zero cost cable recipe

ZERO COST†cable


materials

2 x 0.75 m polypropylene rope 3ply approx 6mm dia
1 x 2 m 35awg enameled copper wire
1 x 2m 28awg enameled copper wire
1 x roll PTFE tape
1 x various short lengths heat shrink


You will need to get four suitable RCA plugs.....

Note the copper wire, especially the thin one is very delicate.

The rope core is quite tightly wrapped with the finest copper wire in between the lays of the rope.

This has the effect of holding the wire and will keep the conductors evenly separated.

Leave about a centimeter clear at each end.

This is repeated with the thicker copper wire so that its on either side the thin one.

The PFTE tape can be used to mummy wrap the cable. This will give the cable some protection

I tend to put a couple of layers of heat shrink over the ends to give the RCA plugs something to bite on

Strip the ends of the copper wire with a stanley blade till they show bright copper pink, you may need to use a hand lens.

The thin wire is the signal or hot wire and the thick wire make the ground, then solder to your chosen plugs.

Repeat for the second IC.

They will need to be run in for a week before sounding at their best.

You can substitute silver for the copper…………..but if its uninsulated use ptfe sleeve. This can be held in place by ptfe tape.

 

I will give this a go next week when I have a bit of time.

But 2 questions if you wouldn't mind.

Why the 2 different thicknesses of copper wire?
Why no screening?

Thanks for your input.

 

firstly in keeping with the name no shielding was added to keep the cost down. You can add a shield you can buy heat shrink that has drain wire and shield built in or strip come coax down lead. I also think that shields are detrimental to the signal.........

I've not heard anything that ic's pick up that effect the sound, though I shield my system from rfi at source ie suppressors on fridge compressors.

The hypothessis is that a bigger dia ground return aids transmission of the signal a la eichmann.

if you use magnet wire don't for get to strip the insulatio with a sharpe knife where your going to solder to the plugs.

 

Good stuff. i'll give it a go.

 

the recipe is not cast in stone its worth building two or three of different topologies ie cross the conductors above and below the former every 10mm or so then wrap with ptfe.

the thinner the conductors the less different metals seem to influance the sound.

there gets to a point though that you just can work with a conductor smaller than a hair ...its a nightmare to strip the insulation back unless you use heat or flame ..which is a bad idea imo.