Build a custom EMU0404 analog breakout cable

How to build a custom EMU-0404 breakout cable for high end audio applications.

If you own an EMU0404 and use it for audiophile listening, then it's pretty obvious the stock breakout cable is pretty weak. It's flimsy and of poor quality, and then you need a weird 1/4" to RCA to hook it up to your amp...no fun.

So with a few parts I had lying around and $4.50 woth of extras from Radio Shack I built a custom breakout cable. So far it sounds great! Here's what I used to make mine, though you can substitue lower or higher quality parts where you see fit:

- Silver-plated copper mil-spec wire, teflon housing
- WBT 4% silver solder
- Tinned copper braided shielding
- Radio Shack DB9 D-Sub connector
- Radio Shack D-Sub Metal Hood
- Dayton Audio Pro-Fi locking RCA plugs
- Some Techflex & heatshrink to make it pretty

To start, you'll need the pinout for the breakout cable. Here it is, with the important ones in bold (from the Head-Fi forums courtesty of Stroog).

1: nothing
2: right output
3: left output
4: left input
5: right input
6: right output ground
7: left output ground
8: left input ground
9: right input ground

So what exactly does that mean? Well, if you get the Radio Shack D-Sub connector each pin is marked. Just solder each wire to the correct pin. Otherwise, here's a handy diagram I came across online:

The top left pin is #1, the next one over is #2, and so on. When soldering to the back of the DB9 connector remember it will be in reverse, so the top right will be #1!

Instructions are below - please feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions.

* If you would like, contact me for a quote to build this cable for you using the same configuration I used for this tutorial.

First, solder the wires to the pins I have bolded above

Next, I litz braid the wire (optional step)

Then add shielding and techflex

Then screw on the hood and solder to the RCA jacks and you're done!

Build a custom EMU0404 analog breakout cable

How to build a custom EMU-0404 breakout cable for high end audio applications.

If you own an EMU0404 and use it for audiophile listening, then it's pretty obvious the stock breakout cable is pretty weak. It's flimsy and of poor quality, and then you need a weird 1/4" to RCA to hook it up to your amp...no fun.

So with a few parts I had lying around and $4.50 woth of extras from Radio Shack I built a custom breakout cable. So far it sounds great! Here's what I used to make mine, though you can substitue lower or higher quality parts where you see fit:

- Silver-plated copper mil-spec wire, teflon housing
- WBT 4% silver solder
- Tinned copper braided shielding
- Radio Shack DB9 D-Sub connector
- Radio Shack D-Sub Metal Hood
- Dayton Audio Pro-Fi locking RCA plugs
- Some Techflex & heatshrink to make it pretty

To start, you'll need the pinout for the breakout cable. Here it is, with the important ones in bold (from the Head-Fi forums courtesty of Stroog).

1: nothing
2: right output
3: left output
4: left input
5: right input
6: right output ground
7: left output ground
8: left input ground
9: right input ground

So what exactly does that mean? Well, if you get the Radio Shack D-Sub connector each pin is marked. Just solder each wire to the correct pin. Otherwise, here's a handy diagram I came across online:

The top left pin is #1, the next one over is #2, and so on. When soldering to the back of the DB9 connector remember it will be in reverse, so the top right will be #1!

Instructions are below - please feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions.

* If you would like, contact me for a quote to build this cable for you using the same configuration I used for this tutorial.

First, solder the wires to the pins I have bolded above

Next, I litz braid the wire (optional step)

Then add shielding and techflex

Then screw on the hood and solder to the RCA jacks and you're done!