DIY Interconnects

Do It Yourself
David;n39376 said:
So if I was make an RCA ICs with this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Canare-Tw...AAAOSwNSxU7t8I

I use the 2 centre strands to the inner tabs of the RCA plugs.

And split the outer insulation into 2, and connect them to the ground tabs?

No, use 1 wire for the center conductor and 1 wire for the ground tab - say white for the center and blue for the ground tab.

Also solder your shield to the ground tab at the source end and float (don't ground) the shield at the destination end.
 
TubeHiFiNut;n39377 said:
No, use 1 wire for the center conductor and 1 wire for the ground tab - say white for the center and blue for the ground tab.

Also solder your shield to the ground tab at the source end and float (don't ground) the shield at the destination end.


Cool....so I need 2 strands to make one pair of ICs then?

Do I still provide good shielding that way?

Thanks for the guide :)
 
Wntrmute2;n35831 said:
I have had good success using this wire and Neutrik Pro-Fi RCAs. Inexpensive while sounding great as well looking fancy!

Finally picked up some of this wire and made up a couple of shorties between my pre and amp and my phono and pre. Sounds good, but sure there is some burn in required. Wire was easy to work with and looked pretty good when done.
 
A good long time ago I had intended to post in this thread, but like many other things, this DIY interconnect cable project was put away in plastic snap bins and somewhat forgotten about. Sometimes the best intentions... well, you know the drill.

On this grey Saturday morning in NY, with rain increasingly a threat throughout the weekend, I pulled out those bins and am pretty committed to making something.

Wire choices range from tried/true inexpensive Mogami Neglex W2549 (in blue or red), with Canare F-10 RCAs, to the rather more pricey/exotic Oyaide PA-02, a piece I bought some years ago from the late Lee Weiland at Cryo-Parts, it's been deep immersion cryo treated.

PA-02 is very fat diameter wire, something I didn't pay enough attention to when I first bought it. Over time I did acquire various RCAs that will accommodate it's 8mm girth, including ETI Bullet Plugs, Keith Eichmann's newer KLE Innovations Copper Harmony Plugs, and the Zavfino 1877Phono ZSP4.

P1000712.jpg

I think another budget cable using the Mogami wire and Canare RCAs is too boring, been there done that, super excellent value for money but not what I want after cracking open these bins. Instead I think it's time to put that long dormant piece of PA-02 to use.

I've also been there done that with the Eichmann plugs, and while I love their low-mass design and sound too (probably the most neutral plugs I've ever used), I bought those 1877Phono plugs wanting to give something from that brand a try. They have a lot of really nice stuff, perhaps our resident phono enthusiasts know this brand well?

I know little about them other than they are based in Nova Scotia. I've seen online mentions of their stuff being made in Japan, or Taiwan, neither of which were definitive references for me. Nova Scotia does seem a bit off the beaten path for a phono parts manufacturer, but I don't rule out the stuff is actually made there.

So the DIY interconnect project will be the cryo treated PA-02 wire fitted with 1877Phono ZSP4 RCA plugs. Hopefully I don't get too side tracked and actually have a finished cable by the end of the weekend. The wire is just a twisted pair with an outer braid shield, so not much soldering involved, but I'm undecided about fully floating the outer braided shield (my typical preference), or attaching it to the (-) return at the source end.

Other than that, fitment should be pretty straightforward, though this wire does only just barely fit inside the ZSP4's outer barrel. The wire is pretty stiff, which is atypical for cryo treated stuff, usually that makes wire far more supple and flexible, if it did in this case then the pre-cryo treated PA-2 must be a real bear. Hopefully it won't fight me too much.
 
A good long time ago I had intended to post in this thread, but like many other things, this DIY interconnect cable project was put away in plastic snap bins and somewhat forgotten about. Sometimes the best intentions... well, you know the drill.

On this grey Saturday morning in NY, with rain increasingly a threat throughout the weekend, I pulled out those bins and am pretty committed to making something.

Wire choices range from tried/true inexpensive Mogami Neglex W2549 (in blue or red), with Canare F-10 RCAs, to the rather more pricey/exotic Oyaide PA-02, a piece I bought some years ago from the late Lee Weiland at Cryo-Parts, it's been deep immersion cryo treated.

PA-02 is very fat diameter wire, something I didn't pay enough attention to when I first bought it. Over time I did acquire various RCAs that will accommodate it's 8mm girth, including ETI Bullet Plugs, Keith Eichmann's newer KLE Innovations Copper Harmony Plugs, and the Zavfino 1877Phono ZSP4.

View attachment 7844

I think another budget cable using the Mogami wire and Canare RCAs is too boring, been there done that, super excellent value for money but not what I want after cracking open these bins. Instead I think it's time to put that long dormant piece of PA-02 to use.

I've also been there done that with the Eichmann plugs, and while I love their low-mass design and sound too (probably the most neutral plugs I've ever used), I bought those 1877Phono plugs wanting to give something from that brand a try. They have a lot of really nice stuff, perhaps our resident phono enthusiasts know this brand well?

I know little about them other than they are based in Nova Scotia. I've seen online mentions of their stuff being made in Japan, or Taiwan, neither of which were definitive references for me. Nova Scotia does seem a bit off the beaten path for a phono parts manufacturer, but I don't rule out the stuff is actually made there.

So the DIY interconnect project will be the cryo treated PA-02 wire fitted with 1877Phono ZSP4 RCA plugs. Hopefully I don't get too side tracked and actually have a finished cable by the end of the weekend. The wire is just a twisted pair with an outer braid shield, so not much soldering involved, but I'm undecided about fully floating the outer braided shield (my typical preference), or attaching it to the (-) return at the source end.

Other than that, fitment should be pretty straightforward, though this wire does only just barely fit inside the ZSP4's outer barrel. The wire is pretty stiff, which is atypical for cryo treated stuff, usually that makes wire far more supple and flexible, if it did in this case then the pre-cryo treated PA-2 must be a real bear. Hopefully it won't fight me too much.

Very interested in how this turns out. :)
 
Well things are coming along but I've begun to 2nd guess my choice of the ZSP4 RCAs for this cable.

While they do (barely) have the needed 8mm barrel opening needed to accommodate the PA-02 wire, the strain relief clamp is decidedly too small to really grab wire that fat, it does not begin to reach all the way around to the top for proper clamping:

PA-02.jpg

I guess if I bend the teeth in at a right angle they will then bite into the outer jacketing sufficient for better strain relief than I'm currently getting, but something tells me to abort and use the ETI Bullet plugs on this wire instead, they use 2 set screws for the strain relief.
 
Well things are coming along but I've begun to 2nd guess my choice of the ZSP4 RCAs for this cable.

While they do (barely) have the needed 8mm barrel opening needed to accommodate the PA-02 wire, the strain relief clamp is decidedly too small to really grab wire that fat, it does not begin to reach all the way around to the top for proper clamping:

View attachment 7861

I guess if I bend the teeth in at a right angle they will then bite into the outer jacketing sufficient for better strain relief than I'm currently getting, but something tells me to abort and use the ETI Bullet plugs on this wire instead, they use 2 set screws for the strain relief.

That is some fat cable.
 
That is some fat cable.
Turns out too fat for that strain relief clamp on the 1877Phono ZSP4 RCAs, I bailed on them today, they'll have to be used with something else. I don't know why I even soldered them yesterday, just more work in undoing things, but at least I only did one channel yesterday.

Today after removing the ZSP4 RCAs, I fitted some old style ETI Copper Bullet Plugs. I'm happy to finally use these too, I can't even estimate how long I've had them, their packaging has a 2007 date on it but I know it hasn't been that long, thats probably when that particular product version was launched.

The finished outcome is very nice, the dual set screw strain relief on these RCAs works perfectly with the Oyaide PA-02 wire:

PA-02-Bullet.jpg

Now I'll connect to my system and put some music on repeat for a burn-in period, before judging the sound of this American cryo treated Japanese OCC wire paired with Australian RCAs in DIY fashion.
 
Turns out too fat for that strain relief clamp on the 1877Phono ZSP4 RCAs, I bailed on them today, they'll have to be used with something else. I don't know why I even soldered them yesterday, just more work in undoing things, but at least I only did one channel yesterday.

Today after removing the ZSP4 RCAs, I fitted some old style ETI Copper Bullet Plugs. I'm happy to finally use these too, I can't even estimate how long I've had them, their packaging has a 2007 date on it but I know it hasn't been that long, thats probably when that particular product version was launched.

The finished outcome is very nice, the dual set screw strain relief on these RCAs works perfectly with the Oyaide PA-02 wire:

View attachment 7869

Now I'll connect to my system and put some music on repeat for a burn-in period, before judging the sound of this American cryo treated Japanese OCC wire paired with Australian RCAs in DIY fashion.

Nice looking finished product. :)

You do very high quality work. :)
 
I'm thinking about making some RCAs as my next project and am looking for suggestions.

Anything you have to offer is welcome, the only criteria are good (or, even better, great) sound and reasonable (or at least not crazy) cost.

So, what have you got for me?

Thanks in advance.
 
i've had good luck w making them out of duelund
i use the switchcraft connectors
 
Here’s some cables I made a while back.

Costs were kept in check by buying surplus and reclaimed Belden coaxial cable, and haunting eBay for below-retail Belden ProSNS connectors and tools.

The Belden 1694 and 1505 coaxial cables are popular in hi-fi circles, owing in no small part to their use by Blue Jeans Cable, but my nickel-plated compression connectors put the nix on any sort of audiophile pretensions.

They feel good, they look good, I expect them to hold up pretty well, they pass signal, and all-told, they cost me less than a decent lunch. I’ll punt on the question of how they sound.
 
Thanks fellows, this is exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for.


Is Parts Connexion your source for this stuff? If so, any issues with getting it shipped to U.S.?
I have used a LOT of Duelund and yes, PC is the place to get it. I ordered 10M of the double run of 12g stuff last week and it shipped from Canada to me in Kansas in 2-days. Faster than most domestic suppliers. 100% recommended.

I also have made ICs from Duelund 20ga... it's really nice. I also used Switchcraft plugs like in the Jeff Day articles.

- Woody
 
i've had good luck w making them out of duelund
i use the switchcraft connectors

I'll second the Duelund as use in interconnect cables.

 
I see 75 Ohm coax cable has already been mentioned and that is what I have used in the past (along with the el cheapo RCAs Amazon sells that are similar to the old Rat Shack Gold connectors, if Im not going "gung ho" with "single point" connectors like the Silver Bullet RCAs then I dont care, yes I realize the Amazon connectors are "gold" plated brass and for that matter the gold plating is probably not even real gold, woohoo). I think shielding is very important for analog interconnects and this stuff is excellent for that(solid foil shield and braided shield). I did not use the Belden Cable that John Frum mentions (and that Blue Jeans uses) but rather some older Audioquest Videoquest MAC 3-1. Audioquest no longer appears to sell this type of cable, but in addition to the Belden models mentioned, here is another option from Canare.


Having said that, I have never been able to discern differences (and have done tons and tons and tons of interconnect comparisons back when I was recording) in analog interconnects other than silver vs. copper (I prefer copper). When presented with blind A/B tests (I recorded my stereo swapping interconnects then would have friend blind AB test me), I learned that I could not distinguish bw el cheapo interconnects (as in $3 but with "Japan" stamped on one of the RCA connectors) and Harmonic Tech Truthlink II single crystal interconnects or Audiotruth's TOTL copper interconnects from the mid 90s, Emeraldx3. This is opposite to the conclusions I had drawn when I knew what was what, amazing how that works! :). But YMMV of course and you may have much better ears and stereo than me. My newest system "next, next levelled" my previous system that I compared interconnects on and now I find myself open once again to the idea that I might be able to hear interconnect (and speaker cable) differences. Actually all my nicer interconnects (and my Amazon connnectors and what Mac 3-1 cable I had left) recently got ripped off so I just bought a few nicer interconnects and will reeavaluate (compare to the el cheapo Ive been running) if I can hear differences in interconnects with my new system. Have fun.
 

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I've built a number of DIY recipes.
My two favorites are
1) VH-Audio fine silver wire using his cotton insulated wire spiraled around his foamed teflon tubing. Silver Interconnect
2) VH-Audio using his V-Twist V-Twist
I like these RCAs as they are easy to solder, low mass and have a nice grommet strain relief. KLE
My other go to RCAs are the Neutrik Pro-Fi RCAs. Pro-Fi

I do not have bat like hearing so there are probably subtleties that are lost on me.
 
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