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Best cable for HD650s

post #1 of 35
9/1/05 at 3:35am
Thread Starter 
That's the question: what are the best cables to buy for the HD650s, and where to buy them.
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post #2 of 35
9/1/05 at 3:43am
Here are the ones I have listened to and my impressions:

Stock - Ok
Stock w/ mod 1/4 plug - about the same as stock; sligtly better bass
Cardas - very, very nice. Good contruction. Bass is nice and tight, unviels the highs and mids. Best Cable IMHO.
Oelbach (or something like that) - better than stock but not as good as Cardas or Zu
Zu- mobius - BASS BASS BASS. Similar to cardas but not as flexible. Good build quality.

You can buy them from Todd The Vinyl Junkie, in the for sale forums or direct from the manufacturer.
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post #3 of 35
9/1/05 at 3:45am
By the way, Ray Samuels owns a Cardas Cable for his Senns.
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post #4 of 35
9/1/05 at 5:33am
Moon Audio Blue Dragon II gets my pick.. for sure.
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post #5 of 35
9/1/05 at 8:11am
RnB Audio's new senn cable sounds very promising. I am currently auditioning it and I'm starting to prefer it to my Zu Mobius on a lot of tracks. I plan on having a full review of it up in a couple of days.
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post #6 of 35
9/1/05 at 7:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PsychoZX
RnB Audio's new senn cable sounds very promising. I am currently auditioning it and I'm starting to prefer it to my Zu Mobius on a lot of tracks. I plan on having a full review of it up in a couple of days.
I'll be patiently waiting for that one
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post #7 of 35
9/1/05 at 7:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by akwok
Moon Audio Blue Dragon II gets my pick.. for sure.
Yeah, I loved that one with the 650s. Increased soundstage, better bass quality/extension. The Silver Dragon is also a great cable, but was a little too fuzzy (erm...bright? dunno, just didnt sound as good as the blue dragon with my rig)
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post #8 of 35
9/1/05 at 11:01pm
I think the Cardas is the way to go, but keep in mind that I am an out-of-the-closet Cardas fanboy...

I think Cardas is the ONLY offering that has been implemented correctly:

- Direct in-house molded connectors (e.g. no splice to salvaged stock connectors)
- It is a four conductor cable, thereby eliminating the splice often found at the "Y" on other designs
- The best (in my opinion) 1/4" stereo plug available.
- It is well shielded, even over the 20 foot length that I use.
- It is very flexible, and does not get "kinky"
- It is also $100 less expensive than the Zu (in the 20 foot length that I use)

Whatever way you go, don't forget to forget about the equipment and enjoy the music...
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post #9 of 35
9/1/05 at 11:38pm
To my ears, the stock cable with the 650s is not a bad sound. However, if you're itching to open up some clarity and extension in the mids and highs, and tighten up the bass, then indeed a replacement aftermarket cable may be in order.

Fellow headfier, [AK]Zip sold me one of his DIY cables that opened up the mids and highs. I was still left wondering about the other cables.

Presently, I'm using the Cardas cable for my 650s. I love what it does to open up the mids and highs, and tighten up the bass. Love the build of the Cardas. I have reservations about the Zu, given its upfront nature (I've listened to it on the 650s at a meet in the spring) and occasionally-reported forward treble, plus concerns about what the Zu connectors have done to others' 650s - loosening up the female slots on the 650.

Of the cables I've tried, I feel the stock has the most visceral bass - can feel it in your chest on some tracks - but the cardas does a fine job.
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post #10 of 35
9/2/05 at 3:44am
actually every headphone cable even the cheap ones are 4 conductor design.
grado and senn stock cables are 4 conductors.
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post #11 of 35
9/2/05 at 3:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oink1
I'll be patiently waiting for that one
Well it might be a couple of days. It might be a few days but It won't be any later than early next week because as much as I hate to give it up Todd's meridian has to go on to the next person sooner or later.
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post #12 of 35
9/2/05 at 3:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Illah
Another funny observation is that the stock cable required less juice to get the same SPL in my opinion, almost like it was more sensitive? Kinda hard to explain.

--Illah

You should run a multimeter through it and check the resistance of the wire you are using. covering the solder joints might be a good idea too, unless you want the lead content to be exposed. one should always wash hands after handling solder, and its not a good idea in terms of , physical damage, corrosion and lead to have it out in the open like that.
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post #13 of 35
9/2/05 at 7:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lippy
To my ears, the stock cable with the 650s is not a bad sound. However, if you're itching to open up some clarity and extension in the mids and highs, and tighten up the bass, then indeed a replacement aftermarket cable may be in order.

Fellow headfier, [AK]Zip sold me one of his DIY cables that opened up the mids and highs. I was still left wondering about the other cables.

Presently, I'm using the Cardas cable for my 650s. I love what it does to open up the mids and highs, and tighten up the bass. Love the build of the Cardas. I have reservations about the Zu, given its upfront nature (I've listened to it on the 650s at a meet in the spring) and occasionally-reported forward treble, plus concerns about what the Zu connectors have done to others' 650s - loosening up the female slots on the 650.

Of the cables I've tried, I feel the stock has the most visceral bass - can feel it in your chest on some tracks - but the cardas does a fine job.
I recognize a lot of this.

The thing is that I what to like the Cardas with the HD650. But if I am completely honest, I have difficulties in accepting the restricted lowest bass. It is not a dramatic cut-off, it is just that bellow a certain frequency, the bass rolls off. I don’t notice it very much in studio recorded music. It is in classical concerts, especially live recorded.

What I have been reading here is that the Moon Audio Blue Dragon II might be a better cup of thea for me. When I got the Cardas, I was looking for even better imaging and perhaps little less grain.
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post #14 of 35
9/2/05 at 12:33pm
True, but what about the additional (and IMHO) unecessary splices (e.g. at the "Y" split, and to connect to the salvaged stock plug wires)?

I had the tonearm for my Basis turntable rewired by Brooks Berdan, Ltd. and I really learned something from him in the process. MANY tonearms offer the "convenience" of replaceable headshell leads (IMHO four unecessary connection points), followed by the internal wiring terminating to a DIN connector, which is then connected to a DIN -> RCA tonearm cable connected to a phono preamplifier... WOW!

So, what Brooks swears by is to run one continuous four conductor tonearm wire all the way through. Cartridge clips on one end, and RCA or in my case XLR terminations on the other. There are NO additional splices or connectors in between. I truly belive that this way of thinking has yielded VERY noticeable improvements in my system. Boulder amplification driving Westlake monitors...

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great thing to see others trying to develop competing products, but in the case of the Sennheiser replacement cable market, the barrier to entry to do it correctly (once again, IMHO) is expen$ive, due to the need to have the ability to custom-mold the connectors in-house.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RnB180
actually every headphone cable even the cheap ones are 4 conductor design.
grado and senn stock cables are 4 conductors.
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post #15 of 35
9/2/05 at 12:58pm
I Agree. Splicing can never have a good influence on the signal quality. But, if this Moon cable beats, IMO, the Cardas. My choice is simple
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