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Now, my own thread  

post #1 of 40
7/19/02 at 9:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by Neruda

...As far as I'm aware, ricky doesn't even own a set of cans, and shows no interest in buying a pair, so why show up on our site if this is all he intends to do? This is a headphone site, first and foremost, which happens to have a forum for discussion on cables. But that does not mean that you can sit around, saying the same things over and over, without caring about the true purpose of this forum: headphone hi-fi. Because he clearly doesn't give a sh*t about headphones, I don't see why we should consider ricky to be a true member of our community. I mean heck, look at his profile:

Headphone Inventory: zilch
Headphone Amp Inventory: nada
Source Inventory: nope
Cable Inventory: are you kidding?
...and another "cheap" discrediting post the poster will have to swallow.

Headphone Inventory: Sony MDR-7506, Sennheiser HD-420, Sennheiser HD-560, Sennheiser HD-580.

Headphone Amp Inventory: "tweaked" speaker outputs of Pioneer A-307R stereo integrated amplifier.

Source Inventory: Denon DCD 2560 CD player, Grundig Xenaro GDP 5100 DVD player, AVC Soul DMP-01 portable CD/MP3 player (clone of Rio Volt SP100), Sony D-143 portable cd player, M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard, Turtle Beach Santa cruz soundcard, CMI 8738 based sound card, Sound Blaster PCI 128 soundcard, SoundBlaster 16 soundcard. "Tweaked" silent computer.

Cable inventory: standard stock cables, self-made cables, including low capacitance and good shielded interconnects made with Ethernet coax. cable and microphone cable.

Speakers: Tannoy Reveal passive monitors.

Quote:
Does ricky even care about audio at all?
As you see, I'd say yes. Sorry to repeat this again, but I've studied audio engineering at the university. I've worked as acoustic engineer. I have several small audio "projects" running at my home just for the pleasure of experimenting and learning more on my own about audio things. I read regularly on several web-based audio forums, also several audio related Usenet newsgroups. I have been part of an amateur pop band for more than 10 years, and recorded some of our songs. I can play electric bass, keyboards and piano, having owned them for several years (still owning some of them). I have no musical studies, I've learned on my own and I am no virtuose, but I can "defend" on them, and have been playing them too for more than 10 years.

It is very obvious that I'm not the classical "audiophile" type, but that doesn't mean at all that I'm not interested about audio or don't know about audio. I know about many audiophiles (I'm not explicily refering to you) that in fact only know about audio what they've read at audiophile magazines, or what have just been anecdotally told from other audiophiles, and are in fact, quite ignorant about serious audio.
post #2 of 40
7/19/02 at 9:24pm
Thread Starter 
As you might know from another post, I'm planning to try some expensive "audiophile" interconnects.

Do you "approve" my equipment as enough to prove the cables?

I know some of the cables sold at the store I'm going to go are Van Den Hul. What do you think about these? Would they be valid for my comparisons?
post #3 of 40
7/19/02 at 9:44pm
okay, i'll bite.

i'm not a fan of Van Den Hul's lower grade ics (or The First and The Second for that matter) but its worth a shot. any dealership worth their salt will have a selection of used cables available for audition, you should find a few different products to try. if at all possible i suggest picking up cables with different design philosophies (ie: Nordost's flat conductor deal, Cardas with their admittedly hardcore golden ratio geometry, Tara Labs' RSC stuff, etc).

assuming that you'll incorporate the multiple trial methodology that you've referred to it'll be interesting to see your results. personally i fall into the long term audition camp, but hey thats just me.

regards,
carlo.
post #4 of 40
7/19/02 at 10:15pm
Quote:
ricky said...

As you might know from another post, I'm planning to try some expensive "audiophile" interconnects.
Which ones? And heck, since you have a 580, why don't you just try out the Cardas or Clou replacement cable for it?
Quote:
ricky said...

Do you "approve" my equipment as enough to prove the cables?
The headphones, yes. Not so sure about the sources and amp, being unfamiliar w/ most of them. And just what music and format will you be using?
post #5 of 40
7/19/02 at 10:24pm
I'd recommend the Cardas for the HD580s for two reasons.

Firstly, it sounds *really* good compared to the stock.

Secondly, and most importantly here, it will retain it's resale value more than the Clou as it's in such demand for the first reason.

I think you would see the most drastic improvement here.

If that doesn't sell you on cables making a difference, I'm afraid nothing will.

I was a skeptic too at one time but when I actually heard it, it was hard to remain skeptical.
post #6 of 40
7/19/02 at 10:36pm
Ricky,
Although your HD-580 is marginally acceptable for revealing cable differences, your amplification is sadly lacking. You may not hear any difference in cables. Dhwilkin and Nezer's suggestion of actually trying the Cardas replacement cable for the 580 is actually a good idea becuase the difference between that cable and the stock one should be quite obvious to anyone with ears and not dependant upon your amp.

Cheers,
post #7 of 40
7/20/02 at 12:26am
Quote:
Originally posted by kwkarth
Ricky,
Although your HD-580 is marginally acceptable for revealing cable differences, your amplification is sadly lacking. You may not hear any difference in cables. Dhwilkin and Nezer's suggestion of actually trying the Cardas replacement cable for the 580 is actually a good idea becuase the difference between that cable and the stock one should be quite obvious to anyone with ears and not dependant upon your amp.

Cheers,
Sorry Ricky, I agree here. I also have some electronics background. And felt as you did until a year or two ago. I am 53.
I used a Marantz 2275 receiver for many years. Then a good Rotel Receiver. I thought that was pretty good. But believe it or not, the biggest improvement in my system was a PREAMP.
I used the phono stage of my Rotel and it's power amp and an Acurus RL11 preamp (got it used, an impulse by for about $500).
The RL11 knocked my socks off!. I had already replaced my speakers.

Don't waste your money on interconnects of a high price because you really need the equipment capable a discerning a difference.
Or you can limit your spending to about $50 or less for a 1m cable.

I ain't rich, so my gear put me in debt, but to me, it is worth it.

I am not being an audio snob, I am just trying to state what I think are facts.

I don't read Stereophile or any audio magazine. I just use my ears and experience. I built my first amp in 1970.

Mass market stuff is just churned out by college grads who learn some design. But a high end unit that is a labor of skill and love is "different". The engineer might spend weeks finding the right components for a single stage of an amp. And he/she will go by ear, not test equipment. That's the difference.

I am also happy with my new amps, cables, and speakers, because they are hand made in the USA.

You want audio snobs? Try the usenet group rec.audio.high-end .
That is moderated by snobby audio types for sure. Chances are if you try to post there like you do here, the posts will be rejected.
post #8 of 40
7/20/02 at 12:48am
Quote:
Although your HD-580 is marginally acceptable for revealing cable differences
oh crap
post #9 of 40
7/20/02 at 12:53am
ricky, i am glad you are responsive in restricting the merits of cable to one/your own thread. full credit to you and for your willingness to take the first step.

i too second the cardas for hd580. I dont believe you need a golden ears to tell the difference, just an open view.
post #10 of 40
7/20/02 at 1:18am
Quote:
Originally posted by HD-5000

Although your HD-580 is marginally acceptable for revealing cable differences
oh crap
Let me qualify that...by themselves, without a good headamp and with stock cables...
post #11 of 40
7/20/02 at 1:34am

Re: Now, my own thread

Quote:
Originally posted by Ricky
...and another "cheap" discrediting post the poster will have to swallow.
oh, and I'm dying, believe me.
post #12 of 40
7/20/02 at 3:41am
Quote:
Originally posted by kwkarth

Let me qualify that...by themselves, without a good headamp and with stock cables...
Let me qualify that even further. The HD-580 was Sennheiser's top of the line headphone prior to the HD-600. Just because it is no longer current does not take away any of its capabilities. The HD-580, even with stock cable, is more than capable of picking up cable differences further down in the chain. If earlier parts of the chain (source and amp) are crap, then cable differences will be harder to detect. However, the HD-580 won't be the limiting factor.
post #13 of 40
7/20/02 at 2:41pm
Ricky,
You are pretty far away from having a system that will really let you hear the kinds of differences that cables can bring.

I'll give you the same advice I'd give anyone with your set up-- at this point you'd be better off plowing money into a better source and an amp for your HD580. Those will yield much more significant sonic benefits than cable-rolling. Cables are typically the last thing we'd recommend spending big bucks on until you have your headphone/source/amp sorted out.

Coming back here and telling us that some $50 cable made no difference in your current set-up reveals nothing about the efficacy of cables, though that's what you'll conclude.

markl
P.S. Weren't you going away?
post #14 of 40
7/20/02 at 6:29pm
I was thinking last night and I find it necessarry to come to Ricky's defense about olne point people are screaming about.

Has anyone else hear actaully *heard* Ricky's rig? I doubt it. This being the case how can you critisize him?? As much as we have pounced on him for not trying these things out, this seems a bit hipocritical.

He said his amp was modded. Does anyone know what these mods are?? For all we know he gutted a Max and put it in there.

I for one am glad that he has thrown a line out to try and hear a difference for himself.

Ricky, as I stated above the Cardas or Equinox should provide you a greater degree of 'difference' than the ICs. This was certainly the case in my rig. When I upgraded the old Monster cables I was using to the Outlaws there was an improvement but it was slight. An A/B test between the Cardas/Equinox/Clou sold me on cable differences forever.

I still recommend the Cardas as it will retain it's resale value very well due to the high demand and low supply we are currently seeing.

I do recall you saying in another thread something that makes me think you doubt the headphone cables even mroe than ICs.

I *highly* suggest you give the Cardas a try.

And all those flaming him for his rig, leave the guy alone. If he is happy with it, what do you care? He's not telling you that his rig blows a Blockhead away?!?!
post #15 of 40
7/20/02 at 11:33pm
The Cardas so far as I know sounds different from the stock cable to every person who has tried them so far--including the people who liked one of the other cables better.

So... I'd say to try that.

However, I agree that having a good amp and/or source might be a good thing, too. Why didn't you make it to one of the World of Headroom stops? There you'd have had a good source, a good amp, the HD600 and the ability to listen with different cables.

Ah well.
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