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AUDIO FORUMS >> D.I.Y. >> DIY Interconnects and Speaker Cables
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Message started by Dom on 06/09/13 at 04:54:28

Title: DIY Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Post by Dom on 06/09/13 at 04:54:28

Everyone,

I am gonna build my own interconnects and speaker cables using DH Labs cabling, Cardas Quad Eutectic solder, my Hakko FX-888 soldering station, and TechFlex with heat shrink tubing.

Has anyone ever attempted DIY cables and if so....any insight would be greatly appreciated. I am no stranger to soldering, but with using expensive interconnects and wires, just trying to keep the mess-ups to a minimum.

Dominick

Title: Re: DIY Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Post by Lonely Raven on 08/21/13 at 20:52:08

Wow, no responses to this?

A couple things I'd recommend.

You said you're knowledgeable with soldering, but still, it's good to keep in mind that you need to heat both the wire to be soldered and especially the metal that you're trying to solder the wire to! Both must be warm enough to melt the solder at a touch, not just the wire.

Use heat shrink tubing, and get the good stuff (like 3M ). Heat shrink is a great way to give the cables that finished look.

Try to make cables as perfectly balanced as possible. If one cable is 3' 1/4", then all cables should be 3' 1/4". If it's something you have control over, you might as well take your time and make it perfect.

I find the more expensive the connections are, the easier they seem to be to build, because the company that made them started their design from scratch; so they had the opportunity to make them just the way they wanted.

So take your time, and do them up right.

Title: Re: DIY Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Post by Jake G on 04/17/18 at 21:33:53

Good advise. I've also used the Canare Star Quad cable for unbalanced and balanced DIY with great results. Takes some practice to get the soldering done correctly, otherwise its a great project. The cables i built seemed to be the most neutral of all the cables i was rotating..

Title: Re: DIY Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Post by Kingrex on 04/22/18 at 15:56:50

Go to VH Audio and look at his Caulk Backer interconnect. It seems a solid design. I also see good cables having 3 wire on the negative and 2 on the positive. The wires are Litz design as in do not touch. Separate them with cotton or air.