Cross connected coaxial speaker cables

[Jazzman53]

As a general rule; designing a speaker cable for low inductance comes at the expense of high capacitance, and visa versa. This cable comes about as close as any I've seen to cheating this rule. I built a pair to drive my ESLs.

Link to parts list and build photos: Jazzman's cross-connected coax speaker cables

A quote by the cable's designer, Jon Risch:
“Cross-connection is used to reduce the inductance to an absolute minimum. Merely paralleling the center wire and shield would create two separated different polarity composite conductors with an inductance much higher than the cross-connected pair.”

 

[Tonto]

Nice work, do notice any improvement?

 

[Jazzman53]

They are excellent cables but I can't really say that I heard a noticeable improvement over the excellent low-inductance cables I had been using-- but I really didn't expect to, since the two cables were similar, with respect to inductance at least.

I had been using single coaxial Mogami cable; which is the same cable used in the $600/pair Sanders' Sound Systems cables sold as optimal for Sanders' ESL speakers. Perhaps I would have noticed a difference had I been using a cable with a significantly different mix of inductance/capacitance. But I haven't compared them to other cables.

Logically; different cable types should sound different because any difference in the inductance/capacitance mix should affect the amplifier. But, honestly; I've never noticed much difference between cables of similar gauge. And I suspect that in a double blind test most people could not discern between a high end cable and lamp cord of the same gauge.

I like to tinker and build things, and the cross connected coax cables intrigued me so I built them. My advice to others is to spend your money on amps and [especially] good speakers first, and then play with cables if it makes you happy :-)