Thanks for the replies, randy-11 and williewonka.
Low-voltage wiring
Due to bad planning and impulse purchases, I've got a bunch of devices (2 Keces linear power supplies, a PC/renderer, exaSound e12 DAC, Rega turntable power supply, USB Regen, UltraCap LPS-1, fiberoptic media converter, and Bluetooth receiver) connected by 5.5-mm barrel plugs and some cheap two-conductor wiring. Voltages range from 5 to 24. I've noticed that some equipment (like the Keces LPSs) comes with ferrite beads on coaxial cable, presumably to reduce RF output and/or magnetic field generation. Should all the wiring be like this? Is this type of wiring likely to interfere with interconnects or speaker wire? I don't really hear anything, but am always interested in incremental, low-cost improvements.
Any thoughts would be appreciated, and if there's already a thread on this topic please point me to it.
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You might receive more feedback at diyaudio.com or Audigon’s tech talk. Try not to lump signal (analog & digital) and power cables together. They function differently. It’s not unusual to see ferrite cores on digital cables. It’s very unusual to see them on analog. Shielding is another factor. Many variables involved. It’s pretty easy to experiment with the two wire cabling with your low voltage power supplies. The SQ will definitely will be affected. The parts are readily available online or your local electronics store. There’s a lot of different types of wire out there - as well as different configurations for twisting & braiding. Here are examples that I’ve tried recently on my 12vdc power supplies. #1: 20 awg 6n OCC pure solid copper This solid-core copper offers a nice balance of tone and clean energy. My favorite so far. #2: 20 awg silver-plated Copper Type E, 7 strand, PTFE, 600v, 200c This 7 strand silver-plated copper is very interesting. It offers a very nice presentation for vocalists w/o any stridency. Yet, it still has clean, high energy. It’s very different from the more common wire of 20 or so strands. #3: 20 awg silver-plated solid-core copper wire, PTFE, 600v, 200c This silver-plated solid-core copper offers clean, high energy. But, it can be a bit much depending on the application. ymmv. For DIY experimentation, it is far more economical than pure silver. |
Well, I followed steakster’s advice, mostly, and bought some silver-plated copper 18AWG wire on eBay.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-feet-18-AWG-Silver-Plated-PTFE-Wire-Gray-Solid-1-Strand/380927049734?_trk... and some connectors from Amazon... https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IBFNQP6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and got it all hooked up in a few hours. Those solderless connectors relieved my worries about trying to get a good joint on little barrel plugs. I played my regular test piece (an upsampled-to-DSD recording of Vince Guaraldi playing "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing") and have to say I hear improvement in the sound quality: greater definition, sense of presence. Guaraldi’s recordings are often made on a sort of de-tuned piano with a slightly honky-tonk ring on each note, and for the first time I could understand why he must’ve liked that sound. Thanks again for all the suggestions. This whole upgrade cost me about $35 and was well worth it. |
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