Help me build speaker cables please!

Well, I've already purchased everything for the biwire.. 

But yeah, I hear you, it would be great to be able to test all these designs. It wouldn't​ be too expensive to do in regular copper, I just lack the time. 

So, you really think the twisted signals and combined neutrals could contaminate one another, even though they're carrying the same signal? I could see that the speaker crossovers would cause different frequencies to flow in the cables differently, I just figured it was the same signal so it shouldn't impact phase.. though now that I'm thinking about it more, I'd imagine the current flowing through the neutrals would be less aligned than the signal...

@toddverrone - re...

So, you really think the twisted signals and combined neutrals could contaminate one another, even though they’re carrying the same signal?

Well let me explain my thinking...
- the voltage applied to the two sets of terminals is identical
- the tweeter x-over circuit allows the high frequencies to pass
- the woofer allows the low frequencies to pass
- each driver draws different current down the related conductors at those different frequencies 
- The intensity of the magnetic field is directly proportional to the current present

So my answer to your question is - Yes, because they are not carrying the same current, different levels of noise will be induced into each conductor and noise contamination will prevail.

You could probably get a similar, or better result if you either
1. separate the two conductors by placing each one into a couple of pieces of expandable sleeve to increase the space between them
2. braiding the two conductors with a piece of cord of the same thickness (DO NOT use a piece of unconnected wire because it really complicates things)

The neutral conductors may not impact the sound at all

Here’s a good article - look at conductive and inductive coupling
http://www.siemon.com/us/white_papers/02-03-22-emi.asp

If you twist the cables together you then have to consider capacitive coupling.

Hope that - helps ?

Regards...

I’m back. And have finished, mostly, my cables. I missed your last post before building them, so I ended up doing the kinky signal, counter rotating helixes. Unfortunately, the signals became less kinky as I worked with the neutrals, so, if these don’t live up to my expectations, I’ll be taking out the signal conductors and putting a few layers of techflex on them. As it stands, though, the signals are not uniformly laid next to one another, so hopefully that works out for me. One thing that I keep thinking about in regards to the signal.. if it was one run of cable, wouldn’t the worries over noise be the same? Or would that not be an issue because it’s full signal, and the jumpers would only be susceptible​ to induction?

I’ll post some pics on my system page.. I still need to put connectors on the second cable before I listen. Hopefully I’ll have more to report with regards to sound tomorrow.

So far, they did superb! The same black background as the single helix with cat 5, but more clarity from top to bottom. There's not more bass, it's just a bit tighter and clean. The mids and highs have greater clarity and come further out from the background, with a better separation of sounds. 

I'm very happy with them. They aren't too bright or brittle sounding, which I was afraid of. I'm interested to hear if/how they change. I've neve noticed burn in before, so we'll see..

@toddverrone - that's great to hear - awsome!

RE:...

One thing that I keep thinking about in regards to the signal.. if it was one run of cable, wouldn’t the worries over noise be the same?

Or would that not be an issue because it’s full signal, and the jumpers would only be susceptible​ to induction?

Paragraph 1: Having two wires carrying different frequencies and current there raises the possibility the two signal wires would contaminate each other - this is not possible with a single cable.

Paragraph 2: On my speakers the jumpers are totally separate pieces of wire, so induction is not possible- they are only 4" long.

Over the next few hours the brittleness should arrive and then abate after a couple of days.

The depth of the bass may drop off a little around this point also

Around 15-20 hours there will be a little confusion in the image - focus will drop off and instruments may appear further forward or back and some distortion may appear in the extreme upper end e.g. the violins upper register.

After around 18-24 hours that will settle down and the image will gain pinpoint precision both left to right and front to back

Between 30-40 hours the bass will develop into a fuller, deeper, more "rounded" sound, but will not lose it's detail and control - it just develops more 3D "flavour"

I now have about 60 hours on my Audio cables they are sounding superb.

The A/V cables are a little shorter so they may take less time to burn-in. I am not paying as much attention with them - certain things like the brittle sound is easily discernible, but the bass not so much because I have a sub on that system. Imaging is also not as noticeable unless I play my test tracks, but even so, the environment does not make it as easy to discern spacial correctness, so I don't bother.

Having said that, I did play music for around 4 hours yesterday on the A/V system and for the few moments I actually stopped to listen it was sounding extremely good  :-)

The extended clarity you hear on the top-mid end is due to the silver plated conductor you are using. I don't think I will be trying the solid silver because  it sounds pretty amazing as it is.

Your dynamic performance should also be much better e.g. the very crisp snap on percussion instruments...
- drums always have snap but instruments such as glockenspiels, triangles and bongos are so much more life like - on well recorded tracks you can actually hear the hammer strike the plates or the hand striking the skin.  

Anyhow as far as ...
 

Help me build speaker cables please!

I guess my job is done :-)
AND - YOU did all the work! LOL

Posting this stuff on my site has always been about helping others and hoping others would try new approaches and wire combinations based on my designs.

Keep the posts coming as you notice changes

And post your pics on the system page - If it's OK with you I will copy what you post and append the "Bad-Ass Speaker Helix" on my Helix Speaker page as an addendum

Just to confirm your construction  method...
- SIGNAL WIRES: 
- kinky signals from 12/14 gauge with counter rotating spirals made form silver plated wire
- NEUTRAL WIRES: 
- counter rotating Helix neutrals
- WHAT WIRE TYPE AND GAUGE DID YOU USE ????

Cheers