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Will custom Ultrasone cables get easier?

post #1 of 16
1/31/09 at 4:36pm
Thread Starter 
The detachable cable on the pro series and hfi-2200 makes switching cables easy, but what's the point when the cables are just different lengths and coiled/straight, and if someone wants to make custom detachable cables he has to find a custom threaded mini plug? I think the fact that the cable is detachable is a good opportunity for Ultrasone to sell higher quality cables.

Anyway, what do you guys think are the best detachable cables for Ultrasone? Seriously considering the blue dragon cable even though it costs more than my headphones .
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post #2 of 16
1/31/09 at 5:00pm
One point to remember is that if you buy an aftermarket cable you still have to deal w/ the section of cable going from the left to the right via the headband. It seems out of place to buy an aftermarket cable and yet the section of wire going from the left to the right is left as it left the factory. Also you need to remember that there is the internal diode board which is fed via two wires going from the plug to the diode board further making the use of an aftermarket cable of dubious benefit.

Now it makes more sense to me if you remove the diode board and have a dual entry w/ the wires being attached directly to the drivers and bypassing the diode.
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post #3 of 16
1/31/09 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
Any chance an amateur can solder new wires from the plug to diode and diode to right earcup? I'm not sure I could drill the right earcup hehe. Darn it, and I was just about ready to splurge my money on a detachable blue dragon cable ^^.
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post #4 of 16
2/1/09 at 6:03pm
Thread Starter 
I just got the detachable blue dragon cable from Moon-Audio. But Drew explained to me that hardwiring sounds better for the same reason you stated, mrarroyo. I like my HFI-2200, but I don't think it is worthy of such a mod.
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post #5 of 16
2/15/09 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrarroyo View Post
One point to remember is that if you buy an aftermarket cable you still have to deal w/ the section of cable going from the left to the right via the headband. It seems out of place to buy an aftermarket cable and yet the section of wire going from the left to the right is left as it left the factory. Also you need to remember that there is the internal diode board which is fed via two wires going from the plug to the diode board further making the use of an aftermarket cable of dubious benefit.

Now it makes more sense to me if you remove the diode board and have a dual entry w/ the wires being attached directly to the drivers and bypassing the diode.

The section of cable going from left to right cups should aslo be OFC as is the cable it'self. and is IMHO, of insignificant length to effect any appreciable audible difference. I feel that except for full custom interconnects going from gear to gear, The real difference becomes audible only in cable lengths of 3 ft or longer. The threaded plugs are availl from Qables but are around 9.00 US each and with shipping and the euro exchange rate I'm paying around 50.00 US for four of them.. I will send them off to Maxwell at Milian Acoustics to build a prototype 10 ' OFC and SPOFC cable for me to try out.
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post #6 of 16
2/15/09 at 11:30pm
Thread Starter 
Are you saying the section of cable from left to right should be OFC or that the stock one is already OFC? I've had a 10 feet blue dragon detachable cable for a few days, I'll go compare it to the stock one after a night of burn-in so I have 50 hours on it.
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post #7 of 16
2/16/09 at 12:54am
For some reason, I thought the cables for the 900's were OFC but I cannot confirm it anywhere. The Ultrasone site says ultra soft USC, but I can't find OFC anywhere. It would be nice but none the less. that short of a distance should still not allow for any apreciable difference.
Am interested in your Blue Dragon Impressions.
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post #8 of 16
2/16/09 at 9:04pm
Thread Starter 

10 ft. blue dragon detachable cable vs. 15 ft. stock hfi-2200 cable.

My impressions is that the custom cable sounds more focused and accurate location-wise (jaw-droppingly improved S-logic!), and smoothed out (especially the vocals). It has a definite advantage in the low frequencies. But unfortunately, the improvement I noticed with heavy music wasn't complemented with an equally big improvement in classical music, which I think suffers from the "weighty" sound of this cable, where speed is more important than smoothness. The more confused sound of the stock cable actually isn't so bad when the classical music is trying to get discordant hehe.

I think the greatest advantage the blue dragon has over stock is that certain sounds that were suppressed go back to their proper volume (especially bass), thus giving a more complete presentation. The drawback is that its smoothness won't bring out the best of certain kinds of music, like violins making sad or discordant screechy noises.

If my opinion of blue dragon+classical music changes after more comparisons or burn-in time, I'll post back.

Setup used: furman ac-215 power conditioner>audio-gd power cable>compass dac/amp (earth opamp)>hfi-2200.
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post #9 of 16
2/16/09 at 9:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by haloxt View Post
My impressions is that the custom cable sounds more focused and accurate location-wise (jaw-droppingly improved S-logic!), and smoothed out (especially the vocals). It has a definite advantage in the low frequencies. But unfortunately, the improvement I noticed with heavy music wasn't complemented with an equally big improvement in classical music, which I think suffers from the "weighty" sound of this cable, where speed is more important than smoothness. The more confused sound of the stock cable actually isn't so bad when the classical music is trying to get discordant hehe.

I think the greatest advantage the blue dragon has over stock is that certain sounds that were suppressed go back to their proper volume (especially bass), thus giving a more complete presentation. The drawback is that its smoothness won't bring out the best of certain kinds of music, like violins making sad or discordant screechy noises.

If my opinion of blue dragon+classical music changes after more comparisons or burn-in time, I'll post back.

Setup used: furman ac-215 power conditioner>audio-gd power cable>compass dac/amp (earth opamp)>hfi-2200.
Thanks,
My tastes in music run in the direction of classical, instumental soundtracks, and accoustic new age so the Dragon's probably would not be my best choice.
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post #10 of 16
2/16/09 at 11:07pm
Thread Starter 
Moon-Audio also has a black and silver dragon cable, black is supposed to be an all-rounder and silver is supposed to be great with mids and highs.

Keep in mind I'm pretty much just bs'ing when I say the blue dragon isn't great at highs, because I can only dream what a cable with great highs sounds like, all I know for sure is that the blue dragon excels at heavy/vocal music more than classical/instrumental music.

edit: I need to add, been trying out both cables at mid-high volumes, the stock cable starts making wrong noises and hurts my ears while the blue dragon remains completely in focus. The stock cable has caused me to listen to classical music or sharp notes at somewhat low-mid volume, but not so with the blue dragon. But I still say those who like classical should go for the silver dragon or maybe black dragon (according to product description it is a little more rounded than blue dragon). But vocals are angelic .
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post #11 of 16
3/9/09 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 
I recently got a Pro 900 and since I didn't want to mutilate any of the Pro 900 cables to create a 3 ft. one for portable use, I tried shaving off the rubber off from behind a 1/8 male connector and found it could insert and stay inside the headphones with a very convenient strong hold, I previously thought the only way a 1/8 male could stay inside the headphones was to utilize the screw-in of the headphones. So it's actually possible to use a cable without buying the special screw-in connector, although you do increase the chance of damaging the headphone jack from inserting/pulling out the cable, or from not having the screw-in mechanism keeping the connector firmly in place.

Now if anyone has any good advice on cheap high quality mini male to mini male cables that can have 1/3 of an inch of the rubber shaved off to insert it into the Ultrasone jacks, let me know . I'm thinking about Bluejeans mini to mini cable or maybe a DIY one, I mutilated a lot of cables to make my current 3 ft. portable one and I think I finally got the hang of it .
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post #12 of 16
3/9/09 at 8:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boomy3555 View Post
The section of cable going from left to right cups should aslo be OFC as is the cable it'self. and is IMHO, of insignificant length to effect any appreciable audible difference. I feel that except for full custom interconnects going from gear to gear, The real difference becomes audible only in cable lengths of 3 ft or longer. The threaded plugs are availl from Qables but are around 9.00 US each and with shipping and the euro exchange rate I'm paying around 50.00 US for four of them.. I will send them off to Maxwell at Milian Acoustics to build a prototype 10 ' OFC and SPOFC cable for me to try out.
To each its own! When I re-cabled my HFI-780 I opted for dual entry, no way I was going to go through the left ear cup and have: solder, mechanical, solder, and solder at the driver. Plus in the case of the right ear piece a section of the old cable up to a foot long. Instead one solder joint at each driver for each of the 4 cables (ground and signal each driver).
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post #13 of 16
3/9/09 at 10:37pm
The thing about the Ultrasones with a diode board is that BOTH drivers are wired off of the board, not just the opposite side. So, it's not like it would be a lopsided sound (one side recabled, the other using the stock cable). In such a case, the change that comes from an aftermarket cable is more of an EQ thing, than creating a "bigger pipeline", so to speak.

While I agree that if someone wishes for the utmost potential benefit of a recable that they should do a full dual-entry job, there is also quite alot to be said for the utility of user-changeable cables. I like the flexibility.

Also, just because a cable changes the sound, doesn't mean it will be for the better, or that you will prefer it. I actually preferred the stock Oehlbach cable over two (much more expensive) aftermarket cables I tried.
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post #14 of 16
3/10/09 at 6:51am
Very true... I am trying a Clarus cable and even though I do believe it´s a slight improvement after some days of burn in. I wouldn´t be surprised if some would see it as a downgrade. Though it´s really qite similar since both is copper cables.

Seeing the little difference it actually is I would it imagine be even a more waste spending more money on a clumsy dual ended cable. I do miss some of the flexibility of the stock cable from my Clarus would be even worse with a dual entry. And it´s marketed as not being "thick and as unwieldly" as many other after market cables.

So yes I am greatful to still have the option of using the stock cable at least when I want to turn my head for my flight sims and such... Not that it´s that huge problem that I will make the hazzle.
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post #15 of 16
3/10/09 at 9:07am
Thread Starter 
The biggest improvement I noticed with the blue dragon vs. stock Pro 900's is the closer sound and better bass, but since it is not as neutral as the stock Pro 900 cables it takes away from how well the Pro 900's are at sounding neutral. I really like the blue dragon with my HFI-2200's though, vocals sound so darn nice. I also wish it could be as flexible as stock cable lol.
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