2. cables
  3. 128414-84541

Please assure me I'm not going to burn my house down.

I recently bought some new mono class D amps to replace a stereo class D. I had a pair of identical diy power cords connected to the stereo amp and my preamp.

Well, with monos I was obviously going to use the identical power cords. So I needed a new PC for my pre, as the older diy version I had laying around just used thhn wire from Lowe’s and didn’t sound great. So, after some thought and research, I decided to make a PC out of cat 5 plenum cable. I kept it in its blue sleeve (containing 4 twisted pairs) and then I braided 3 lengths together for each conductor. I then took those three braids and braided them. What I have sounds incredible and I’m fairly confident that it is safe electrically.

Please reassure me. Or tell me I forgot about x, and that I should cease and desist. Or laugh at how cheap I am...

But really, I’m not going to start a fire here, am I? 8 conductors per length x 3 lengths for each conductor equals 24 strands of 24awg. Which equals 10awg for each conductor...
128x128toddverrone
williewonka
1,826 posts
 
Todd - thanks for the feedback :-)

It’s always good to get feedback about what components they work well with.

I found their benefits were more noticeable on the components with "less robust" power supplies - such as source components.

By contrast, the benefits on my amp (with a large transformer) were more subtle in nature - such as more clarity in the more delicate venue reverberations.

Cheers
ifmywordsdidglow
16 posts
 
At least use Cat6, lol. Seriously though, Cat5 type cable is specifically designed for LOW VOLTAGE applications. You're playing with fire here.
toddverrone's avatar
toddverrone OP
838 posts
 
I promise, if you do the research you can confirm, cat 5 that is UL listed is rated to 300v
toddverrone's avatar
toddverrone OP
838 posts
 
@williewonka I was using them with a dared mc 7p pre and a class D crown xls1500. Now they're powering 2 Ghent audio 500w class D monoblocks. I find with class D that the heavier gauge conductor makes a big difference in sonic performance, especially bass control. The helix cables I made have 10 gauge main conductors..
toddverrone's avatar
toddverrone OP
838 posts
 
Also, thanks for the how to!
More to discover