Considering speaker cable upgrade

[Old Garage-Bander]

Recently I saw an old beater pickup truck with a broken antenna. The owner fastened a spoon to the antenna stub.
View attachment 3213351

Must be trying to scoop up a better signal?
I think a knife would cut through the interference better.

 

[keyboardguy]

Also a correct PZ1 screwdriver. Philips and similar looking screwdrivers will do a number on the screw heads.

I'm sure the PZ1 screwdriver is better, but have used a phillips head on about 6-8 speaker cables. They worked fine, didn't damage the screw head. Just take your time.

 

[agedhorse]

Try building them by the hundred (or thousand)

 

[BadExample]

I'm sure the PZ1 screwdriver is better, but have used a phillips head on about 6-8 speaker cables. They worked fine, didn't damage the screw head. Just take your time.

Sorry, but it's easy to damage the screw head before getting it tight enough to be secure. A $5 HF security bit set (1/4" hex bits) will have the correct tip and not strip the heads. Or just spend $10 on a decent PZ1 and be set for life. Wrong tool for the job is just begging for damaged parts.

 

[96tbird]

That pretty much parallels my experiences. Directional cable for an AC signal? Which direction do they think the electrons are moving?

Oh yeah? You’ll be singing a different tune when you have to run cable across a puddle. Them sipes in the directional cable be parting the puddle like Moses at the Red Sea. Backwards and they hydroplane like crazy

 

[beans-on-toast]

I'm sure the PZ1 screwdriver is better, but have used a phillips head on about 6-8 speaker cables. They worked fine, didn't damage the screw head. Just take your time.

I’ve done the same.

The advantage of the Pozidriv #1 is that it provides more control to obtain the proper torque. Over tightening can be a problem. You can see the tip of the Pozidriv and the Philips screwdrivers below. The Pozidriv clearly gets a better grasp on the head it was intended for.

https://www.parts-express.com/pedoc...-connector-assembly-instructions--092-198.pdf

 

[beans-on-toast]

Try building them by the hundred (or thousand) View attachment 3214099

I’ve got fifty various custom XLR mic and patch cables to do. Mostly three pin, some five pin power cables. Lots of soldering which, even with tools such as a jig, lighting, magnifier, and fume extractor, isn’t easy. The cables also require labels with text and bar codes to track them.

When you look at a simple thing such as a good cable, it makes you appreciate all the hand work that goes into making them.

 

[JRA]

post #1:

I'm open to any suggestions - cheap and cheerful is good, as are DIY solutions, but if anyone has found more upscale options that they like I'm open to those as well.

post #2:

Don't waste your money.

gotta' love the efficiency of this place!

OP: no flame wars! hope you're not disappointed.

 

[ad9000]

post #1:
OP: no flame wars! hope you're not disappointed.

OP here: I'm grateful for all of the responses, and I'm glad my query didn't produce abundant flames (although sarcasm was not in short supply).
The takeaway is basically the same as my opinion going in - that fancy cables wouldn't really produce an audible difference, and that durability, reliability and genuine Neutrik connectors should be the criteria.

 

[JRA]

same as my opinion going in - that fancy cables wouldn't really produce an audible difference, and that durability, reliability and genuine Neutrik connectors should be the criteria.

gotcha!