Cable Building

No, what goes out must come back in. So if you have 10A on the + wire, then you must have 10A on the - wire.

 

Ehhh. Oops, nevermind. *facepalm*
(I think I got confused because they specifically mentioned per pin, instead of per channel. But I bet this connector isn't used just for 2 channel audio. Still, this is not a mistake I should be making.)

Thinking about it some more, 10A is quite a bit through such small connectors.

 

10 A is not that much current in context of what is out there. A twisted pair of CAT5 (24AWG) cable can pass that current without liquifying the insulation. At around 12..16 A this would happen.

Mega-nerds play around with pins way smaller with similar current levels.
Look at what the latest USB-C charging ports have to handle - mircroscopic pins take several Amps, each.
Sure they are paralleled, but even then they make up fraction of the cross section of a single XLR pin.
Also a thing to consider, the USB-C port on a phone will be cycled a 1000x minimum, in a dirty environment, whereas a headphone plug gets probably magnitude less action and is relatively clean and dry.

The voltage rating of 50 V for XLR is just to fly under the radar of regulations. Over 50 V is considered 'dangerous voltage' and you need truck load of certifications and tests done to sell it. Of course there are some safety stuff of clearances and creepage distance that would not permit the tiny standard XLR to pass these regulations, at least in EU.
I will wager the connector when wired with appropriate cable could handle 3 phase 400 V. Do not attempt to do this, please.

The practical limitation of the standard XLR for high power audio would be higher than ideal resistance, that is all.

 

Here is my recipe for DIY cables that cost very little and provide a clear sound. I discovered that I don't like the sound of stranded (multi-conductor) wire and wrote about it here: https://cheaptubeaudio.blogspot.com/2022/06/electromagnetic-distortion-in-multi.html

For our monocore (single conductor) interconnects we will need some good copper. I like to use vintage copper from old sound equipment. Though time consuming, you can disassemble a transformer from a defunct amplifier or radio and have enough wire to make many cables. Generally the older the transformer, the clearer and more harmonious the wire in it is. The primary winding of a power transformer from a tube radio will typically have a cross section of around 0.8mm, making it suitable for the construction of interconnects.

Taking an EI transformer apart generally involves gently heating it to loosen the laminate binding and then meticulously hammering it apart plate by plate until the core is freed. There are many videos online showing how to do this.

Here was an especially good sounding transformer from a pre-war Telefunken radio:


Once its frame was freed, we began harvesting the wire:


Note that transformer wire will have some form of surface coating on it to prevent shorting, the type of which depends on the age. In the olden days this was usually some sort of enamel varnish. It can be scraped off using a blade to prepare it for soldering.

Good sounding connectors and jacketing are important. I don't like fancy audiophile connectors. So far the best results have come from vintage Switchcraft plugs that can be found on ebay and sellers of ham radio supplies.



I struggled for a long time to find a source for simple, untreated cotton sleeves to use as jackets until I realized Parts Connexion carries them in my own backyard. https://www.partsconnexion.com/COTTUBE-72535.html
I find that extra layers of insulation and shielding were unnecessary and only had a detrimental effect to the sound compared to the simple cotton jackets.

We simply poke our two wires through the sleeve, thread the connector on the end, and solder!


The end result is a minimalist cable that looks cool, costs around $10 to make and sounds better than anything I've purchased. Maybe the secret ingredient is love.


I've used this technique to make interconnects, speaker wire and guitar cable. It 'solved' the cable question for me. For added dielectric insulation, the entire cable can be dipped in dissolved amber shellac, which the cotton will soak and dry.

 

anyone out there considering this lil bit of esoterica, make sure the pre-bomb trafo you're sniping hasn't been repaired/rewound w modern wire

 

DIY power cable:



This one was a bit of a pain since I didn't want audiophool looking connectors, but I wanted a thick cable. Supra LoRad Mk2 2.5mm² at 11mm diameter. In the end I managed to fit all the wires inside the connectors and the strain relief just so happens to be the connector itself. Not optimal, of course.

I used it to replace the cable from the power station going into my power strip. I connected the shield only on the power station side as you would with RCA cables.

Sounds a bit cleaner/clearer than what came with the power strip. I don't find it bright sounding.

 

whoa what connectors? looks fn slick.

 

Thanks! I just looked on amazon.de. Here are the manufacturer's sites. The Schuko plug is likely regional and both are only rated for 1.5mm² cables, so getting 2.5mm² in there isn't recommended. Especially the C13 plug. The Schuko contacts had holes in them that were large enough.

Then again I think I'll go for 1.5mm² cables for the individual devices, anyway.

• https://lightstock.de/stecker/schuk...akelit-optik-vde-wandstecker-elfenbein-weiss/
  
• https://www.bulgin.com/de/products/...chse-neu-verdrahtbar-px0587-px0588-serie.html

Next time I'll try cheaper C13 plugs. It looked better in the pic and working with it was a pain. Here's the Amazon link FWIW:

• https://amzn.eu/d/gyRcpTS

 

I have made quite a few of these myself. I run these shielded cables as these are not to expensive and can make custom lengths.

 

@Poleepkwa seems like nobody had the courage to ask... Is that Schuko to friggin speakON? I suppose the speakers die before the circuit breaker trips?
I guess the joke was that you can use an extension cord that way, no?

I made two more for now. This time with the 1.5mm² wire and ivory colored plugs that fit the Schuko. And cotton sleeving. And because it's smaller it has a proper strain relief this time around.



Quite happy with how they turned out. Not just aesthetically, but also from an audio standpoint. Got the DAC and amp connected this way now.

They're not the normal C13 plugs, but they were the only ones I found in a matching color. They work just fine, of course. I prefer this connector as the connections inside seem a lot more solid.

 

That is not speakon it's pwrcon (the all blue == pwrcon actually is rated to like 20A 250V) and it's not that uncommon in pro audio gear to have pwrcon instead of an iec inlet.

Edit: I think I am wrong about the color but anyhow they make one for audio speakON and they say that is not to be used for mains, but they also make a pwrcon that is for mains~

 

Yes. It is a powercon connector that my pro poweramps use. Neutrik NAC3FCA to be precise. Can take 2.5 mm thick cables and accept a diameter up to 16 mm if I remember correctly.

 

hey y'all. building a power cable for the first time this weekend. any thoughts on cheap and cheerful IEC/USA plug connectors?

was thinking ab getting these viborg, thoughts? any better suggestions?

 

Sonarquest are decent and better than entry level Wattgate and they come in various metal plating's for your flavor palate.

I have a box of various length unshielded 3 conductor 10 and 12 gauge cable sitting around if you want them for freight only. Probably just a bit cheaper than your raw cable at Lowes or HD.

 

I greatly prefer the newer, more robust housings in the 503 series:

Amazon.com: Viborg Rhodium-plated Pure Copper Hifi Power Plug, VM503R, Non-Magnetic, 15A/125V AC Mains Plug, Audio Grade Power Plug, Bayer-2805, Set Screws, Hi-End US Power Connector for DIY Audiophile Power Cord : Electronics

I also found the plain copper plated plugs to have the least amount of sonic personality, if we're splitting hairs.

 

I've been using these for my Mamba and Silkworm powercables for about 4 years now.
They're milled from a solid billet of aluminium and are the strongest connectors I could find. Strong enough to support the 3 braided conductors and sleeving and the terminal connections, friction fit inside the barrel as well as the 2 grub screws towards the rear of the barrel support the conductors adequately.
A 3m cable weighs up to 3KG so they need to be placed on the floor or supported adequately if used at any significant height so as not to damage equipment sockets.

Build quality of the connectors has always been consistent and of a very high standard, although on 2 occasions components were missing and I had to ask the seller to send some replacements, which they did via express delivery.

For the price and quality they can't be beat imo and my clients love them. The Mamba is currently my most popular-selling cable using the black-tip variant of this connector.

The connectors come engraved with either 'Krell' or 'audiocrast' and as I now sell these commercially I use their own 'audiocrast' branded items for obvious reasons.

 

@Chris Cables Damn, those look good. You have a link for the black version?

 

Thanks!

Here you go:
Link updated

I need to get them up on Etsy at some point too.
10% discount for SBAF members

 

I know if it's properly built it shouldn't matter, but the safety part of my brain is screaming that the plug shell should not be conductive.

 

The aluminium shell is totally electrically isolated by design.
I also add additional internal isolation of my own to the conductors just to make it 110% safe.
The connectors have a triple-redundant system to ensure that the conductors do not work themselves free over time. Most connectors are double-redundant, relying primarily on the strain-relief mechanism at the back of the connector.
I also safety-test each cable before delivery for correct termination, no short-circuits and no continuity between the live conductor and barrel are present.
4 years and approximately 200 units sold without even so much as a failure, let alone someone being zapped unecessarily, I'd suggest that they're pretty safe.
Probably a LOT safer than the scary-looking and feeble connectors that AQ use in their Thunder cable. I doubt whether they have flex-tested those cables adequately.
Being trained and certified in deterministic risk analysis in the nuclear and aerospace industries means that failure-mitigation, operational longevity and durability is in my blood!