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  3. 155295-46

Adding shielding to existing cables

So I have some interconnects that are picking up all sorts of RFi. I know this for two reasons, one, as I move them around the noisy/buzz sound changes, and two, when I switch them out for shielded interconnects the noise goes away.

so, I bought some tinned copper shielding and some new RCA plugs. I’m going to cut the existing RCA plugs off the existing cable and install the new shielding and new plugs. The thing is the new plugs have a plastic body so there is nowhere to easily connect the shielding to ground.

I was thinking of running a pigtail from the shielding and attachIng an eyelet to ground it to my preamp since there is a grounding lug. Would this work or is there a better way given what I intend to use?


last_lemming
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
millercarbon:
""Pro tip", good one. Tell 'em, pro, about your DIY cable skills. How about the "pro tip" where you discover your "pro cables" you built aren't even within 2dB of each other? "


heaudio123:
- Source resistance 500-10K ohms. Load impedance 20K-100K ohms. Cable resistance <<1 ohm. I am curious to how you think an interconnect is going to generate a 2db difference between 2 cables of similar construction?


And I am curious how you got any of that from what I said?

The fact of the matter is it was Eric Squires himself who told us all he had built these DIY interconnects, that they didn’t sound right, and that he then measured and found they were 2dB off. So don’t ask me. Ask Mr "Pro Tip" himself.

Reading comprehension. It is one thing to be able to sound out the words. Quite another to comprehend their meaning. As you so beautifully illustrate.
erik_squires
16,368 posts
 
@millercarbon is not only a creepy online stalker but he is my biographer.

He’s referring to a learning experience I had with DIY cables. Yes, I broke something using single stranded pure silver interconnects. I shared the experience with others about what to be careful of.

In this particular thread, Miller failed in any meaningful way to address my suggestion, but instead has to go way back to remember something I said he can use against me.

The suggestion I made is a good one. I know this because I made my own cables and did the research. I also made a mistake here and there. That’s proof of experience.

Best,
E
erik_squires
16,368 posts
 
@dgarretson knows his stuff.

All I want to suggest is, maybe don't hack your favorite ICs as your first one? :)
last_lemming OP
639 posts
 
Sometimes I feel I’m being misunderstood or people aren’t reading through completely. No offense to anyone. 
I’m not going to hack up my cable (yet). I’m going install a shielding with pigtail I can ground to a source. I just wanted to know if that would work. 
I have other cables with shielding that stops the same noise I’m picking up from the other unshielded cables. 
That being said the cable I like is one of my least expensive by some margin so, if I ultimately hack it up, it won’t be the worst thing in the world;)
erik_squires
16,368 posts
 
Yep.  That would work.

You will be adding some capacitance, be interesting if this changes the quality of your cables. :)
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