My Silver DIY IC build

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Well my first really productive post here :MILD:

Tonight ive just started my new DIY stereo IC build, based on the chris venhaus 'double helix' design (http://www.venhaus1.com/diysilverinterconnects.html). Im building x3 cables to be used to connect up my Marantz cd-63 / emu 0404 sources to my arcam integrated / Millett MAX headphone amp via my switchbox (also being build atm). Im going for a silver theme and am using the following parts:

- 0.5mm silver wire (thanks pete)
- 22 AWG teflon tubing to encase the wire
- 3 AWG teflon tubing
- Yarbo Silver plated RCA plugs
- 11cm diameter cotton tubing
- White heatshrink (if fit fits)

My current IC is a 'Mark Grant' 1m cable ive been using for the past year. I purchased it from the power buy thread over at avforums, and i have to say it's an excellent cable for the money (£25 for 0.5m or 1m)and it has crimped Canare RCAs on Canare LV61S cable.

Il puts edits in this first post to detail on what pages the build pics, then comparisons are posted on. One cable will be finished this week ready for the HEAD-Fi meet in manchester this weekend

 

[sq225917]

you can do better than those brass yarbos' too much metal......

try the HGA silver point RCA's

 

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you can do better than those brass yarbos' too much metal......

try the HGA silver point RCA's

Well i got these quite cheap, but i did look at the HGA connectors. Their own brand silver plated RCA's would cost a bit more than i paid for the yarbos, plus their silver point ones are stupidly priced at $25. Plus im a graduate with no job at the moment so im going for a great value great sounding IC rather than a no holds bared cable, which il probably do when im older wiser and richer, with some silver bullets.

 

[ShinOBIWAN]

I wouldn't worry about the RCA type your using Ad. All that looks like overkill to me so I'm sure you'll have a competent cable.

The cables of the Mark Grant make up are the de-facto. Canare and Belden are the industry standard used in studios and multimillion pound installs all around the world. You have some benchmark to beat there.

Good luck!

 

[Andy 831]

Would like to see photographs during construction and finished

 

[zanash]

yes be very interesting ....

A comparison of the final sound with your standard ics would be helpful too.

The best rca plugs I've heard to date are the Audio note just pipping the eichmanns silver bullets ....but at realistic prices its hard to top the neutrik sy series ...

 

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Right, firstly i found out after some dummy runs with the cotton sheething over the thick teflon tubing, that the tubing was far to rigid and prone to serious kinking with more than a slight bend in it. this could shear the wire off if it was actually built and used.

So i poped along to our local 'Focus' and picked up some 5mm 'poly tubing' which is PVC tubing. As you can see from the pic it is a lot easier to work with.

 

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The Build

This is for a 0.5m IC.

DISCLAIMER: I don't take any responsibility for people blowing channels on there equipment due to incorrect wiring up of the IC's. This is a simple guide of how i made mine, which can be followed to make a similar set of IC's.

[1]
- Cut x2 0.5m lengths of 5mm diameter polytubing.
- Mark out 2 inch intervals all along the tubing, followed by 1 inch intervals in between the 2 inch ones.
- [TEST] Wrap the thin 0.8mm diameter teflon tubing around, hitting the 2 inch intervals. Once desired length is verified cut off, and repeat for a second piece.

- Cut a small hole 20mm from each end of the polytubing to allow signal and ground wire to be protected inside the polytubing near the RCA plug.
- Feed in silver wire to x4 of the 0.8mm teflon tubing, and cut off leaving 10mm excess sticking out.
- Wrap x2 silver containing teflon cables around hitting the marks, and push them through the holes near the end of the polytubing.

What it should all look like

[2]
- Cut off x2 pieces of 30-40mm length black and red heatshrink.
- Slide on and use heatsource to shrink it.

This provides a tacky and strong surface for the securing RCA screw to grip into. It also restores some of the strength of the polytubing lost when the holes were cut into each end, preventing fatigure from occuring during plugging/un-plugging.

[3]
- Slide 10mm diameter cotton sheething over each cable assembly, stopping at the end of the polytubing.
- NOT shown in the pic is the additional bit of electrical tape put over the ends of the cotton to prevent fraying and allow easy assembly through the RCA outer casings and RCA plug itself.

[4]
- TEST continuity of wires with a multimeter and mark your signal and ground anyway you chose. I used a permanent marker pen on the little bit of teflon tubing covering the wire as the ground.
- Unscrew RCA and slide both outer parts onto each end of the cables before sliding the actually RCA assembly on.
- Cut excess silver wire to correct size.
- Test continuity of wires again to ensure they arn't mixed up. A mistake here could lead to blown channels on your equipment.

[5]
- Wrap and insert the correct signal and ground wires into the RCA plugs and solder them up with some silver solder.

As the ground wire was soldered near to the outer casing on my plugs, it prevented the casings from being screwed on properly, so i just took a stanley knife and reduced the height of the solder.

[6]

- Screw outer casing back over the RCA.
- Insert clamping screw through casing on the back of the RCA and tighten up.

Check continuity again on the actual signal pin of the RCA and ground of the surround.

Plug in and enjoy.

 

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PICS

The cables attach my arcam amp to my new Millett MAX hybrid tube headphone amp. Ive used pure silver CMC RCA sockets on the headphone amp and will put some into my new Lyngdorf SDAI-2175 when i buy it.

Here is the cable all in use.

no impressions on the sound yet as the Black Gate NX caps in my headphone amp have only had around 100 hours on them so still have away to go before fully burned in. The BG 'bloom' is very obvious and sometimes the amp has sounded great and other times no so great during these 100 hours.

 

[zanash]

Well done ...nice cable great build.

Hope it sounds as good as it looks ........though some will of course suggest its a waste of time and a bit of bell wire will do the same!

If you like what they do, and decide to build another set then you could consider altering the spacing of the parallel conductors making more turns and closer together.

 

[michaelab]

though some will of course suggest its a waste of time and a bit of bell wire will do the same!

Grow up zanash, everyone's had just about enough of your childishness

 

[zanash]

excuse me for having an opinion .....you don't have to like just accept it in the same way I accept yours and the name calling [which was supposed to have been banned] .

This is a Discussion on the diy section about a diy cable ..if you have nothing positive to add to the comment about the diy cable , what exactly are you doing here ?

 

[michaelab]

if you have nothing positive to add to the comment about the diy cable , what exactly are you doing here ?

Err...perhaps it's because I'm a moderator? You're childish comments about what other people might think about the cable are anything but positive and just childish shit stirring.

Michael.

 

[keith]

Err...perhaps it's because I'm a moderator? You're childish comments about what other people might think about the cable are anything but positive and just childish shit stirring.

Michael.

I'm a bit surprised at a moderator taking this, to my mind (and others I quickly talked to), antagonistic and rude approach; even moreso when he assumes "everyone" supports him when they don't. I certainly recall many far more "childish" comments within this and other forums, which have been IMO better, and much more responsibly, judged.

(I trust this comment of mine will be viewed objectively ... lets' see).

keep the phase
keith

 

[Bob McC]

I fully support the mods on this. The reprimand was well overdue.

 

[penance]

It makes this forum tiresome (I don't mean Michael's comments)

 

[PSXmad2]

At least the reply by Zanash all though tongue in cheek also added a useful suggestion to the OP, unlike some of the other postings which simply are postings for postings sake. I realise you could say the same about this post and I`m sure someone will.

Tony
Opinions are like ars****** we all have one

 

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At least the reply by Zanash all though tongue in cheek also added a useful suggestion to the OP, unlike some of the other postings which simply are postings for postings sake. I realise you could say the same about this post and I`m sure someone will.

Tony
Opinions are like ars****** we all have one

Awesome post

Far too much bickering lads, and im sure there will be more once i post up listening impressions. Hopefully not 'OMG OMG you didn't blind test ABBABAAAXABXBABABX', the difference isn't there it's just your mind

Il be posting this up on teh other forums, just to show off a little and hopefully get some people into DIY ICs rather than buying into overpriced branded cables.

 

[Wickfut]

back on topic .. few questions

1. does having the positive and return at different lengths make a difference ?

2. why wrap cotton around it , you arent planning on using it on your iron are you ?

3. arent you supposed to have a .5m minimum lenght on cables so that the signal isnt folded back on itself from the amp ?(just what ive heard)

ta

 

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thanks for asking a question on topic :MILD:

back on topic .. few questions

1. does having the positive and return at different lengths make a difference ?

yes it probably will, but im not knowledgable with that. My lengths are about the same, maybe 5mm out or so so nothing really.

2. why wrap cotton around it , you arent planning on using it on your iron are you ?

Cotton has a very low dielectric and is apparently the best thing to use. I also used teflon to cover the wires as it also has a low dielectric. Im not familiar with all the physics behind it and what everything 'should' do. i jsut followed the chris venhaus guide and his ICs are rated quite highly.

3. arent you supposed to have a .5m minimum lenght on cables so that the signal isnt folded back on itself from the amp ?(just what ive heard)

ta

It is 0.5m

Il give listening impressions in due course when my headphone amp is properly burned in. plus il compare it against a mark grant cable that uses canare lv61s, which is a great cable in its own right.

Total cost is about 100-110 and that i have enough to make x2 0.5m cables and x2 1m runs, so all in all pretty damn good value.