello.
I want to make/build my speaker cables.
I have read/watch a lot about the subject.
I have questions: is solid copper wire better than strand copper wire?
can you braid strand wire? what brand of cable do you recommend?
what other issues should I be aware of?
All answers are much appreciated.
Fred.

 

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RE: speaker cable, posted on September 21, 2015 at 17:19:23
Des
Audiophile

Posts: 2110
Location: Great Barrier Reef
Joined: August 3, 2000
Contributor
  Since: August 2, 2000

I'd get this cheap as chips on US Ebay

Belden 9497

 

StarQuad, posted on September 21, 2015 at 19:51:09
djk
Manufacturer

Posts: 6135
Joined: June 17, 2000
 The insulation on this wire is vastly better than PVC, and the StarQuad winding reduces inductance.

For short runs they have a smalle gauge at half the price, for longer runs they have a larger gauge at twice the price.

The 4s8 is fine for most speakers up to 30' (8Ω speakers).

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on September 21, 2015 at 18:12:31
beautox
Manufacturer

Posts: 366
Location: New Plymouth
Joined: July 9, 2013
 For 16awg tinned stranded copper wire insulated with PVC, it's got a very good reputation. Some of the ebay prices look expensive actually - bulk price is about 65 cents per foot.

 

Recommended speaker cable, posted on September 21, 2015 at 21:39:32
DaveT
Audiophile

Posts: 1126
Location: Mid Atlantic (Wash, DC Area)
Joined: September 25, 2000
 I have lost count of how many varying topologies of speaker cables I have built over the years. IMO, cables made from Teflon clad wire yields the best results.

Currently, I use the Jon Risch 89259 cross connected speaker cables. This speaker cable is listed as "Highest Performance" on the link below. After many, many, DIY speaker cables I have built this is the cable that sounds best in my system.

The Teflon clad Chris VenHaus braided CAT5 speaker cable I also find to be exceptional. The VH CAT5 braids I use for the internal wiring of my speakers. There is a link to the VH design midway down the page in the Jon Risch link below.

For my sub-woofers I use solid core PVC clad 12-gauge twisted wires from my amp to the subs. My subs are are powered by a separate amp from the amp that powers the mids and highs. I haven't tried various speaker cables here. I am satisfied with the sound I get with these cables for my subs.

Teflon clad CAT5 cable is sold in big box home improvement stores in the USA as plenum CAT5 cable. The price for this cable is nominal per foot. The cost is in the labor it takes to braid the wire into the speaker cables.

There are a myriad of DIY speaker cable formulas that may be had via a web search. Jon Risch did a ton of research on wire and there coverings. You can benefit from his experience by reading his website.

Good luck on your quest.
DaveT

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on September 21, 2015 at 21:52:15
mitch2
Audiophile

Posts: 1521
Location: Great Lakes
Joined: August 28, 2001
 You have a good spread of recommendations already but it would help us offer recommendations more specific to your situation if you answer some basic questions like why do you want to build your own (DIY) cables, how long is your SC run, what is your budget, bi-wire or single wire, and is your gear a high powered solid state amp into moderate efficiency speakers, a low powered tube amp into high efficiency speakers, or something in-between?

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on September 22, 2015 at 15:01:30
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3537
Joined: April 23, 2007
 Rocker....speaker cables are the least important of all your cable. Make sure you have the best power cables first. As for cables, the wire itself is far less important than is the connectors. I like Furutech or Oyeida, .....

 

Ok, posted on September 22, 2015 at 16:39:23
Des
Audiophile

Posts: 2110
Location: Great Barrier Reef
Joined: August 3, 2000
Contributor
  Since: August 2, 2000
 I must have mis read some--I thought you had to buy a Reel at that price

The off cuts 20/30 ft etc seemed fair i felt

Des

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on October 4, 2015 at 16:53:23
rockanroller
Audiophile

Posts: 84
Location: ohio
Joined: March 29, 2015
 to answer your question, the reason is that I think that the commercials speaker cables are too expensive for my purse, as well as I can probably do as well with some time and supplies myself. Did read a lot about expensive cables, and my conclusion is that they probably work for high end equipment.
My system is all vintage,and affordable, because I like that warm sound. Upgraded Sony SS-M3(two crossovers, silver wiring, Vifa /Peerless drivers from Denmark) , rebuild Yamaha M-60 amp(new caps,re all resolder done with silver thread,etc...) so I am out of money!
Hence why I want to do my own cables.
Amp= Speakers distance will be about 10 feet.
Hope this make sense.
Thank you for all the answers.

 

RE: Yes - IMO, solid-core wire will sound better than stranded wire ..., posted on October 5, 2015 at 02:00:30
andyr
Manufacturer

Posts: 12548
Location: Melbourne
Joined: September 2, 2000
 However, for current carrying capacity, you need thick wire. Hence you need multiple (insulated) strands of thin, solid-core wire to give you the required copper cross-section.

1 jacket of teflon-insulated Cat5 wire (eg. Belden 1585a) per binding post makes a terrific speaker cable, IMO. Better still is to continue to use 2 jackets per speaker but use 2 pairs from each jacket for '+ve' and 2 pairs from each jacket for '-ve' - this is higher 'C' but lower 'L'.

Better still is to use all 8 solid-colour wires for '+ve' and all 8 striped wires for '-ve' - this has even lower 'L' ... but has even higher C! :-(( So, depending on the length of the cables, this may make your amplifier uncomfortable. :-))


Andy


 

RE: speaker cable, posted on October 5, 2015 at 23:17:02
uncledemp
Audiophile

Posts: 23
Location: Arkansas
Joined: December 23, 2007
 I made some 10' runs from 12ga Magnet Wire today. Cost was around $20. I twisted it with a drill. It sounds great to me. Well worth the expense and time.

I have used and enjoyed other cables, but a setup change left me a few few short...

So far I can't tell that I'm missing a thing. Dynamics, soundstage, and range is all there- detail is great. Fwiw, the rig sounded great before the change (to me) and still does.

Hope this helped-

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on October 10, 2015 at 03:52:06
Yuval
Audiophile

Posts: 43
Location: Herzelia
Joined: January 21, 2011
 One very high-performance DIY speaker cable is this: (pls see link). It was recommended to me by Chris Jonson (of Anthem, Sonic Frontiers, and Assemblage fame). Chris is regarded as one of the best tweakers around, and I trust his advice blind-folded. Relative to its performance, the cable is cheap, at $23.17 per foot. This is a far cry from the Belden cable that someone recommended. It is even better than the well-known Kimber 8TC.

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on October 13, 2015 at 21:59:58
Tweaker456
 Stranded wire is inappropriate for audio signal wire IMHO and many others. Consider trying a simple parallel run of 12 or 10 AWG cheap magnet wire from ebay. Don't lose sleep over the skin effect until after you hear this and have it beaten by much more expensive wire. The 10 awg wire will have better bass. Tweaker, who can't hear much above 17 K, like most of the rest of the human race and can't seem to hear the horrible phase distortion that people say is in thick wire. Try it, you'll like it.

 

RE: speaker cable, posted on October 13, 2015 at 22:06:33
Tweaker456
 Uncledemp, this is a pretty good suggestion but you might try a parallel run as IMHO twisting wire degrades the sound. Magnet wire of some sort ain't so easy to beat. Tweaker

 

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