Built new cables

[Thatch_Ear]

I bought a spool of old WE tinned and insulated solid 26AWG copper not long a goe and decided to buid a pair for my mains. Same wire and insulation type (celoneyse) but this wire is a bit thinner. cut to lenghths of just over 9'ea 24 of them. The Pos and Neg of each cable has 6 lenghths braided so that they all crossover many times, Not a easy task keeping a dozon wires over 9' long in order so the the braids are proper. It took about 6 hours or so to do it.
I took the short legth of 16 per brade out and installed these. I noticed an immediate improvenent and I think that is do to the fact that I could attach these directly to the Binding Posts in the amp and the speakers, leaving out the RS Banana plugs,
The same type wire is hooked to the 12" Eminence LTA and Chimerea Labss CCCOFC connects the Heil AMTs to the binding posts and the large oil capacitors used for the hugh passes.
Anyway I came close to doubling the length of the cable usig fewer wire that are smaller in gauge.
So far I am more than pleased with the sound and again condidering the fact that I could remove the heavy gold plated brass banana plugs out of the signal
I have measured and cut enough wire to complete anther set of cables with 14 strands each.

 

[opt80]

Thatch,
Nice work,they look great!

Alan

 

[THOR]

Back when I had long hair (mullet!) I wish we were buds cuz you coulda braided my hair for me :

 

[Wardsweb]

Very nicely done. Man you have a lot of patience, but then you have to, if youwant it done right.

 

[grumpy]

I would love to braid a set like that in silver. To much damn time and I will be damned if i can braid worth a crap. Well done Thatch !

Grumpy

 

[bully]

oh mydeargawd, NOT a mullet?!!
Glad ya gotcher smarts back and cut it off.

never a score here

 

[Lefty]

I'm speechless... :

Lefty

 

[JonTee]

Nice work, Thatch. Are your cables your own recipe?

I was looking at a site that recommended using radio shack magnet wire for some ASL Wave-8's, but, they didn't go into any detail about the construction of their cable's (speaker and interconnect). I'm assuming they were doing something like yours, however, they didn't speak of braiding. Is it possible to use a single strand of 28 gauage and get better sound? Thats what it sounded like they were recommending.

I am looking for a DIY cable project. Can you recommend a net site or give out your pattern? Of course, only if its not a secret recipe...

Jon

 

[Billfort]

Very nice Thatch, keep us posted on how they sound. I would love to try single twisted pairs of that wire from output transformer leads direct to crossover to Altec drivers in my system - no binding posts or connectors. Let me know if you have a few feet left to sell when you are done.

Billfort

 

[THOR]

Bully I had a mullet back a long time ago when it was cool My long hair in back was 26" long when we cut it off, the barber put it in a pony tail and then hacked it off and we measured it. My girlfriend saved it and still takes it out once in a while, she loved my hair and I grew it out for her.

 

[Thatch_Ear]

This is just a Litz and has been used for many years, though not as speaker cable. Dennis Boyle showed me how to do it and he makes them out of OFC magnet wire. The way the wires braid together creates enough of a field effect that you don't need shielding as it creates its own.
Bill, I don't think a twisted pair of anything would be a great idea as it could create enough of an inductance to limit bandwidth. If you want to use just a pair then parrallell might be better. Rob might know more about this than I do but the only wires I twist are high voltage transformer leads and filament wiring and that is for neatness.
Even the ends of these cables are braided with the only twist being on the ends where the solder joint is.

 

[zobsky]

i think the radio shack magnet wire project that was recommended may have been something like this http://www.soundstage.com/synergize/synergize021998.htm

 

[JonTee]

Hi Zobsky,

Thanks for finding this site. I am not to good at finding sites:stupid:. Anywho, I'm going to give those interconnects a try.

I didn't find any information on braiding either, but, my granddaughter says she will teach me a French braid thats killer! If this grand experiment works I'll post it.

Jon

 

[Thatch_Ear]

A French braid is exactly what I used.

 

[JonTee]

Cool! Thanks, Thatch .

Jon

 

[Thatch_Ear]

Here is a link to Chimera Labs and the page where Dennis shows how to do a 4 strand braid, gives a bit of history of the Litz and talks about cable length, how many strands etc. Please note that he states that he has only used these cables with tube equipment meaning new SE amps. I know that Dennis just uses lamp cord for vintage gear that is stock so I guess that the small screw binding posts on old gear limits performance enough that using better cables is a waste of time.
By the way the sound of these cables I made is great and I plan on taking them down to Ward's place hoping to A/B them with some of those very expensive python cables that have been at most of the meetings.
This is the only 26 guage WE wire I have ever seen and the difference between it and the Litz made from 24 guage seems to be quite a bit, but then again I am not having to use the banana clips anymore and the difference could be just from that.

<http://chimeralabs.com/diy_braid.html>