DIY Speaker Cables / Connectors

So I’m putting together my own speaker cables and looking for some decently priced connectors. I was looking at some Furutech hardware (FP-201R & FP-202R), but I don’t really think I want to spend almost $300 to terminate my cables. Does anyone have any experience with either Vampire Wire or Viborg connectors?

Needing 8 spades that fit 14ga wire and 4 banana plugs that fit 8ga wire. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Comments

  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    DSkip wrote: »
    Contact Doug at Douglas connection and see what he has. He is a member here and can help guide you.
    I just looked over his inventory and everything he has will put me around $250+. Thanks, but that’s pushing my budget a bit.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,480
    Email him he offers a discount to members here. Give him your handle here and what you are looking at.
  • delkal
    delkal Posts: 764
    edited April 2018
    I don't want to turn this into another power cable thread but IMO speaker terminations are for CONVENIENCE not for improving sound. Yes I know bare wire leads can eventually oxidize and potentially screw up the sound........so cut off one inch a year! Hook the shiny new wires directly to the speaker post. Thats as good as it gets. Why hook the shiny wires to another connector that will eventually oxidize too (but you can't see it so you think its good). It seems to me that unless you are constantly swapping components daily or weekly, for $300 I can live with a little inconvenience.

    If you don't want to spend $20 per spade for the Futuretech terminations how about $2 per (shipped). I know the $20 ones are rhodium plated and alpha copper (whatever that is) but you can slum a bit and just get gold plated regular copper.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Pcs-Red-Copper-Speaker-Cable-Spade-Connector-Terminal-Plug-Adapter-USA/173107810577?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649




    Ok guys I have my asbestos pants on and just popped a beer.............let me have it.

    Post edited by delkal on
  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    2 words: Silver solder

    That will fix your issues @delkal in regard to oxidation.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,709
    Bare wire sucks. Besides after removing an inch a year for 10 years at each end you've lost 20 inches!
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    F1nut wrote: »
    Bare wire sucks. Besides after removing an inch a year for 10 years at each end you've lost 20 inches!

    Hey now, all this talk about losing inches is not allowed, not now, not ever. :) Gotta go hug my buddy now dang it.
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  • delkal
    delkal Posts: 764
    edited April 2018
    F1nut wrote: »
    Bare wire sucks. Besides after removing an inch a year for 10 years at each end you've lost 20 inches!

    I didn't pay $300 for 20 inches of speaker wire...........

    OK, You really don't have to cut off an inch or do it every year. So lets say a squirt of deoxit and a reconnect every year. Then cut off a bit every 5-10 years. You should probably do this for any termination you put on anyway unless it is soldered and shrink wrapped.

    Why do you think a bare wire connection sucks? Is it just the potential oxidation?
  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    delkal wrote: »
    I don't want to turn this into another power cable thread but IMO speaker terminations are for CONVENIENCE not for improving sound. Yes I know bare wire leads can eventually oxidize and potentially screw up the sound........so cut off one inch a year! Hook the shiny new wires directly to the speaker post. Thats as good as it gets. Why hook the shiny wires to another connector that will eventually oxidize too (but you can't see it so you think its good). It seems to me that unless you are constantly swapping components daily or weekly, for $300 I can live with a little inconvenience.

    If you don't want to spend $20 per spade for the Futuretech terminations how about $2 per (shipped). I know the $20 ones are rhodium plated and alpha copper (whatever that is) but you can slum a bit and just get gold plated regular copper.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Pcs-Red-Copper-Speaker-Cable-Spade-Connector-Terminal-Plug-Adapter-USA/173107810577?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649




    Ok guys I have my asbestos pants on and just popped a beer.............let me have it.
    So I’m needing connectors because I’m building cables with sheaths. I definitely don’t want to end up having to cut into them over the years. Cleaning the connectors is a much better option. :-)

    Included are some pictures and some info:
    Pair of bi-wire cables just about 5m long
    Each cable consists of 8 strands of 14ga OFC
    Simple Parallel geometry
    All I have left to do is attach connectors and put my big sheath on and I’m ready to break these in.

    Connecting LSIM 707s to an NAD M22

    8gbp0f8dd2q1.jpeg
    io90rrb71jsi.jpeg

  • helipilotdoug
    helipilotdoug Posts: 1,229
    alucididea wrote: »
    Each cable consists of 8 strands of 14ga OFC

    Got your email Jason and will get back to you in the morning. That's some big speaker cable you are making! 8 strands of 14 gauge wire equals 5 AWG.
    Sunfire Theater Grand IV
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    http://www.douglasconnection.com
  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    alucididea wrote: »
    Each cable consists of 8 strands of 14ga OFC

    Got your email Jason and will get back to you in the morning. That's some big speaker cable you are making! 8 strands of 14 gauge wire equals 5 AWG.
    Correction, 8 individual strands or 4 paired strands. (14ga speaker wire x 4)

  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    alucididea wrote: »
    Each cable consists of 8 strands of 14ga OFC

    Got your email Jason and will get back to you in the morning. That's some big speaker cable you are making! 8 strands of 14 gauge wire equals 5 AWG.
    My brain hurts tonight. Lol
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,709
    edited April 2018
    delkal wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    Bare wire sucks. Besides after removing an inch a year for 10 years at each end you've lost 20 inches!

    I didn't pay $300 for 20 inches of speaker wire...........

    OK, You really don't have to cut off an inch or do it every year. So lets say a squirt of deoxit and a reconnect every year. Then cut off a bit every 5-10 years. You should probably do this for any termination you put on anyway unless it is soldered and shrink wrapped.

    Why do you think a bare wire connection sucks? Is it just the potential oxidation?

    Shoving wire inside the hole of a binding post isn't the best connection due to lack of contact area. High quality bananas have more contact area. Insert the wire into the open end and use silver solder to make the joint. Then apply adhesive heat shrink to seal the joint.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • machone
    machone Posts: 1,471
    Never though about sealing the joint
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,480
    machone wrote: »
    Never though about sealing the joint

    ALWAYS seal it up.
  • mpitogo
    mpitogo Posts: 475
    Check out Blue Jeans Cable for connectors. They have nice quality low cost models. BJC also uses ultrasonic cold welding to fuse bare wire on to their spades or plugs when you buy their cables. It’s pretty neat.

    Bi-wired with ~5ga effective total.
    ag8wy5je8t1e.jpeg
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  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    mpitogo wrote: »
    Bi-wired with ~5ga effective total.
    Basically the same exact bi-wire I’m doing. All 14 awg, right?
  • mpitogo
    mpitogo Posts: 475
    edited April 2018
    @alucididea yes 8ft Canare 4S11 Star Quad black jacket with 45deg spades on both ends bi-wired to RB-1590 and LSiM707.
    • Living Room Music-2.0 Polk Legend L800 | McIntosh C70 | McIntosh MA5200 (Treble) | McIntosh MC452 (Bass) | Sublimeacoustic K231 Active xover | Denon DP-2500A | Denafrips Ares II | Belkin Soundform Connect | iPad Air USB to DAC
    • Media Room Ht-7.2.6/13.1 (Atmos/Auro-3D) Polk LSiM707, LSiM706c, LSiM702 F/X [x4], height LSiM703 [x6], HSU VTF-15H MK2 Dual | Marantz AV8805A | Rotel RB-1590 (L/R) | Appollon NC500 11ch | Sony UBP-X800 | AppleTV 4K | JVC RS2100
    • Game Room-5.1 Polk LSi25, LSiC, LSiF/X | Marantz SR7009 | AppleTV 4K | Xbox One S | Sony PS2, PS3 | Nintendo Wii | Gaming PC | Sony 75" LCD
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    • Daughter's Bedroom 1-2.0 TBD Martin Logan Forte
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    • Maintenance: Pro-Ject VC-S Record Cleaning Machine
  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    mpitogo wrote: »
    @alucididea yes 8ft Canare 4S11 Star Quad black jacket with 45deg spades on both ends bi-wired to RB-1590 and LSiM707.
    Aren’t you concerned you’re overpowering at all? 707s are rated for 300w and you’re pushing a continuous 350w...
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    alucididea wrote: »
    mpitogo wrote: »
    @alucididea yes 8ft Canare 4S11 Star Quad black jacket with 45deg spades on both ends bi-wired to RB-1590 and LSiM707.
    Aren’t you concerned you’re overpowering at all? 707s are rated for 300w and you’re pushing a continuous 350w...

    No....it's almost impossible to overpower a speaker. Amps don't throw out their rated power as soon as you turn them on. Amplifiers store power, for when needed. Like always though, you need to concern yourself with that pesky volume dial. That's where people usually run into trouble.
    HT SYSTEM-
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    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
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    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,480
    alucididea wrote: »
    mpitogo wrote: »
    @alucididea yes 8ft Canare 4S11 Star Quad black jacket with 45deg spades on both ends bi-wired to RB-1590 and LSiM707.
    Aren’t you concerned you’re overpowering at all? 707s are rated for 300w and you’re pushing a continuous 350w...

    you are FAR more likely to damage speakers by using under powered gear from clipped signal's. That is where the real damage occurs. Better to have too much power than not enough as you're not using all the power all the time. you'd be hearing impaired pretty quick.
    Just because an amp can produce 1000 WPC as TonyB said that is not happening unless you bury the volume knob. That is why there is such a thing.
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,521
    Make sure you use the larger spades; many speakers, including my PSB's have the larger diameter binding posts. This will make your cable upgrade-proof.
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  • alucididea
    alucididea Posts: 113
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Make sure you use the larger spades; many speakers, including my PSB's have the larger diameter binding posts. This will make your cable upgrade-proof.
    Oh yeah. Ended up ordering the Furutech hardware in the end. It was my best option for expandable banana plugs and got the spades to match. FP-201G & FP-202G...