Looking for really fine cables at really low price

I am trying to make balanced XLR interconnects with WE 16 gage wire. Do I really need a shield like the real XLR cables have, the one you can buy from Take Five Audio, or I can use regular wire as third wire (shield). What is the purpose of the shield, does it carry any audio signal or it is like a ground connection on a power cable. Let me know please. Thanks.

What great read this thread has been.......plenty of experimentation, information, science and artistic reviews.......without any juvenile bickering that plagues so many forums. Sooooo refreshing!

After reading Jim Smiths newsletter, Jeff Days blog and this thread I just had to join the fray! After so many years pursuing that perfectly detailed audiophile sound, I found myself spending more time straining to hear every audiophile sound effect I was told was sonic utopia instead of actually enjoying music. While my system is resolving, I'm sure it's pretty pedestrian compared to many hear.......Tekton Enzo's, two Vandersteen 2w's, Odyssey Kismet Monoblocks & Candela preamp, Oppo 105d, Schiit Yggdrasil and Wywires Power Broker. So far I'm very happy with the dynamics, tonality and musicality of its sound which made trying out the WE speaker cables and Belden 8402 interconnects irresistible. Until recently I was using all Groneberg cables, interconnects and PC's. I changed to WE 14ga speaker wire today and I'm already liking the results. I can't wait for them to burn in. I have some Belden 8402 and switchcraft RCA connectors arriving in two days. I ordered solder connectors, would compression fittings be better? Not sure if soldering will negatively effect the sound. 

Thanks for all the great information, commentary, insight .......and hopefully some advice into my first foray in making my own interconnects.

I'll second the Amadi Maddie Signature silver wires and Darwin Silver, the Darwin Ascension or Ascension Plus silver wires.  They are considerably better sounding than the Morrow Ma-3,4 or 5, the Crimson cable, DNM, Speltz, and some Audioquest (don't remember the model #), Magnan Type 2, Synergistic Research--have had them all.  Excellent clarity, bass with great ability to distinguish instrumental texture, and transparent highs without any tendency to etch.  Between the two, I'm not sure I have a preference. The Darwins get better from Silver to Ascension Plus. The Amadi Maddie Signature speaker cable is a phenominal buy.

HI mac48025,
Welcome to the WE club. I would not underestimate the capability of your system. I bet it bests many more expensive rigs. I think you have discovered musicality and are going to like it better than musical artifacts. "Real Music" as espoused by Yazaki-san and Jeff Day is the real ticket for many folks to enjoy the music. Music should have a Soul and tick your emotional strings, goose bump territory. Best, Rob

signature8  12-07-2015 2:55pmI am trying to make balanced XLR interconnects with WE 16 gage wire. Do I really need a shield like the real XLR cables have, the one you can buy from Take Five Audio, or I can use regular wire as third wire (shield). What is the purpose of the shield, does it carry any audio signal or it is like a ground connection on a power cable. Let me know please. Thanks.

If both components are designed in an ideal manner the shield will not carry signal current.  However that will often not be the case, as it depends on whether the components connect pin 1 of their XLR connectors to their circuit ground or to their chassis, and on the impedance through which the components connect their circuit grounds and chassis to each other.

Also, whether the pin 1's of the XLR connectors at each end of the cable are interconnected via a shield or a plain wire will affect noise pickup, susceptibility to ground loop issues, and the capacitance of the cable.

In general, constructing the cable in the conventional manner (a twisted pair of conductors surrounded by a shield) figures to stand the greatest chance of being optimal.

Regards,
-- Al