metal beat Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 I have just bought a new used turntable where the tonearm cable is RCA to RCA. The current cable is 35 odd years old so have tried a couple of cables - the one that sounded best was KImber KCAG silver cable and it's very flexible. the KCAG is unshielded I believe. Only problem, it had noise - buzzing that can be heard at high volumes - when music is not playing - but once heard it always nags in the back of your mind. As a bit of a joke experiment I wrapped the cables in kitchen aluminium foil - now NO NOISE - LOL looks like a joke, but works very well. Can't say there was any immediate sonic downside either - but I have not really done any A - B listening. What are the other better and easy options available to shield? without any sonic downside before: after: 3
analog brother Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 you should take a prototype to munich, shane. HYDROFOIL PURE DREAM you'll get distribution! 3
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 Never, EVER try to use unshielded interconnects with phono cables. The result will always be tears. You could buy some copper braid and thread the cables through it. A cheap solution might be to buy some RG213/U, strip the insulation from the outside, remove the braid and use that. Lots of work, but a cheap, easy to find solution.
TerryO Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 On 27 May 2016 at 10:57 PM, gmdb said: Yes, but you do live in Brisbane. Audio equipment sounds better here. Why? 1
Weka Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 7 hours ago, metal beat said: I have just bought a new used turntable where the tonearm cable is RCA to RCA. The current cable is 35 odd years old so have tried a couple of cables - the one that sounded best was KImber KCAG silver cable and it's very flexible... If you bought these online and they shipped from China, I hope they were very cheap as they are most likely fakes. https://www.kimber.com/counterfeits
metal beat Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 51 minutes ago, Weka said: If you bought these online and they shipped from China, I hope they were very cheap as they are most likely fakes. https://www.kimber.com/counterfeits nah, this is just a picture I took from the web. I have had mine for about 5 years - legit.
metal beat Posted April 22, 2017 Posted April 22, 2017 4 hours ago, Zaphod Beeblebrox said: Never, EVER try to use unshielded interconnects with phono cables. The result will always be tears. You could buy some copper braid and thread the cables through it. A cheap solution might be to buy some RG213/U, strip the insulation from the outside, remove the braid and use that. Lots of work, but a cheap, easy to find solution. Zaph, compared to your easy versions, leaving the foil on is the easiest I did not buy the KCAG for the turntable. Its for line stage where no noise issues. I generally use DIN to phono shielded cables. but this is bloody rca to rca.
Guest Hensa Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 I had a noise problem with the in built tonearm to phono stage cable on my Technics SL7. I used a product called Wrapshield made by Holland Shielding Systems. Just wrap the cable with a 50% overlap and secure with tape or shrink tubing. Not a peep of noise since.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
metal beat Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 1 hour ago, Hensa said: I had a noise problem with the in built tonearm to phono stage cable on my Technics SL7. I used a product called Wrapshield made by Holland Shielding Systems. Just wrap the cable with a 50% overlap and secure with tape or shrink tubing. Not a peep of noise since. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Hi Greg This is more my sort of DIY will check it out. Did you notice any change in the sonics afterwards? Cheers
Heifetz Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 @Hensa Greetings, did you buy the 4740 : Wrapshield tinned copper/steel ? Thx, Bob
Guest Hensa Posted April 23, 2017 Posted April 23, 2017 [mention=109782]Hensa[/mention] Greetings, did you buy the 4740 : Wrapshield tinned copper/steel ?Thx, Bob Yep, that's the one.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Guest Hensa Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 Hi Greg This is more my sort of DIY [emoji4] will check it out. Did you notice any change in the sonics afterwards? Cheers Hi Shane, no negative impact to the sonics at all. Before the wrap, the cables injected noise any time they were running near any other cables and particularly power cables and interconnects. After wrapping, there was zero noise regardless of placement.I have a spare set of Mogami rca to rca phono cables that I wrapped with the excess wrap I had left over - just need to add some shrink tubing to cover the unsightly tape job I did as a temporary binding. You're more than welcome to borrow them to see how they go with your system.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Guest gmdb Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 On 23/04/2017 at 5:30 AM, TerryO said: Why? It was meant as a joke. But Brisbane has less urban density compared to Sydney or Melbourne, so there's a chance that there's less radio interference buzzing round to impact on audio components.
tesla13BMW Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 5 minutes ago, gmdb said: It was meant as a joke. But Brisbane has less urban density compared to Sydney or Melbourne, so there's a chance that there's less radio interference buzzing round to impact on audio components. Says you living under all those TV tower thingies! You need to come to the South Side where the air is truly pure
Guest gmdb Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 1 minute ago, tesla13BMW said: Says you living under all those TV tower thingies! You need to come to the South Side where the air is truly pure Very true, only a couple of kilometres away from them. And never had any issues with unshielded cables, apart from the obvious: shielded cables are essential for TT to SUT and SUT to phono amp link. But it's possible that the "Faraday Fence" the guy built across the road adds some benefits.
SETfan Posted April 24, 2017 Posted April 24, 2017 I also am using supermarket aluminium foil wrapped around my unshielded RCA cables that connect my short plug phono leads to my pre-amp. Without it, I get a bad hum through the system. The Wrapshield option sounds a good one to try...but before I do though, does anyone know or have an opinion on whether copper foil tape might be just as effective in reducing earth hum? I have some double-sided conductive copper foil tape that I could try, but as it has a fairly strong adhesive I thought I would ask the question first rather than waste it if it wont work for some reason... Hensa, do you mind if I ask how much the Wrapshield tape cost you, including shipping?
Weka Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 @SETfan I wouldn't use adhesive backed foil as the overlapped layers won't slide and allow the cable to bend. 1
Guest Hensa Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 Hensa, do you mind if I ask how much the Wrapshield tape cost you, including shipping? I got it a few years ago and have no recollection what it cost but it was not expensive - maybe $40 to $50 landed for a 10m roll but it's only a guess.Why not shoot them an email and ask directly?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
bob_m_54 Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 On 23/04/2017 at 10:05 AM, Hensa said: I had a noise problem with the in built tonearm to phono stage cable on my Technics SL7. I used a product called Wrapshield made by Holland Shielding Systems. Just wrap the cable with a 50% overlap and secure with tape or shrink tubing. Not a peep of noise since. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Did you run a pigtail from the wrapshield to ground? We used to use stacks of this stuff to shield EMI (in and out) on aircraft system cables.
Guest Hensa Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 Did you run a pigtail from the wrapshield to ground? We used to use stacks of this stuff to shield EMI (in and out) on aircraft system cables. I'd like to say yes but don't actually know what that means so in all likelihood, no. In any event, the goal was to eliminate noise getting in through the cables and it is now totally silent.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
bob_m_54 Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 For the shield to be effective, it needs a connection to signal ground. Normally this is achieved by soldering a pigtail wire to the braid, which is connected to ground, or the braid is clamped by a metal backshell of the connector, which is in contact with ground.
Guest Hensa Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 For the shield to be effective, it needs a connection to signal ground. Normally this is achieved by soldering a pigtail wire to the braid, which is connected to ground, or the braid is clamped by a metal backshell of the connector, which is in contact with ground. Good to know - thanks. Still, it is totally effective at stopping the unwanted noise through the system without such a connection to ground so all good.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 17 hours ago, SETfan said: I also am using supermarket aluminium foil wrapped around my unshielded RCA cables that connect my short plug phono leads to my pre-amp. Without it, I get a bad hum through the system. The Wrapshield option sounds a good one to try...but before I do though, does anyone know or have an opinion on whether copper foil tape might be just as effective in reducing earth hum? I have some double-sided conductive copper foil tape that I could try, but as it has a fairly strong adhesive I thought I would ask the question first rather than waste it if it wont work for some reason... Hensa, do you mind if I ask how much the Wrapshield tape cost you, including shipping? EMF shielding should use the most conductive materials available. That usually means copper. I don't understand the attraction of unshielded cables. Just use braid and foil shielded cables and you shouldn't have any problems. They are available in a very wide range of price points, brands and colours.
maxspl Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) On 4/22/2017 at 11:21 PM, metal beat said: I have just bought a new used turntable where the tonearm cable is RCA to RCA. The current cable is 35 odd years old so have tried a couple of cables - the one that sounded best was KImber KCAG silver cable and it's very flexible. the KCAG is unshielded I believe. Only problem, it had noise - buzzing that can be heard at high volumes - when music is not playing - but once heard it always nags in the back of your mind. As a bit of a joke experiment I wrapped the cables in kitchen aluminium foil - now NO NOISE - LOL looks like a joke, but works very well. Can't say there was any immediate sonic downside either - but I have not really done any A - B listening. What are the other better and easy options available to shield? without any sonic downside before: after: What are you using to earth the tonearm ? The moulded end of the supplied Technics cable has two male rca sockets and a male earth pin in between them. If you haven't connected anything to that earthing point on the tonearm it will likely be the cause of noise. Edited April 25, 2017 by MarkT
metal beat Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) 14 minutes ago, MarkT said: What are you using to earth the tonearm ? The moulded end of the supplied Technics cable has two male rca sockets and a male earth pin in between them. If you haven't connected anything to that earthing point on the tonearm it will likely be the cause of noise. Hi Mark I am using a separate earth wire, so that is covered. Only the Kimber KCAG had any noise out of the 3 cables I used. Cheers Edited April 25, 2017 by metal beat
Recommended Posts