So while I was building my BeePre I decided not to use the cat5 because I don't like the way it sounds.
So I used my standard signal wire (mundorf silver and gold .5mm). And since I had gotten some adhesive copper tape to experiment with stick on shielding I loosely braided the cotton covered wire and then wrapped the point to point wiring with the copper tape.
And then ran out of enough wire to finish the BeePre so I had to order some more. Figures right.
I did have enough wire to make a pair of 1.5ft RCAs though. So figured why not.
I had also recently purchased a pair of milled teflon RCA interconnects, with silver leads.
The only other standard difference from the standard internet build your own cable with solid core wire twisted around a center piece (I use rubber tubing marked a 3/4") is as follows.
After the wire was wrapped around the tubing I wrapped it in the copper tape. Then attached a bare piece of the cat 5 I had left over by stripping it and taping it to the copper tape with more copper tape (It has conductive adhesive).
Then I wrapped that with teflon plumbers tape.
Then I wrapped it again in copper foil tape. Attached the bare wire from first layer of copper tape to the second with more copper tape.
Then attached another bare piece of cat5 to the other end, again with the copper tape. And another coating of teflon tape.
Then I soldered to the exposed cat 5 to the negative lead as a drain wire when soldering up the RCA ends.
Even without any burn in it was an immediate improvement over the standard DIY belkin with Bullet plug home brew that I have really enjoyed for some time.
Particularly with stringed instruments like violins and mandolins and such.
That and they are dead quiet. I live in a very messy EM environment and Japanese houses don't have proper grounding. So everything always hums. These didn't bring it to zero, but I would say next to it. Can't hear any EM grime unless you get right up on the speakers now. Which is way more than I can say for any other cable I have tried.
Can't wait to get my wire order in and finish the BeePre now. Looks like I was on to a good idea.
I will also be building another pair of these when I get my order in. Might even try an active version. Since there are two layers of the copper separated by the teflon should be a good test to see if active actually provides any difference. Something else I have often wondered.
Enjoy
