Show off your DIY cables! (56k warning)

[dfkt]

We all know RatShack cables are crap and overpriced "audiphile" stuff is nonsense, only bought by gullible bozos... so the logical way to get highest quality studio-grade cables is to roll your own.

Show off your builds, let it be an inspiration to others.

I'm using mostly Neutrik plugs (a few Switchcraft and Canare too), Cordial and Mogami cables, WBT silver solder.

[CrowdAds]

[Andreas]

Can only think of three DIY cables i still have. One is behind the dvd player under my DIY benchplate thingy and cant be reached for photos, other is a 3.5mm jack mod to a fiio e3 for this thing: http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...touchwood2.jpg and the third is:

[gregzx]

The only cable mod I ever did was shortening the hfi780's cable and terminating it with this nice neutrik plug.



(hint: there are headphones on the other side of this cable)

[gregzx]

My newest baby:

[Andreas]

[Andreas]

[dfkt]

[Andreas]

epoxy?


EDIT: fresh from the solder iron:

[dfkt]

Originally Posted by Cptnodegard

epoxy?

Some nice, kinda expensive brand of hot glue I found. Works better than the cheap kind.

[Andreas]

Looks nice. Does it get hard or rubberish like normal hot glue? DX has epoxy for $5,50 or something, ordered one.

[dfkt]

It's getting quite hard, not as hard as epoxy, but it's definitely not spongy and rubbery. They're "Pattex Hot Sticks", btw.

I only found normal 2-component epoxy glue on DX, not epoxy putty. Don't know if you can make thick forms and layers with that glue... ?

http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.epoxy

[Andreas]

Not sure either, will find out soon enough. I'll only be using it for gluing together connectors and such but for a hard case around an IC it might not work

[WalkGood]

Tacks on board to make DIY braided cable, no pic but later I discovered that a wide clamp & foamy pad work way better:


Rounded braid:


Techflex cable:






Black braid:


Clear braid, but looks white in pics:




I’ve just got the materials to make a few more, now just to find time :/

[dfkt]

Nice pics, WalkGood - the black one of course looks the best for me.

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by dfkt

Nice pics, WalkGood - the black one of course looks the best for me.

Thanks dfkt, I agree that blacks the best, lately the techflex one has seen the most use. The blingy cables are cool to make and use in pics but I don't really use them much.

[Marvin the Martian]

Very nice pics in this thread.....you guys are audiophiles and craftsmen to boot

[no9]

Nice bridge connector dfkt Hot glue was a good call

[jjrosaria]

sorry cant be bothered taking another pic but here it is again with my amp.. nothing special but it works...



PS: drools on walkgood's hd 650

[WalkGood]

dfkt, I really like your silver/clear & black chrome ic, it looks awesome on the d2/headsix combo. Also the one with the hot glue, how ingenious, hope to try one of those one day soon. The rest are great too, just mentioned my two fav's ^^

@ jjrosaria, once again great job on the amp and nice & short ic, btw tell dad we likes


btw, I haven't forgotten the extra cable I promissed, I know no excuse

[dfkt]

jjrosaria, those plugs look very interesting. Am I right that you don't have to slide the cover on the cable before assembly, but that you can click/screw it on later?

With normal Neutrik/Switchcraft/Canare plugs it's almost impossible to make a cable as short as that.


Walkgood, I know they're all generally fugly, but there's hardy anything you can do with those tiny bridge cables. The hot glue one certainly isn't very fetching - but it's as small and unobtrusive as it gets. I'm really not fond of "real" cables between the player and amp anymore, they're all just too big for my needs.