Tweaker's Asylum

Posted by vrgard (i) on February 06, 2001 at 21:51:53:

I want to make a DIY speaker cable. Unfortunately, I need about 35 feet per channel/side. So, between materials cost and capacitance concerns, many of the DIY designs are out.

I've narrowed things down to using CAT5 (Belden 1585A) in a triple braid pattern resulting in a bi-wire configuration (ala the FFRC design).

Should I leave the PVC outside insulation on the 1585A CAT5 to reduce the capacitive effect? Or should I remove it to improve the sound quality and not worry about capacitive effect? Will that require me to use a Zobel network?

Is there some other design I should consider? (I thought about Jon Risch's 89259 coax design but the cost at that length is a bit much and, further, since I have to snake around behind bookcases and such I need something a bit more flexible than coax.)

My apologies in advance for asking a question so similar to so many others. I've routed around the Asylum and can't quite find an exact answer to my question.

Oh, in case it helps to know, here's my system:
NAD L-40 all in one Receiver CD (so, no interconnects needed)
KEF Q15.2's

Thanks!