 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
In Reply to: "Yet Another Home Depot" recommendation by TAS(long) posted by PeAK on April 17, 2004 at 08:25:21:
In about a week or so I will be getting the rest of the supplies I will need to build a 10' pair of the THHN 6 gauge cable from HD. I will directly compare the HD cables (see below for how I will be constructing them) with my current reference, a 10' bi-wire set of the CC89259 terminated with Furutech solderless spades (VH Audio sells them). I just recently updraded my front three HT/music system speakers. With the Furutech spades I must say the CC89259 cables are incredible in my system. Due to the low parts cost ($65 including shipping and sales tax) for a 10' HD 6 ga. pair, the ease of construction and minimal time to build a DIY set of these cables I could not resist trying them.Contruction and parts details:
* Twisted pair (pink for positive lead and black for negative lead)
* Using Vampire RG6 spades (6 gauge spades that is gold plate over pure copper).
* Spades soldered using Cardas Quad Eutectic solder.
* The twisted pair will be heat shrunk the entire twist length with polyolefin heatshrink.
* Teflon wrapped then polyolefin heatshrink used to seal the connectors from air.
* I will dress the cables up with black techflex. Actually the finished cables will look like a thicker version of the CC89259. At least they will look cool and if I do not like them I will give them away as a gift!
I will run the new HD cables on a FryCleaner for a week continously before inserting into the system, then I will let them play 24/7 a few days before experimenting with them. I will compare them in a non-biwired setup, bi-wired setup, matched with the CC89259 with one on HF and the other on LF and then swapped. I am very curious if the two cables used together will have timing differences vs non-mixing them. I will test with varying types of music and HT.
As an FYI for those of you that are not famailiar with the HD 6 and 8 gauge THHN wire, they are sold as a single conductor wire. They are available in four colors, an off white, pink, black and green. My local HD (Bay Area, N. Ca) charges .25/ft. for 8 gauge and .43/ft for the 6 gauge. The wire is very stiff but can be molded into a shape. 19 thick gauge solid core copper conductors tightly wound and bound with probably PVC jacket then a nylon jacket.
The above wire will be tested in my main setup consisting of all Madrigal Audio Labs SS gear (mainly Proceed). I will list the cables and associated other accessories and gear used when I post my experimental findings noted above.
cdc
Follow Ups:
I will be following your plan, which sounds like a good one to me.
In the interest of simpflying the experiment, it would be good to keep the number of variables down by eliminating complexities in the construction of the cable.In theory, the simplest version would be to just twist two runs and attach the bare copper ends on each side to your amp/speakers. Done deal.
The problems I see with your "pretty" cables are:
- Pink and black insulation will lead to differences in copper and insulation. Might be a bad thing or a good thing. You can still go your route, but try playing your system in "monophonic" and build an all black run to one speaker...then an all pink run and listen. Then, try a mixed run...we might find some interesting info but we need the first two datapoints.
- Are you going to solder your spades with a blowtorch ? As Jon mentioned...6 gauge is probably already overkill...try the 8 gauge...you will not need spades.
- Polyolefin will intoduce another dielectric into the mix. Try without first and if microphonics is somehow tracked down to be the the issue...apply heatshrink.
- For same reasons hold off on the techflex.
This is beginning to sound like DBT testing with the ambiguity of test results confounded by setup. As you know...one of that here :)
PeAK
I have to use spades unless I form a spade or a "U" from the bare wire. My binding posts are Cardas posts, no holes to place the wire through to clamp down on. Especially with the stiffness and thickness of the wire the only way I can figure out how to accomplish a air tight connection to a binding post would be with a spade. I will be using a 140 watt solder gun (next closest thing to a blow torch..lol) to solder the spade.I dissagree regarding using bare wire for several reasons, for which I do not have time at the moment to get into. Techflex "may" affect the sonics of the cable, then it may not. Need to run off to work, will discuss this thread later...
cdc
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
