DIY Cables

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by 1KW

I think you are smart for doing that.

David, don't think I didn't notice or didn't hear a difference between the top and bottom level. Just wanted to see the spread and evaluate how high I need to go.

[markc2]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Do yourself a favor and pick up the cheapest Transparent speaker wires and hold on to your hat. I did that just for fun in my system after auditioning over $35k worth of Transparent in my system. They are seriously great!

Pick up the cheapest Purist Audio Speaker wires and hold on to your wallet

Mark

[crytklmass]

I just tested my DIY power cables costing me about $70 for 2m vs. known brand names at approx $280.00 for 2m. In a change, I had the salesperson leave the room while I switched cables and he chose my cheaper cables as sounding better. hmmmm who would have thought. I dont want to say the brand names on here for fear of fighting. I made my power cables from a known cable company bulk cable supply NOT home depot as my original plan. So. Hmmmmmm I kinda left him wondering. His excuse was, well. my ears are diff. than other. Ya, well so is my cashflow. I could make 4 2m ac cables for the price of 1 of his. He even agreed mine sounded better. Guess he had a 50/50 chance. I'll stick with my diy's for now. Now my next test. Speaker Wire. hmmmmmm

[Gregory]

Originally Posted by PHC1

I can guarantee you two things:

1. There will be sound coming through the speakers..
2. Your mids will sound nasal by comparison...

Aah.. so THAT'S why I hear a nasal coloration in midrange vocals!!


-Gregory

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by markc2

Pick up the cheapest Purist Audio Speaker wires and hold on to your wallet

Mark

Well, I didn't use the "cheapest Purist Audio" but I did run an A/B in my system. Nothing matches the spatial presentation of Transparent cables that are of the mid to upper end in their of their range. Simply holographic. The Purist were a nice sounding cable though.








Here are my thoughts on Transparent, Purist, Cardas, and Audioquest http://audioaficionado.org/cables-ga...udioquest.html

[blacsno]

Originally Posted by crytklmass

I just tested my DIY power cables costing me about $70 for 2m vs. known brand names at approx $280.00 for 2m. In a change, I had the salesperson leave the room while I switched cables and he chose my cheaper cables as sounding better. hmmmm who would have thought. I dont want to say the brand names on here for fear of fighting. I made my power cables from a known cable company bulk cable supply NOT home depot as my original plan. So. Hmmmmmm I kinda left him wondering. His excuse was, well. my ears are diff. than other. Ya, well so is my cashflow. I could make 4 2m ac cables for the price of 1 of his. He even agreed mine sounded better. Guess he had a 50/50 chance. I'll stick with my diy's for now. Now my next test. Speaker Wire. hmmmmmm

+1!! Just completed my DIY power cables. Yesterday I'd took them off the cooker "700 watt Media Server PC" for 2 weeks. Sooooo I put on the first one to my mc352, bypassing tonal on the pre-amp as not color. HMMMMM I had some serious bass that never existed before?? The meters actually followed all the beats of the music!! Sooooo I listened for awhile, middle and upper where being washed out!! Also the cable had a magnet on the IEC end, removed and listen more. It was different sound not good or worse, just different sounding. So I put the magnet back for now.....

Then I added the second DIY power cable to my c2300 pre-amp. Ohhhhh know I understand why that sucker cost so much!!! The mid and highs were added back in spades!!! I'm assuming the c2300/mc352 were being choked out by the stock cords. Now my normal listening level had more music, not louder persay in volume. Now here is a part that kinda hurts me...... before analog source and digtal source where quite close depending on the mastering. Well not anymore......grumble grumble! You hear a clear and defining line between the two.

Now it's the MDA1000 turn....... NOTHING!! I went no FRIGGIN way!! Re-installed the stock...... same! Well I guess that why it's McIntosh top of the line D/A converter. Sooooooo I just left the DIY power in place. Instead of always agreeing to spend money, see if you can fiqured out how they did the trick!! Or they will trick you out of the cash!!!

[ArthurPE]

I just made some bi-wire speaker cables:
bought 2 6' lengths of SO cord 4-#12 AWG
rubber sheath, rubber insulation, paper spacers & very fine Cu strands
-trimmed the ends for a good fit, staggered on the bi-wired speaker terminals, parallel on the amp end...
-used some heat shrink to make pairs and finish the ends where the sheath was stripped
-tinned (actually Ag soldered) the ends
-connected it up to the binding posts, finger tight, then cinched with channel locks

I'll clean them up with some rubber cleaner tomorrow...

I thought about connectors (I have a access to industrial compression & mechanical type Cu lugs mfg THOMAS & BETTS) but it's just another joint in the chain...

my wife thinks I'm nuts...
can I hear a difference? I think I can, but may be a placebo effect...
I do know that this is all I'll need and is not the weak link in the chain...

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by crytklmass

I just tested my DIY power cables costing me about $70 for 2m vs. known brand names at approx $280.00 for 2m. In a change, I had the salesperson leave the room while I switched cables and he chose my cheaper cables as sounding better. hmmmm who would have thought. I dont want to say the brand names on here for fear of fighting. I made my power cables from a known cable company bulk cable supply NOT home depot as my original plan. So. Hmmmmmm I kinda left him wondering. His excuse was, well. my ears are diff. than other. Ya, well so is my cashflow. I could make 4 2m ac cables for the price of 1 of his. He even agreed mine sounded better. Guess he had a 50/50 chance. I'll stick with my diy's for now. Now my next test. Speaker Wire. hmmmmmm

LOL. Gotta love it. I guarentee if he had watched you switch and saw which cables were being used, he would have easily been able to hear the difference in wire. The soundstage, the bass and the midrange would have been obviously superior with the overpriced hyped wire.

But with the blind test that you did, the truth came out quite nicely.

[Formerly YB-2]

I build my speaker cables from 12ga silver-coated, flat, woven copper (ala Nordost). Did some engineering work for a company once upon a time and he gave 24' to try. Put some smaller DH Labs crimp-on gold-coated spades on the amp end and larger crimp-on for the speaker end, a nice nylon sheath and some black and red heat-shrink and, viola, high-end speaker cables. Am making up a second set to trying bi-wiring.