Help me with a speaker cable build, Ideas?

stained glass, copper foil.

https://www.ebay.ca/b/Stained-Glass-Supplies/4770/bn_16516878


Various thickness, widths, and backing materials.

All copper these days is inherently 99.99% OFC copper. As the cheapest way of making it is via a electrolytic process that automatically comes to that level and type of quality. They would make it cheaper if they could but that is now the bottom of the barrel in copper quality, strictly due to costs.

Basically, you lay out a long strip of high quality masking tape, on a linoleum kitchen floor or whatnot,..done glue side up...and then lay down a long strip of the given copper of the right ’total guage/area...’, of equivalence to 18-14g or whatnot..and then a strip beside it, separated...and then lay another strip of the tape down on that, using the glue side down, so the two glue sides contact and entrap the copper strips.

Thus you get a high grade high current high bandwidth foil speaker pair set, for about $40 total. With paper dielectric, no less, which is a very high quality dielectric. the glue sucks, but you can’t have everything. Maybe even multiple strips of copper per positive and negative leg. The good part of the glued together set is that it is low mass with high damping. The ideal desirable combination. With an almost MIA dielectric skin. Which is also desirable.

You can even make unshielded interconnects of the thinner copper foil, via similar techniques. And you can probably run video signals down the speaker cable version they are so high bandwidth. Or alternatively run a toaster at 1400 watts.

Please try this and it will beat a lot of cables that cost you hundreds and even of thousand of dollars.  Go to Home Depot and get the low voltage electrical wires and they will work like a champ.  Under 6’ to 10’ get 14 or 16 gauge and over 10’ to 20’ is, of course, 12 gauge.  Just want to share!

islandmandan927 posts01-31-2020 10:46amGo to Tempo Electric site. They sell cable, insulation, etc. I bought two pair of Big Twist 12 gauge solid core silver in Teflon tubing, and love them. They sound great.

Retired old heavy equipment operator,
Dan

RetOldHvyEqOp Dan, Yup. I worked on lots and lots of different equipment through the years. Always an adventure.LOL

Thanks I'll check out the cable. Are you running a single conductor or Bi wired/amps? Valve or SS or BOTH?? AND speaker type, round, planar, ribbon, electrostatic, or combo? Teflon is good, so are the soft jackets, cotton, silk, hemp, and dense paper types like pressed hemp and rice paper, (rolling papers).

I see teo_audio has post some WONDERFUL pearls, also!!!
HQ tape with a flat conductor, 99.99. and a second piece of tape. Flat conductor, NON woven, I bet it's KILLER. Especially mids and highs.
I suppose enough layers would be good for many MANY watts, yet singles would have very good detail, kinda like the SC # 20-24, BUT BETTER dielectric, nether is OVER dampened VERY important.
SAY, you know what the 5 components are in the cables you
mentioned???? SHARE! NOW!! Elaborate!!!

I've used HEAVY (#4) flat woven copper in a cotton/burlap jacket or clear high temp silicone for SERIOUS bass sections.
I've not found a better cable, some as good but not BETTER.

Have you ran "Network style", cabling?

I use pure solid core silver wire or GOOD SC clad when I build a monitor section (#20-24). I've tried a few different combinations.
  
Planars and ribbons, WORK well with both pure solid core Silver, or Copper. I CANNOT hear the difference. MIXTUREs definitely have a sonic signature.
I've pumped every bit of 700 plus watts through,# 20-24 SC conductors. I've NEVER heard (along with a few others), any difference or any undersize issues, that were noted. Definition and clarity, come to mind.

CLADDING on the other hand, UNLESS solid core, DRIVES ME UP A WALL. BLISTERING HF Multi strand/clad anything can be BRIGHT.
I haven't tried solid core with clad on SPEAKER RUNS. I bet it would be a much better combo. Problem it's not flexible.

Copper tames some of the qualities my Macs and VTL tube units have, in concert with SS amps for bass duty. I NOW use BIG copper only, from about 700hz down, and UP if I'm using Valve amps.

I've had to roll tubes with other individuals stereos behind speaker wire.
I LOVE the MC240s in a small room, with good speakers. (especially a good horn type system)
A fellow wanted to buy one of my 240s. I take it over, he's got these humpty dumpty wires that my POOR old (NEW) 240, didn't understand. I wasn't gonna argue. Sylvanias OUT RCAs in, fixed. BUT 600.00 USD valves for his 2000.00 cables. Sounded wonderful. Yet that same cable in copper (40.00) with Silvanias (150.00 new) sounded as good, maybe a tad tighter in the bass, and crisper on the top. 2210.00 upgrade that didn't sound BETTER... PLUS the 3000.00 for the Tricked out amp. Still has the amp, he loves it. GO FIGURE...

I found that Terminal ENDS are the biggest UNUSED tool, in the TOOL box. I literally use them as a tuning aid, if I get feedback ABOUT a tunable issue, it's an easy fix. Silver, copper, red copper, gold, rose gold, then cladding combinations. ALL have a different, signature. Red copper, and rose gold, BOTH have iron. not the best, ay? Pure silver or copper VERY CLOSE, sonically I can't tell the difference on MY GEAR, with my ears.

Round speaker, with SD/Ribbon/Planar, combos, I use a HIGH strand count copper, for speaker runs.

Now, Network cables, ANYONE!! any imaging inside?? Where is superman when we need him.

Opps, I didn't mean the superman thing, I prefer superman not show up, BUT if he did, BE NICE, ay.. No bickering, (I'm telling myself), deep breaths. Concentrate on the force LUKE, CONCENTRATE. lol

thomasnguyen101611 posts01-31-2020 8:21pmPlease try this and it will beat a lot of cables that cost you hundreds and even of thousand of dollars.  Go to Home Depot and get the low voltage electrical wires and they will work like a champ.  Under 6’ to 10’ get 14 or 16 gauge and over 10’ to 20’ is, of course, 12 gauge.  Just want to share!

Solid Core conductor, right?? I've used it. WORKS great, it's just not flexible enough for most applications, unless your a "off the floor guy"
I saw a  "HIGH" dollar systems, with stiff conductors and bridging. I figured it was so the cleaning person could vacuum. 55,000.00 for that set up in Florida show 12 year or so back.. You did it for 40.00 or less. Heck some plexiglass and a table saw, you got the bridging, for the vacuum person, you, I assume. It works for me.....

BTW that 55,000.00 USD system BOILED my ears behind dirty
DIRTY VAC, along with most of the vendors. I just walked by B&W,
ML big stuff was ok.That was called the "Cotton Convention", Everyone was bitchin', about the HF ear bleeding highs. Cotton in your ears...