DIY Speaker Cables Take 2
stangman67
Posts: 2,292
Hey All,
Building boutique style cables has become quite a hobby of mine. About a year back I built these cables using some basic belden cable and some sheathing and bananas. They turned out great and are being utilized in my HT setup with my LSI15's and LSC.
Now that I am putting together a simple bedroom 2 channel setup, I decided to build another set, but go a little further than my first set. The equipment in this setup will be a squeezebox touch, an Emotiva Mini X a-100, and some polk monitor 40's for now. I started the cables with some Canare 4s star quad wire, some viablue sheathing, viablue splitters, shrink wrap and some awesome GLS locking bananas. Unfortunately I didn't get sent the correct amount of sheathing so I was only able to complete one cable today. More is on the way.
The process is as follows if anyone wants to replicate what I did.
Start by feeding the wire through the sleeving and taping it off where you want to split the wires.
After cutting the sleeving, and cutting the wire stuffing, twist the pos and neg wires as shown.
Then put shrink wrap over the wires and shrink it down a bit.
Then install the splitter which is quite self explanatory so I won't go into detail.
After the splitter is installed, strip the ends and finish the heat shrink. And then terminate as you choose. I highly recommend these GLS bananas.
And one completed cable!
In the end I think the cable turned out great, and look much nicer than my first set. In the end I will have invested right around 100 for both cables, and I certainly got the boutique look I was aiming for, as well as the great sound of the Canare wire. Let me know what you guys think.
Building boutique style cables has become quite a hobby of mine. About a year back I built these cables using some basic belden cable and some sheathing and bananas. They turned out great and are being utilized in my HT setup with my LSI15's and LSC.
Now that I am putting together a simple bedroom 2 channel setup, I decided to build another set, but go a little further than my first set. The equipment in this setup will be a squeezebox touch, an Emotiva Mini X a-100, and some polk monitor 40's for now. I started the cables with some Canare 4s star quad wire, some viablue sheathing, viablue splitters, shrink wrap and some awesome GLS locking bananas. Unfortunately I didn't get sent the correct amount of sheathing so I was only able to complete one cable today. More is on the way.
The process is as follows if anyone wants to replicate what I did.
Start by feeding the wire through the sleeving and taping it off where you want to split the wires.
After cutting the sleeving, and cutting the wire stuffing, twist the pos and neg wires as shown.
Then put shrink wrap over the wires and shrink it down a bit.
Then install the splitter which is quite self explanatory so I won't go into detail.
After the splitter is installed, strip the ends and finish the heat shrink. And then terminate as you choose. I highly recommend these GLS bananas.
And one completed cable!
In the end I think the cable turned out great, and look much nicer than my first set. In the end I will have invested right around 100 for both cables, and I certainly got the boutique look I was aiming for, as well as the great sound of the Canare wire. Let me know what you guys think.
2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius
Post edited by stangman67 on
Comments
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Very nice! Great looking cables. Now the test, send them to me for review! :cheesygrin:--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
Look'n good! Nice Job!Sunfire Theater Grand IV
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature
SRS 2.1TL
SDA 2BTL's
CSiA6
FXiA4
FXiA6
SDA 2A's
Monitor 10A's
http://www.douglasconnection.com -
damn man you got skills... wow..
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stangman67 wrote: »Hey All,
Building boutique style cables has become quite a hobby of mine. About a year back I built these cables using some basic belden cable and some sheathing and bananas. They turned out great and are being utilized in my HT setup with my LSI15's and LSC.
Now that I am putting together a simple bedroom 2 channel setup, I decided to build another set, but go a little further than my first set. The equipment in this setup will be a squeezebox touch, an Emotiva Mini X a-100, and some polk monitor 40's for now. I started the cables with some Canare 4s star quad wire, some viablue sheathing, viablue splitters, shrink wrap and some awesome GLS locking bananas. Unfortunately I didn't get sent the correct amount of sheathing so I was only able to complete one cable today. More is on the way.
The process is as follows if anyone wants to replicate what I did.
Start by feeding the wire through the sleeving and taping it off where you want to split the wires.
After cutting the sleeving, and cutting the wire stuffing, twist the pos and neg wires as shown.
Then put shrink wrap over the wires and shrink it down a bit.
Then install the splitter which is quite self explanatory so I won't go into detail.
After the splitter is installed, strip the ends and finish the heat shrink. And then terminate as you choose. I highly recommend these GLS bananas.
And one completed cable!
In the end I think the cable turned out great, and look much nicer than my first set. In the end I will have invested right around 100 for both cables, and I certainly got the boutique look I was aiming for, as well as the great sound of the Canare wire. Let me know what you guys think.
how long are these? -
how long did it take you to make these?
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Thanks guys. @Camaro, I don't have any crazy skills, just some patience and a goal! That is all it takes, same as with any DIY project. And they are 7ft each, each one takes me about 30 minutes from start to finish. I like to take my time2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius -
how fast is that stang of yours?? i have a camaro ss that would love to run lol
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It's pretty quick. It's a 67 coupe, Keith Craft Small Block, Tremec T-5Z tranny. I'm guessing yours is a late model, so I'd be toast. It's quick but most modern muscle will kill it2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius -
mine was a 1999, but sold it to buy a c5 z06. however, that one is also gone lol
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Wish I still had my first car. A '71 Camaro.--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
I see you doubled up your "run?" What's the final gage? 10? 12?Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED, Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga: LCR mids “Foamed & Plugged**”, inside* & out
8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out
*soldered **Rob the Man (Xschop) LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & Mids - 981, connected w/Monoprice Premiere ICs
Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s -
Yea I did. It's a star quad wire and I have no reason to biwire my speakers. The wire diameter of each is 14 so that makes final diameter equivalent to about 11 gauge.2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius -
@ Stangman its probably closer to 10 since with stranded wire you cant ever really get rid of all the air pockets in it
. Really cool looking wire. Been planning on making my own for a long time just waiting on the funds to come through which they should on Friday . "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Thanks Stang for posting this. Bookmarked this thread so if/when I get the time I can give it a shot.b]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet -
The 4S11 is definitely a solid cable for making your own high-quality speaker cables on the cheap. Blue Jeans Cables sells it, if anyone is interested. I've looked into it in the past, and it is hard to find in an unterminated form on eBay. :rolleyes:
Anyway, great cables, stangman. I've been wanting to make my won set for a long time; I've just never quite gotten around to it. -
Yup, blue jeans is great and I generally buy my stuff from them. This time around I ordered from Martertek just because of the closeness to my current location. Great service from them2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave
2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius -
Very nice cables !
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Here is a guy who lives near me in Austin that has all the needed components to build your own at reasonable prices http://www.douglasconnection.com/
Great work my friend!"Thats great... but how does it sound"
http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/
http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_burgin_mcdaniel_komit/
Yamaha RX-A820 (networked with wireless bridge), Carver M-1.0t, Carver TFM-35, Carver C-1, Polk SDA1c's (x2 pair), Polk RTA 8tl's, Polk RTA 11tl's, Polk Monitor 5, Polk CS 400, Polk PSW 650, Rega Planar 3, Sony DVPNC555ES SACD/DVD, Panny 65" Plasma, Roku
2007 Tundra 5.7 TRD DC
Pioneer DEH-80PRS
Polk SR6500
SI BM 12" subs
Zed Gladius
Zed Deuce -
I guess it all depends on what reasonable prices means, I sure did not see any reasonable prices on the douglasconnection website.
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I guess it all depends on what reasonable prices means, I sure did not see any reasonable prices on the douglasconnection website.
My assumption would be he was refering to buying the connectors and wire from him to build your own. Also this is a fellow Polk members site (helipilotdoug) so buy with confidence.
He's got good stuff and I know a couple folks very happy with his cables."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I guess it all depends on what reasonable prices means, I sure did not see any reasonable prices on the douglasconnection website.
Try the DIY section.:biggrin:"Thats great... but how does it sound"
http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/
http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_burgin_mcdaniel_komit/
Yamaha RX-A820 (networked with wireless bridge), Carver M-1.0t, Carver TFM-35, Carver C-1, Polk SDA1c's (x2 pair), Polk RTA 8tl's, Polk RTA 11tl's, Polk Monitor 5, Polk CS 400, Polk PSW 650, Rega Planar 3, Sony DVPNC555ES SACD/DVD, Panny 65" Plasma, Roku
2007 Tundra 5.7 TRD DC
Pioneer DEH-80PRS
Polk SR6500
SI BM 12" subs
Zed Gladius
Zed Deuce
