Analog Cable Help

[Kimo]

7 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi Guys - I’m looking for help from everyone, whether objective, subjective, or a combination of the two. 
 

I need to run a balanced interconnect 30 feet, under my floor. It will lay right next to and probably will touch a Romex 12AWG power cable under the floor.  The cable will connect from DACs and Preamps to amplifiers.

 

I’m a fan of Transparent Cables but a 30 foot balanced cable is going to be too costly. I looked around at Redco to create my own cable but the options were hard to understand. 
 

Question: Can you guys give me recommendations for this cable?

 

Grimm Audio TPR.  I am using a 6' par between my Linnenberg DAC and Amp.  Assembled in USA with Neutriks connectors for 200.00 for the 30' pair.  Heavily shielded.

 

https://www.grimmaudio.com/pro-products/pro-cables/tpr/

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I may be able to run this conduit. If, the XLR connector will fit through it. 

 

1 in. x 50 ft. Galflex RWS Metallic Armored Steel Flexible Conduit

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-1-in-x-50-ft-Galflex-RWS-Metallic-Armored-Steel-Flexible-Conduit-55091601/202935698

 

[esldude]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I may be able to run this conduit. If, the XLR connector will fit through it. 

 

1 in. x 50 ft. Galflex RWS Metallic Armored Steel Flexible Conduit

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-1-in-x-50-ft-Galflex-RWS-Metallic-Armored-Steel-Flexible-Conduit-55091601/202935698

 

 That would work.  XLR's are about 3/4 inch diameter.  But the smurf plastic conduit mentioned earlier would be just fine if it keeps the two lines separated.  

 

Also, you can run the cable itself without connectors thru a small conduit and then install the XLR ends once it is thru the conduit if that makes life easier.  

[sandyk]

Chris

 I suspect that it may be very hard to get anything other than a cable without connectors through that.

 Do you know of anyone locally capable of fitting crimp type connectors after you get the cable through ?

 

Alex

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, sandyk said:

Chris

 I suspect that it may be very hard to get anything other than a cable without connectors through that.

 Do you know of anyone locally capable of fitting crimp type connectors after you get the cable through ?

 

Alex

 

True, I'm not sure how to pull the cable through that many feet. 

 

I'm sure I can find someone local, but I hate to call them over for a 30 second job like this. 

[esldude]

8 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

True, I'm not sure how to pull the cable through that many feet. 

 

I'm sure I can find someone local, but I hate to call them over for a 30 second job like this. 

Usually they'll pull string thru with a vacuum, and then use that to pull cable, but it does complicate things if the conduit has another cable in it.  

[fas42]

I wouldn't go anywhere near doing something like running the cable through a conduit, until I was 100% sure that there was no impact on the SQ - so, before paying much moolah for getting it installed, I would experiment with running it through in the clear light of the room itself; so that at least if it didn't work out on SQ terms, then all that is lost is the cost of the materials.

[Jud]

20 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I'm sure I can find someone local, but I hate to call them over for a 30 second job like this. 

 

30 seconds for them to do well, an hour or two of cursing for you to do badly.

 

As I get older I realize these money for time tradeoffs are well worth it!

[mansr]

13 minutes ago, esldude said:

Usually they'll pull string thru with a vacuum, and then use that to pull cable, but it does complicate things if the conduit has another cable in it.  

I once used a cat to pull a string through a (much larger) conduit, then used that to pull a wire.

[Ralf11]

just be sure the conduit is made from 99.999999% oxy-free copper

 

 

do you know an electrician who is good at fishing cables?  (not all are)

[sandyk]

3 minutes ago, mansr said:

I once used a cat to pull a string through a (much larger) conduit, then used that to pull a wire.

 

Did you have some sardines or something near the distant end ?

[esldude]

 

 

 

[mansr]

4 minutes ago, sandyk said:

Did you have some sardines or something near the distant end ?

No need. The cat in question loved crawling through tubes. He was a strange cat.

[esldude]

7 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

Did you have some sardines or something near the distant end ?

I'm picturing something a little different.  First you tie a string to the cat's tail, then you release a mouse to run thru the conduit and then the cat chases the mouse to the other end of the conduit.  But maybe sardines are better as you don't need the mouse. 

[esldude]

1 minute ago, mansr said:

No need. The cat in question loved crawling through tubes. He was a strange cat.

I need to run some CAT6 thru some conduit soon, but I need bigger conduit or a smaller cat.

[mansr]

4 minutes ago, esldude said:

I'm picturing something a little different.  First you tie a string to the cat's tail, then you release a mouse to run thru the conduit and then the cat chases the mouse to the other end of the conduit.  But maybe sardines are better as you don't need the mouse. 

The string (fishing line) was tied to the tail.

[Jud]

9 minutes ago, mansr said:

No need. The cat in question loved crawling through tubes. He was a strange cat.

 

Was the cat alive at the time?

[mansr]

3 minutes ago, esldude said:

I need to run some CAT6 thru some conduit soon, but I need bigger conduit or a smaller cat.

They sometimes use ferrets to pull cables. If the conduit is too narrow for a ferret, you'll need something else. Maybe a cockroach. Apparently they can be controlled with a suitable attachment.

[Ralf11]

DoD has the robot you need

[esldude]

3 minutes ago, mansr said:

They sometimes use ferrets to pull cables. If the conduit is too narrow for a ferret, you'll need something else. Maybe a cockroach. Apparently they can be controlled with a suitable attachment.

When I was 10 years old, I used a big June bug to pull a kite string over a tree limb.  Then used the kite string to pull a rope over the limb, and used that to make a big tire swing over a creek.  The squirrels were too hard to catch or control.  

[mansr]

7 minutes ago, Jud said:

Was the cat alive at the time?

I don't know. It was a Schrödinger cat.

[esldude]

Just now, mansr said:

I don't know. It was a Schrödinger cat.

You were using Synergistic Research Quantum cable?

[sandyk]

7 minutes ago, mansr said:

They sometimes use ferrets to pull cables. If the conduit is too narrow for a ferret, you'll need something else. Maybe a cockroach. Apparently they can be controlled with a suitable attachment.

 With a cockroach all you will need to do is squirt a can of Mortein in their general direction to get them moving .

[Jud]

11 minutes ago, mansr said:

They sometimes use ferrets to pull cables. If the conduit is too narrow for a ferret, you'll need something else.

 

Nothing, unfortunately, is too narrow for a ferret. For your discerning enjoyment, a true classic:

 

https://www.outsideonline.com/1902036/king-ferret-leggers#close

[kelvinwsy]

1. Believe it or not. All my Power Cables - even expensive ones are JSSG and then sheathed in this Conduit! I had the a local workshop cut the conduits to 1m / 1.5 m lengths shown in above posts. 

 

2. I must add that Almost ALL my PC's and Signal Cables are DIY, I can easily fit the conduit onto the cable run BEFORE I connect the other end connector. So VOILA! conduit sleeved PC, RCA, and XLR. 

 

3. Trick is to secure the conduits so that they don't slide around and their weight does not hang on the Component connector etc. That is of course another tale to tell!

 

4. So using different size conduits, I have done the same with RCA and XLR cables near the back of my Hifi Rack which then brings them too close to the Power Conditioner PC leading up to the Amps and Dac.

 

5. I can swear that my whole system's residual /background noise levels drops further and further each time I increase the shielding on my PC's and Signal cables.

You can hear that digitalis and harshness is banished and sweet Hi-frequencies, superior ambient sonic stage, superior thumping bass on my Abyss 1266 Phi/cc is increasing in clarity, depth of low bass( more like a Rumble and GROWL now!) are now more evident.

 

6. Just recent weekend, I jury-rigged aluminium cover plates (using cheap Aluminium serving trays or various sizes) over the back of my DAC, HP Amp, and Power conditioner to block any more residual EMF/RFI from the Power Cords.

 

7. At the back of the DAC, I have done the same but with Mu - metal sheets to cover the RCA/XLR output cables. Even my IsoRegen and SMS 200Ultra Neo have their own Mu metal shields.

This material I had left over from a DIY preamp project.  Again a noticeable drop in residual noise and increase in clarity  in ambience / hall echo sound on Playback; (especially evident in Live albums well recorded say in 24bit/96khz. 

 

8. Once my Ether -Regen comes, the Cat 6 cables (alright I will upgrade to Supra Cat 8😎) and JSSG and then conduit them. That will be the next and hopefully final step in DIY shielding efforts on my part.

 

Conclusion:

Way Excessive Audiophile Obsession. Hey costs so little $! Certainly not paying 2000 USD for a PC or 1.5 - 2.5 k for a signal cable. And all removable if it does not work. So far ALL Smiles!