Topic: Cable Comparison with The Mic Hybrid & Hydra mic cables

[dennisrtyler]

thanks Phil! +T

[stevetoney]

Good work Phil.  Much appreciated.

[cshepherd]

Thanks, Phil.  +T

Chris

[Ryan Sims]

thanks Phil! +T

[dennisrtyler]

Phil are all the files 24/48?

[Nick's Picks]

Great tests.

this group is like free R&D.

+T to all those who I can reach on one page.

the silver cable stock (mine any way, I wont speak for everyone , though we probably all use the same materials) are nice.  they are not "holy shit, the best in the world" nice, but some folks find that.  Especially true w/the LSD2 cable (I agree, that is dramatic).

the good part about TS.com supplied silver cable
- inexpensive.  hell, 4 RA neutrik black XLRs approach $40, then the wire, and the techflex, and the tubing, and the silver solder...., well over $50 in parts alone.  Then bench time.
add all that plus the cost of a facility to make them in...and then you're talking pro retail prices.

I think the cables we (myself, todd, matt..etc etc) offer are a great product for the money.  You can do better, but you'll really have to put your homework and time in to find better at the price.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Then bench time.

Definitely..  And when you're doing techflex, etc, it really is quite a lot of time.. and it requires a fair bit of attention to detail. Never any fun to discover you forgot some heat shrink or techflex after you've soldered the xlr on..  It also takes time to clean the flux off (I hate that step). You can use no-clean fluxes and try and skip that step but I don't take that shortcut. Kester 44 for me.. Some suggest that the solder and flux combo make a significant difference.  I haven't done those tests so I don't know.

I think folks who have never made cables would be surprised at the effort required if you sat them down at the bench and walked them through every step they have to do.  Especially for custom stubbie xlr's..

One cable I would like to try... Schoeps active cable.  It is a 3 conductor copper with the heaviest shielding I have seen.. About $1.25 a foot.

One thing about cable cost.. I'm sure there are basically 'free' sources of cable from folks with military connections and huge spools of the stuff. And also surplus and being in the right place at the right time.