Cable Asylum

Posted by husky2 (A) on April 22, 2007 at 01:35:29

I have OCOS speaker cable connected to my high end system. When I am in my listening chair I pull out the wire from the OCOS plugs and listen through my Acoustic Zen Hologram II cable & high end tube amplifier. When I'm working around the house, kitchen, etc I have the tube amps off, hook up the OCOS speaker cable run from my Muse 100 amplifier and can listen noncritically while doing other chores (usually FM tuner or CDs).

I am setting up a second system in a retirement home where I will live 6 months per year during the winter. I would like to have a similar setup. I would rather not take all my OCOS cable to the 2nd home as I have to fly to get there. Does anyone know if the OCOS connectors can be purchased somewhere and perhaps they can be attached to a current cable (must be similar diameter, about 1/4 inch). Or perhaps someone has a bunch of OCOS stuff they wouldn't mind getting rid of for a reasonable price.

• To each his own. However, IMO you are wasting your time. - Al Sekela 10:39:53 04/23/07 (4)
  In Reply to: OCOS connectors posted by husky2 on April 22, 2007 at 01:35:29:

  The OCOS cable is designed to maintain a characteristic impedance close to the speaker's at all frequencies. If the speaker were a true resistive load at all frequencies, this would minimize reflections. However, real speakers have parasitic inductance and deviate substantially from resistive behavior at radio frequencies. Therefore, the cable impedance no longer matches the speaker at frequencies where standing waves can exist on the cable (in the VHF and UHF bands), and the design goal is defeated. A matching network can cure this problem, but a similar network will help any cable, not just the OCOS.

  The statement on the OCOS site, that the impedance of the cable rises in the bass and that this mismatch affects audio performance, is simply untrue. It reflects an engineering misconception.

  You can make matching networks for a few dollars and get all the practical benefit of the OCOS, and more.
  

  • OCOS technical explanation   (Open in New Window)

  
  

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  • Re: To each his own. However, IMO you are wasting your time. - rwiley 15:18:20 04/23/07 (2)
    In Reply to: To each his own. However, IMO you are wasting your time. posted by Al Sekela on April 23, 2007 at 10:39:53:

    Very similiar to Jon Risch's excellent speaker cable geometry and to Mogami speaker cable (don't think it's available in the US any longer). Always wanted to try the Mogami cable...never got around to it. As I remember the "highish" capacitance created problems for some amps.
    

    • http://www.mogamicable.com/Bulk/micr_cables/speaker_cab/speaker1.html   (Open in New Window)

    
    

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    • Jon Risch's design uses cross-connected coax for minimum inductance. - Al Sekela 16:00:30 04/23/07 (1)
      In Reply to: Re: To each his own. However, IMO you are wasting your time. posted by rwiley on April 23, 2007 at 15:18:20:

      The OCOS has a loaded dielectric. It may be suitably lossy at RF to benefit some amps, but I expect the dielectric would have some sonic colorations.

      The Mogami would make a good cross-connected cable, as the inner and outer conductors have the same DC resistance. However, this would double the capacitance.
      
      

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      • Re: Jon Risch's design uses cross-connected coax for minimum inductance. - xero 14:55:13 04/28/07 (0)
        In Reply to: Jon Risch's design uses cross-connected coax for minimum inductance. posted by Al Sekela on April 23, 2007 at 16:00:30:

        you mentioned matching impedance with a network. would you suggest this network between componets as well as speakers?

        i am an electronics neophite .... can you explain how one would determine the value of the network that would need to be made and its construction?

        thanks in advance,
        xero
        
        

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  • Re: To each his own. However, IMO you are wasting your time. - A.J. 11:40:27 04/23/07 (0)
    In Reply to: To each his own. However, IMO you are wasting your time. posted by Al Sekela on April 23, 2007 at 10:39:53:

    In fact AFAIK those cables are specially designed to match Dynaudio speakers. Here in my country they're very recommended for Dynaudios and there're many happy users. They work just OK with Dyns, don't know if with other speakers they're any worth.
    
    

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