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In Reply to: RE: is there a better DIY speaker cable than the Jon Risch twisted CC 89259 speaker cable posted by Carl G on August 08, 2015 at 21:20:45
Years ago, I made a set of Jon's quad version CC89259, which I thought bettered the original single pair version, which I also made several sets of. There was a commercial/on-line company selling both versions but I am not sure whether they are still out there.
As DIY alternatives, you might try making something out of Jupiter Condenser's copper in cotton wire, which I find to have an excellent natural sounding tonality, or the NOS Western Electric wire some folks are discussing over at Audiogon. I have had good luck with Harmonic Technology's OCC small gauge copper wire, which is individually insulated with foamed polyethylene - IMO a better sounding dielectric than Teflon, although the foamed Teflon on the 89259 is better than most. You can buy older sets of HT Pro 9 or Pro 11, or the + versions, which are inexpensive when purchased used, and then re terminate to your length with your favorite connectors, or harvest the bundled wires inside and create your own design...maybe without all the damping material and thick PVC outer covering.
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As opposed to solid PEP Teflon and solid PE, foamed/cellular FEP Teflon such as VH Audio's propriety AirLok dielectric is the most transparent material I've experienced, while foamed/cellular PE adds a level of warmth which may be considered to sound more euphonic rather than that of a more transparent sonic signature, IME. YMMV
I agree with what you hear Duster.
As Jon Risch pointed out years ago, the foamed stuff sounds better than solid dielectrics.
I actually like that bit of warmth from foamed PE and find that Teflon adds a slight harshness to my ears, or maybe that is in contrast to the warmth from the foamed PE I am used to hearing.
In the past couple of years, I have found that my favorite is typically good copper in cotton, which I find to natural sounding with a really nice tonality.
Bare copper with a cotton dielectric is prone to oxidization and corrosion. A design like that won't bode well in the long term...
I believe the oxidization and corrosion issue is a bit overblown when using high quality copper in a (usually dry) home environment. The oxidation thing became a panic when folks like Monster Cables used crappy plastic coverings that reacted with their copper and caused it to turn green.
I have been making ICs with some 6/9's copper in cotton that is at least 10 years old and shows absolutely no signs of corrosion...it is as shiny as any brand new copper I have ever used. The cables sound outstanding and, so good in fact, one audio manufacturer replaced his $3K reference cables with a set and we have spoken about supplying some of his clients.
For added protection, the cables I make do use a spaced away (outside of the dielectric zone) layer of teflon tape as a moisture barrier, as well as adhesive lined heatshrink at the connectors.
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