Have a look at these Beauties!!!! How to make your OWN "High End" Cables!!! - Page 55

I am preparing to buy some techflex (probably from EBay seller FurryLetters)and try my hand at making some cables - what is the difference between the "Clean Cut" and the "regular" techflex?

"Clean cut" has a tighter weave so that you can cut it with scissors and it will fray less. It covers better, and if you are going to get black anyway, id suggest the clean cut.

I have worked with clean cut alot. I use it on all my personal stuff. Very easy to work with and can be cut with scissors. Little more expensive that regular flex but covers way better also.

had some hand-me-down 14 awg cable that i made with some cheap belkin connectors. do not like those connectors.

then received my ogre techflex and Emotiva bananas today and made a small cable just for practice.

These bananas are ok, like others have said, the rubber band can get lost very easily.

I have some GLS Audio connectors on order that will compare with, though hard to pass up the deal Emotiva has going on.

Monoprice 12AWG is on order.

Thanks all in this thread who has contributed.

Very nicely done on your first attempt.

+1

I ran out of supplies, here's how I connected the upper terminals, very intricate, very advanced, very high-tech, very....oh wait, this was just a pair of 12 wire.

thats the same thing alot of manufacturers used years back until they started using metal straps.

I'm installing a new AVR, and the ~99-cent nickel bananas from Parts Express that I've used for a decade now are getting a bit loose and a few of the labels I made in a super high-tech fashion (read: printed on paper, affixed to cable pant with scotch tape) fell off, so I think I'm going to redo AVR end of my wires in accordance with the CEA-863B standard, which to my surprise nobody has yet mentioned on this thread (I searched). After all, sometimes when unplugging/replugging, I get confused as to what's what.

While I don't know the full scheme (not gonna pay $60 to learn the color codes for height/wide speakers I don't employ anyway!), the color codes for the positive leads in a 7.1-channel surround back system are as follows.

Front Right: Red
Front Left: White
Center Channel: Green
Side Surround Left: Blue
Side Surround Right: Gray
Back Surround Left: Brown
Back Surround Right: Tan
Subwoofers: Purple

All negative leads are black.

I haven't decided whether to do the leads in the following:

(1) Colored heat shrink, covering the bananas ("Nakamichi" saw tooth two-screw models) and covering the plug to replace their (poorly-threaded) red and black plastic barrels. (I went with plastic barrels because I wanted to insulate the connectors as much as possible. Unfortunately, acetone eats the plastic without doing much to remove the logo.)

(2) Techflex covered with clear shrink, with the ends concealed at the wire split-off point by the standard black heat shrink strip (I don't like "cable pants") and at the banana by the Nak plastic barrel.

(3) #2, but with the 'flex and 'shrink covering the banana plug, and some as-yet undetermined means of providing a finished appearance over the banana plug.

Thoughts?

Obviously, the latter two are more expensive, more time consuming, and nobody but me will see it anyway. But the issue is more aesthetic than cost, because neither one is in absolute terms expensive. So which one do you think will look better?

If it makes a difference, my base wire is, depending on the length of the run, 16/2 twisted or 16/4 braided mil-spec silver-plated copper with Teflon insulation,* in either case sleeved with 1/4" carbon or light grey Techflex except the center, which is sleeved in Superhero at the amp end because I ran out of carbon.

Also, does anyone have a quicker way of sleeving Techflex over wire than taping one wire end together and "accordioning" the sleeve down the wire inch-by-inch?

*Before anyone asks, no it doesn't sound any different from anything else. But the Teflon jacket makes it thinner than anything else I've seen of the same wire thickness, it's very flexible and Steve at ApexJr had it cheap when I bought it.

if you dont like pants, there are numerous things you can do to make them look good on that end.

I don't like cable pants because it strikes me as silly to have both leads separated yet still finished in the same color.

Better ergonomic practice is to make positive visually identifiable from negative (and vice versa) as soon as they are separated. (And then each channel from another via a an easy-to-recognize visual code. Since there is a standard, and my Anthem AVR uses it on the binding posts, following the standard is the logical approach.)

What I generally do is put maybe 4" of heat shrink on the individual +/- leads, red on positive and black on negative. Then I use a band, maybe 1.5" or so, of larger-diameter adhesive-lined heat shrink. I cut that on the lead end to form "briefs" when headed, with each lead being a "leg" and the combined wire being the "torso."

With Speakons, which are a far far FAR superior means to connect wires to loudspeakers and amps - from an ergonomic/safety perspective; sonically they're all the same if done competently - but are not sadly standard equipment on consumer audio gear, I just use a ~1.5" long piece of black adhesive shrink as extra strain relief and to collect the end of the Techflex.

If someone sold a 7.1-channel (or 5.1-channel, as I'm not using surround backs) pack of cable pants with a black or other colored top-block and "legs" color coded per CEA-865B, I would just two packs of cable pants and be done with it.

I'm more interested on thoughts about doing the color-coding in heatshrink vs. doing it in techflex (vs. clear 'shrink over 'flex) for the individual positive leads color-coded per CEA-865B.

Good point. I like cable pants because of the separation, I cut mine short and installed red/black cable coverings to designate the pos/neg.

Observe;

bananna plugs are red and black. How much more indentity would you need?

Like i said, if you dont like pants, there are other ways to make them look good and still have the red and black to identify them.

Attachment 234139

also, I use a multimeter to check continuity before I hook them up

I'm confused. Have you actually read any of my posts to which you've replied?

My confusion, you must understand, stems from the fact that not a single solitary word you've posted in response to my question -is even on a trajectory to be the slightest bit on point to the actual question I presented.

The actual question I presented, for those who lack foundational reading comprehension skills, boils down to the following: given that one wants the leads of one's speaker wires to conform to the CEA-863B color-coding standard (see infra) from the point at which they separate into +/- until the terminating plugs, which do you (plural you, as in those who read this thread) think would be more attractive:
(a) appropriately-colored heat-shrink;
(b) appropriately-colored Techflex; or
(c) appropriately-colored Techflex with clear heatshrink on top of it?

How have your responses to me at all addressed that question?


Red and black is great, if you have nothing but front right speakers!

Again, the current standard, CEA-863B, is to use the following colors for the positive side:

Front Right speaker: Red
Front Left speaker: White
Center Channel: Green
Left Surround (side): Blue
Right Surround (side): Gray
Left Back Surround: Brown
Right Back Surround: Tan


A few thoughts.

I consider those wires poorly designed, and would be upset if I they were sent to me in response to an order, for the following reasons:

-First, the combination of matte heat shrink and glossy cable pant is visually incongruous. True, your picture exaggerates the real differences. But having done it in the past and scrapped the result for visual incongruence, it is still ugly. It looks much cleaner to simply leave the "waist" end of the speaker pant free, or do what I did when I used to use speaker pants: wrap stiff paper (e.g. magazine subscription cards) under the Techflex until the waist of the pant is naturally taut.

-Second, those binding posts are not only ugly, too heavy, and too long, but also poorly insulated. If they happen to touch anywhere along their barrels, they'll short. When one cannot use Speakons, one should at least to take care to insulate a banana as much as practicable. That means either plastic barrels, or shrink applied up until the actual contact spring.

-Third, the sum total of polarity markings on those wires is a thin colored
band, and one that (unless it happens to be a right front channel) fails to conform to the relevant standard. Not good enough. A better ergonomic design practice is to make each lead v the "crotch" to the termination distinct, and to follow the appropriate color-coding standard (CEA-863B).

-Fourth, it would be very easy to remove that binding post plate and put a blank plate with a Speakon terminal instead. On AVR's and separate amps, replacing the inferior binding posts with superior Speakon ports is generally impracticable, because it will void warranties and such. But on loudspeakers, especially since in most homes the cleaning person will disconnect them (intentionally or inadvertently) to clean around them and often won't know about audio, it makes no sense not to upgrade to a superior, foolproof interface. The warranty is not an issue on a passive loudspeaker, generally speaking. Nothing's going to fail, unless the speaker is inappropriately used, or the failure of an upstream component actually or proximately causes the loudspeaker to fail.

Also, If one uses decent materials and does competent work, one shouldn't have to test for continuity as a matter of course. The wire I use is designed to connect various electrical bits in things like main battle tanks and ballistic missiles, so I have no concerns about it breaking inside the jacket in the course of domestic handling. And I trust myself to competently turn set screws....

Well sir, good luck on finding help as I myself will not. I have no reason why you would come in this thread and ask for help and then call something ugly.

On a side note, I would love to see your cables when done since you feel the need to down other peoples work.

I myself dont think they are poorly designed at all.

IMHO, that would look totally ignorant. To each his own.

binding post? So we should all go out an make sure the binding posts on our speakers are not "ugly" or too "heavy" before we buy them. This is just another useless post. Its funny you mention putting shrink on the bannana but make a comment about glossy and matte finishes at top looking not uniform. contradiction?


You sir are one of the very few I have ever heard of following this USELESS standard. If you dont like a cable because it doesnt follow this standard, then why downgrade it. It might be a way better cable than what "follows" these standards you speak of.



This is ridiculous. You mean to tell me you have the equipment or done the reasearch to back up a claim that a speakon is far superior to a binding post? It sounds better or are your claims speakons are better merely for aesthetics? useless point.


what is the harm in making sure the cables you just made are up to par? I guess this is what sets me apart from you. I recheck my work instead of burning or in your case blowing something up.
If you are this competent and intelligent to design this sort of wire, then why are you posting in this thread and asking us mere mortals for help?

LMAO! Thanks I needed a good laugh! Yeah everyone has a cleaning lady and they always make sure to dust and polish those pesky binding posts!

"Oh Jeeves you need to tell Consuela she did not do a good enough job dusting and polishing around these binding posts that are color coded for surround sound. Jeeves tell her I want the speaker wires disconnected so that there isnt one spec of dust around the post"

"And Jeeves bring me a snifter of brandy and my smoking jacket"

And its great you use electrical wire that connects "various electrical bits" for tanks and missiles. Lord knows the government has never overpaid for inferior materials.

Anyone remeber the $400 toilet seat or the $800 hammer?

+11111111111111111111111

I do like the idea of color coding each banana plug to the "code" but I don't know if I would go as far as you plan. I really like the look of my GLS plugs, and do not plan on covering, if they short, my receiver will go into protective shutdown, which has yet to happen. I think it would be cool if somone used rubber O rings to replace/cover the red/black on the banana plugs at the receiver end, leaving the speaker end red and black. Not up to code probably, but still works with the idea of the multi-color identification at the receiver end, then when I re-arrange stuff, I wont have to trace each cable to find the left surround, etc. Im not sure if this photo below give you any inspiration, but replacing the yellow with the color needed might work.

tike71 Cables:

Actually, those are not my cables but I do dig the crap out of them.

Corrected my post, I agree those cables are some of the best ive seen

I've been aware of that since your first post on this thread, of course. You've had several opportunities to actually answer the actual question I asked, but for whatever reason - perhaps because you lacked the basic reading comprehension skills necessary to understand the question in the first place? - you simply chose not to do so.


I stated my reasons for my opinion. Others are free, of course, to disagree with my opinion and some or all of my support.

But a conclusory statement of disagreement without any corresponding support for one's position shows, at the very least, a lack of intellectual depth.


Actually, the only thing it looks like is a cable pant taut against the wire. The magazine card is entirely covered by the cable pant. But one could use anything to do the same thing.

If one is really afraid of the bulk filler showing, one could build up layers of clear heat-shrink underneath the "waist" of the cable pant to hold it taut.


My apologies there. I miswrote. I meant "banana plug," not "binding post."

Those plugs look heavy, and they're way longer than necessary.

Why put more mechanical stress on the poor post than necessary by leaving a heavy thing dangling off it?

I'm reminded of those Mercedes trucks (ML-class) that had their ignition sockets fall out because the German engineers failed to consider that some Americans hang fifty trillion things on their keychains, and with Prussian efficiency* designed the ignition socket to handle only a little more weight than the combined weight of their key and fob.

And yes, though I haven't personally done it, I have seen binding posts sheared because somebody yanked a banana plug at an angle. A long, heavy plug makes that failure mode more likely. So using such plugs is poor design practice.

*Yes, I am aware that Swabia is not part of historical Prussia. Don't take rhetorical flourishes literally.



No contradiction, at least to those with a functional spatial imagination.

The banana is covered by the post/socket when in use. Good design practice is to cover everything up to the actual point of contact with insulating material. Then even if something were to bend the posts at the speaker end such that the barrels of the plugs touch, a short cannot result.


Oh, really?

In this brouchure, the second claimed selling point is as follows: "Colour-coded speaker wires – CEA® colour-coded wires match Harman Kardon A/V receiver terminals for foolproof setup"

Here's another example, from Onkyo's flagship AVR:


And another, from Anthem's flagship AVR:


Not too bad, consider the standard was finalized barely a year ago!

And it's not useless. It has immediately obvious utility: on the back of a multichannel receiver, it allows one to instantaneously determine which lead goes to which speaker.

Anyone who's ever actually set up a multichannel audio system will know that sometimes wires that all look the same will be plugged into the wrong socket, so the center output goes to the left surround speaker or something like that. Or, what if you have, say, a young niece or nephew running around and being a dumb little kid, unplugging all of your speakers from the AVR. (I can't say that's ever happened to me, but it is not by any means out of the realm of possibility.) If they're color-coded, it would take mere seconds to get everything wired properly.


Because my question was entirely about an aesthetic choice between three options to color-code speaker leads according to the CEA-863B standard!

How can you still fail to understand that?

The cord you posted is entirely out of the scope of my question, because it does not demonstrate any of the three options actually asked about.


First, had you had the intellectual tools to digest the posts above this one, you would have seen this sentence, supra:


But in your partial defense, I did not elaborate on the "ergonomic/safety" advantages of the Speakon earlier. So here is a non-exhaustive list:

• They're inherently insulated. The only part that carries live current is buried inside the connector. So shorts are impossible, curious kids can't touch positive and negative leads together, etc.
  
• They have inherent strain relief. The connector is just plain well-designed.
  
• Speaking of being just plain well-designed, the set screw system on a Speakon is a superior design. Instead of the screw acting directly on the wire, creating a single (or at best double, in the case of double-screw bananas) point of contact, on a Speakon the set screw pushes down a lever that clamps the wire end across its entire length with uniform force. (Like bananas, Speakons are also available in versions with solder pads or tabs suitable for crimped-on quick disconnects.)
  
• They positively lock in place and offer a quick disconnect.
  
• They absolutely prevent wiring a speaker connected with Speakon's in anything but the correct polarity. Or to, for instance, cross wires on a biamped speaker.
  
• The standard version carries 4 poles (i.e. the same number as a set of buy-wire/buy-amp binding posts) in a single connector. (There are also 2-pole and 8-pole variants) So one only needs to make one connection. A binding post, by contrast, only carries one pole, or one-half of a connection. So a single Speakon is the equivalent of four binding posts.

Oh, there's one more advantage that's neither ergonomic nor safety related: they're cheap. A four-pole cable-end unit with silver-plated extremely low resistance contacts costs all of four US dollars and fifty cents. (Possibly less than that, but that price was the first hit on google shopping.)

Keep in mind that's not some Chinese generic knockoff part, but the original Neutrik piece, made in Liechtenstein and of guaranteed quality. Though for the record, Chinese generic knockoffs run about a quarter a piece in quantity.


Do you know anything about basic electronics?

What exactly is the consequence of a wire that's broken inside?

The circuit's not completed, so the speaker doesn't turn on.

That's it.

That can't "blow*** something up" any more than leaving the speaker or amp sitting in one's living room with no wires connected to it!


I was seeking opinions about the most aesthetically-pleasing method to do something I had already decided to do.

You still fail to grasp that, don't you?

Wow.


Whether one has hired help or not, a thorough cleaning of a room in which the front three loudspeakers speakers are properly placed (i.e. out into the room a bit) will require someone to take care of the space behind them, no?

Pet hair, dust bunnies, etc. will accumulate there just as anywhere else.

Furthermore, in any multi-member household, the person who set up the system is unlikely to always be the person who vacuums/sweeps/mops the floors. So yes, a connection system that makes it physically unable to connect a speaker in the wrong polarity is, as a practical matter, superior to one that allows incorrect connection.


Sure, at times it's arguable the military (not the government at large, but the military) has overpaid for items, but that's only half your claim. The second half relates to quality, not price ("inferior materials").

Do you know that $400 toilet was inferior to a standard one? (Though in fairness $400 isn't really excessive for a toilet, depending on the use. I wonder what Boeing and Airbus pay for their airplane toilets.)

OTOH, $800 is pretty clearly expensive for a passive hammer. But do you know the $800 hammer was inferior to a $10 one from Home Depot?

While I don't mean to defend defense contractors because there are surely rather harrowing abuses, I'm reminded of that West Wing episode where Donna (I think it was Donna) made a quip about an exorbitantly-priced cigar ashtray from a submarine. The naval officer then proceeds to shatter it, and retorts that it's expensive because it's designed not to shatter into a million pieces if a torpedo hits the sub and it goes flying across the room.

I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea. From a technical standpoint, there's nothing better, PTFE as durable as wire insulation gets (and more usefully to me, among the thinnest), and silver-plated copper is more corrosion-resistant than unplated copper. Unlike tin-plated copper, which is otherwise identical at audio frequencies and if anything even more corrosion-resistant, silver-plated copper also solders well. (I've never gotten solder to stick to tin well.) None of that, mind, makes a whit of sonic difference.

First, thanks for addressing the actual question I asked.

Second, that cable has heat-shrunk ends, right?

I've pretty much decided to go that way. Mostly because while I think Techflex with clear shrink over it would look better, that approach would make a less-flexible cable.

I just have a vender looking for tan shrink, even though I'm not currently running a 7.multisubs system. The other colors are available as standard. Though I suppose I could substitute yellow for tan, because that's not otherwise used in the scheme.

What's funny is he didn't read anything I said and responded with more useless posts.

Good luck in finding help on here with that attitude. Jumping on people will not get you anywhere in here.

On this standard, I merely meant I haven't seen many people make their cables to color code to the standard implemented on the amp.

I can tell you that I for one was one of your better bets on getting help so again good luck to ya.

To be honest, I've never seen or even heard of anyone using the color code crap on the back lol

It looks like the cable has pants, yellow techflex and then black heatshrink for the last 1/2 inch or so.

On closer look, you're clearly right. Thanks.


My posts in this thread are perhaps "useless" to those who ultimately just care about aping the style of expensive (overpriced, to be sure) products.

However, if one takes the time to dress cable, I think one may as well apply good design practices to enhance not just the looks but also ergonomics and safety of the cable.

One way to enhance the ergonomics of a bundle of cables is to color code them. While one could make one's own color code, CEA-863B is the standard color code for marking connections between amplifiers and loudspeakers. Following the standard allows a bundle of wires behind an AVR to be instantly visually identified, and attached to the correct terminals by matching the color of the lead to the same-colored binding post.

Another way to enhance the ergonomics of a cable is to ensure that it can only be inserted in the correct polarity. That is accomplished best by using a single multipole connector, rather than single-pole connectors like spades or bananas. While there are several multiple connectors that could and at times have been used - 1/4" phone jacks, XLR, and so on - the Speakon has emerged as the standard for a number of reasons, some of which I discussed above. It's simply an all-around excellent piece of industrial design.

The primary way to enhance the safety of a speaker cable is to keep the non-insulated sections to a bare minimum, so as to preclude shorts from accidents or improper handling. The best way to do that is to use Speakon connectors, because they are inherently insulated from tip to tip. If using a superior connector is not possible, one should use non-conducting material all the way up to the point of contact, and make it as difficult as possible for any two two leads to come into contact.

I realize that's all a higher-order thought process than "cables pretty. Me want!" Some people seem to lack the intellectual wherewithal to see beyond "me want pretty wire!" Fine for them, but that does not make putting actual thought into the design of a loudspeaker connection "useless" to those capable of higher-order thought processes.