@terry9 Canare Star Quad (L-4E6S) has never used Teflon. It's always been polyethylene dielectric AFAIK, certainly for the last 15+ years. Also I'm not sure why you need a fume hood for soldering teflon - if anything, teflon can withstand far higher temperatures than most other insulation types. If it didn't, it would never be used as a coating for non-stick frying pans. PE is much more likely to melt/off-gas, though XLPE seems to withstand higher temps. Nothing against star quad Canare or Mogami, they are solid cables. However for single-ended (RCA) interconnects they're not the most transparent. They perform much better in balanced XLR applications for which they were designed. I think given the quality of your components, it's worth investing a little more than $25. My first suggestion would be anything DH Labs. Very nice, consistently musical and neutral cables that don't break the bank. The BL-1 starts around 90 bucks for a pair, however you can also buy the raw wire for $6/ft (so $36 for a 3ft pair) and terminate it yourself with e.g. Switchcraft RCAs to save a few bucks. Or find them used. They also make a budget cable called White Lightning for around 50 bucks or $2/ft, but it's a different design (coax) and I haven't heard it. Here is all their bulk wire, lots of affordable stuff: https://silversonic.com/products/bulk-wire-and-cable/What about speaker wire? If you want something a little ungainly (stiff and heavy) but terrific sounding for cheap, I have a recipe, and you can get it at your local Lowes hardware. |
You'd be amazed what I've found at garage/estate sales for a buck or two. Audiophiles kick the bucket and the heirs just dump the cables and such.
Saturday is coming right up...
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Thing is, Craig, cables are just another electrical machine, and not a very complex one at that. Doesn't mean anyone can design them - but it ain't Nobel Prize territory neither.
Thankfully, Eichmann (ETI) and WBT and Canare and Mogami have done all the work. It's ours to enjoy. |
Yep. Looks good - when I make cables out of this stuff, I use a better quality connector, usually Eichmann or WBT. But this stuff should get you 90% of the way for the price of parking.
Interesting, Canare are now using cross linked polyethylene dielectric instead of teflon; just like Mogami.
I would definitely buy this, and then trade up only after an in-home demo demonstrates a clear improvement; and then, only if you can't make a bigger improvement by upgrading something else.
Well spotted. |
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One consideration is how rich your radio environment is.
You don't want radio and TV and cel traffic and UHF (ultra-high frequency) in your audio signal. If you have a lot of that in your neighbourhood, then you need a high quality copper shield to keep the crap out, and a star quad cable configuration to neutralize what comes through the shield.
Premium microphone cables do this. Canare Starquad is very good. I've used that a lot, but the dielectric is teflon, and you should be careful when soldering near that. Think industrial grade fume hood. Mogami 2534 is a starquad configuration, and it too is very good, does not use teflon, and the shield is easier to terminate. I use Belden braided shield, and it too is very good, but I haven't used their cable in ages.
While any premium microphone cable will serve, I would stick with Mogami 2534. If you are terminating with RCA connectors, connect both the blue wires to the centre pins, both white wires to the outer rings (or vice versa). Connect the shield to the outer ring at the amplifier end only.
Conventional solder with silver content is the standard - this is not silver solder, which is a completely different thing, more of an industrial process. WBT makes a good one, available from Parts Connexion and probably Michael Percy Audio.
I make my own cables like this, and use them in a high end system. Good luck! |
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Ok great, thanks guys. So I’m on the right track.
On Ebay I found a guy in Greece that makes Belden 20awg 8402 Shielded with a choice of rca connectors like the switchcraft 3502AAU and uses Cardas Quad Eutectic Silver Solder with Rosin Flux for $63 a pair.
Unless you guys guys tell me that 20awg is not thick enough, I may have just found my connects.
If there is enough savings maybe illnmake them myself but I need to price Belden wire and silver solder. If I make them myself is there a gauge you recommend more?
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Yes, one cable per channel, and preamp to power amp is definitely an analog audio signal. |
If you want to connect all channels on the amp you need 7 analog cables. |
Thanks for helping with my confusion TLS49!
I am connecting a Marantz 7704 preamp processor to an Anthem PVA 7 amp. I just ordered them both and they are in the mail.
I need one cable per channel right?
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"Ok I am really green and have a couple rookie questions. Somebody before mentioned getting wire to send an analog signal. Isn’t this a digital signal? Maybe they meant just don’t use cable meant for video like RG6?
Also, wouldn’t you always want a Shielded cable for this?"
craigert
It would be helpful if you would say what components you are connecting. If "this" is a digital audio signal, then the Belden 8402 is absolutely wrong. It is an analog audio cable, as is the Duelund, and others mentioned above. Actually, digital audio and video use the same basic type of cable, 75 ohm coax.
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I think I studied the strands of the BJC in the past for speaker wire and they didn’t compare to what I normally buy, Phantom Speaker Cable, and figured I would just stick with Phantom rather than go to BJC. Plus it sounds weird but I can’t stand the look of the connectors. They look like lug nuts for electrical wiring. Lol |
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The Duelund will surpass the other cables mentioned. Yes go for them. I build and sell cables including Duelund. Feel free to contact me or the Ebay seller if you cannot make your own. I prefer the 16 gauge Duelund over the 20 gauge as it offers more weight and meat on the bones. |
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What cables are you looking for? Anything in particular or all interconnects? |
Interconnect cables are anything that connects components, could be a pair of analog cables, digital coax or toslink, hdmi etc.. They wre saying they wouldn't use a cable intended for digital coax in place of analog cables. |
I found Acoustic Research to be decent for a low-price cable. At that price level, I would be looking at something that is well constructed, which the AR are. |
Ok I am really green and have a couple rookie questions. Somebody before mentioned getting wire to send an analog signal. Isn’t this a digital signal? Maybe they meant just don’t use cable meant for video like RG6?
Also, wouldn’t you always want a Shielded cable for this? |
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You can purchase the Belden from BTPA in Tinley Park Illinois. They offer your choice of Switchcraft RCA's and do a professional job of termination.
If your looking for a shielded cable they can work great. They also mate extremely well with Duelund S.C. for an excellent value combo.
Good luck,
LP |
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Easy. DIY Duelund stranded copper in cotton wire with Switchcraft connectors. |
I just read a previous post on a forum with audio engineers, so I now don’t need you guys to explain what can cause differences in sound. I believe there can be differences in sound due to these cables, but to me it seems to be marginal returns for my money over maybe $100-$200 per cable which I cannot afford right now.
So far we have infinite cables, mogami, and Belden. The thing that makes me Leary of the Beldin is that although the word might be nice, it looks like people are just slapping RCA connectors to the end. Although Infinite Cables don’t cost a whole lot, they use silver laced solder and put shrink wrap over the ends. Do I want to be looking for cables with silver solder?
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Sorry EBM I am brand new to this and didn’t realize aside from falling apart that it would make much difference for a
line signal.
I can spend a little more but I have no idea what makes one cable that much better than another.
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How about the Belden 8402. Not quite $25 but not too far off, and I prefer it in my rig to my Kimber KCAG silver interconnects.
LP |
Get cheap garbage at $25,00 are you joking dude!!! |
Not sure one can buy the best of anything for 25 bucks. |
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Thanks a lot! They look sharp too!
They are $38 each from B&H. I wonder if there is a better deal if I buy a half dozen. |
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