Products for raising cables off the floor.


What are the best products for raising cables off the floor? This would include speaker cables, interconnects, and power cables. Also, what kind of distance should I keep between the power cords and the interconnects? I have wall to wall carpeting. The run from my preamp to my mono amps is about six feet each. The run from the amps to the speakers is about four feet each. The run for the power line to the amps is about five feet each. Any information would be helpful. Thank you, Kevin
kevine
Kevin,

As a good rule of thumb, you should try to separate your cables by about 3 - 4+ inches from each other and then raise them 4+ inches off the carpet with something that does not store electrical energy. Where cables must cross each other, do this at a 90 degree angle and don't let them touch: place a piece of wood (balsa works great, so do wood paint stirring sticks from the paint store) or crumpled paper towel between the cables to hold them apart.

Good materials for cable supports are wood (balsa is great), paper (e.g., paper towel roll tubes or even crumpled paper towels) or ceramic (e.g., a coffee cup - but be cautious of glazing that would contain iron).

Tripods of wood dowels (three dowels held together with a loop at about two-thirds of their length) work well. Another fine solution is to suspend the cables with string (attaching one end to the wall and looping the other end around the cable). In my system, I have several cables lifted out of the way using masking tape loops.

The point is, effectiveness need not cost anything, as demonstrated by this very high-end, very highly tweaked, setup in this photo:


from: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue23/proscenium4.htm

or this:


from: http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/walker/walker.html

Consider trying the no cost avenue first and see if you don't get some pretty positive results. Certainly works here in my system.

Cheers,
Two to three inches off the carpet is fine.

Anything non-conductive will work. I've seen styrofoam cups, chopstick tripods, dowel tripods, antique power or telephone cable insulators (that's what i use - 5$ a piece and they look cool - green glass usually).

You can suspend the cables in place with whatever is non-conductive and relatively obcured by the cable color. My cables are black techflex covered, so i use black nylon thread...doesn't need much support to keep them there.

I don't think you got an answer for proximity. I'd like to see a post from someone with a clue. Perhaps do a search on the cable asylum on www.audioasylum.com.
I use antique telephone wire insulators. I build platforms of MDF and doll rods. Each rod is coated with B-Quiet sonic deadener to prevent unwanted vibration to the cables. See my system for a look.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1076767531&view
Geesh, and you guys call yourself audiophiles. Namby pamby weenies! Real audiophiles lower their floors from their cables!
I am getting a lot more creative ideas than I anticipated. I really appreciate it. Thank you, Kevin