Cable management....crossing at right angles or


Good morning,

I have been out of the hobby for a while, and now just getting things back into my system.

No matter how I try, I can't keep my cables isolated from each other, especially speaker and power. Is there anything besides the old saying of trying to cross at right angles, something..copper tape/Faraday sheets that you can put on the cables when they cross to reduce-eliminate interference or distortion/ EMI RFI?

Thanks,

Randy

 

randu

If you are using good shielded power and speaker cables, it is unlikely you’ll hear a difference no matter what you do.  If you are using stock power cords and and zip cords as speaker wires, that’s another story.

All the best.

@ghdprentice 

I do know it is low on the totem pole of audio tweaks, but my anal personality can't just forget about it. Every time I sit down to listen, I know it is lurking in the background. I can almost hear it snickering at me during the quieter moments.

Use shielded cables, keep them away from each other as much as possible, cross them at or close to right angles when you can, and then don’t worry any more about it unless you have a specific noise issue.  If you feel better lifting them off the floor, use whatever works for you.  I wouldn’t spend a bunch of money on that stuff, although years ago when I used to believe the advertising I read, I did buy a set of Cable Elevators.

An inexpensive alternative that I find to be handy is to cut pieces of foam pipe insulation, which you can use to provide separation between cables that are crossing each other or even to elevate cables off the floor, but not very high.  I usually cut them about 2-inches long and use the pre-cut slit to insert the cable in the middle.  Using one on each crossing cable and resting them against each other provides almost an inch of separation.

 

I simply try to keep mine from actually touching each other. It’s basically impossible not to have a wire cross here or there. The only cables I try to isolate as much as possible are my phono connects. Other than that, it is what it is. I wouldn’t worry much…

Well, @nonoise ...rats kinda find them pleasant, but.... ;)

@mitch2, the pipe insulation is likely the lowest cost option for cable lifts. 👍

I've been trying avoid a major revamp of my 'nest', the worst of which is the 5 pairs of speaker lines that at one point cross a 3' w. 'path'; for lack of a better term...

The Plan (at this time, anyhow) is to sequester the speaker lines, the ac  and dc distributions, and the ic's as much as practical.

The speaker lines can be run straight down from the amp, under the 'rack', and run parallel to the various 'n sundry....

The ac/dc lines can drop vertically to their 'distribution means'; separate the more discrete audio items (amp, pre- and 'pre-subs' {eqs'), 'puters [2], and anything else of it's ilk), keeping in mind the power 'draws' each may use...

CD, TT's, tapes, and their peripherals' with their own power source...

All the 'signal' cables are essentially above all this, physically and conceptually...

Those of themselves could still be a nest of sorts....🤷‍♂️

I'm hoping for a 'cloud effect' visually....with the occasional detail of reasonable rationale....*L*

A variant of the 'foam tech' could look kewl in it's way.....'pipelines' leading to the 'sprayers'....;)