Cable management (NOT a "which fancy cable" thread)

[klettermann]

Can anybody comment on best practices for cable management? My system is a bit of a rats nest. I've had cables coiled cause they're too long, audio cables mixed up with power cables, speaker cables right next to power cable next to wall, etc etc. I doubt I'm the only one. This fills my head with horrors of magnetic coupling, noise or hum pick up, who knows what else. To be clear, I don't suffer from audible hum or audible noises. But maybe I'm used to it? (If a tree falls and nobody.....)

Anyway, I've gradually been trying to do better thusly:
> Cables as short as possible (get rid of
coiled cables that are too long)
> Separate power and signal cables,
cross at right angles
> Shielded power cables, shield to ground

My DAC->preamp and pre->power amp are balanced and I'm moving towards DH labs shielded power cables. Anything else to pay attention to? Thanks and cheers,

 

[sq225917]

All my cables are just thrown behind the long rack, phonostage crossses power, crosses usb, crosses network. System is utterly silent.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Late welcome. I see you have been here for a while ...
Other will comment and reply to your specific questions. My recommendations will be of a different nature:
Don't fall for the audiophile cable BS. Don't buy DH Labs. I visited their website and once I saw, "Ethernet Cable" with "High Speed and Low noise", I knew these had to be snake oil peddlers. I visited the website a bit more thoroughly: Anyone who is selling you a $1120.oo AC power cord ((!!!), is a BS artist, a con, a snake oil peddler.
Stay away.
You were warned.

Peace.

 

[klettermann]

Hi

Late welcome. I see you have been here for a while ...
Other will comment and reply to your specific questions. My recommendations will be of a different nature:
Don't fall for the audiophile cable BS. Don't buy DH Labs. I visited their website and once I saw, "Ethernet Cable" with "High Speed and Low noise", I knew these had to be snake oil peddlers. I visited the website a bit more thoroughly: Anyone who is selling you a $1120.oo AC power cord ((!!!), is a BS artist, a con, a snake oil peddler.
Stay away.
You were warned.

Peace.

LOL, thanks for the tip, but no worries. I don't buy their BS at all. To me they're just a supplier of what seems to be reasonable bulk cable. I build\terminate my own. The question above arises after a major reconfiguration. Prior to that it was all pretty neat but the new config made a huge mess of the power cables. I can't hear any symptoms but it's a chance to maybe improve matters and I'm kind of OCD about this stuff.

 

[egellings]

Why does everything have to be 'managed'? It's those darn suit & ties. Can't leave anyone or anything alone.

 

[Speedskater]

My thoughts:
a] In general shorter cables are better than longer cables (this include AC cords)
b] interaction between AC cords, interconnects and speaker cables is way overblown.
In fact they can all be taped together.
c] Shielded AC cords are seldom needed.
d] 'ground' is an undefined term.

 

[AudiOhm]

MHO is different cables are going to cross, speaker, interconnect, and power do it at 90 Deg if possible...

Ohms

 

[klettermann]

My thoughts:
a] In general shorter cables are better than longer cables (this include AC cords)
b] interaction between AC cords, interconnects and speaker cables is way overblown.
In fact they can all be taped together.
c] Shielded AC cords are seldom needed.
d] 'ground' is an undefined term.

Ok, thanks, that's pretty much my impression anyway. I'll just try to make it all neat for aesthetics. Still, I do enjoy small tweaks even if there's no basis as long as it's cheap. With this stuff I pursue a kind of audio/aesthetic agnosticism. If something might look kind of cool or fun AND if it's cheap and unlikely to do harm, whadaya got to lose? Example: I found a bunch of theses in a flea market. They came from poles on an old train line. Exactly, and I mean exactly the same, but 50c instead of $20. So I got them. Why not? Do I believe they do anything audible? Not a chance. But they're fun and make a nice story when somebody asks what they are. And that's a good lead-in to how insane this hobby can be.

 

[Speedskater]

Those are toys (to be polite) they serve no useful purpose.

 

[FrantzM]

LOL, thanks for the tip, but no worries. I don't buy their BS at all. To me they're just a supplier of what seems to be reasonable bulk cable. I build\terminate my own. The question above arises after a major reconfiguration. Prior to that it was all pretty neat but the new config made a huge mess of the power cables. I can't hear any symptoms but it's a chance to maybe improve matters and I'm kind of OCD about this stuff.

Their bulk cable is expensive. Their least expensive AC Power cable is .. $8.00 .
Buy Belden or (few) equivalent ... I wouldn't be surprised if their stuff is sourced from Belden...

Peace.

 

[klettermann]

Those are toys (to be polite) they serve no useful purpose.

I know! But for 20c, why not? The entertainment value is worth more than that. t
That's my point.

 

[chuckt62]

An absolute rats nest is best. Nothing running parallel.
Looks like carp, but if you are the only one that knows...

Edit: I don’t necessarily practice what I preach.

 

[amirm]

've had cables coiled cause they're too long, audio cables mixed up with power cables, speaker cables right next to power cable next to wall, etc etc.

One that helps a lot here is buying shorter cables, including AC mains. These cables are so thick and unwieldly. Even coiled up they are a pain. I found cheap, color coded short AC cables on Amazon which I use to organize my network rack. Worked like a charm. Plan to do the same for XLR cables for my AV rack next.

 

[izeek]

All my cables are just thrown behind the long rack, phonostage crossses power, crosses usb, crosses network. System is utterly silent.

my experience is similar though i try to be as neat as possible.

 

[klettermann]

my experience is similar though i try to be as neat as possible.

Me too. First, I do value aesthetics. I prefer things neatly dressed vs a rat's nest of stuff. Secondly, if there's some theoretical advantage to doing it "right," whatever that would be, I try to do it that way. Even if I can't hear it. I'm agnostic on this stuff. Cause why not, what's the harm? I sometimes do wonder if a lot of inaudibly small flaws can end up accumulating into some defect or noise or distortion or coloration that might actually be audible. This is doubtless unproveable but why not do the best you can as long as it doesn't seem totally stupid? What's stupid? I guess that's a judgement call, but I'd guess we can agree that a $3100 wall outlet is stupid.

 

[eric-c]

You can buy velcro by the roll at home depot. You can then cut to order. I use this method to help minimize the rats next. Also I use a brother P touch to label both ends of patch cables and wall warts

 

[kemmler3D]

Monoprice sells really short, colorful AC cables, has really helped me fit stuff in my media cabinet. Other than that, I think the best thing you can do is get the shortest cable that reaches... and invest in some zip-ties, velcro cable ties, or those rubberized maxi-twist-tie things.

A neoprene sleeve for a bundle of cables also goes a long way for aesthetics if you happen to have several cables going along the same run.

 

[rwortman]

I make my own interconnect cables, just long enough to get where they need to go. You can take any factory power cable, cut the wall end off and reterminate with an AC plug from any hardware store.

 

[Dunring]

Some handy things are:
Nylon cable wraps

Amazon.com : nylon cable wrap

Black cable houses

https://www.amazon.com/Chouky-Cable-Organizer-Holder-Protector/dp/B085ZC1KZL/?th=1

 

[-Matt-]

It would be good to see some photos in this thread. I'd be happy to see either attempts at good cable management or examples of the dusty rat's nest of cables that is hidden behind many an AV cabinet!


...Incidentally, I found it mildly amusing that the PCB design software "Eagle" (now within Autodesk Fusion 360) contains a function for automatically generating circuit connections called "ratsnest"! It is therefore likely that "ratsnesting" is integrated into many of our electronic devices from the design phase.