DIY Patch cables

[NYListens]

I read through the DIY speaker cable threads and I was wondering if one can use the same materials for patch cables and stick on RCA connectors instead of banana pugs.

[gmilitano]

You could. But IMO, interconnect cables work best with thin wire and some sort of shielding or a drain.

Here is a simple DIY interconnect cable design (http://diyaudioprojects.com/Power/diySilver/) that I have seen used a few times now. It should also work well using thin plain copper wires that you can salvage from cat5 cables. It uses a drain.

Let us know how you make out.

[totem]

Thanks for the link,
ever notice how chokes seem to have been used all the time
some years ago, then disappeared.
They were used in the example on your link.

[NYListens]

Thanks for the link,
ever notice how chokes seem to have been used all the time
some years ago, then disappeared.
They were used in the example on your link.

I am curious if anyone has done actual studies on if high-end cables actually make a difference? Despite what I have read on hear, I am not totally sold on the idea. If there is a difference, then surely someone with good ears (and not everyone can descriminate subtle differences in sound) should be able to tell in a blind test.

[NYListens]

You could. But IMO, interconnect cables work best with thin wire and some sort of shielding or a drain.

Here is a simple DIY interconnect cable design (http://diyaudioprojects.com/Power/diySilver/) that I have seen used a few times now. It should also work well using thin plain copper wires that you can salvage from cat5 cables. It uses a drain.

Let us know how you make out.


Neat project. Here is another forum with a similar project with cat
5 and RCA patch cables (but for a car):

http://www.blazinlow.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=19255&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

[whoaru99]

Plain old shielded twisted pair works fine.

As does pretty much any type of coaxial cable. If you don't want to use some sort of crimper, then be sure the coaxial cable has copper braid and copper core so you can solder to the plug.

[gmilitano]

I am curious if anyone has done actual studies on if high-end cables actually make a difference? Despite what I have read on hear, I am not totally sold on the idea. If there is a difference, then surely someone with good ears (and not everyone can descriminate subtle differences in sound) should be able to tell in a blind test.

Basically, it boils down to L, C, R, dielectric and shielding. Some systems like high C others don't and so on. What cables work best for you will be dependent on your system. IMO, cables will provide little improvement to sound relative to upgrades to your speakers, amp and source.

[NYListens]

Basically, it boils down to L, C, R, dielectric and shielding. Some systems like high C others don't and so on. What cables work best for you will be dependent on your system. IMO, cables will provide little improvement to sound relative to upgrades to your speakers, amp and source.


What is L, C, R? Left center right? I just need some patch cables and thought it would be neat to build my own. However, your point on upgrading speakers, amp, etc should be well taken by all.

[whoaru99]

L, C, R = inductance, capacitance, and resistance, respectively.

Those are the properties that basically define a cable's electrical performance.

IMO, the perfect cable would have 0 inductance, 0 capacitance, and 0 resistance. So, by that logic, cables with the lowest values of each should do the least harm to the audio signal. That's what it's all about in my book.

[ShaneC]

What is L, C, R? Left center right? I just need some patch cables and thought it would be neat to build my own. However, your point on upgrading speakers, amp, etc should be well taken by all.

L - Inductance
C - Capacitance
R - Resistance

IMHO, cables are a weird topic 'round here. Crappy cables make for crappy sound, be it noise interference or signal degradation, dissimilar metals leading to corrosion and poor connections, and any other number of things.

Normal cables (ie. Not "crappy") make for "better" sound, but how much better and how different will it sound based on different well constructed cables? That's a whole different discussion and found quite often in the Thinking Out Loud section of the forums.

There's a post in TOL about DIY interconnects using Quadstar (?) Cable. Something I may try at a later point...as well as CAT5 based.

[NYListens]

L, C, R = inductance, capacitance, and resistance, respectively.

Those are the properties that basically define a cable's electrical performance.

IMO, the perfect cable would have 0 inductance, 0 capacitance, and 0 resistance. So, by that logic, cables with the lowest values of each should do the least harm to the audio signal. That's what it's all about in my book.

Thanks

[chasaboo]

Cat5 makes for great cables and it's so cheap, basically free as this stuff keeps accumulating as people pull out older cables or have leftovers from installs. I got a bunch of it from work when the company installing had leftovers they were simply going to throw away.

Some nice plugs and away you go for cheap. Oh, and yeah, cables = snake oil for sure. :thmbsp:

[NYListens]

Cat5 makes for great cables and it's so cheap, basically free as this stuff keeps accumulating as people pull out older cables or have leftovers from installs. I got a bunch of it from work when the company installing had leftovers they were simply going to throw away.

Some nice plugs and away you go for cheap. Oh, and yeah, cables = snake oil for sure. :thmbsp:

Ok, I made them and they work. I really don't see any dramatic difference between them an standard RCA jack cables. But, it was fun to make them and I needed them. I have another set to make tonight and will post a photo if I can.

[OldRelayer]

The DIY SILVER RCA INTERCONNECT CABLES linked to in this thread seems easy enough to construct. Is there a polarity when using this cable for connecting a turntable to a preamp? I am thinking the shield should be connected to the ground on the preamp side. It may make no difference but I don't know if that is true. Has anyone used this cable for that application and might know or if you are just smart and might know. I want the cable to be very short and I am told it almost doesn't matter at 6", but I still want the best possible connection without spending stupid money. Where is the best place to get supplies for this little project? Is silver that much better than copper, I have copper?

Thanks,
Barry