DIY cable elevators


I know that there is opinion on both sides of the aisle as to whether elevating speaker cable is a worthwhile or pointless thing to do, or a good or a bad thing sonically.

Assuming for the moment that it might be desirable, can anyone tell me why the following DIY solution would not work as well as, or better than, the expensive products out there that The Cable Company is trying to sell me?

Take three chopsticks or similar lengths of narrow gauge dowel, align the three of them, tie a piece of string tightly around them about 2" from one end, splay the three legs out like a tripod, set on floor, and rest the cable in the "cradle" formed by the three short angled lengths of stick above the string. Repeat as necessary. Last I heard, wood is pretty non-conductive. But perhaps I'm missing something.

(Of course, if this works, we can start experimenting with different woods and different shapes and brands of chopstick.) (;
twoleftears

Showing 1 response by twb2

All of the above suggestions ignore one important element, resonance. I am a firm believer in the benefits of elevators, but there are three elements potentially at play: signal bleed and smear through the dielectric insulation of the cable into synthetic carpet, RFI/EMI (which is addressed by careful placement) and resonance from the sound energy in the room. The latter can be passed into the chassis of the components to which they are connected, regardless as to how well they are otherwise isolated, and have detrimental effects.

A simple, cheap solution I learned from dedicated and very knowedgable audiophile friend Al Sekela (an EE) who is a frequent contributor to the Cable Asylum on AA, is to construct paper cylinders (cut a strip of thick construction paper in the color of your choice 3-5"X12" and then bend and tape into cylinders which are 3-5" tall.) Place an appropriate amount of kitty litter or sand in a baggie, and place inside the cylinder, so that it's level is about 1" below the top rim of the cylinder. This provides damping and energy absorption. Make as many as you need to fully support the cable, with careful attention to placement near the components, thus absorbing that last bit of energy before its final connection.

When I first saw these at Al's home (in a very fine sounding system,) I thought it to be way too "tweeky" and unsightly to be acceptable in my own. However, since it costs almost nothing to try, I did. The results were major, and I have never looked back. Need a few more? About $0.25 each!!