Can speaker cable be used as an IC

[panditji]

Are speaker wires and Interconnects different in construction? Can a same wire be used for either purpose?

I have Mogami 3103 speaker cables and since they are almost 2 feet extra, I was wondering if I could cut 2 feet from either cable and use them as interconnects... Does it make sense or are the wires different for either purpose?

 

[saikatbiswas82]

Are speaker wires and Interconnects different in construction? Can a same wire be used for either purpose?

I have Mogami 3103 speaker cables and since they are almost 2 feet extra, I was wondering if I could cut 2 feet from either cable and use them as interconnects... Does it make sense or are the wires different for either purpose?

ICs are generally coaxial cables. There are certain reasons for which this has to be coaxial for line level signals. AFAIK, the inside core carries the audio signal and the outer shell acts as shield as well as the ground reference for that sin waves.

So speakers cables are not best suited for that purpose even if they are twisted IMHO.

However if you ask whether speaker cables will work or not - yes they will work. But they are not recommended. Again IMHO.

 

[Audiodoc]

Electrically yes. Ideally no. Electrically any wire will do.
Speaker cables are generally 2 parallel conductors with mostly multistranded wire with a gauge selected depending upon speaker impedances and length of cables. Since the signals from the output of the power amplifier are higher current and voltage they are less likely to pick up stray electric disturbances.

On the other hand interconnects are generally coaxial wires or twisted pair wires. Coaxial ones have a shield which is connected to signal ground and amplifier ground while the central conducter or conducters carry the signal. This coaxial or twisted pair wire is less likely to pick stray disturbances as the signal strength prior to the power amplifier is low and any stray noise or hum picked up will get amplified due to the gain of the power amp stage.

 

[keith_correa]

The Mogami 3103 is a twisted pair so it will have decent noise rejection. Yes it can be used for an IC. Go right ahead and do it.

Yes, IC cable can be used as a speaker cable just as long as the gauge is adequate.

 

[jls001]

The 3103 is thick (12 AWG, IIRC). I see a practical problem in trying to squeeze in the leads inside the barrel of an RCA connector.

 

[panditji]

But in theory, it should work right? I just want to confirm before I cut off the cables...Without cutting the cable, I will try and squeeze it inside an RCA connector to ensure the fitment.....

 

[jls001]

Yes, it will work.

 

[panditji]

Silly question but still wanted to ask your opinions if it will it work better than an Audioquest King Cobra IC which I currently use or I will not be able to make out any difference?

https://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Kingcobra-audio-cable-stereo/dp/B000CEQFIA

 

[saikatbiswas82]

I think a normal copper coax might work as same. Just make sure that RCA leads are also made of copper and not brass.

However, there are so many cable believers and non-believers around the globe. So in order to hear the 'difference' you might have to check them side by side.

BTW, as of now I belong to 'hi end cable non believer' group.

Sent from a handheld device. Some typos might creep in.

 

[keith_correa]

The 3103 is thick (12 AWG, IIRC). I see a practical problem in trying to squeeze in the leads inside the barrel of an RCA connector.

Don't need the barrel. Mummify it with teflon tape.

Silly question but still wanted to ask your opinions if it will it work better than an Audioquest King Cobra IC which I currently use or I will not be able to make out any difference?

https://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Kingcobra-audio-cable-stereo/dp/B000CEQFIA

Hey, we're waiting for you to tell us that. :lol:

 

[MaSh]

But in theory, it should work right? I just want to confirm before I cut off the cables...Without cutting the cable, I will try and squeeze it inside an RCA connector to ensure the fitment.....

Extra length on a speaker makes itself useful somehow. Cutting the wire just to try out something that we all know will not match up to proper coaxial cables is pointless in my view. If for some reason it degrades the quality or adds distortion then you would end up with shorter speaker wires and a tiny length of wire that might not get used.

Just my thought, I am sure you have run your mind through this.

MaSh

Sent from my Redmi Note 3

 

[panditji]

My speaker placement will remain the same and the room will not change.. The extra bit was bothering me as they look untidy... Instead of tying the extra bit, I thought I might be able to convert them into ICs just to satisfy my curiosity and if it is better then that will be an added bonus....So let me conduct the experiment tomorrow and I will let you know what I think (I am a cable non believer) and I am hoping I prove myself right...

 

[jls001]

We await your subjective opinion on the sound of the 3013 as IC.

Whatever the outcome, this project elevates you directly into the stratospheric heights of the fearless and intrepid IC builder category

 

[panditji]

Hehehehe.. That is something to be proud of...

 

[keith_correa]

Hehehehe.. That is something to be proud of...

Of course! You get the privilege of breathing the hallowed and rarified air that the likes of jls001 breathe. And I mean that in a good way. I think.

You thought out of the ordinary, straight and narrow. Just for that, in my book, you win.

 

[harry123456]

Hi Panditji,

Yes the 3103 would work as an IC. It is something you can try out if you have spare cable lying around and you dont know what to do with it.

I dont see much benefit in doing so if you already have a good IC in place. The 3103 is not designed to be an interconnect cable and if it all i see a downgrade in the sound quality if it were to be used as an IC. Also getting to connect/solder the thick copper wire of the 3103 to the IC would be difficult IMHO.

Recently i experimented with few of the Mogami cables and here are my thoughts on what i experienced.

For the past few years i have been using a TDK studio cable in my system and never really felt the need to upgrade it. Sometime last year i heard some rave reviews of the Mogami 3103 and really wanted to try it out.

Sometime in august the bug bit me and i splurged and picked up the Mogami 3103 speaker cable, Mogami 2804 (Coaxial Speaker cable), Mogami 2803 RCA/phono interconnect (Coaxial again) Mogami 2549 Interconnect Cable and the Mogami 2964 Hi definition digital cable(75 ohm).

Now the test results:

Mogami 3103 Vs TDK : The Mogami 3103 somehow accentuates the Bass and was less resolving and appeared a bit dark and muddy with a bit rolled off highs compared to the TDK. Again to reiterate...its nice cable and anyone wont probably notice anything except an accentuated bass till you listen to some high end cable side by side.

Mogami 2804 (Coaxial Speaker Cable) : This improved the resolution even further(Compared to the TDK), and seemed very precise and balanced and things sounded just right. This cable matched the musicality of the TDK with a slight increase in clarity.

Mogami 2803 RCA/Phono Interconnect : I used this IC in my turntable and found it outperformed the other 2 ICs (In clarity and balance) i had used on my turntable earlier. However using this IC with the CD player and DAC , my ears did not perceive any noticeable difference compared to my older Siltech London Mxt Professional Series ICs.

Mogami 2497 RCA interconnect : Not yet terminated as haven't felt the need as i dont think it will in any way better the earlier ones.

Mogami 2964 Digital Cable (75 Ohm) : A wonderful cable at the price point and nothing that goes against it. I found it better than optical cable when connected from my CD player to DAC. Warm and engaging with a good resolution and soundstage.

These are my observations on my system. To be objective i had my kids listening to the cables wherein one speaker was connected to the TDK and other to the Mogami and a quick Change of balance from the amplifier from one speaker to the other when testing the speaker cables.

The same cables may sound better or less on some other system...because it is finally the synergy of the system as a whole that makes music.

Since the 3103 is primarily designed by Mogami to be used as a speaker cable and they have other (better) options to be used as ICs i dont think it will outperform any cable which has been designed for use as an IC cable.


Hope that helps.

Cheers.

Harry.

 

[panditji]

Thank you sir...you saved me a lot of effort and time...

 

[Otpidus]

From my hands on experience, I can say that the most important things are the connector surface quality with soldering quality. Lastly, if using a non shielded cable then adding a "Ferrite Bead" takes care of high frequency filtering thereby reducing the effect of the wire acting as an antenna. Happy DIY, Panditji.

 

[Fantastic]

Unshielded cable for low level signals isn't a good idea. It will pick up hum . Even twisted pair cables will not keep down hum levels to what you want. Shielded cables are essential. Even at line level signals like 1 or 2 volts you still need a shield. At low volume levels you may not hear the degradation easily but as the volume is increased you will hear the hum. When people struggle to improve signal to noise ratio's, using an unshielded cable for low level signals is like throwing away everything that's been achieved by the designer !

In addition to that thin wires in signal cables are good for wide bandwidth while speaker cables use much thicker strands of wire to handle current flow and reduce the dc resistance. So while its an interesting experiment , it's wasting good cable for a pointless experiment , AND you might just need that extra wire sometime in the future ! Tacking on an extra length isn't a good idea ! If it sounds good now, leave things as they are and make other arrangements to hide the extra cable !

Finally, it's your cable/money and so it's your call !

 

[panditji]

Taken the call and not tampering with anything for now.... Many thanks for the insights...cleared some important points for me...thanks all....