Newbie Speaker Cable Question

[quis]

I recently noticed a number of sites with instructions for building your own cables from cat5 network cable. My current set up is a Cambridge A1 amp, low-end Mission speakers (can't remember the model off-hand, but they're two-way bookshelf type mounted on stands). My current cables are some no-name "speaker" cables. They're the figure-of-8 type, about 3mm in each core. One core appears to be copper, the other probably steel. There's about 2-3m running to each speaker. Two questions:

1. Which core of the cables (copper/steel) should go into which post on the speakers (red/black). Or does it make no difference?
2. With this set up, will I notice much difference if I get some better cables, preferably the DIY cat5 or mains lead type?

[ThomasW]

There are no steel core cables. Your leads are probably copper and tin plated copper. And no it doesn't matter which color is connected the want input.

If you have nothing better to do than sit around for days braiding little tiny wires then give them a try, CAT-5 is really cheap to play with. Don't expect miracles though ...:wink:

[cjd]

I really hope it's not steel.

Both wires are important. I might put copper on the + though, if it is indeed steel (or aluminum, or tinned copper).

As to whether you will notice a difference... Can't say. It is probable the cables would measure differently even if only slightly (impedance, capacitance, inductance) and as such *could* certainly sound different. How much your ears, your gear, will notice? I'm not going to claim anything at all.

C

[quis]

Thanks for the replies already guys. Why do they bother making one wire tin-plated (which it probably is)? Is it cheaper then regular copper? I didn't realise both cores weren't the same when I bought the cable over the net.

To clarify; do you have to have fairly high end equipment to notice the difference between cables? My speakers & amp would probably cost less than £150/$250 bought new. Most of the people making their own cables seem to have much more serious equipment.

[cjd]

Usually it's a way of identifying + and - so you hook up + to + and - to - on both sides. Wiring backwards can do interesting things, particularly to bass response.

And, again, your ears... I can't tell you what you might hear or not. And whether you really hear something, or hear something that isn't there because you want to hear it... Something as simple as a big impedance change can tweak bass esponse audibly, so you have to be really careful trying to compare.

Try it. It's "fun" and relatively cheap.

Or, don't worry about it and enjoy what you have.

C

[ThomasW]

If one set of leads is copper, the other will be tinned copper. This is done to make it easier to keep the +/- straight. No one mixes copper and steel. There are some copper/silver combinations but those are VERY expensive

The more expensive the gear the easier it is to hear differences in things like cables. At your price point I doubt that you're going to hear much difference unless there's something really wrong with your current cables.

[joecarrow]

Quis,

My best guess about why they plate one wire (it's a little more expensive, but not by much) is to help you get your polarity right. It's not important which terminal you plug the tin one into, but it is important that your left and right speakers get the same polarity. Positive (red) to positive, negative (black) to negative.

I don't think your equipment needs to be very high end for cables to have an effect; but I think people who spend huge sums on their systems are much more likely to get caught up in cables.