Ok guys, sorry for the delay, but here it is Finally: Cat5e based Speaker cables - a cheap and high quality alternative to boutique high dollar speaker wires!
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/32/32/5/31/94/2899531940037002257trvrWD_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2899531940037002257trvrWD) (click to enlarge)

Hope you enjoy it, and let me know if there are any questions. As an alternative, you can read more about different braid types and wires to use at this Audioholics Article (http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/cables/diy-speaker-cable-faceoff).

Materials/Tools:

some of the tools you will need:
1) Cat5e cable (you'll need 4x# of ft per cable)
2) GLS Audio Locking Banana Plugs (you can get them cheaper on ebay or here! (http://www.speakerrepair.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=locking) )
3) Wire Stripper and cutter
4) TechFlex 1" shell (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=082-444)
5) Techflex 3/8" sleeves (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=082-332)
6) scissors
7) 19mm HeatShrink (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=080-676) and Heat gun
8) 1" heatshrink
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/34/34/8/1/58/2018801580037002257gwsTud_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2018801580037002257gwsTud) (click to enlarge)


Construction:

Step1
Cut the desired length of Cat5e cable you will be using; in this example, I have used a 10ft length per cable, and cut 4 x 10ft per side for a total of 80ft. I suggest you cut all the lengths at once. To help you with the process of braiding, it may be a very good idea to spend a few minutes and try to stretch the cable so it doesn't tangle as easy when you are braiding.

Step2
Once cut, you will need to tape up each end of two sets of wire with electrical tape or something to distinguish them so you can tell them apart when you are done braiding; each pair will be your positive and negative connection.

Step3
Braiding! It's not that hard, and you are certainly welcome to try different patterns if you like. I found the woven "jamaican" pattern to give me the tightest yet flexible enough pattern to handle this cable, and plus, two of the conductors act as cores to minimize noise.
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/53/653/6/74/68/2055674680037002257VyCsNY_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2055674680037002257VyCsNY)
Basically you start with all 4 wires aligned, and you can tape them to a door knob, or anywhere were you can start working on the braid...give yourself about 8" of non-braid ends. The pattern goes left outer mostwire over to the right, then right outer overtop, and continue that patter so that each wire gets a turn, as shown above. When you are done, your braid should look like this;
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/14/14/6/5/21/2721605210037002257APTOtc_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2721605210037002257APTOtc)http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/59/659/1/19/36/2604119360037002257stKxat_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2604119360037002257stKxat)

Step4
Now that we are done with the Braid, and we have taped each end, we need to put the outer (major) techflex on. Measure the length of your braided cable, and cut the appropriate length up to where the braids start/finish minus 1". Slide the cable into the flex, and tape up the end of it with electrical wire (very LITTLE, just enough to hold it in place). Cut a 5" section of 1" heatshrink and with the heat gun put it on with the exception of the last 1"!! do NOT heatshrink the end yet (see step 5)


Step5
Cut the 3/8" techflex to about 3" and slide down each pair of wires at the ends, and insert beneath the nonheaated portion of the heatshrink in step 4:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/14/15/8/35/91/2387835910037002257VWEdaY_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2387835910037002257VWEdaY)
Once you have this portion inserted, then proceed to finish heating the rest of the heatshrink...this will hold both techflex portions together:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/22/23/1/41/38/2215141380037002257efTjVP_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2215141380037002257efTjVP)

Step6
Strip the outer jacket of the Cat5e cable, and leave about a 2" section:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/59/759/1/49/14/2487149140037002257zNYpsb_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2487149140037002257zNYpsb)
Then with a 22awg wire stripper, proceed to strip of the inner wires...all of them:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/59/759/6/59/26/2955659260037002257SoxBMv_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2955659260037002257SoxBMv)
Before continuing onto step 7, make sure you cut about 2" of the smaller 19mm heatshrink, and slide it down each wire pair BEFORE you goto step 7, or you will be sorry!

Step7
The GLS plugs are very solid quality, 24K plated gold, and have two screws that you will need a very small flathead screwdriver to loosen up with:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/59/159/0/25/98/2723025980037002257iseCew_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2723025980037002257iseCew)
Once you have stripped the wires in step 6, proceed to twist them together as tight as you can, and then bend them backwards to give you double coverage inside the GLS plugs; you can measure by eye and strip off the ends. Once you have it, with slight force, push the wires into the plug, and tighten the screws. Make sure you have the locking outer in the bottom of the wire!!! I myself forgot this once, and had the take it apart and redo! When you are done, it should look like:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/28/29/2/33/6/2899233060037002257wAkbRB_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2899233060037002257wAkbRB)

Step8
We are almost there! Once you tighten the screws on the plug, take a pull and make sure they are nice and tight in there. If so, then screw the outer metal jacket into position, pull the 19mm heatshrink back on top of the plug, and go ahead and finalize the heatshrink:
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/14/14/4/90/3/2034490030037002257eacrLd_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2034490030037002257eacrLd)

So there you have it folks....you have now made yourself cables that have better and cleaner transfer than ANY Monster(crap), or even Audioquest wires Bedrock Speaker Cable (http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=AQBEDNF10&product_name=Bedrock%20Speaker%20Cable%20--%20No%20Frills%20Terminations). I've played with this cable against my old IXOS XHS806 gamma cables with Silver foot, and frankly, they were just better specially at reference levels.
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/53/553/1/19/58/2538119580037002257XftcCv_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2538119580037002257XftcCv)http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/34/34/5/63/5/2772563050037002257LOaTVl_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2772563050037002257LOaTVl)
My neighbor has the Monster Z4 cables ($300 a pop), and when I walked over there to try it out, he was shocked at how my DIY cat5 cables were just as "pretty" and cleaner overall at very high volulmes.....He even asked me to put his on ebay!!! LOL....but I just dont have time for it.

http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/34/34/9/55/17/2860955170037002257npKSkV_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2860955170037002257npKSkV)http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/32/33/4/3/22/2384403220037002257wrAJqq_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2384403220037002257wrAJqq)
Hope this helps some of you, and enjoy!! Word of advice: in my experience, speaker cables do NOT improve your sound, but they surely PREVENT it from deteriorating! Don't go building these speakers thinking that it will make your Polks sound like B&Ws because it wont....but it will help your Polks NOT sound like computer speakers if you dont use good cables.

ps- more pics found at http://community.webshots.com/user/ssabripo (link in my sig)

Good job!! Now work on your camera skills.:) Here is a pic of my CAT5s:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/253/car005customwr9.th.jpg (http://img255.imageshack.us/my.php?image=car005customwr9.jpg)

Good job!! Now work on your camera skills.:) Here is a pic of my CAT5s:

hehe...I know...I completely suck with the camera! I also have a ho-hum 4 year old Canon G3 camera :(

ps- dude, you should seriously consider new sneakers! :p :D

Actually, the shoes are in great shape. I just need to clean them. That is a build up of lots of different leather coatings in different colors. At least it is not damaging the shoes.:)

I've been asked several times which type of Cat5 cable to get....I recommend you start by reading this article:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/cat5questions_e.html

Belden makes good solid core Cat6. Go with that stuff. Bonded pairs is probably not the stuff you want, though.

Belden makes good solid core Cat6. Go with that stuff. Bonded pairs is probably not the stuff you want, though.
you don't need to go Belden, although they are fine (such as 1701A CAT5). There are plenty of Cat5 cables that will work just fine.

Nice work, Sherv. Probably won't work for me though. I have the components at the rear of the room and run three pairs of 50 foot Soundking bi-wires to the front channels. :(

Nice work, Sherv. Probably won't work for me though. I have the components at the rear of the room and run three pairs of 50 foot Soundking bi-wires to the front channels. :(
Cat5 cable is cheap, and is EXCELLENT for long runs...that's the beauty of it. ;)

the only question is how much patience do you have for braiding long runs! :o

Made my cables over the weekend. All I can say is WOW!! Love it. I replace all three front cables and my front imaging is a LOT better. Best $60.00 I have spent in a while.
Thanks ssabripo!!
I don't know if my fingers and hands are up to the rears......
One small tip. Mark your cables at both ends before you start braiding.

Made my cables over the weekend. All I can say is WOW!! Love it. I replace all three front cables and my front imaging is a LOT better. Best $60.00 I have spent in a while.
Thanks ssabripo!!
I don't know if my fingers and hands are up to the rears......
One small tip. Mark your cables at both ends before you start braiding.
:)

oh yes....mark those cables guys!! or you will be using your voltmeter to figure it out! See Step 2!! :D

Just found this thread....very cool!

How much better are these cables and are they worth it?

Oh wait...of course they are! EDIT: nah, seriously...how much is it average for a stereo pair that is 6-9ft long?

:P

What makes these CAT5 cables so good then? I have some thoughts/guesses:

1) Braiding? If so, what is the physical background?
2) Good quality copper? Maybe.
3) The fact that they are DIY and you made them. Definitely!
4) Hey, they can carry 1Gbit Ethernet signals. Why not audio? Well - the trick with Ethernet is that the signals are transmitted differentially in the twisted wire pairs (4pcs/Cat5). Not so with these speaker cables. If I understood the instructions correctly, you just connect all the pairs in a Cat5 together, not worrying about the twisted pairs. Busted.
5) Enough copper to achieve low resistance. Yes!

OK, I may sound a bit sceptical here. However, I it is a great idea to construct nice speaker cables from relatively cheap materials. You can make them the correct length and add your personal touch. IMO, speaker cable is generally good if it has enough copper = large enough cross section. This is the case here with 4 x Cat5!

Another way to construct cheap speaker cables that are electrically good too is to take 40 or even 80-pin flat computer cable. Separate the ends, strip the insulation and connect every other small wire to plus plug and the rest to minus plug. You can also keep two small wires together and connect every other of these pairs to plus and minus. This reduces work and the result should have even less capacitance.

The proposed flat speaker cable has the following pros:
+ has good electrical characteristics - low and controlled capacitance, low resistance and low susceptibility to interference (loop cross section is small because wires are close)
+ easily fits under carpets
+ even easier to make than the Cat5 speaker cable

Cons:
- relatively thin insulation can break under abuse
- looks may not be that high-end...

I have my main speaker cables made of 40-pin flat cable and they work great. :cool:

One of the big reason the Cat5 or 5e cable works better is the twist. Why does cruchfield, best buy, circuit city, Monster, and Kimber (just to name a few) sell a braided (twisted)speaker cable?
What is so great about the twist you ask?
Every time the pair and or braided cable (as in ssabripos cable) crosses it's self, it WILL cancel noise. It does a great job of this.
This is why other fields (car audio and home entertainment) are coping the design of the UTP cable. It does not need a shield because of the twist.
Does this mean it will cancel all noise? No.
You say you have no noise at your home! WRONG! Everything gives off noise. Unless all your power cords are running in metal (bonded and grounded) conduit, that cord is giving of noise. Your amp, TV, DVD player, PS3, and your lights are all giving off noise(EMI).
Go buy a tone generator and Amplifier (also called a tonner set) use to trace cables. Run the amplifier along you speaker cables. You will be surprized by all the noise it will pick up.
In a high noise environment you need a shielded cable. This shield then must be grounded! If it is not grounded then all you have it an antenna.

All we are doing is getting rid of some the noise. Less noise= Cleaner Sound
I will put up a twist pair cable up against a non-twist pair cable and the twist will always win!! Any brand!

function12, I'm not 100% sure if I understood the original instructions correctly but it looks like that way the advantages of the twisted pairs inside the cable were zeroed. The noise cancellation of a twisted pair only works if the signal output and return (speaker + and -) travel in the same twisted pair, not in a bunch of shorted twisted pairs. Of course, the braiding creates similar effect but is likely not as effective since the wires are much further away from each other, creating larger "antenna area".

It is easy to test if your speaker cables pick up noise from the environment: Switch your receiver to a digital input without signal. Turn the volume to max and go listen close to each speaker. If you hear anything else than typical amplifier hiss, then you might have some noise pickup. However, speaker outputs are extremely low impedance points that are normally not susceptible to low frequency noise (like 60Hz AC). If you have a radio station (and its antenna array) nearby, the situation could be different.

By all means, try even flat cable that has twisted pairs or try to connect several twisted pairs of Cat5 in parallel. I think in any case, all these DIY speaker cables give much more bang for the buck compared to the outrageously expensive audiophile cables.

One of the big reason the Cat5 or 5e cable works better is the twist. Why does cruchfield, best buy, circuit city, Monster, and Kimber (just to name a few) sell a braided (twisted)speaker cable?

Because someone will buy it?

I for one don't buy into the fancy cable crowd, but it is a disscusion as old as tubes......

Thanks for the links to the construction thread.

I have 10 gauge speaker cord and consider that overkill really.

just to clarify a small point.

twisted wire topologies like Cat5 do not cancel asymmetrical noise.
no cancelation at all. none.

What they DO help with is make any noise picked up more symetrical. So noise that WOULD have been asymetrical is now more symmetrical between the 2 conductors. Just as much noise, its just more evenly balanced between the two wires.

For eithernet computer networks that is very important for 2 reasons.

(simplified and arbitrary voltages listed)
1. The data is sent as a balanced square wave. For a pair of wires A and B:
Wire A would cary +100mv and wire B -100mv for a digital "1"
Wire A would cary -100mv and wire B +100mv for a digital "0"
The real signal is wich way the voltage swung 200mv. The swing is ALWAYS 200mv and it swings "up" or "down" to signal 1's and 0's.

If you have symetrical noise that adds 50mv to each line... who cares the difference is still the same. Asymetrical noise though is baaad news. If one line gets more noise then the other then you could end up with one line at only 150, 100 or 0mv higher then the other. Is that a 1 or a 0?

The pairs beeing closely twisted together effect cross talk to each other becasue the signal is balanced and thus any magnetice fields are also balanced and closely cancel each other other out. Not exactly though and the constant braid helps again to make the cross talk as symetrical as possable.

So, the twist shifts induced noise from asymmetrical to symmetrical. Now as for wich type has a larger effect on high voltage audio analog signals...

As mentioned above you would need to wire your cables so that one wire of each individual twist is + and the other - to get the most gain. Otherwise who cares if you get .5ma of current induced in 2 wires each or 1ma induced in one wire. Twisting the multiple cat5 strands together using individual cat5's per polarity is the same effect as using 2 conductor wire that is twisted. Note that the higher the number of twists the better.



One other note. While the noise induced in each individual pair is more symmetrical the noise induced in other pairs of the same cable while also symetrical will NOT be as symmetrical between pairs. The pair pair twist does help but it is not close enough for the same level of rejection. Multiple strands of cat5 have even less symmetry. So, each additional Cat5 cable you add lowers the advantage of twisted pair wires.

excellent discussion guys...keep it going! :)

I'm off for thanksgiving with very limited internet access, but when I come back I wll put share some thoughts on this ;)

Every time the pair and or braided cable (as in ssabripos cable) crosses it's self, it WILL cancel noise.

So, it's not the differential inputs and outputs that actually cancel the common mode noise?

You should read up on differential signalling, before posting about it again.

I agree with others that ssabripo's cable would work better with individual pairs used both for positive and negative conductor, not whole cables, now it's just suboptimal IMO.

I'll be doing similar speaker cables from cat5 myself, just yesterday purchased 100m (328ft) of cheapo cat5. :D Most braided cables on the net are made of twisted pairs that have been removed from inside the cable sheath, but that's just too much work, I'll make my cables from intact cat5e cables like ssabripo... Just need to decide on number of cables and braid type...

maybe someone can give these a try:


http://www.venhaus1.com/diycatfivecables.html

they look like it would be a very challenging project with a lot of patience needed.

ps, you dont have to use the jacket....yes, you can work with the individual strand if you so choose to.

And shields in twisted shielded pairs should only be connected to ground on one end. The other end, most likely in our cases the speaker or component, should be left floating. Ground the end near the amp or other source.

So ideally speaking - one should separate the twisted pairs at the ends use one for +ve and the other for -ve for best noise cancellation?

So ideally speaking - one should separate the twisted pairs at the ends use one for +ve and the other for -ve for best noise cancellation?

There is no noise cancellation. Twisted pairs do not eliminate or cancel noise.
Differential (balanced) inputs and outputs cancel common mode noise...not the wire.
Amplifier outputs and speaker inputs are not differential, and do not have any noise cancelling properties....other then the fact that it is a low impedance circuit, that is not susceptible to induced noise in the first place.

Like Targus said:"There is no noise cancellation"
But I would separate the pairs, to make a low induction cable.
Which will theoretically give you better high frequency response.

Like Targus said:"There is no noise cancellation"
But I would separate the pairs, to make a low induction cable.
Which will theoretically give you better high frequency response.

Is that strictly correct? Won't the magnetic fields of parallel wires close together have more mutual cancelation, and thus lower inductance, than spaced wires?

And shields in twisted shielded pairs should only be connected to ground on one end. The other end, most likely in our cases the speaker or component, should be left floating. Ground the end near the amp or other source.

Why? If everything is installed correctly then there is no reason to lift the shield at one end.

For some reason I was thinking Cat5 cables had a run limit. Is there any reason why I could use them for a 30'-40' run to my surrounds?

I made a 4 foot cat5e cable to try out. If it works, I plan on using it for my center. I used 6 cat5e wires braided. Now, my question, will capacitance of this wire be an issue, I read that this set-up has a higher capacitance, and could cause my amp to overheat. I'm running a yamaha htr-5960, I doubt this will be a problem, because if I've read right, this is essentially a 10ga. wire, and that shouldn't pose a problem...right?? I'll admit, I'm a newb still, so I just don't wanna fry anything. If its not a problem, I'll do some testing. It did come out really good,. Used heat shrink tubing for the whole cord, flexibility is better than I thought it would be, and it kinda looks like a spinal cord (which is what i've been calling it now).

you wont have a bit of a problem whatsoever....they will sound like a million dollars and your HTR will be just fine.

enjoy!

ssabripo <----- "The Man"

The capacitance isn't rock bottom but it's fairly low and given your lengths, it's something that shouldn't pose a concern.

Ok, so the 4 foot cable is fine, what about a 12 foot length of my spinal cord? Also, whats the goal with capacitance, for there to be none right? Thanks guys!

I couldn't tell from the discussion or the picture. Are these stranded or solid Cat5e?
Also did we get any clear answer on how long we can have this? Surround sound running along the wall...possible 25-30Ft. Is this OK?

braiding these at this length will be a b*@$.

I'de assume you would treat it like any speaker cable. As for stranded or solid, it's just 8 solid copper wires per cat5e cable, twisted pair.

braiding these at this length will be a b*@$.Yeah, I did about 15ft and I kept getting hand cramps :mad:

I found this link that use the Belden 89259 (the cable use for DIY internnect in the other thread) as oppose to the Cat5 construct. http://www.audiyo.com/pdf/CC89259_John_Risch_Speaker_Cables.pdf

Does anyone know anything about this type of construct for Speaker? Comparable to Cat?

Obviously it'll cost a bit more with Belden cable, but at least don't have to go thru the dreadful braiding.

Ok, so, how about the overall impedance? How the cat 5 is about double the impedance than normal speaker cable (cat5 150 ohms, speaker cable 75 ohms). I'll admit to being kinda afraid to try this out, as Im afraid of burning out my reciever. Who actually uses this type of cable in there set-up? And anyone have any problems with this cable design???

Ok, so, how about the overall impedance? How the cat 5 is about double the impedance than normal speaker cable (cat5 150 ohms, speaker cable 75 ohms). I'll admit to being kinda afraid to try this out, as Im afraid of burning out my reciever. Who actually uses this type of cable in there set-up? And anyone have any problems with this cable design???
Your thinking of interconnects, which measure the impedance for high frequencies. Also, 150 ohms impedance with cat5 is across one of the wires, which is usually either 23 or 24 guage. We're combining all these wires in series, and with my cable (24 gauge) I got an equivalent 12 guage wire. Basically, you don't need to worry about the impedance at all. I've been using these cables on a receiver from 1972 with no problems! (yes, I'll be upgrading as soon as I have the money ^_^)

Cat 5 is NOT 150 Ohms, and speaker wire is NOT 75 OHms.
75 Ohm coax cable has a characteristic impedance of 75 Ohms (look up what characteristic impoedance is...so you can see how it's not a factor here) cat 5 is 110 Ohms.

Your thinking of interconnects, which measure the impedance for high frequencies.

Interconnects don't 'measure' anything. Characteristic impedance of a cable is the vector sum of resistance, capacitive and inductive reactance. It only really matters at frequencies way above human hearing, and when the source and load are matched to the cable impedance. Which is not the case here.

Thorsten Loesch and tnt-audio.com (http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html) has a design that I have had great results with. I use it running 40 feet to my surrounds and 6 feet to my mains. Each 'wire' is made up of three cat5 and the braid is very loose compared to ssabripos. The total copper in three runs of Cat 5 (24 conductors) is the same as 10.29 AWG.

For bi-wires:
Two runs of cat5e are used for the woofer/mid, one run + and one run - . However for the 3rd run and the higher frequencies...
"All white plus coloured ring wires are connected together for the (+) connection to the tweeter and all coloured wires as (-) connection. This connection provides a very low inductance and hence the widest bandwidth for the Tweeter."

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html

It's great that so many are into DIY Cat5!

This connection provides a very low inductance and hence the widest bandwidth for the Tweeter."


Too bad about the increased capacitance though.

Like Targus said:"There is no noise cancellation"
But I would separate the pairs, to make a low induction cable.
Which will theoretically give you better high frequency response.
I didn't write the above very clearly!
I meant, a pair is a solid color and a striped conductor.
All the solid colored wires should be connected together. (from all the cables)
All the striped conductors should be connected together.

Thorsten Loesch and tnt-audio.com (http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html) has a design that I have had great results with. I use it running 40 feet to my surrounds and 6 feet to my mains. Each 'wire' is made up of three cat5 and the braid is very loose compared to ssabripos. The total copper in three runs of Cat 5 (24 conductors) is the same as 10.29 AWG.

For bi-wires:
Two runs of cat5e are used for the woofer/mid, one run + and one run - . However for the 3rd run and the higher frequencies...
"All white plus coloured ring wires are connected together for the (+) connection to the tweeter and all coloured wires as (-) connection. This connection provides a very low inductance and hence the widest bandwidth for the Tweeter."

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html

It's great that so many are into DIY Cat5!
yes....good read indeed

bump

Hello all, I'm too busy to start trying to make these cables right now, but I'm going to be asking a few questions ahead of time =D

1) If i understand properly, you need four times the length of cable you desire to create (to make an 8 foot cable you need 32 feet of cat5, right?)

2) Is it alright to make the cables bare on the ends rather than have plugs?

3) I have some old-ish cat5 cable lying around that I can use, but I don't know much about them... any way I can find out? actually, i'm looking at it and it says "quest enhanced cat.5 350mhz UTP Type cm 60'C 24AWG (UL) E188630 CSA LL81295 CMG ETL Verified EIA/TIA-568A CAt.5 G11E207" .. is that good or bad? @_@

I picked up a 500' roll of Belden 9748 wire today for a grand total of 80 dollars. I plan on turning this into some speaker wires and skip all the braiding. 19 twisted pairs is enough ya think?
Matt

I received (30) 50ft sections of cat 5e for free from parts express about 2 weeks ago! Will (did) plan on using some of it for audio. Will post pics when I eventually do it. Just not too much free time right now :(

Great thread. I'm looking to do a similar thing. Any news on the results of the non-braiding? Time constraints is the problem.

cant you just twist them using a door knob and a Drill i know you dont get the braiding but the effect is great you can then treat them quickly using a hot air gun to keep then together

looks good sherv long time no talk to.....:)

one alternative a lot of you who have not had a chance to get Cat5 or braiding, is to use the Homedepot/Lowe's power cable...works great!

Materials/Tools:

some of the tools you will need:
1) Cat5e cable (you'll need 4x# of ft per cable)
2) GLS Audio Locking Banana Plugs (you can get them cheaper on ebay or here! (http://www.speakerrepair.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=locking) )
3) Wire Stripper and cutter
4) TechFlex 1" shell (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=082-444)
5) Techflex 3/8" sleeves (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=082-332)
6) scissors
7) 19mm HeatShrink (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=080-676) and Heat gun
8) 1" heatshrink
http://thumb17.webshots.net/t/34/34/8/1/58/2018801580037002257gwsTud_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2018801580037002257gwsTud) (click to enlarge)



ssabripo,

Can you tell me how much Techflex 3/8" sleeve is required for 9' pair and single 6' in length? How about the TechFlex 1" shell ? What kind of wire stripper should I get from parts express? Last, do you experience any problem with your amp or receiver? I read somewhere these cables might present some problem for some amplifiers. At the end of the day, was the project pay in sound quality?

How does this compare to the Canare 4s11 star quad cable? I did these cat5 cables, and am happy with them, but they aren't the most discreete looking things!!

I've had a set of these for several years.
They sound as good a my Audio Quest cables tht I paid over $500 for!
Just sharing, for some reason. :-)

Ha ha..... fun!

It's all nonsense of course. Just use 14ga lamp cord. Or 12ga for really long runs on 4 ohm speakers.

Copper is copper. Just make sure the total gauge of each of the two conductors is high enough. 14ga is fine for most applications. Your speakers won't know if it's Cat5 or lamp cord. Twisted or not.

read this:
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

How 'bout 1/4" copper pipe with an insulated conductor running inside!:)

Hey folks,
Nice talking with you and i know this is late but, i came across this article because in my garage, i have a 1000' box of CAT5E 350mhz cable and was wondering what to do with it! Well, here's my answer, i desoldered some good monster connects from some intermittent cable and made some interconnect, best interconnect i have yet, then turned around and made 2 10' runs of speaker wire, kissa** wire, excuse me! Each pair has 4 runs of 4 pair braided. I haven't quite decided what to terminate 'em with yet so, the ends have silver solder to keep them intact. It was worth every bit of the effort and i'm wondering, WTH was i thinking all this time? Here's some advice to the aardvarks out there who don't think that what you use for wire makes a difference: Have your ears checked if you can't tell!

Peace to all,
1jazznut

And may Shiva the Destroyer smite all your enemies, 1jazznut.

Why? If everything is installed correctly then there is no reason to lift the shield at one end.

Super way too late to do any good, but you want all your shielding for signal carrying cables grounded on only one side. Not so important for speaker cables, but for low level or digital, you want it all traveling to ground in one direction ideally to one point to reduce ground loops which can cause hums. If you connect both ends, depending on ground circuit of the components, there is a chance of potential difference(voltage) which may result in more noise than the shield cancelled in the first place. This can be caused by circuit design or house wiring. Just let the shield carry its absorbed noise to one point and you don't have to worry about it. Google single point grounding or drain wires if you want a more complete explanation.:)

I built these wires several years ago. Do they sound better? Who knows, but there was some satisfaction in doing it myself and they look good.

Brian

I just ordered all the parts ( 1000 ft Cat5, sleeve, shrink wraps and banana plugs - about $240 so far ), I have a large living room, I need to build a 40 feet cable to get to my surround speakers, I'm excited.

Super way too late to do any good, but you want all your shielding for signal carrying cables grounded on only one side.

This only works for differential signals, unbalanced signals require ground as a return path.

Ah...yes, but when I said grounded, I mean to a ground point, not grounded to the shell of a RCA. If you want to use the braided shield of a cable as a signal bearing conductor, then you in effect have no shield at all. If you are using the braided shield as an EMI and RFI cancellation device, then grounding it on only one side is the proper way to route noise away from the signal while avoiding ground loop problems. Multi-strand signal cables in industrial and aviation applications are built this way, and although they are potentially subjected to stronger sources of interference, sometimes industrial cables encounter EMI that is so bad they must be routed through a solid conduit to achieve sufficient shielding, the basic principles translate when attempting to get the best performance out of your cables for home theater. If your cable has a braided shield that is actually a shield, connect it to a chassis ground lug on one side, not both. If you connect shielding in parallel with the cold signal wire to both shells of an RCA cable, you are just providing an unnecessary path for extraneous crap to be absorbed and infiltrate your component's circuitry. As to ground points, once again, this may or may not be electrically equivalent to the ground at the other side of the cable...BAD IDEA, don't let distances and color codes fool you. When DIY, DO NOT build loops of ground circuits into your designs thinking that more is better and then wonder why you are forced to spend $$ on some ground isolation gadget. Bring everything to ONE POINT (in layman's terms: only ONE path to ground) as much as possible or just do without shielding.

If you want to use the braided shield of a cable as a signal bearing conductor, then you in effect have no shield at all.

...and if you don't use the shield as a return path for an unbalanced signal, you will get no signal at all. I think you're confusing balanced an unbalanced interconnects. Balanced cables don't require the shield to carry a signal, balanced interconnects do.
BTW, the shield on an unbalanced cable acts as an electrostatic shield as well as the return path. Electromagnetic interference is not attenuated by the shield at all.

Dude, I'm not confusing anything at all. :rolleyes:Go back and look at the question posed by the member that I was trying to answer as to why you would want to lift the shield at one end when using shielded twisted pair. While you are correct in much of what you have stated, these comments do not pertain to the subject. If you follow the original line of discussion you can trace comments about the benefits of braiding conductors and common mode rejection to the comment that I addressed about why you should leave one side of a shielded cable ungrounded. These guys were not talking about the braid of a coax cable. And in the interest of anyone who might take your arguments as valid in refuting my previous statements, I repeat: DO NOT make a bunch of UNNECESSARY ground loops in your DIY designs. Does this seem less confused now?

Dude, I'm not confusing anything at all.

Dude, you think that an unbalanced interconnect with the return path unconnected will pass a signal, I explained that it won't, and you go off on a tangent.

Braided conductors don't reject common mode noise, differential receivers do.

I didn't say that an unbalanced interconnect would work with no 'return path'. The designs proposed in this thread do not use a braided shield as a conductor. No one is talking about using coax but you. There is more than one way to build cables which is the purpose of the thread. You're the one going off on a tangent. A cable with braided conductors twisted more than one twist per inch will distribute a good deal of absorbed noise equally between the conductors and when the signal is processed by the reciever, these equalized interferences cancel out. This is true of balanced or unbalanced cables. This common mode rejection is a function of the cable construction. Once again, you are off base. I'm not going to waste space arguing on the public forum anymore unless you want to stay on the topic of the thread. PM me or start a new thread if you want to discuss a different form of construction.

Dude, here's your post...since you've forgotten what you wrote already:

Super way too late to do any good, but you want all your shielding for signal carrying cables grounded on only one side. Not so important for speaker cables, but for low level or digital, you want it all traveling to ground in one direction ideally to one point to reduce ground loops which can cause hums. If you connect both ends, depending on ground circuit of the components, there is a chance of potential difference(voltage) which may result in more noise than the shield cancelled in the first place. This can be caused by circuit design or house wiring. Just let the shield carry its absorbed noise to one point and you don't have to worry about it. Google single point grounding or drain wires if you want a more complete explanation.:)


A cable with braided conductors twisted more than one twist per inch will distribute a good deal of absorbed noise equally between the conductors and when the signal is processed by the reciever, these equalized interferences cancel out

Yes, that's what I explained to you, the differential receiver cancels common mode noise.


you are off base.

Actually, you're way off base, but that makes you angry.

Yes, that's what I explained to you, the differential receiver cancels common mode noise.

The receiver doesn't do anything, the noise is cancelled in this case as a function of the cable construction resulting in the equal distribution between conductors. The receiver in effect doesn't SEE the noise due to this construction which, by the way, is not made using the shield of a coax cable.:rolleyes: And although you have thrown a few irrelevant negative statements into the discussion, you have not explained much on this thread yet; certainly nothing that will help someone build this type of cable. But thanks.....So nice.:D

The receiver doesn't do anything, the noise is cancelled in this case as a function of the cable construction resulting in the equal distribution between conductors.

no, it's not. this is basic differential signalling, common mode noise...that means noise that is induced equally into both conductors, is cancelled out at the differential receiver. Since the noise is equal and in phase in both conductors, subtracting one signal from the other nulls the noise out.

The receiver in effect doesn't SEE the noise due to this construction which, by the way, is not made using the shield of a coax cable.

Common mode noise rejection by a differential receiver has nothing to do with cable construction.

And although you have thrown a few irrelevant negative statements into the discussion, you have not explained much on this thread yet;

Actually, I have explained the operation of balanced circuits very well....it's sad that you don't understand their operation, and insist on posting absolutely irrelevant and completely wrong information about them, while telling me that I'm wrong....very sad indeed.

So nice!

So sad!

Are you saying that you must use coax to build interconnect cables? That you must utilize the shield as the 'return path' conductor?

Are you saying that when building a cable without the twists in the conductors which are the cause of equal noise distribution that the receiver will still cancel induced noise since this "has nothing to do with cable construction?"

Well, if thats what you're saying, then yes; I'm telling you that you're wrong.:D

My explanation about shielded cable having the shield connected on one side was an answer to a question in the thread that you have taken out of context. Your statements about coaxial interconnects have no bearing on either my contributions, or the subject of the thread. This is why your comments that were correct have been irrelevant. You have explained nothing of any use to someone trying to build this type of cable and continue to argue for no reason.:rolleyes:

I think you just like to fight with people on these forums.

I have seen fiber optic cables for lots $$$$$$$, are they simular to these or should I just leave that idea alone and go make these? I don't really need them but I like DIY projects that remove cheap monster cables from my home.

Not sure what you mean by fiber optic cables. :confused:

Fiber optic cables are generally used to transmit digital info, not at all similar to the speaker cable tutorial in the thread.

I've not seen a product that transmits individual fiber optic outs to speakers. And then you would have to have individual D/A converters for active speakers.

Definitely a different ballpark.

Are you saying that when building a cable without the twists in the conductors which are the cause of equal noise distribution that the receiver will still cancel induced noise since this "has nothing to do with cable construction?"

I've explained differential signalling to you many times. You don't understand it. You've convinced yourself that twisted wires somehow cancel out noise, you are wrong.Common mode noise is cancelled by the differential receiver.

Well, if thats what you're saying, then yes; I'm telling you that you're wrong

But, it's you who doesn't know what "differential" means, you're extremely argumentative, get angry fast, and make personal attacks when it's pointed out that you don't have a clue.

I've explained differential signalling to you many times. You don't understand it. You've convinced yourself that twisted wires somehow cancel out noise, you are wrong.Common mode noise is cancelled by the differential receiver.

Yep, thats what you are saying.:D

Sorry to expose your ignorance like this but you are forcing the issue. If you would like some insight into the properties of twisted wires 'somehow' canceling out noise, take a look at this pdf.

Sorry to expose your ignorance like this but you are forcing the issue.

I'm sorry that you're so ignorant that you'd post a paper you either haven't read, or don't understand. The paper supports my explanation of common mode noise to you....you're being willfully ignorant, or, you're incapable of learning.

If you would like some insight into the properties of twisted wires 'somehow' canceling out noise, take a look at this pdf.


Once again, twisted wires don't cancel noise, differential receivers do.

When you say 'differential', do you mean balanced?

When you say 'differential', do you mean balanced?


Are you serious?

Look, I'm willing and even eager to learn but I think you are mistaken on several points.

When an unbalanced interconnect carries a signal to a receiver, the receiver references the signal conductor to the ground conductor. Noise is generally more readily present in the ground conductor. The noise in the ground reference is unwanted. Twisted conductors minimize the unwanted noise by the principles described by me and in the paper (chapter 3).

Balanced interconnects are less susceptible to noise. The reference in an balanced circuit carrying an equal and opposite signal gives it an inherently higher signal to noise ratio compared with an unbalanced circuit. Noise however, is not canceled by balanced circuits or receivers, there is just less of it relative to the size of the signal.

The benefits of equal noise distribution resulting from twisted conductors holds true for both balanced and unbalanced cables. If the conductors are not twisted, noise is not canceled.

Bill Whitlock often writes about the great deal of circuit symmetry needed to reduce common mode noise. Most single-ended input circuits are not very symmetrical.

Twisted conductors minimize the unwanted noise by the principles described by me and in the paper

If you're willing to learn, you need to re read the paper, ask questions here if necessary.
The paper you linked has all th emath that shows how the common mode signals are cancelled out by the device connected to the cable (the differential receiver)

. Noise however, is not canceled by balanced circuits or receivers, there is just less of it relative to the size of the signal.


Yes it is. The noise is of equal amplitude and in phase in both conductors, the differential receiver subtracts the signal on one conductor from the signal on the other conductor, this cancels or nulls the noise signal to zero. This is how balanced, differential signalling works.

If the conductors are not twisted, noise is not canceled.

This is absolutely incorrect. You've repeated it many times, you linked to a paper explaining it, but you just don't get it.

OK. Here's a link to another paper. This one discusses strain gages which are used in industrial scales. They work by mechanically bending wires in a wheatstone bridge configuration to give variances in the mV range. The wiring for such devices carrying such small signals in noisy environments must be intelligently executed and the paper goes over several concepts including a short discussion on shielding. Here is a pertinent quote:

The series noise voltages(V 1 and V 2 ) induced in the signal wires will therefore depend greatly upon theirdistances from the current-carrying conductors. Twisting the signal conductorstogether tends to make the distances equal, on the average, thereby inducing equalnoise voltages which will cancel each other.

The main concept you refuse to acknowledge is how induced noise becomes 'common mode' in the first place....Twisted conductors, thats how!

And for the discussion about shielding:

Generally, when shielding against audio-frequency electrostatic noise (below 20kHz), it is not good practice to ground the shield at more than one point. Thereason for this is that the ground points may be at different voltage levels, causingcurrent to flow through the shield. Current flow in such ground loops can inducenoise in the signal-carrying conductors through the same phenomenon that occursin a transformer.

Once again, my comments have been based on the idea of using shielded twisted pair and not coax so the proper way to connect the shield for this type of AV application is only on one side.

Here's the address; http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:EoO70PXO9doJ:www.davidson.com.au/products/strain/mg/technology/technotes/tn501.pdf+noise+cancelling+twisted+conductors&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us&client

The main concept you refuse to acknowledge is how induced noise becomes 'common mode' in the first place....Twisted conductors, thats how!


I've acknowledged it many times. You refuse to understand that once the noise has been induced equally in each conductor only then can be removed by the differential receiver....not the wire, as you continue to insist upon.

Once again, my comments have been based on the idea of using shielded twisted pair and not coax so the proper way to connect the shield for this type of AV application is only on one side.

I've already quoted your post where you insist that lifting the shield of an unbalanced cable is necessary to eliminate noise. I explained to you that the circuit won't work with one end lifted...and you went off on your great "debate"...revealing that you don't know what "differential" or "balanced" means. You don't understand how differential signalling works. You posted papers that don't support your view. You won't acknowledge that you don't understand most of what you've written here....you've called me ignorant a number of times...and, quite frankly, after reading your posts, I find you to be a bit of a joke.

BTW. Plugging "twisted" "noise" and "conductor" into google, and then posting the first thing that comes up, is really sad. You should have read and understood the paper first.

once the noise has been induced equally in each conductor only then can be removed by the differential receiver....not the wire, as you continue to insist upon.

But how is noise induced equally in each conductor?

I've already quoted your post where you insist that lifting the shield of an unbalanced cable is necessary to eliminate noise.

Nobody was talking about unbalanced coax cables. You do understand why shielding is connected on one side if it is not a coax interconnect right?

You don't understand how differential signalling works. You posted papers that don't support your view.

Both papers that I posted talk about the benefits of equal noise distribution resulting from twisted conductors

You won't acknowledge that you don't understand most of what you've written here....you've called me ignorant a number of times...and, quite frankly, after reading your posts, I find you to be a bit of a joke.

I said that I was sorry to expose your ignorance, I think once.

BTW. Plugging "twisted" "noise" and "conductor" into google, and then posting the first thing that comes up, is really sad. You should have read and understood the paper first.

I speak from professional experience of over a decade of electronics work and technical training. I posted those papers because you seem to think that balanced circuits are perfect (not even the best are) and cannot benefit from twisted conductor cable construction, well they do. So do unbalanced cables.

Yes, noise is cancelled at the receiver. But it would not be cancelled if it were not induced equally as a function of twisted conductor construction. Run a cable of parallel conductors and another of twisted conductors and see which is quieter since you will not take my word or that of the electrical engineers who wrote the papers.

What do you do for a living since I am a joke and just type things into google with no understanding? Wait, let me guess, you sell balanced receivers and non-twisted balanced interconnects.

But how is noise induced equally in each conductor?

If you don't know how noise is induced into a conductor you need to go back further and study.

You do understand why shielding is connected on one side if it is not a coax interconnect right?


In a balanced interconnect, yes....do you?

Both papers that I posted talk about the benefits of equal noise distribution resulting from twisted conductors


Both papers mentioned how the common mode signals would be canceled by the differential receiver....but you don't understand that.

I said that I was sorry to expose your ignorance, I think once.

But all you did was expose your own ignorance, again and again.

I speak from professional experience of over a decade of electronics work and technical training.

I'm an EE and have over 20 years experience.

I posted those papers because you seem to think that balanced circuits are perfect (not even the best are) and cannot benefit from twisted conductor cable construction, well they do

You're making a poor attempt at putting words in my mouth, or you're trying to deflect the attention away from the fact that you clearly don't understand balanced circuits. No-one said they were perfect. Your understanding of them and your subsequent 'explanations' are wrong. You simply don't know what you're talking about, and despite being told numerous times, you refuse to learn anything.

Yes, noise is cancelled at the receiver.

Finally!

But it would not be cancelled if it were not induced equally as a function of twisted conductor construction.

Once again, common mode noise is canceled at the receiver...it doesn't matter if the wires are twisted or not. The reason for the twist is to hopefully ensure that noise is induced equally into both conductors....this can happen even if they are not twisted.

Run a cable of parallel conductors and another of twisted conductors and see which is quieter since you will not take my word or that of the electrical engineers who wrote the papers.

I understand the papers very well...you, clearly, don't.

Where did you get your EE degree from?

I don't have a degree, I got my training in the Navy as a radar technician and then as a civilian, I am a state certified scale technician. I have built and repaired...I don't know...maybe 300 cables of all types, including long runs of low level signal cables. I've had my hands on them and actually used a multimeter and o-scope.:D

You want to talk about balanced receivers all day long. Yes, they're quiet. Yes, they're quieter than unbalanced even if the unbalanced has the best cables in the world. No, they don't inherently cancel noise unless it is present in both conductors. You have repeatedly said that I don't understand balanced circuits, but I explained their operation much more fully than you have. You say that it doesn't matter if wires are twisted or not, but reference after reference disagrees with you. And the original point of the proper way to connect a shield is applicable to an UNBALANCED interconnect made of twisted pair. I don't believe that you have ever built a cable. If you do in fact hold an electrical engineering degree, it serves you poorly in this forum.

You build cables?

I build the stuff they connect to.

I also know what a multimeter and 'scope are, and I can solder....but who cares?
Do you understand differential signalling yet?

BTW...when I worked in broadcasting, pulling and terminating 300 cables in one day wasn't uncommon.

it doesn't matter if the wires are twisted or not. The reason for the twist is to hopefully ensure that noise is induced equally into both conductors....this can happen even if they are not twisted.

Yep, this is true. While simply using a twisted pair can reduce magnetic interference by minimizing the loop area, parallel conductors with equally induced noise voltages and impedances to ground would be just as effective as twisted wires with those same voltages and impedances with regards to noise immunity at the receiver.

And the original point of the proper way to connect a shield is applicable to an UNBALANCED interconnect made of twisted pair.

Why would you use twisted pair for an unbalanced interconnect? I don't think you've ever "built" a cable in your life. I realise you don't have a degree...no need to post that, it's obvious.

Why would you use twisted pair for an unbalanced interconnect?

Simply twisting the wires does provide a degree of protection against magnetic field interference, even if the circuit is unbalanced. That's because of the minimizing of the loop area, not any cancellation.

Simply twisting the wires does provide a degree of protection against magnetic field interference, even if the circuit is unbalanced. That's because of the minimizing of the loop area, not any cancellation.

Also, using a conductor rather than shield minimizes resistance in the ground 'return path' which is favorable.:D I'm making some new interconnects out of 5 braided 30ga hookup wire for each conductor twisted and then shielded. I'll A/B between them and my current AR coax interconnects and post the comparison.

Also, using a conductor rather than shield minimizes resistance in the ground 'return path'

Shields are also conductors...otherwise they wouldn't work very well. They're usually of heavier guage then the signal carrying conductors which makes it a better return. You should really do some more research.

Y'all might like to read Bill Whitlock's friendly presentation on balanced audio at http://www.aes.org/sections/pnw/pnwrecaps/2005/whitlock/whitlock_pnw05.pdf

It addresses the benefits of using a 3 conductor cable even with a single ended source (with caveats) when driving differential inputs; the issues of using the shield as a signal return; and the benefits of twisted pair (or even star-quad) in rejecting magnetic hum pickup.

Certs is a breath mint....Certs is a candy mint...

Lot's of good info in there. He writes some great white papers. They should be mandatory reading.

I'm considering make a set of cables from some left over cat 5 cable I have I've read a lot of DIY's on the net and some are far more complicated than this

http://www.venhaus1.com/diycatfivecables.html

http://www.mejiatryti.com/SpeakerCable/fivebraid.html

Do any of these methods have advantages? I'm not afraid to invest some time into the construction if they are worth it.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

duvetyne:
I understand what you are saying as I'm an electrical/computer engineer in my last quarter of college. After reading the DIY on building the Cat5 speaker cable, the first thought that came to my mind is how the noise is being purportedly canceled since speaker wires are obviously unbalanced. People need to understand that Cat5 cables used as ethernet cables are balanced, meaning the noise is actively canceled by the receiver aka NIC in the computer, but the same is not true when used as speaker cable.

So how is using Cat5 cable better than using regular cheapo speaker cable other than it being cheap and having low resistance and inductance which is a tradeoff for higher capacitance?

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/cables/diy-speaker-cable-faceoff/diy-cable-faceoff-results-and-conclusion

I'm nearing completion on a 27-pair CAT6 braided version of this DIY project.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3527/3253670228_9364edc7fb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28813805@N02)

More photos and comments here: Flickr Photo Stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28813805@N02)

It's all CAT6 grade pairs, but have been sourced from a Monoprice spool and some leftover white jacketed CAT6 (Draft 7) wire from a previous project. All are 23g wires, which will yield a total connector cross section of about 9 gauge when completed.

The craziest part of this all is, I'm not making these for myself, but rather as a gift to a friend overseas!

Soon I will be building some speaker wire of my own and I have a good idea of where to get most of the materials I’d need or want, but I can’t even find a name for one item I am seeking so I figured I would post my query here.

I am looking for metal guides/sleeves for the section of wire where the split from the main run to the negative and positive lines occurs. They serve the same purpose as cable pants, but are metal instead of heat-shrink.

You can see what I'm talking about at the following link:

Linkage (http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=accessories&action=display&thread=4790)

Look at the speaker wire starting in the fourth picture and you will see what I'm talking about.

Any clue what these things are called?

Any clue where to buy something like that?

I've browsed all of the usual suspects (parts-express, Ram Electronics, Wire care, et al) and I can't find anything. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Soon I will be building some speaker wire of my own and I have a good idea of where to get most of the materials I’d need or want, but I can’t even find a name for one item I am seeking so I figured I would post my query here.

I am looking for metal guides/sleeves for the section of wire where the split from the main run to the negative and positive lines occurs. They serve the same purpose as cable pants, but are metal instead of heat-shrink.

You can see what I'm talking about at the following link:

Linkage (http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=accessories&action=display&thread=4790)

Look at the speaker wire starting in the fourth picture and you will see what I'm talking about.

Any clue what these things are called?

Any clue where to buy something like that?

I've browsed all of the usual suspects (parts-express, Ram Electronics, Wire care, et al) and I can't find anything. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Hey fistofsouth, I spent a long time looking for those as well. The only ones I could find that were easily attainable were at AV-Outlet ("http://www.av-outlet.com/en-us/dept_58.html). A little pricey though, which didn't stop me unfortunately :( (I spent way too much making fancy looking speaker cables).

Hey fistofsouth, I spent a long time looking for those as well. The only ones I could find that were easily attainable were at AV-Outlet ("http://www.av-outlet.com/en-us/dept_58.html). A little pricey though, which didn't stop me unfortunately :( (I spent way too much making fancy looking speaker cables).

Thanks for the reply. I couldn't follow your link, but I did find the site on-line. Did you use the ViaBlue Custom Cable Splitters/Boots?
They are pricey, but were you otherwise satisfied?
How do they work? Just take them apart, insert cable and screw back together?