MorningDew
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- Joined
- Apr 13, 2020
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Hello! I'm posting this under DYI hoping to pick the brains of other cable makers out there or at least those who have a better understanding of electricity than me (the bar isn't super high on that one).
I have enjoyed making a few headphone cables which have utilized one of Canare's 4 conductor braided shield cable. Similar to some cable-making companies out there, I make the Y-split a mini XLR so that I keep one cable plugged into an amp and just switch headphones at the "Y". To give them a custom look for myself, I cut off the outer jacket and replaced it with paracord (I think it looks a little nicer for my non-headphone listening family members to not have the room look like a concert stage). The problem that has arisen is that there are times that if I shift around on the furniture, stand up, touch the cable and can feel a static shock that is also heard in the headphones. The lack of humidity during the Northeast US winter has made some of these shocks considerable. I have begun trying to ground myself in creative ways to avoid this from happening. I assume the shock is going though the braided sleeve which is soldered to the XLR ground lug but on the 1/4 inch SE cable, the sleeve it's connected to also has the Left - and Right - tied in.
Is this just unpleasant or potentially dangerous for the headphones and/or amplifier? I feel like I can't be the only person out there this is happening to.
I know the simple answer is to avoid the problem and use cables with the outer jacket in place. However, I'm enjoying the this modular system that I've been able to create that suites my length and connection needs. I have a headphone on the way that uses a single 3.5mm TRRS plug so I'd like to make a new cable to use them via XLR. Before I start I'm trying to decide if I should change my approach.
I appreciate your reading this and welcome any advice. Thanks!
I have enjoyed making a few headphone cables which have utilized one of Canare's 4 conductor braided shield cable. Similar to some cable-making companies out there, I make the Y-split a mini XLR so that I keep one cable plugged into an amp and just switch headphones at the "Y". To give them a custom look for myself, I cut off the outer jacket and replaced it with paracord (I think it looks a little nicer for my non-headphone listening family members to not have the room look like a concert stage). The problem that has arisen is that there are times that if I shift around on the furniture, stand up, touch the cable and can feel a static shock that is also heard in the headphones. The lack of humidity during the Northeast US winter has made some of these shocks considerable. I have begun trying to ground myself in creative ways to avoid this from happening. I assume the shock is going though the braided sleeve which is soldered to the XLR ground lug but on the 1/4 inch SE cable, the sleeve it's connected to also has the Left - and Right - tied in.
Is this just unpleasant or potentially dangerous for the headphones and/or amplifier? I feel like I can't be the only person out there this is happening to.
I know the simple answer is to avoid the problem and use cables with the outer jacket in place. However, I'm enjoying the this modular system that I've been able to create that suites my length and connection needs. I have a headphone on the way that uses a single 3.5mm TRRS plug so I'd like to make a new cable to use them via XLR. Before I start I'm trying to decide if I should change my approach.
I appreciate your reading this and welcome any advice. Thanks!