Building balanced interconnects--ideas

Here is what Chris at VH Audio says about the cable in balanced use:

This cable design also works excellent for balanced ANALOG cables. It is not neccesary (Most of the time) to ground a balanced connection, so you only need to use pins 2 and 3 on the XLR's. In some systems, Pin 1 will need to be connected at both ends, but this is rare....

* In some situations, you may experience problems with RF interference, due to the lack of shielding on this cable. If think you may have an RF problem, check out the VH Audio Pulsar double shielded interconnect here. This interconnect is available assembled, or the wire is available for you to DIY.

and here is a link to the information;
http://www.venhaus1.com/diysilverinterconnects.html
There are so many options when building these that I could not tell you what you will like best. I personally prefer the somewhat larger 23-24awg wire size (over the 28awg some use) and I like using a single wire for pos and neg. Others like doubling up the negative run for single-ended cables, although you should use the same exact wire/awg for each run of a balanced cable. You can also space a shield away from the conductors if needed. Theories vary on whether to hook the shield at one end, or both ends. If you search here, Audio Asylum, Audio Circle and other sites, you will find more information than you need on diy cables.

IME, for a "made from scratch" diy cable, the configuration shown on Chris' website, when used with the caulk backer and high quality connectors, is hard to beat sonically. I used slightly larger caulk backer (I believe 1/2 inch) for even greater spacing of conductors. If you are worried about the durability of the caulk backer, then try Chris' soft teflon tubing.

FWIW, the whole idea behind balanced line cables was/is to make it so that the cable does not have an artifact- regardless of the cost of the cable.

To accomplish this there is actually a standard that has been in place for the last 60 years or so.

IOW, if you do it right you won't need particularly high-end materials like you do with RCAs.

With regards to the shield, if in doubt attach it to pin 1 at both ends of the cable.

Great information! I am leaning toward three identical wires, each shielded with its own braid. The wire could float in a teflon tube, or it could have a foamed teflon insulaton, such as the VH AirLock. Please tell me this--is a single, solid conductor superior to stranded wire in this situation? And, I am running these interconnects directly from a GNSC Wadia 861SE into monoblock amps, so is the larger gauge more appropriate? Thanks to all for your valued experience.

Don't shield the wires separately. You want the twisted pair to have a common shield.

Thanks, Atmasphere--I am thinking of a carbon-infused nylon braid on each teflon tube, not a metal foil. All are then braided loosely for strength and appearance. I have used Flexo Conductive on power cables, and they are very quiet. How good is Kimber's bulk wire vs Cardas? Neither ever mention Ohno Continuous Cast, but claim to be hyper-pure and soft-annealed, etc. I have to have OOC certified wire by prior experience.