[itsmejulieeye]

Hi,
As the title suggested I'm looking/ aiming to build my own Cable for my Shure SE 535Ltd red's
Now I got all the needed components sourced & bookmarked etc...
But was just wanting to enquire as to how actually easy it is to build IEM Headphone cables & any suggestions/ advice would be appreciated greatly...

1st things 1st is that it's going to be made from pure silver Litz Cable & roughly 115cm +/- 5cm long.
Source plugs gonna be a Right Angled Rhodium Plated Oyaide MiniJack plug.
IEM Ear pins are gonna be Rhodium plated Shure pins with the black plastic covers as its a package type deal from the bay

Now the Pro's to this attemp = I can solder very competently & have made my own Power Cables/ RCA's & Speaker Cables before over the years & Soldered a crap load of stuff from surface Component modding to well pretty much all...

Cons = I have never made/ attempted a headphone cable due to the split where it goes from right side to left side & how to actually get that part of the Cable done so it'll last for a lifetime (well 10yrs would do hehe)

My own idea of how to deal with the part when the cable splits to right/ left is that some good thick Heatshrink positioned correctly (Might be a few trials & errors) with this bit no doubt hehe...
So basically that's the only real part of the Cable that I'm worried about taking on TBH as I think I can handle the Minijack Plug & the Ear pins parts OK (Hope that's not my famous last words hehe) ...


So any1 who's ever done an IEM DIY Cable build got any advice for me at all ?
Are there any glaring assumptions that I'm making too that you think I need to be forewarned of maybe too ?

Just general advice would be appreciated since it's something I've never ever attempted before... But due to a lack of UK IEM Headphone Cable builders in general these days & my main "Go To Guy For Any Cable's I usually need is really really busy & doesn't fancy doing a headphone cable anyway seemingly lol) kind of has forced me into thinking of doing it myself...

Am I mad or you think it's pretty do'able considering my given info on my abilities limited as they are ?

Trolls even welcome to to shout in I'm mad feel free


Cheers J.

 

[jcx]

you do realize microphonics is a major issue with iem cable? - anything heavier, stiffer, with a rougher finish than the manu cable will add mechanical noise
 
it is hard to source material, build a cable as flexible

 

[itsmejulieeye]

Hi,
Well so far I haven't started the project as I took the plunge & ended up buying the "Baldur MK3" Cable from the Bay...
Can't really comment on the Baldur MKIII (A Bronze'y/ Black Colour with a nice touch - Wooden Slider) yet as just starting off burning it in TBH.
Trying it with my Colorfly C4 Pro + an Astell & Kern AK120 Un-amped as my 535Ltd's don't require a big input so the AK Unamped is fine... Also trying it with my home MF DAC --> O2 Headphone Amp too.
Getting really varied results with the 3 combos as I was kind of expecting.
But won't give an opinion till I get a good few more Hrs put on the clock of the Baldur MK3's & the AK120 needs a few Hrs run in too if I'm honest.

Any's due to the lack of replies I'm guessing no1 really cares about DIY Cable builds or had no suggestions to add on what my own thoughts were on a solid silver cable build.

1 thing I will say is that in my main house system I had a guy make me up a 3Metre solid Silver cable (Is a little longer as he managed to squeeze the silver into the clear plastic coating but the just over 3Metres seemed to be the max capable via his method, a home made excellent cable builder but has no big factory equipment that may have allowed a longer cable to get made) with x2 Locking RCA Gold plated decent quality Plugs at the Pre-Amp's Line out side & a rather smart right angled silver plated Switchcraft Mini-Jack Plug at the Headphone Amp side for my O2 or my little Cmoy (The 1 with the Bass Boost button) for those "It's all about the Bass days hehe) & this made an enormous improvement in sound quality versus a basic QED & Cheap Ixos twin Rca's--> Minijack cables that I had been using till then. The silver I always find just gives that truthful neutral sound that most cables just can't deliver IMHO as they usually influence the sound in some sort of unneeded way

Hence my love of Silver Cables & the idea of making my own headphone silver 1 sounded appealing
I'll see how the Baldur 3 Cable pans out & if it's not up to the standard I expect it to be at after burn in then I'll see if my friend who made me the Custom 3+Metre RCA's --> Minijack Silver Cable & all my main 2 Hi-Fi's Phone Cables too would take on the challenge of doing the Headphone Cable Build if not I think there's a good chance I'll try ebay as I seen 1 or 2 Silver Cables there but quality would be a concern
If nothings doing then I guess I will give it a go

Anys roll on the Baldur 3 & who knows maybe it'll suprise me & stop me in my tracks of needing a Silver cable then


J.

 

[Speedskater]

Litz wire can be a real challenge to solder.

 

[itsmejulieeye]

Litz wire can be a real challenge to solder.

Well I haven't really challenged myself soldering wise for Yrs if I'm honest but when I was doing a lot of it I could always hold my own...
Would just need to free the rustiness I thinks hehe...
Was working with Re-Plugging quite a few Runs of Nordost Flatline speaker wire & that's a Bu**er to solder IMHO so at least I'm not too rusty I hope
Not to phased in doing the DIY job it's more of a time thing & there are definitely more skilled people that make these kind of cables up in their sleep so if possible I probably will try that route 1st if the Baldur 3 doesnt suit my ears I think.
Zzz time here & time for a few tunes to fall asleep too & get more burn in time on the clock too now


J.