DIY Speaker Cables

[akstorm]

So I finally got the WArfedale Diamond 220 with the Marantz PM5004 connected to my MSI Ge-62 via a SMSL Sanskrit dac.

Now i want to make some Diy cables (the speakers are wired with some crap cables for now ), would be a good weekend project and would save me some money too. Now all the speaker cables i can find are double cables, what i want to make requires single cables. I could just use copper electric wire but then that won't be nice, so i was wondering if there is anywhere i can find single 16 Awg cables. Any idea where i can get them in bangalore/online?

Also are MX Banana plugs any good or should i look for better quality ones? Any suggestions?

 

[jls001]

Use 18 gauge transformer wires. Use some form of insulation (Teflon tubing or cotton tubing). Braid the two wires loosely (after inserting in tubing) for ease of cable management.

MX bananas are very good. Buy the coiled metal sheet type as it has inherent spring action for very secure connection.

I'm a happy user of the above DIY speaker cable recipe.

 

[aashish351]

Build a speaker cable using CAT 5 Ethernet cable. There are quite a few DIY projects based on that. Example: DIY Cat5 Speaker Cables

 

[akstorm]

Use 18 gauge transformer wires. Use some form of insulation (Teflon tubing or cotton tubing). Braid the two wires loosely (after inserting in tubing) for ease of cable management.

MX bananas are very good. Buy the coiled metal sheet type as it has inherent spring action for very secure connection.

I'm a happy user of the above DIY speaker cable recipe.

Hey thanks for the input, but isnt the transformer wire solid core, that would be one stiff cable?

My plan is for a twisted pair with sleeving on the outside for good looks. Might even make it a braided 4 core cable to further reduce resistance.

Build a speaker cable using CAT 5 Ethernet cable. There are quite a few DIY projects based on that. Example: DIY Cat5 Speaker Cables

Thanks Aashish, i did look at that erlier but the shear amount of work it would take to strip and braid CAT5E cables is a little intimidating.

 

[jls001]

Do check out this thread:

http://www.hifivision.com/audio-video-cables/60475-suggestions-solid-core-cable.html

 

[akstorm]

@jls001, I will read through that, but still any suggestions on multicore cables?

 

[raghupb]

So I finally got the WArfedale Diamond 220 with the Marantz PM5004 connected to my MSI Ge-62 via a SMSL Sanskrit dac.

Now i want to make some Diy cables (the speakers are wired with some crap cables for now ), would be a good weekend project and would save me some money too. Now all the speaker cables i can find are double cables, what i want to make requires single cables. I could just use copper electric wire but then that won't be nice, so i was wondering if there is anywhere i can find single 16 Awg cables. Any idea where i can get them in bangalore/online?

Also are MX Banana plugs any good or should i look for better quality ones? Any suggestions?

Congrats on acquiring PM5004 + Diamond 220.
Why do you feel that "copper electric wire" is not nice? It is dirt cheap, pure enough copper and easily sourced.
MX bananas are good. You could do banana at amp and bare wire at speaker or go bananas all the way
Check with a reliable local electrician, they will have some leftover Finolex or Havells wire. See if you can buy required length and use them.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[jls001]

any suggestions on multicore cables?

Mogami 3103 available on hifimart. Very good cable.

 

[akstorm]

Congrats on acquiring PM5004 + Diamond 220.
Why do you feel that "copper electric wire" is not nice? It is dirt cheap, pure enough copper and easily sourced.
MX bananas are good. You could do banana at amp and bare wire at speaker or go bananas all the way
Check with a reliable local electrician, they will have some leftover Finolex or Havells wire. See if you can buy required length and use them.

Cheers,
Raghu

The only concern I have regarding the electrical cables is corrosion :sad:. I mean not like a good electrical cable has uncontrolled corrosion but it still does. I know it would be dirt cheap and the colour choice is immense, I can make really pretty cables.

 

[akstorm]

Mogami 3103 available on hifimart. Very good cable.

No DIY required there

 

[Naturelover]

The only concern I have regarding the electrical cables is corrosion :sad:. I mean not like a good electrical cable has uncontrolled corrosion but it still does. I know it would be dirt cheap and the colour choice is immense, I can make really pretty cables.

I don't think you need to worry. I used electric cable for several years without any issues.

 

[akstorm]

Question - are all the generic no name ofc cables on Amazon/ebay crap?

I guess I will try finding loose finolex 16awg speaker cable and get creative on the looks. Or I will get the roll itself and make terminated sleeved 16 gauge 4 core parallel cables for all fellow fms (isn't that a good noble idea)

 

[raghupb]

@akstorm
You are worrying over a trifle. Today's electrical wire is 99% or more OFC. It is good enough to carry loads of current all over your home.
Corrosion does not occur unless it is dipped in sea water for eons. What occurs is oxidation on exposed copper to elements.
If and when oxidation occurs just use a bit of IPA to clean it off or just chop off the old 1/2 inch and expose a new 1/2 inch.
Speaker wire is simple element; it needs to be of low resistance and low capacitance; inductance is really not worrisome at short unwound lengths.
If your run length is less than 6 feet, use 18/16 AWG; if it is more use 14/12 AWG and forget about it.

If you want to invest in expensive esoteric speaker wire, no harm done; but there is no perceivable improvement over humble good quality copper electrical wire.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[ranjeetrain]

Question - are all the generic no name ofc cables on Amazon/ebay crap?

I guess I will try finding loose finolex 16awg speaker cable and get creative on the looks. Or I will get the roll itself and make terminated sleeved 16 gauge 4 core parallel cables for all fellow fms (isn't that a good noble idea)

are all the generic no name ofc cables on Amazon/ebay crap?

Most of them are no better than Finolex speaker wire. The only thing that separates them from common electrical wire is the color of the jacket. In Japan and China they do have a very evolved industry of plane jane wires that are very good. For example, in China, the ac wire connecting to my aircon is just a "normal thickness" wire. In India, we always see thick wires being used to connect AC. IMO it's the quality of manufacturing (and of course the purity of copper) that counts.

Well well, I will happily accept a couple of ready to use cables if you are planning to make for all fellow fms and gift them :lol:

Today's electrical wire is 99% or more OFC.

Raghu, your posts are well thought out. I like them. I have a bit of difference here.

"Most" electrical wire made in India are well below 99% OFC. In fact the use of copper is reducing greatly.

I am saying this not based on any scientific measurement, rather than the conversations I have had with people who have been in the cables business for decades. Most of them are just businessmen selling their stuff, but after some digging and prodding I was able to get some of them to talk. They said "quality" of cables is going down. Not many were able to comment on purity of copper but generally they said quality of copper is going down too. The only way to get "pure copper" cable in India is to get transformer binding cable, what is also called "enameled wire". Even that I am not sure if it really is more than 99% pure.

 

[raghupb]

Raghu, your posts are well thought out. I like them. I have a bit of difference here.

"Most" electrical wire made in India are well below 99% OFC. In fact the use of copper is reducing greatly.

I am saying this not based on any scientific measurement, rather than the conversations I have had with people who have been in the cables business for decades. Most of them are just businessmen selling their stuff, but after some digging and prodding I was able to get some of them to talk. They said "quality" of cables is going down. Not many were able to comment on purity of copper but generally they said quality of copper is going down too. The only way to get "pure copper" cable in India is to get transformer binding cable, what is also called "enameled wire". Even that I am not sure if it really is more than 99% pure.

Ranjeet,
Finolex and Havells can be trusted if using their electrical wires. When they say 99% we can take it with a tsp of salt and say 90% copper. For the runs used in home AV wiring, it is still pure enough copper.
Impurities will increase resistance a wee bit (negligible for runs less than 30-40 feet) and possibly increase capacitance, again a wee bit, making it sound a bit "brighter" or "detailed".
Enameled wire is good, but takes a lot of patience to rig up a cable using them.
Most of the time the offenders are the plugs, lugs that are used for termination. These are bright shiny brass most of the time, even when tall claims of gold plating is present. It is here that users need to be discerning.
OP is enthusiastic enough to spend a weekend rigging wires.

"akstorm",
Go ahead and implement your effort; SQ will be good and most importantly, you will have bragging rights

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[akstorm]

Pointers taken ranjeetrain, Raghu

I shall go to SP road and see what i can find. Any recomendation on dealers there? Any trusted ones (specially for loose cables)?

I also remember reading in some other thread that there are MX banana plugs available there (Can't find it now), any idea which dealer has them?

Thanks for all the awesome help people

 

[jls001]

No DIY required there

Right

If you're looking to get your hands dirty, you could buy decent multi stranded speaker wires off a roll, and terminate with your choice of banana or spade connections. Sorry, can't point you to more specific loose cables available in retail, but most likely SP Road should throw up something interesting.

If you want to get your hands dirty, really dirty then CAT-n cable or transformer wires are the way to go.

 

[kissenchand]

Use 2.5 sq. mm Finolex or Havells electrical cables in suitable heat shrink tube. It will simply outperform fancy (claimed) OFC speaker cables with inferior gauge and clear, thick insulation. Believe me, I'm using this for 4 years and happy with that.

 

[Coolblue]

The only way to get "pure copper" cable in India is to get transformer binding cable, what is also called "enameled wire". Even that I am not sure if it really is more than 99% pure.

We make enamelled copper wire. I can tell you that most decent branded cable guys like Finolex etc use copper which is of the purity of minimum 99.95% . OFC is purity of 99.99% and hence buying these would be almost as good as the OFC speaker cables albeit at probably a tenth of their cost.


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[avesbilal]

MX has decent speaker wire, I purchased two types of speaker wires from them, which costed ? 60 and ?100 per metre depending on guage. These MX wire is made in Taiwan. Normally for speakers we need wires in few metres hence it is not a huge investment.

Edit: these speaker wires are 18 and 15 AWG respectively.

Regards
Bilal