best wire, speaker connectors

gorgeousgeorge · « **on:** 10 Dec 2005, 10:42 am »

hello all,

hoping to get some advice, im a total DIY novice!
Im at the stage of wiring up my Aksa. I didn't want to hassle Hugh too much if i can get some help from all those who have built an Aksa.
I have my heatsinks mounted in my case, Im not sure whats the best wire to use for hooking up power supply, output etc.

also what does everyone use for speaker connections, ive heard people say they don't like banana plugs and that binding posts are the best? any thoughts as to what i should use?

sorry one more question, whats the best way to fasten the power supply pcb to the case?

thankyou,
George

Carlman · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Dec 2005, 01:16 pm »

I used Tara Labs cable both as internal wiring and for speaker wire with great results... Occam (AC member) also found this cable to work well for him... So, I tried it based on his results. You can search on 'Tara' and 'Aksa' and likely find a lot of info.

I also tried Audience hookup wire with good results.... but not as good as the Tara.

Hugh will likely tell you to use good copper and he'll stay out of the wire choice debates...

I hot-glued the PS caps to the bottom of the case.

Other good things to consider... Make sure your RCA connector holes are drilled wide enough to give really good insulation around them. Use the supplied CAT5e cable here, it sounded better than Vampire CCC for me.

Good binding posts made a difference to me also. Cardas gold-plated are great. I often thought about running the Tara labs cable (It's called "Phase II w/ TFA return") straight to the amp board and ground.... with no posts. However, that limits experimentation a bit.

Good luck!

-C

stvnharr · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Dec 2005, 06:43 pm »

George,
If you go back thru the threads you will find some that are about this very question, and you can read the various opinions.
Here's something to confuse you even more. The wire/cable runs from the output peg on the pcb, thru a couple connections to the speaker crossover and on to the driver connections and the driver voice coil. Everything is in series!! You may/may not be able to look at the little wire from the connector that is the voice coil wire, but it's a single small gauge enamel coated copper wire.
The less variation in the wire/cable run is probably best. Use good copper and don't worry too much.

Steve

Greg Erskine · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Dec 2005, 08:58 pm »

Hi George,

For power wiring I have found some nice 3-phase cable with 5 cores and just strip the outside insulation off. This gives me 5 different colour wires of equal copper and insulation thickness. (Red, white, blue, brown and yellow/green). I use this for my 240VAC and 35VDC wiring.

It's a shame I hadn't found this when I built my AKSA as the wiring is not as pretty as some of my later amps.

regards
Greg

stepitup52 · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Dec 2005, 12:45 am »

G'day george ...... good advice from the blokes, and there r other options just to make ur final decisions even more difficult!! ... ur power supply board can be selastic glued via the base of the caps to a square of ply & attached to some lengths of wood or alloy struts across the width of ur case .... this is so u can still remove ur base plate to get access to the solder side of ur boards if need b.
Most of the commercial cases such as the jaycar come with drilled gal steel U struts 4 the frame anyway & they are threaded on each end- dont know wot uve got but if u have this style there r extra lengths in the package. U can use these to do the above ... the ply base PS platform will be captive by the U sections on 2 sides front to back, & screwed in from the o/side of the case to anchor them. This is the method Ive used on my ol 55 & a thick cable tie each side of the PS platform just in case the screws into the ends of the U sections from the o/side decide to break their moorings.
as for cable .... u can source High Conductivity/varnished OFC copper cable from ur local motor rewinder .... & use it every where.... there r threads for tara cables as previously mentioned .... its done using 18awg & u'll find an equivalents table at the TNT audio site with wire diameter in realspeak ie metric. My preferred speaker cable is single 12awg = 2.053mm dia & a very interesting site is www.anticables.com ... u can make these up ur self 4 next 2 nothing using enamelled copper HC/OFC wire. U can also get urself a roll of 18awg = 1.024mm dia & roll ur own taras!! ... same for internal wiring of the amp ... my advice would be to hard solder the selected solid copper cable runs to either PS board or amp boards & spade connect at other end .... so u can dismantle for mods/repairs .... same for ur speaker terminations to ur chassis.....solder to the back & spades to ur boards or vice versa & drill a hole in ur boards & solder rather than use the male spade supplied.
just remember there is no definitive science involved with spkr cables & IC's just a few working principles....and EVERY commercial manufacturer has a profit driven agenda to pursue ... so its wot works best 4 u in ur situation .... & budget
hav fun with it .... now if anyone wants 2 send me lotsa fresh $$$$ bills I'll reveal my recipe for the most sonically devastating pre to power etc IC's using air-cored DSE co-ax cable!!!??? .... but ye don't use the centre-conductor, just the shield!! .. and decent RCA's of ur choice
cb

stvnharr · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Dec 2005, 02:47 am »

Power cable: nice to be color coded, but more important to have gauge large enough for the current, which isn't all that much.

The www.anticable.com cable is a larger gauge of enamalled CCC wire with "red" coating, so no braiding is involved. Easy to use.

stepitup52 · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Dec 2005, 03:13 am »

yes true ... u can colour code with boots 4 ur spades or .... WES Components in sydney have good cheap gold flashed (if u concerned about oxidation .. has little to do with sound quality in my opinion) spades, bananas, rca's etc at cheap prices. U can also get 3 colour solid core 240vac house wiring, 15 - 25A - u know the white flat stuff sparkies use to wire up ur house.... from any h/ware or electrical supply house .... strip off the white & its usually black green & red or just twin core red & black insulated if its old stock .... check if u want solid core....most nowadays is multi strand.
The red insulation on anti-cables is a lighter varnish & easier to strip ... whether continuoysly cast copper is paramount to better sound is a matter of opinion. I have made up sets using both original anti-cable wire - paul used to provide unterminated but may not now - and the HC OFC available thru the w/saler in Brisbane, & could not detect any difference .... the usual audio psycho-acoustical stuff is probably at work here. If u check the info in back of ur DSE cattle dog u will find a good guide to ampere rating & cable thickness ... I reckon increase that by 25% & u get wot works best for audio at PS levels.
cb

gorgeousgeorge · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Dec 2005, 10:21 am »

Thanks carlman, steve, greg and stepitup,

some great ideas in there that i can definitely use, the picture is much clearer in my head now, ill see how i go. next problem will be keeping them all neat and tidy!
its all fun

Cheers, George