[GUIDE] Balanced AKG K702 with detachable 4-pin mini-XLR cable - Page 3

Yes there are many ways you can accidently short pins while making a cable.

The easy way to test it is to plug the cable into the headphone, and then test the continuity between the "pins" on the TRS connector. It should look something like this:

Between TIP and RING ~120 Ohms

Between TIP and SLEEVE ~60 Ohms

Between RING and SLEEVE ~60 Ohms

If one of those shows 0 Ohms, you have a short. If one of those is infinity, you have an open circuit.

Have fun. 

Seeing as you replaced the cable for balanced use, does it not matter that the ricght driver will have a longer cable due to the fact that it's a onesided output?  If you were to rewire the phones with a better quality cable either cardas or silver or something, then would it be necessary to also rewire from the input jack to the left and the right cups?  I hope that makes sense lol, I'm planning on buying a pair of the q701's which have a similar setup and would like to experiment with some different cable setups for it!

Thanks!

Well, if you believe dual entry is inherently better, then you'll probably hear a difference. Otherwise, no, it's not a problem. 

The main advantages of balanced cabling are still there, even if one side goes trough the headband. It would, in theory, raise the impedance of the cable for this driver. In practice, I bet the difference would be smaller than the variance in impedance due to soldering. In other words, you may find the same variance even in a dual entry cable, simply because the solder joints are not perfect and introduce resistance which may be different from one to the next.

Just to make sure that I understand what you're saying: So even if I wanted to upgrade to a silver cable, on a single entry style headphone, rewiring from entry point to the other driver wouldn't be necessary?  Wouldn't that change the sound from source to far cup due to the different cables?  I am quite naive when it comes to recabling, so I just want to make sure that I do it right :)

Though with AKG headphone, it is interesting. The two metal rods making the headband are used to carry signal from one cup to the other. These rods are probably made of a metal alloy chosen for its physical properties, not electrical ones. Then there are small wires soldered to the ends of the rods. So in practice, the right driver's signal has to go trough 4 additional solder joints and long metal rods. It may be interesting to measure the total impedance of this system. It may be significant. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by KimLaroux 

Though with AKG headphone, it is interesting. The two metal rods making the headband are used to carry signal from one cup to the other. These rods are probably made of a metal alloy chosen for its physical properties, not electrical ones. Then there are small wires soldered to the ends of the rods. So in practice, the right driver's signal has to go trough 4 additional solder joints and long metal rods. It may be interesting to measure the total impedance of this system. It may be significant. 

I thought there is a wire straight from the left driver to the right driver, no intermediate wire/pole. I could be wrong though

Skip to 2:41 and then 4:20.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KimLaroux 

Skip to 2:41 and then 4:20.

 

I stand corrected! Thanks! I didn't know that. Cool vid, too :D.

It looks silver in that pic, atleast its not OFC :)