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Post by trevordj on Mar 2, 2014 22:13:16 GMT -5
While my UMC-200 was off getting repaired I took some time to update some of my wiring. I can post a tutorial on how to make these if any of you would find it helpful. I am still waiting on another color of wire to complete my last 2 RCAs but this will give you a good idea of how everything will look. I can place pictures of everything buttoned up in my rack after I finish as well. Speaker wires:  RCA Interconnects:  Cheers! |
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Post by LuisV on Mar 2, 2014 22:16:51 GMT -5
They look great. Can you list the components you used?
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Post by trevordj on Mar 2, 2014 22:32:42 GMT -5
Thank you! I have been building my own RCAs for 5 years or so and my preferences have evolved to the above design. This is my first time building fancy speaker wires. I mostly did this just for fun. Below is the parts list, I will add links tomorrow when I am not on my ipad.
Speaker wire:
Monoprice 16ga CL2
Monoprice premium RCA connector (the actual connector goes unused, only the barrel is used)
Blue jeans cable locking banana connectors
Techflex (3/8") purchased from furry letters on eBay
Heatshrink 1/2" and 1/8" 2:1 ratio black
Black silicone from Home Depot
RCA interconnect:
Gepco 61801EZ microphone cable in various colors
Monoprice premium RCA connector
Techflex (1/8") also from furry letters
Heat shrink 1/4" 2:1 ratio black
Black silicone
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Post by jlafrenz on Mar 2, 2014 22:41:19 GMT -5
If you do create a tutorial, please let me know so that I can add it to our master list of DIY tutorials.
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Post by LuisV on Mar 2, 2014 23:01:18 GMT -5
Thanks for the info on the parts.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2014 0:00:47 GMT -5
Looking real good.... Makes me want to give it a shot, thanks for sharing
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Post by deltadube on Mar 3, 2014 0:24:56 GMT -5
I really like those rca cables but the transition on the speakers cables could be a bit sharper imho..  |
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Post by eclypse on Mar 3, 2014 4:19:45 GMT -5
Looks pretty sweet! I've been wanting to make me some wires and cables for some time now.
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Post by dust770 on Mar 3, 2014 4:30:41 GMT -5
I'd be interested in that tutorial!
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Post by trevordj on Mar 3, 2014 8:29:20 GMT -5
I really like those rca cables but the transition on the speakers cables could be a bit sharper imho.. To each their own. I'm not sure which transition you are talking about. I have used the cable pants and heatshrink methods as you illustrated above and never liked how they looked. I wanted to do something a bit different by hiding the jacket to lead transition. There are products sold that do this but they go for $10 a piece so this is a DIY method of doing that for a few bucks. Ultimately none of this matters as it is hard to mess up a speaker wire this comes down to aesthetics and personal preference. I'll post a tutorial tonight! |
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Post by frankv on Mar 3, 2014 11:54:50 GMT -5
I really like those rca cables but the transition on the speakers cables could be a bit sharper imho.. To each their own. I'm not sure which transition you are talking about. I have used the cable pants and heatshrink methods as you illustrated above and never liked how they looked. I wanted to do something a bit different by hiding the jacket to lead transition. There are products sold that do this but they go for $10 a piece so this is a DIY method of doing that for a few bucks. Ultimately none of this matters as it is hard to mess up a speaker wire this comes down to aesthetics and personal preference. I'll post a tutorial tonight! Agreed, either one is fine - personally I prefer your look, but I can see somebody with younger kids wanting the heatshrinked ends to prevent the wires from being pulled out of the connectors too easily. Another consideration is the available space behind your amp(s), those speaker connectors are quite long. Can you guesstimate the cost per RCA cable and speaker wire (for a given length)? And why all the different colors for speaker wires, color coding or aesthetic choice? |
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Post by trevordj on Mar 3, 2014 14:14:45 GMT -5
The different colors of wires is my preference for cable labeling. I used to do the same color cables and then different colors of heat shrink to label the wires. I even tried doing colored heat shrink followed by a printed label sticker followed by clear heatshrink to hold it in place. The colors conform to the CEA color coding standard and make it easy to identify the cables in my rack. All the colors make it look a bit busy, however. If my rack was on display I probably would come up with a different labeling method.
As to the cost:
RCA Interconnect: $0.22/foot for the cable, $0.30/foot for the techflex, $1.35 each for RCA connectors, $0.60 for about 3 inches of heatshrink = About $5.90 for a 5 foot interconnect (if my quick math is correct).
Speaker wire: $0.18/foot for the cable (shipped cost), $0.40/foot for the techflex, $1.35 for the RCA connector barrels, $6.75/pair for Blue Jeans bananas, $0.60 for 3 inches of 1/2" heatshrink + $0.20 for 4 inches of 1/8" heatshrink, $0.10 worth of black silicone = About $20 for a 5 foot speaker cable.
The speaker cables are more expensive than I would like them to be. The majority of the cost is sucked up by the banana connectors. I used to use the monoprice closed type connectors which are $1.25 each with a quantity discount (or $5/cable) but I found the tips consistenly loosened over time. I bit the bullet and went to the locking type connect as they are more secure but I hate the small screws used to secure the cable so I solder them in place. If you wanted to go with monoprice bananas that would cut the cost to $11.50 for a 5 foot cable.
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Post by jlafrenz on Mar 3, 2014 19:54:48 GMT -5
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