Today I will be reviewing a cable. Ok, hold your fire. Do cables matter? To me yes, cables matter a lot from different points of view. From a cosmetic, functional, build quality down to the more controversial such as sound quality. So, a cable can influence the sound in a system. Sometimes for better, considering your taste, or worst. There are 3 fundamental values that will influence the way an electrical signal is transmitted. These are capacitance, inductance and resistance. More or less of these measured values can influence the end result. That’s why for example gauge is important because it is directly linked to the above. Imagine a 50 gauge cable will influence the end result compared to a 20 gauge cable. It's not magic and I am not suggesting that a cable can be used as tone controls. When a cable is well designed and engineered then it should be transparent. With this out of the way lets get into the review.
Nicely boxed. Juohmaru very happy with the colours
Beyond sound quality
I received the cable from
@DekoniAudio for review and I was able to keep the cable. Nevertheless, Dekoni didn’t ask or influenced my review in any way, shape or form. The cable arrived very well packaged inside the typical Dekoni box. The cable is following an all black theme, which I like, with Neutrik 4-pin XLR connector, 1.2m length and priced at $299.99 compared to the stock cable at $299.95. The cable is braided and sealed with a rubbery polymer which is very nice to the touch. The cable is very flexible and tangle free, which is essential, along with its non-microphonic nature. Connecting the cable to My HD800s was a bit tricky. The connectors are a bit stiff and you should pay attention the first couple of times you connect and disconnect the cable. There are reports of HD800 series headphones with damaged female connectors. After a couple of times the connectors fits easier but not as easy as the stock cable. The splitter, which is made of metal and etched with the “CableZ” logo, is of high quality and the adjusting ring is a nice addition which is stiff enough to stay in place when adjusted. Compared to the Stock cable, this cable offers a much tidier solution which is ideal for a desktop application or mobile use compared to the stock cable which is heavy, stiff and way too long at 3m. The XLR connector is widely used and of good quality. Doesn’t feel as luxurious as the 4-pin with the stock cable and I think it will benefit with some rubber extension beyond the Neutrik connector, similar to the one in the stock cable. My favourite cable has been the Audeze stock cable that comes with the LCD series and I like this one more.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound quality I have had only positive observations. First of all there is no day and night differences. The differences are very subtle and can easily be challenged. Nevertheless, these are my experiences from a subjective point of view. The most important thing for me is that the cable doesn’t altered the sound negatively or changing the headphones' sound signature. I had in the past cables with the HD800S that had a detrimental effect to the sound. So the SQ in terms of clarity, transparency, space and soundstage is there just like with the stock cable. The only difference I could hear was below 70-80HZ. There is slight bump to the low end and the HD800s comes a bit fuller especially when I used the cable with my valve amplifier (system2). I wouldn’t go on saying that changed the nature of the headphone but rather just a small difference that you can hear. I am not sure why is that but I suspect the length of the cable to be responsible compared to the stock one which is 3 m long and most likely to have higher overall resistance and capacitance. Below is my playlist and you will see that there is a variety of genres with few track heavy on the low end intentionally.
Neat and tidy... The best is the enemy of the good.
Conclusions
My conclusion is that Dekoni offers a very well made cable, which is light, flexible, non microphonic and ideal for desktop or mobile applications compared to the stock cable. What I mean by "mobile" is taking the headphones to the garden or somewhere in your house paired with a mobile device. Obviously I will not take my HD800S on a tube ride. From a sound quality point of view it doesn’t offend and it keeps the HD800S’s sound signature intact with a slight emphasis on the low end. I am happy to recommend the cable if you are after an upgrade from the stock cable and you are looking for a shorter, lighter and more user friendly solution. Will be nice to see 4.4 balanced termination as well. Then I might get my HD800S out to the park 
Equipment Used
System 1: Chord Mojo+Poly connected to Drop THX AAA 789
System 2: RME ADI 2 DAC fs connected to Audiovalve RKV HAA
Source: Mac mini running Audirvana 3.5.
Playlist used
- Riverside - Agnes Obel
- Novocaine - Amber Rubarth
- Ya No Me Acuerdo - Ana Belén
- The Seed - Aurora
- Pachamama - Beautiful Chorus
- Daddy Lessons - Beyoncé
- Roses and Gold - Biig Piig
- Billie Bossa Nova - Billie Eilish
- Hunter - Bjork
- The Four Seasons: Winter: Concerto in F minor, op. 8 no. 4, RV 297: I. Allegro non molto - Antonio Vivaldi
- Ship To Wreck - Florence + The Machine
- Global Communication - 402.flac
- St. James Infirmary - Hans Theessink
- Shake It On - Jamiroquai
- La despedida - Manu Chao
- Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack
- Your Freedom Is the End of Me - Melanie De Biasio
- Enter Sandman - Metallica
- Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio - Miles Davis
- Swan Lake - 01 - Scene - Swan Theme - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
- Rock 'N' Roll Star - Oasis
- Silver Knife - SHAED
- Just A Little Lovin' - Shelby Lynne
- 2046 Main Theme (With Percussion) - 2046 OST
- Ya Traté De Olvidarte - Soledad Villamil
- Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Talking Heads
- Musk - Tash Sultana
- Block Rockin' Beats - Chemical Brothers
- Rosie - The Coo
- Depth of My Soul (Symphonik Version) - Thievery Corporation
- Throw It All Away - Zero 7
Please, let me know your thoughts on the comments.
Regards
AA
