Best DIY power cable. Why not make?


Ok perhaps I don't get it.  You have hot, neutral, ground and connectors.  I am looking for advise from those that have found the secret sauce in making power cables or at least those that have had great success.  With all the quality cable and connectors why not make your own?  I refuse to pay $2,000 plus for a power cable that would take a hour to build.  I am seeking your guidance and suggestions.  Thanks!   
goose
Todd - the Cardas solder is as good as any I mentioned - it will perform well.

BTW: I have been using eutectic solder for the past few months and now prefer it to the silver solder because it hardens quicker, which I think makes for a better joint. The sound has not suffered at all, so it seems to work very well

Like you, I started with bulk cable. Once I tried the Helix geometry I simply "re-purposed" the wires from my Furutech and DH Labs cables as the Live conductors in my Helix Cables - and they worked extremely well  
But it did seem almost "criminal" to cut away all that insulation AND the  braided screen from the Furutech bulk cable.

FYI - the helix neutral and ground wires do provide a very effective screen for the live wire, protecting it from EMI/RFI and limiting the EMI/RFI from the live wire also.

So when you decide to make  Helix cable - re-use the wires inside the bulk cable you purchased

Good luck with your cables - Steve
" There is no logic, reason, or justifictation for not using spades on power cables and in fact use of such terminations can insure a proper connection, contact, and conduction."

You are just adding one more, unnecessary, connection point to the chain. Spades can come loose or break. Speaker cables yes, A/C power cords no, there is no need and no benefit.
@williewonka 

Unless I'm missing something, TFA doesn't seem to have 10 awg Mil Spec silver plated copper cryo treated (I'm finding the others in that category under the Belden name). Have you ordered that from the recently by chance? I can always email them to find out too, that's no big deal.
Todd - they are in the process of re-sourcing that gauge wire.

However - they do have some stocks left of the previous wire, but in order to purchase it you have to send them an email and they will setup a manual order

Here is the email they sent to me...


Hi Stephen,

 We are replacing this wire with 10 awg product that is of the same Mil Spec as the rest of our Mil Spec wires so although we do have stock we have removed it from our site. If you would like to order some Lyn can put through an offline order for you. We have 250 ft of each colour in stock cryo treated.

Alas, I do not know what that manual process involves - sorry

Try emailing them at - sales @ takefiveaudio.com 
- I had to put the spaces each side of the @ in the address to prevent this interface from removing it

A fellow DIYer could not get TFA to deliver to Bulgaria, so he sourced this  wire and reported excellent results
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Red-37-0-4-10AWG-PTFE-teflon-silver-plated-copper-wire-speaker-wiring-/171102498724?hash=item27d680efa4 

Hope that helps - Steve

You are just adding one more, unnecessary, connection point to the chain. Spades can come loose or break.
I completely agree with you here.  It is one more connection and one more type of material for the signal/electricity to travel through.
They are also bad for speaker cables, though, and for the same reasons. (in theory).