I share your frustration about not being able to tell in advance what’s inside a cable.

Years ago, as a side hustle, I sourced audio cables; custom-making them where needed. Since then, the market has been flooded with Chinese imports that don’t mention the specifications that used to be commonplace:

• Shield type
• Shield gauge and qty
• Conductor material
• Conductor gauge and qty
• Resistance per metre
• Capacitance
• Outer diameter

Unfortunately, all the similar cables I could find on Amazon have braided jackets:

• Ugreen (yes, they do still sell audio cables)
• Ugreen w/90-deg jack
• CableCreation

They all cost $10-$15 and look a lot like each other. Maybe from the same factory?

As you say, it’s virtually impossible to buy tinsel-cored audio cable in suitable lengths for DIY. If you want non-braided, I guess you’ll have to either spend more money or cannibalise a cable from an existing pair of earphones/headphones.

Let us know how it goes!

Unfortunately, my headphones (Philips SHP9500) only have a 3.5mm jack. To mod anything else in, I’d have to legitimately drill out the existing jack, which I’d really only want to do if the jack had already failed.

Unless I happen to find a premade cable that is suitable for conversion out of old hardware, it definitely seems like actually sourcing woven tinsel wire in suitable thickness for a headphone cable is quite the challenge (for a reasonable price anyway).

If nothing else, the Syncwire cable is cheap enough to be a good value, provided it does last a while.

N.B. Any pair of headphones/earphones (and old broken pair, or from a junk shop etc) likely has tinsel wire. Most headphones/earphones use captive cables, but you can always just snip the cable at the headphone end, solder on a 3.5mm plug (see tips in earlier comment), and thereby make yourself a cable that will work with headphones that have a 3.5mm socket.

However, 3.5mm cables are inherently not BIFL, they’re a compromise for small equipment like old fashioned transistor radios and cassette players. More serious headphones always used 1/4" connectors or maybe XLR or who knows.

I’m glad that my phone has a 3.5mm jack but I just figure my phone and earbuds aren’t BIFL either. I’ve had to replace earbuds a few times though generally not because of the cables.

This doesn’t look great but it’s probably ok. https://www.adafruit.com/product/876

Don’t your headphones have a 1/4" plug that you can use with an adapter to a 3.5mm jack?

I guess if you really want to go nuts, you could ask on head-fi.org.

He didn’t cover 3.5mm terminals or headphone wire though so no good for OP.

Good headphone cables are instead made with tinsel wire, for far more flexing cycles than typical stranded copper. This page has close-up photos showing how it differs from ordinary stranded wire.

Based on its advertised intended usage, I would guess this $13 Syncwire cable is made with tinsel wire.

It looks decently-made. From a BIFL perspective, you may want learn to be able to replace the 3.5mm jacks. Tinsel wire isn’t easy to solder, but here are some tips on how to do it:

• https://homerecording.com/bbs/threads/soldering-lacquered-headphone-wire.397429/
• https://www.electronics-lab.com/forums/threads/soldering-connections-for-my-replacement-3-5-stereo-plug.279014/

From a BIFL perspective, you want to be able to stick a good metal 3.5mm jack with strain relief onto whatever cable you end up with. It isn’t easy to solder, but here are some tips on how to do it:

• https://homerecording.com/bbs/threads/soldering-lacquered-headphone-wire.397429/
• https://www.electronics-lab.com/forums/threads/soldering-connections-for-my-replacement-3-5-stereo-plug.279014/

I’m sure you’re aware of this, but I personally cannot abide braided headphone cables due to the fact that they prominently transfer grating noises when physically rubbing against objects to the ear pieces/cups.

This is less of a concern if you’re stationary/at home and becomes more prohibitive when mobile/active and rubbing against clothing.

Hope you succeed in finding a good fit for you!

Haven’t used that exact cable of them but others that are quite good.