DIY Speaker Cables / Connectors

alucididea

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.

alucididea

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

Email him he offers a discount to members here. Give him your handle here and what you are looking at.

delkal

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.

FestYboy

2 words: Silver solder

That will fix your issues @delkal in regard to oxidation.

F1nut

Bare wire sucks. Besides after removing an inch a year for 10 years at each end you've lost 20 inches!

tonyb

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.

delkal

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

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

rpf65

https://www.thecableco.com/1010-spade-set-of-4.html

You want inexpensive-here you go

helipilotdoug

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.

alucididea

helipilotdoug wrote: »

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

helipilotdoug wrote: »

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

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.

machone

Never though about sealing the joint

pitdogg2

machone wrote: »

Never though about sealing the joint

ALWAYS seal it up.

mpitogo

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.

alucididea

mpitogo wrote: »

Bi-wired with ~5ga effective total.

Basically the same exact bi-wire I’m doing. All 14 awg, right?

mpitogo

@alucididea yes 8ft Canare 4S11 Star Quad black jacket with 45deg spades on both ends bi-wired to RB-1590 and LSiM707.

alucididea

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

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.

pitdogg2

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

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.

alucididea

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...