The Factual Cable Thread

[Vladimir]

Benefits of shielded power cable is to contain the EMF inside the weave jacket. If the power cord is in a Faraday cage, you don't have to shield the XLR and vice versa. Or you can do both.

Like andyjm said, setting two cables appart by few inches is sufficient, but if you want tidy cables, you may prefer getting professional shielded ones.

 

[DocG]

Mogami FTW!

You like? Mogami is what Hypex provide with the DIY-kits for wiring inside the chassis. So it won't hurt to use the same between preamp and power amp input...

Benefits of shielded power cable is to contain the EMF inside the weave jacket. If the power cord is in a Faraday cage, you don't have to shield the XLR and vice versa. Or you can do both.

Like andyjm said, setting two cables appart by few inches is sufficient, but if you want tidy cables, you may prefer getting professional shielded ones.

Right, if shielding is good, double shielding must be better! If I then keep the cables sufficiently separated, the background noise should be acceptable for the NCOREs

 

[Vladimir]

Mogami is not the cheapest of pro wire brands but it sure is built with quality and works great. I made few interconnects from their microphone wire. For a turntable with MC head I used an old shower head steel weave tube, connected to the amplifier chassis ground. I laughed at myself when I did it but it solved the humm coming from the mess of cables and power bars (hi-fi, tv, PC, 2 phone chargers, desk lamp, printer, wireles land line phone). It didn't make any audible difference anywhere else in the system despite all those electronics.

I also got an advice to get a star quad speaker cable so I bought Audioquest Type 4 from the spool for cheap (unterminated). I guess it did its thing. It never introduced humm/hiss from being mixed with power cords and power bars behind shelves. It didn't need an extra steel shield.

 

[SteveR750]

Apologies for taking this a bit off topic, but talking of shielding, and avoidance of hum etc; what's the best way of avoiding this using the USB cable connection from PC to DAC? I've switched the ground lft switch up which helps, but there is still a very quite but still present burble in the background. Running the PC disconnected from the mains isn't an option as the battery life is not good enough, though it apears to solve the problem. Apart from using toslink or buying a streamer is there anything else I can try? Everything is plugged into a Tacima mains conditioner (not that it has made any difference to the sound of anything in any house I've lived in).

 

[iMark]

Years ago, before the age of the Airport Express, I had connected my Mac to the stereo receiver which gave an awful groundloop hum. The hum was caused by the cable radio connection because I didn't have the hum with the coax cable disconnected. I solved the hum by putting a groundloop hum filter on the aerial cable.

Yes, USB should solve your groundloop hum. An Airport Express will solve the issue too. Basically anything that makes it possible to connect your computer to the amp without making an electrical connection.

 

[andyjm]

Apologies for taking this a bit off topic, but talking of shielding, and avoidance of hum etc; what's the best way of avoiding this using the USB cable connection from PC to DAC? I've switched the ground lft switch up which helps, but there is still a very quite but still present burble in the background. Running the PC disconnected from the mains isn't an option as the battery life is not good enough, though it apears to solve the problem. Apart from using toslink or buying a streamer is there anything else I can try? Everything is plugged into a Tacima mains conditioner (not that it has made any difference to the sound of anything in any house I've lived in).

Toslink would solve your problem, but if you want to use USB try googling 'USB galvanic isolator'

Never used one myself, but the product breaks the electrical connection between the PC and USB using either transformers or opto-isolators. They were originally designed for medical equipment, but now have broader usage.

 

[SteveR750]

Apologies for taking this a bit off topic, but talking of shielding, and avoidance of hum etc; what's the best way of avoiding this using the USB cable connection from PC to DAC? I've switched the ground lft switch up which helps, but there is still a very quite but still present burble in the background. Running the PC disconnected from the mains isn't an option as the battery life is not good enough, though it apears to solve the problem. Apart from using toslink or buying a streamer is there anything else I can try? Everything is plugged into a Tacima mains conditioner (not that it has made any difference to the sound of anything in any house I've lived in).

Toslink would solve your problem, but if you want to use USB try googling 'USB galvanic isolator'

Never used one myself, but the product breaks the electrical connection between the PC and USB using either transformers or opto-isolators. They were originally designed for medical equipment, but now have broader usage.

Thanks Andy.

 

[DocG]

Apologies for taking this a bit off topic, but talking of shielding, and avoidance of hum etc; what's the best way of avoiding this using the USB cable connection from PC to DAC? I've switched the ground lft switch up which helps, but there is still a very quite but still present burble in the background. Running the PC disconnected from the mains isn't an option as the battery life is not good enough, though it apears to solve the problem. Apart from using toslink or buying a streamer is there anything else I can try? Everything is plugged into a Tacima mains conditioner (not that it has made any difference to the sound of anything in any house I've lived in).

Not off topic at all. This is exactly what I dreamed this thread would look like! *smile*

 

[Vladimir]

I started a thread on WHF about getting the perfect USB connection between PC and DAC, with tips and photos of my experiments. I got ridiculed by the elitists for doing so instead of buying branded solutions. Their sour cynical faces cringe at the look of electricians tape and any form of improvisation.

 

[ID.]

I started a thread on WHF about getting the perfect USB connection between PC and DAC, with tips and photos of my experiments. I got ridiculed by the elitists for doing so instead of buying branded solutions. Their sour cynical faces cringe at the look of electricians tape and any form of improvisation.

They made fun of my tinfoil hat too, but who's laughing now *wacko*

 

[andyjm]

Apologies for taking this a bit off topic, but talking of shielding, and avoidance of hum etc; what's the best way of avoiding this using the USB cable connection from PC to DAC? I've switched the ground lft switch up which helps, but there is still a very quite but still present burble in the background. Running the PC disconnected from the mains isn't an option as the battery life is not good enough, though it apears to solve the problem. Apart from using toslink or buying a streamer is there anything else I can try? Everything is plugged into a Tacima mains conditioner (not that it has made any difference to the sound of anything in any house I've lived in).

Toslink would solve your problem, but if you want to use USB try googling 'USB galvanic isolator'

Never used one myself, but the product breaks the electrical connection between the PC and USB using either transformers or opto-isolators. They were originally designed for medical equipment, but now have broader usage.

Thanks Andy.

Just had a noodle around this. Anaolgue devices sell an IC specifically for this purpose, the ADM4160 USB bus isolator. At about £4 in bulk, it makes you wonder why DAC manufacturers (at least the high end ones) don't include this as a normal part of their design.

I do have a vague recollection that one manufacturer did (Arcam?), but I can't seem to find the link now.