Cable Asylum

This is not a wiki

204.15.62.29

Mike K

In Reply to: RE: Speaker Cables posted by ahraitch@gmail.com on October 21, 2024 at 16:23:25

large diameter, at least 12 awg. larger the better
solid wire, NOT stranded
teflon coating

If you must have stranded wire because of flexibility issues, try Kimber 8tc or 12tc.

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

Follow Ups:

RE: This is not a wiki - Jotaro 22:17:30 10/21/24 (7)
Large ga solid wire...sounds like a recommendation for Romex.

J.
- Not a recommendation for Romex - Mike K 08:14:55 10/23/24 (6)
  Romex is typically only 14 ga. anyway, which is a bit too skinny for good speaker cable. There are good quality solid conductor speaker cables available. Think Anticables for a start.
  
  Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone
  - Why solid cable instead of braided wire? - Mr Steed 20:54:42 10/23/24 (5)
    I use a single strand of cat5 cable I stripped apart.
    Yep, one single strand.
    - Opposite End - Jotaro 15:23:28 10/25/24 (0)
      I'm at the other end of the spectrum.
      
      7awg multi-stranded tinned copper wire here: Duelund
      
      J.
    - RE: Why solid cable instead of braided wire? - mojul 10:42:07 10/24/24 (3)
      Be sure that your Cat5 uses teflon and not PVC!
      PVC has memory effect and smears the sound due to the high dielectric constant and by the way cotton has the lowest dielectric constant.
      
      One single core Cat5 (24AWG) is enough as speaker cable to drive (0,25-0.5W) horn speakers but not enough for speakers with higher drive effect.
      Cat5 is plenty enough for tweeters in x-overs, but bass's needs a little more, about 20AWG.
      
      I have made dirt cheap interconnects using 24AWG Cat cables with the KLE Innovation classic harmony copper bullet plug design and they sound much better than many expensive commercial interconnects.
      
      I learned about single core cables and saved a lot of money by reading "The SuperCables Cook Book" by Allen Wright:
      "As it's only the low frequencies that can sink deep into a conductor and still maintain energy - they are the ones suffering major time smear when THICK cables are used for interconnect or speaker energy transfer."
      
      You can read about DIY Cat5 braided speaker cables and single core interconnects at VH Audio (he uses KLE Innovation plugs on interconnects ;-).
      
      https://www.venhaus1.com/diycatfivecables.html
      https://www.venhaus1.com/diysilverinterconnects.html
      mojul
      - teflon or PVC - Mr Steed 17:32:27 10/25/24 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Why solid cable instead of braided wire? posted by mojul on October 24, 2024 at 10:42:07
        
        How can I tell?
        I can't imagine the cable is marked.
        
        Years ago I had a homemade FRIED Model H subwoofer.
        Peerless 85486 drivers IIRC.
        I had a ARC D250 MKII and then a Carver LightStar 2.0
        I used Fulton Gold speaker wire.
        Two pair, paralleled.
        A speaker builder/ owner of Carolina Audio called me and said I should
        remove the Fulton and replace it with a single strand of cat-5 cable.
        I thought he was NUTS!
        But I tried it.
        My Carolina Audio speakers are wired with a single strand of cat-5 cable.
        They are transmission line speakers using a 4" metal driver by Ted Jordan and a 7" metal driver form him also.
        Anyway I'd like to try what you've mentioned.
        
        TIA
        
        I went from speaker wire thick enough jump-start a bulldozer to
        wire a piece of wire that would of melted if I tried to start that bulldozer.
        
        RE: teflon or PVC - ketchup 13:13:40 10/29/24 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: teflon or PVC posted by Mr Steed on October 25, 2024 at 17:32:27
        
        Teflon has a much higher melting point. Maybe get known pieces of teflon and pvc and do some tests with a heat gun.
        
        Sharpie tends to not stick to teflon, so try writing on it. Just some thoughts off the top of my head.
        
        plenum cable - Mr Steed 20:38:01 10/29/24 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: teflon or PVC posted by ketchup on October 29, 2024 at 13:13:40
        
        Now I remember.
        When putting in computer network cables the ones that went trough a drop ceiling had to be Teflon coated for fire resistance.
        IIRC the Teflon was only on the outside of the pvc wrapped inner cables.
        I used to have lots of those cables at one time.
        So I don't see how having cables wrapped in Teflon can have any
        effect for audio.
        Any idea?

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