[guest1632]

Hi again,

An 800 watt iron? wouldn't get that near any IC boy. Give some thought about the one I suggested. Just got mine. haven't used it yet, but will soon, as soon as I get some good solder.

Ray

Yeah, I'd like to see the guy who can wield an 800 W iron... I wonder how many lbs of solder you could melt through per hour with a tool like that   

I bought my iron years ago for stained glass, it is high wattage but still less than 100 W. It was a very expensive iron that stays at a constant temperature (800 deg F I think?) and just plugs into the wall without needing any additional way to control the heat. You can solder stained glass very quickly with beautiful results, but I'm sure its not ideal for electronics. I will buy another iron if I attempt a bigger project... maybe a pre and an amp in the near future though.

Hi Dave,

Whew, relieved. But still lethal if not careful. Yeah, you can still pull copper off a PCB with no problem at all. That was ond of the problems I had when I got my amp. I was replacing the speaker wires. The guy who was helping me had a 300 watt station, and applied to much heat. So  I still have to replace eventually the two speaker wires, because the wires at the board are probably to brittal.

Ray

[Jolojl]

Hi! 


This is how my clones look like (28~29 and 18~19 AWG) ... I received a Promitheus Audio TVC two weeks ago, new Augies (bass drivers) to complement my Silver Iris coaxials, and a new transport, and I have been on vacation ... So I've got a lot of things burning in ... So the truth is I haven't been able to test my clones, sorry! But they do sound very OK ! I'll get back later on when I've had some time to test!

Johan 

[DaveC113]

New ICs 

I got all the materials in and started making them. I have 2 sets built, and plan on trying 2 geometries, Anti-IC vs simple twisted pair. Also, I will and do an Eichmann ($10/plug) vs Switchcraft ($1/plug) test using the twisted pair geometry. I am extremenly happy with the Jupiter wire so I will stick with it. I am using it unwaxed, although I may try waxing some. Chris from Jupiter likes it better unwaxed and said the cotton has some natural preservative. I'll also try their paper/wax caps in the input coupling position in my Trends t-amp. They also sell an IC consisting of cotton insulated wire wrapped around a cotton core, which I may try sometime as well.

The sets I built replaced a Coax Zu and Vampire ICs. There are major differences, the most noticable being my Ag/Cu ICs image A LOT better. Placement is rock solid and there is more seperation or air. The soundstage is larger and voices sound more like they are in the room. The high frequencies are extended and clear without being annoying, in fact a bit of glare in the upper midrange has cleared up. Bass is also clear and solid.

I will have to do the geometry and connector testing later as I'm moving at the end of the month, but hopefully in a few weeks I can get back to it.

Pics:

[DaveC113]

I got bored with packing and tested some ICs... 

I like the Anti-Cable geometry vs. a simple twisted pair. Imaging and the soundstage were similar if not identical. However,  voices and acoustic instruments had better tone and sounded more realistic, but some voices with lots of processing and electronic instruments weren't affected very much. I could hear the largest difference playing a Mapleshade live recording with sax and vocals (Bad Influence track #8). Another aspect of the difference was that music seemed to "flow" freely, more unrestricted from the Anti-IC clones. Rhythms and musical timing seemed more "right". I observed this immediately, yet questioned myself until I noticed this consistantly. These weren't major differences, but are clearly there, and the Slinky does make an the music sound more realistic.

This is a quote from anticables.com: "...Their ability to time align the music's transient events (eliminate time smearing) makes them more transparent, dynamic and "life like" than any other cable I have ever heard..." . I would agree... and its likely that Paul Speltz's cables are more "tuned" as far as geometry, wire gauge and material than my cables are. The downside is certainly that they are VERY fragile. The magwire insulation isn't as durable as teflon, and the geometry is very suceptable to the ground coil being crushed or tweaked out of shape.

I think the Speltz Slinky is well worth a try (either DIY or bought from Speltz)...  I'd be interested to see how others like this design. I coiled wire tightly on a dowel rod, then stretched it out, ran the signal wire through and soldered it to the RCA plugs. Easy...   

Dave

[rajacat]

Nice work Dave! They definitely look exotic and will liven up the back panel of the little Trends. It's great that there are some sonic benefits too. I'll be interested to hear the results of the Eichmann vs. Switchcraft duel.

...Raj
.

[DanTheMan]

I'll be interested to hear the results of the Eichmann vs. Switchcraft

This is a great thread, sorry I missed it until now.  I was looking at some of the switchcraft plugs, very interesting.  It's sad they couldn't have taken their design just a bit further w/ things like a better DI and gold plating.  For the money they look good though.  They make some better looking ones than what you are using like the 3502 and 3507 listed here: http://www.acradiosupply.com/cat/Sound+System+Audio+Connectors.html

I am extrememly interested in an Eichman/Switchcraft shootout.  I bet the Eichmans will win, but by what margin.  We already know the cost factor.

Excellent work on those ICs!  Keep it up and keep us posted.

BTW, the ground wire should be 2-3 times the diameter of the signal according to some internet gurus.  I gotta feeling they are correct.  That means a 20/24 AWG groung/signal set should be an excellent way to go.

[DaveC113]

I made the Eichmann cable so I'm ready to test. I also made another Anti-IC cable with smaller diameter coils, having 2 of them is even better (pre->amp and cdp->DAC). I'll use the twisted pair to test the Eichmanns, it was easier to make up plus its a standard design...

Dan, the other sc connectors you linked to look good, I just didn't want a metal body that is connected to the ground wire. They do look a lot better though    Also, I'm using Jupiter 28g cotton-insulated Ag signal wire and a 20g copper magwire ground. I'll have to look up diameters, I've got to go now!

Dave

[DanTheMan]

Dan, the other sc connectors you linked to look good, I just didn't want a metal body that is connected to the ground wire. They do look a lot better though   

I was thinking you could wrap teflon tape imbetween the the ground and the metal body.  Teflon tape is made for wrapping threads.  I don't know how well it would work, but I'd sure like to try.  I'll probably do that if those connectors sound anywhere near as good as the Eichmann's.  For the price they seem great.  I do wish they would have used teflon inside them as well as gold vs. the nickel plating.  For a little more than a dollar though.................Oh, also, maybe you should put some heat shrink around the entire body of the plug all the way over the ground connection to make it a tighter fit?  Just a thought.  I know they Eichmann's are a real tight fit, and there's a reason why WBT started making locking plugs.

Good luck!  I can't wait till get you response!

Dan

[DanTheMan]

one more thing, what made you decide which direction to place the arrows?

Thanks again!

Dan

[DaveC113]

The teflon tape might work, but its possible the threads will cut through it and make contact. Thats a good idea though and worth trying. The plastic ends look pretty bad, but they won't be in sight. Also, some of the other switchcraft rcas don't have hollow center pins, so for others out there, be careful which ones you get if you try them.

Both the SC and the Eichmanns are a huge PITA to plug and unplug the first few times. 

The arrows are just so I can keep the direction straight, I've done nothing that would make them directional from the start.

Also, 28g is .0126" diameter, 20g is .032",  so the 28g signal wire is 2.54x the diameter of the 20g ground wire.

I think the Anti-IC geometry's key is that it keeps the ground at a 90 degree angle to the signal wire. The other design that does this is the counter-rotating helix...

Dave

[DanTheMan]

28g is .0126" diameter, 20g is .032",  so the 28g signal wire is 2.54x the diameter of the 20g ground wire.

Don't you mean the ground is 2.54x the signal wire diameter?

Have you done any comparison's yet?

Quite an exciting project!

[DaveC113]

Eichmann vs. Little Eichmann (SC)

The difference is almost inaudible, I just get a feeling of the music having more "weight" or "oomph" using the cables with sc connectors. Imaging, tone, rhythm, clarity, soundstage, and everything else I tried to pick out using 6 or 7 different samples sounded the same to me. I might have better luck telling a difference with both sets of ICs using the same plug, but that would require 2 sets of test cables, which I am not likely to do considering the result of this test. 

The only reasoning I can come up with that would make any difference at all is the ground connection between the two. I think its possible that the Eichmann concept was carried a bit too far with the tiny little ground pin in the Eichmann plugs.

So I guess thats it, I'll bring the Anti-IC cable over to other systems and compare them agains some other ICs in time, but I think I found a winner. It also only cost $12 in materials to make a 1/2m set, and would only cost $8 more for a full meter set.

A pic of the 2nd Anti-IC I made (the stuff on the RCA plugs is Mapleshade Silclear):

[rajacat]

Hmmm.....I might have to make some of those with the inexpensive Switcraft connectors. What next? How about gold alloy or pure gold signal wire? aa

[DaveC113]

Hmmm.....I might have to make some of those with the inexpensive Switcraft connectors. What next? How about gold alloy or pure gold signal wire? aa

I'd be interested to hear other opinions on the Anti-IC geometry, so please do make a cable or two. Next up will be a counter-rotating multi-stranded helix, like a scaled down VHAudio Chela cable. This design, which is a variation on the VHaudio diy IC, also has the signal and ground at a 90 degree angle. It has a core made of a damping material instead of teflon.

[DanTheMan]

Cool Dave!  That's some nice to know information.  I think I'll order some of those switchcrafts to take a listen for myself.  Hey, it's cheap!

Thanks man!  Great thread.

Dan

[DanTheMan]

I tried PTFE tape on my locking connectors.  Seems to make an improvement in clarity.  Two layers might be even better, but I haven't tried that yet.  The PTFE tape is only $1.07.  That may mean that the metal connectors are doable in sticking with the design.  Another thing that's nice is that the outer ring feels more secure and glides on smoother.

[DaveC113]

If you can, grab a multimeter and test for continuity between the body and ground of the connector. What was the construction of your IC?... you should post a pic if you get a chance. I'm trying out an 8 strand (6n Cu) woven helix sometime soon, and then will retire for a while. 

Dave 

[DanTheMan]

I don't have a multimeter, but check this out:
http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=9
http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=5

There's some photos of the build.
Here's a description:

http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1076&start=105