ALO SXC Cryo Products

[mrarroyo]

Yes the ALO SXC Cryo has excellent bass and mids response. Very mellow, organic, yet keeping a very high level of detail and listener involvement.

[Jalo]

Ken, I've just purchased the ESW10jpn and from what I heard, the cable may be a little average. I am thinking to do a recable with the SXC cryo, but I have a couple concern. For a portable phone, will the SXC cryo too stiff? how much difference is there between the SXC cryo 18 and the SXC Cryo 22? How much more flexible is the SXC 22? Is it suitable SXC 18 or 22 for portable use? How much is the cost for the two sizes? Thank you.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by Jalo

Ken, I've just purchased the ESW10jpn and from what I heard, the cable may be a little average. I am thinking to do a recable with the SXC cryo, but I have a couple concern. For a portable phone, will the SXC cryo too stiff? how much difference is there between the SXC cryo 18 and the SXC Cryo 22? How much more flexible is the SXC 22? Is it suitable SXC 18 or 22 for portable use? How much is the cost for the two sizes? Thank you.

I've tried Ken's ALO SXC cabled ATH-SQ5 with the 22g wire, and it was fairly flexible and much nicer for portable than something like an 18g Jena Labs (which is not portable at all). SXC seems a little softer than 22g Jenna Labs like what Blutarsky had on his HF-1, and SXC could probably be used for portable more easily than any cable covered with Techflex.

[Headphile808]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

I've tried Ken's ALO SXC cabled ATH-SQ5 with the 22g wire, and it was fairly flexible and much nicer for portable than something like an 18g Jena Labs (which is not portable at all). SXC seems a little softer than 22g Jenna Labs like what Blutarsky had on his HF-1, and SXC could probably be used for portable more easily than any cable covered with Techflex.

What are your thoughts/impressions on the SQ5s? How do they compare to a stock ESW9? Which do you prefer for portable use? Thanks.
Happy New Year
Headphile808

[KB]

Originally Posted by Jalo

Ken, I've just purchased the ESW10jpn and from what I heard, the cable may be a little average. I am thinking to do a recable with the SXC cryo, but I have a couple concern. For a portable phone, will the SXC cryo too stiff? how much difference is there between the SXC cryo 18 and the SXC Cryo 22? How much more flexible is the SXC 22? Is it suitable SXC 18 or 22 for portable use? How much is the cost for the two sizes? Thank you.

Hi Jalo,

I have been doing recable with the 22awg. see here

ESW9 ALO Re cable

The cable is quite flexible and is a excellent match sonically. The 18awg is too large for this headphone IMO. The beauty of the ESW9s is that they are small, light, super comfortable and very portable yet sounding like a home headphone.

Ken

[Jalo]

Thanks Ken, after the new year I'll send my ESW10jpn to you for recable with the SXC 22.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by Headphile808

What are your thoughts/impressions on the SQ5s? How do they compare to a stock ESW9? Which do you prefer for portable use? Thanks.
Happy New Year
Headphile808

I haven't heard the ESW9, and the ATH-SQ5 I heard were not stock but had Ken's SXC cable. I compared the ATH-SQ5 with SXC 22g cable to ATH-A900 with -=Germania=- silver plated copper cable and internal dampening vs Denon D2000 with APS V3 cable (no woodies at that time).

I thought the ALO SXC ATH-SQ5 were nice with good detail and speed and defined bass, but not quite as much bass as the A900 which could be murkier sounding and a little more sloppy than the SQ5. The D2000 have the most pounding bass, but still better defined than the A900 or SQ5.

The SQ5 soundstage was smaller like a Grado, and they actually reminded me of sounding like what I would expect from a closed Grado. The A900 soundstage is bigger and more open and spacious than SQ5, but in complex musical passages the A900 would get congested in the mids and the SQ5 were better detailed in the mids. As a reference, my modded A900 Art sound almost identical to a pair of A900 Limited that Plaidplatypus brought over once.

At the time I think the SQ5 would have been about $250 and $50-100 less than a modded A900, and $200 less than the APS re-cabled D2000. So, I thought they were a good value but not better enough than what I already had to justify buying them.

[Headphile808]

HeadhoneAddict thank you for the timely response & very helpful feedback.
ALO SXC SQ5s have been added to my list of contenders.
Happy New Year
Headphile808

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by Headphile808

HeadhoneAddict thank you for the timely response & very helpful feedback.
ALO SXC SQ5s have been added to my list of contenders.
Happy New Year
Headphile808

Just to be clear, the SQ5 might be good monitorig phones but the modded A900 Art or stock Limited are a little more musical but less technically capable. The SQ5 have just a little more sense of being closed phones, unlike the A900 or D2000 which have less of that effect while not altogether absent. The ALO HFI780 do not seem to sound like closed cans when compared directly with the others, and they might be even better with SXC instead of Jenna Labs cryo cable.

[palestofwhite]

Hi,

Sorry to be a bother but I have a question for the iMod Cryo SXC 18G LOD. I heard it is essential for the BlackGates Caps to burn in for over an extensive period. How much will be good? And as for burning in, can I use my 4G Nano instead cause my iMod is still on the way.

Thanks.

[hockeyb213]

I believe 300 hours is the going number also I am curious for cans like my esw10jpn's that have non user replaceable cables what would happen if something went wrong whether it be with the cables or the headphones themselves after the cable was swapped...

[palestofwhite]

Hi hockeyb213,

I see that your iMod 5G is Inbound? does that mean that the Blackgates are installed into the iMod and does not require an LOD with external Caps?

Regards.

[mrarroyo]

Originally Posted by KB

Hi Jalo,

I have been doing recable with the 22awg. see here

ESW9 ALO Re cable

The cable is quite flexible and is a excellent match sonically. The 18awg is too large for this headphone IMO. The beauty of the ESW9s is that they are small, light, super comfortable and very portable yet sounding like a home headphone.

Ken

PM sent Ken. Thanks and Happy New Year.

[hockeyb213]

Originally Posted by palestofwhite

Hi hockeyb213,

I see that your iMod 5G is Inbound? does that mean that the Blackgates are installed into the iMod and does not require an LOD with external Caps?

Regards.

no the caps are already burned in on my lod

[palestofwhite]

I should be ordering an iMod SXC line out dock soon. My iPod is on it's way to RWA for iMod.