Background

The origin of this review can be attributed to a more or less impulse purchase on Ebay; a brand new pair of HD650 for $325 shipped from an authorized dealer.  I needed a “reference” phone for the same reason I needed the JH13 Pros after the JH16 Pros.  Essentially, a neutral set of cans to keep me “honest” when listening to and evaluating equipment and recordings.  I was concerned about the relative tonal imbalance of my existing Denon AH-D7000s, which have a very rich, but a bit dark sound signature out of the box.

When I received it, hooked it up to my Raptor and Modwright Platinum Signature Truth Mod Sony 9100 ES SACD-player and fired it up.  Yuck, booo-ring!  Balanced, yet quite unremarkable representation with no coloring or emotion to keep me engaged, so unnervingly neutral even over an all-tube system.  Kept listening to it for a few hours, but even my best reference recordings sounded sort of average, at best, to my ears.  Although I was well aware that a proper burn-in would probably yield considerable SQ improvement, at that point I felt so underwhelmed, that the HD650 went back into its box and out of mind.

That was about to change after Craig posted his announcement about his upcoming TWag X Replacement Series for Sennheiser headphoneson May 19.  Remembering the impact the TWag recable made on the performance of my JHA customs, I promptly fired off an email to him complaining about my HD650 gathering dust. I have expressed interest in the new cable, provided it can actually make enough difference to listen to these cans.  He was confident that they would, “Yeah, Ray Samuels loves these…and the HD650s.”  That statement, more than any of my own superb track record with the Whiplash Elite IEM replacement cables, kept nagging me at the back of my mind for a few days.  I was thinking, why would Ray—who has designed and built some of the best reference amps in existence, including my own Protector and Raptor—prefer such a relatively medium grade cans instead of, say, his Orpheus?  Clearly, a piece of the puzzle was missing, so placed an order for this “crazy good” cable in balanced XLR terminated version equipped with a single-ended adapter with Craig, as well as an offer of doing another review upon receiving it and promptly refocused on finishing my recently published molded IEM TWag Sneak Preview.

A few days ago, a curiously oversized package showed up at my door from Craig.  Didn’t know what to make of it, but since it is always a hoot when he sends some stuff, opened it.  My jaw dropped to the floor when, not one, but 3 reference series cables were lying in there, along with what turned out to be Craig’s very own cherished Sennheiser HD800 demo cans in original packaging!

My fellow Head-Fiers, let me be candid with you.  It is decidedly dangerous for your budget and physical well-being if you happen to be married, when $1,800 reference headphones show up uninvited in your home and catch you in flagrante with another, less sexy headphone.  It’s similar to a theoretical situation when your favorite liquor company decides to send you a newly designed bottle of 64 oz. 20-year old Scotch anniversary edition to you, a struggling alcoholic…. And whooosh, before you know it, you’re back on the wagon.

The box contained the following cables:

• HD800 stock cable
• HD800 S/E TWag Reference X cable
• HD650 balanced XLR-terminated TWag Reference X cable + S/E adapter
• RCA-to-RCA SCSCag Elite Reference Interconnect Furutech 120(R) Rhodium Terminated

After firing back a “thank you, I’m gonna get you for this if I end up buying an HD800, too!” email message to Craig, I have proceeded to plan the following, expanded review outline, given the additional options I had just been handed.

Comparison Test and Equipment Configuration Overview

The original review I have originally intended would have included comparison of the HD650 stock vs. the Elite TWag cable replacement, but now it has evolved into this multi-layered comparison scope:

1. HD650 – Stock vs. Elite TWag recable comparison
2. HD800 – Stock vs. Elite TWag recable comparison
3. HD650 Elite TWag Recabled vs. HD800 Stock (couldn’t resist, hoping I wouldn’t have to buy yet another headphone)
4. HD650 Elite TWag Recabled vs. HD800 Elite TWag Recabled

Test Equipment Configuration

• Source:  ModWright SONY DVP-9100ES Platinum Truth Series(Mullard Tube Rectified PS 9.0 Power Supply (5AR4 Rectifier) (Burn-in: approx. 400 hrs)
• DAC:  Onboard 9100ES High-Performance Source DAC with Upgraded Master Clock (part of the ModWright Signature Mods)
• Headphone Amp: Ray Samuels Emmeline II “The Raptor”with upgraded driver and power tubes (Burn-in:  approx. 500 hrs estimated)
• Powerline Conditioner:  Furman AC-215 A (LiFT – Linear Filtering Technology) and Zero Ground Contamination
• Cables:  As listed above  (Burn-in:  N/A)
• Headphones:  Sennheiser HD650 and HD800  (Burn-in:  50 hrs HD650, unknown HD800)

Test Methodology

1. Listen to each test track using the stock cable using HD650 for about 30 minutes in sequence to get sound quality baseline.
2. Start switching cables after every song, write down impressions
3. Repeat process with HD800 and its cables.
4. Perform similar process between HD650 and HD800 comparison sessions.
5. Sound leveling:  Not applicable, approx. ¼ on the Raptor dial for all sessions

Test Tracks Used During Comparative Sessions

• Test Track 1

Spyro Gyra – The Deep End (SACD)

“Monsoon”

• Test Track 2

Bella Sonus – Enamoured (CD)

"Crimson Sands”

• Test Track 3

The Manhattan Transfer – Vibrate (SACD)

“Walkin’ in N.Y.”

• Test Track 4

Rebecca Pidgeon – The Raven (SACD)

“Spanish Harlem”

• Test Track 5

Laureen White – At Last (SACD)

 “Blue Bayou"

• Test Track 6

Eric Clapton – Slowhand (SACD)

 “Cocaine"

Sennheiser HD650 – Stock Vs. Elite TWag Recable Comparison

Spyro Gyro “Monsoon” impressions are quite astonishing, almost immediately and despite a fact that the TWag is a new cable.  Bass is now multilayered, but tight, authoritative.  Soundstage has increased, as well as instrument separation.  Whoa…. where did this huge depth come from all of a sudden?  Nice treble extensions I would have never suspected the HD650s being capable of based on my limited experience on this very same gear.  Visceral impact reminds me of my JH16 Pro customs.  Vocals and acoustic guitar riffs on “Walkin’ in N.Y.” are crystal clear and smooth with the TWag, but a bit veiled using the stock cable.  Lauren White’s voice singing Blue Bayou is downright mesmerizing with the TWag and she seems to be directly in front of me.  The congas impact has an almost physical quality entirely missing from the stock cable’s representation.  And oh, here is that sweet bass again, but without overpowering the crash cymbals.  Essentially, the stock cable seems to muddy the entire lower mid, upper bass range masking everything else.  The bass is simply booming and occasionally unpleasant during Rebecca Pidgeon’s “Spanish Harlem.”  The airiness of her voice I have so accustomed to when using the JH13 Pros is missing from the representation with the stock cable. 

Conclusion:  The HD650s benefit a great deal from this new Whiplash Reference X recable, even out of the box.  It will be exciting to experience further improvement, as TWags generally don’t fully open up until about 500 hours, with the most significant improvement occurs between 100-300 hours in my experience.  If you’ve been unhappy with what you were getting out of your HD650s, I think you owe it to yourself to give this cable a shot, regardless of your gear.  I have ordered mine balanced XLR-terminated, so that when my next amp gets here—an RSA Apache—I’ll be well set to use it with both amps.  Naturally, I expect the Apache, being a lot quicker solid state amp, to further push the limits of the HD650 into near-HD800 territory.  If I had to rate it now purely at a sonic level when TWagged, I’d say it’s been upgraded to a “HD-725” level, which is pretty significant, considering the 3x price difference between these two phones in stock configuration.

Sennheiser HD800 – Stock Vs. Elite TWag Recable Comparison

Transitioning to the HD800s with the fully broken in stock cable is somewhat startling by itself, both in terms of comfort improvement (just fits as if it was part of your head), but the biggest sonic difference that jumps out is the significantly extended treble, with a an audio equivalent brightness of a 1 Million Lumen LED search light aimed straight in your eyes.  It’s almost eerily airy, if you forgive the play of words, especially when the HD800 TWag is being used to the point of distraction.  Also,  a touch of sibilance—which is definitely there with the stock cable.  To a smaller extent, it is also there with the new TWag, at least for now, but I expect that to smooth out as it’s broken in, as this has happened with all my other TWag cables.  The quality and composition of bass—not the greatest strength of the HD800 in general—has also improved in with the TWag and provides a welcome counterbalance to the continued treble brightness, although not to the extent as to make the Denon AH-D7000 jealous. 

Conclusion:  It is a well-known fact that the HD800s are difficult to amp correctly, and finding the right synergy can be challenging.  Listening to the HD800s both with stock and especially with the TWag X replacement cable has pushed the limits of the Raptor, which seem to be holding back in 5^th speed overdrive mode, mated for an HD800, whose wide torque range demands an 8-speed automatic with permanent high-performance shift-points programmed in.  In all that precision-engineered, supremely detailed and transparent rendering of infinitely minute details, the HD800s are capable of providing a Redbook CD-equivalent digital copy of a reference analog master recording when the stock cable is used.  Using the Raptor, the TWag raises that presentation to an SACD-level of performance, already capable of smoothing out some of the rough edges and bringing back some of the missing qualities that—once I own a pair—will have me reaching for the HD800s more and more once the break-in process progresses further and the TWag X matures closer to the level where it will be ready to fully unleash its addictive sonic signature sound I’ve come to appreciate so much. 

Sennheiser HD650 Elite TWag Recabled Vs. HD800 Stock

As I have somewhat coyly insinuated above, this particular comparison was driven by my own selfish desire to try to resist the temptation of having to purchase yet another pair of cans.  Despite employing the fierce Vulcan logic firmly embedding into my subconscious that up to now, I still have a total of 1 (one) pair of ears, I can safely admit now that it was a losing battle from the beginning.

I admire precision and obsession in excellence in design, engineering and execution.  Ray’s amps, Craig’s Reference Series cables and the Sennheiser HD800s are classic examples of this.  Yet, sonic perfection is a myth, probably never to be achieved in whole, as there are always compromises to be made and there are no easy answers when comparing flagship products and sometimes the answer comes down to what’s important to you, the customer. 

Therefore, I say this:  the longer and longer I have listened to the TWag recabled HD650s, I have never once experienced any of the listening fatigue so evident with the stock cable.  If you have a pair of these cans, an amp similar to mine, and enjoy listening to rock, pop, blues or similar type of music, this is a must have upgrade.  It elevates the HD650s performance to a level that is on par or exceeding many of the $1,000 reference headphones out there.  Best yet, it does this without compromising the naturally evolved, balanced presentation of the HD650s, but nearly every parameter is considerably improved.  So, now, it’s time for the Denon D7000s to go back into the box, as far as I’m concerned.

If your music preferences gravitate towards smooth jazz, vocals, new age, etc., and you prize clarity and imaging over punchy bass and visceral reproduction of dynamic music, even the TWag X-transformed HD650s can’t compete with the stunning level of sophistication the HD800s can render these genres with the unerring precision of a laser scanner.  Soundstage, in particular, is projected at a level unreachable by the HD650s.

Conclusion:  Although, my HD650s with the help of the TWag X have been literally reborn into what seems like a different pair of cans, auditioning the HD 800s had allowed me to preview the next evolution of my home system.  The HD800s are the equivalent experience of dating a supermodel, whose needs of pampering you may never satisfy, but you’ll be happy to keep trying just for the sake of fleeting instances of unforgettable bliss.  That is what true reference-class headphones are built for, namely to push the art of possible further and further.

Sennheiser HD650 Elite TWag Recabled Vs. HD800 Elite TWag Recabled

In light of the previous session, this particular one had been relegated to a bit of a placeholder status, at least until I can make additional investments in my system to enable it to push the HD800s to its full potential. 

Having established this, and setting burn-in issues aside for a moment, I would be seriously amiss in implying that my freshly minted TWag X HD800 cables out of the Raptor produced no discernable benefit when compared to stock.   In just 8-10 hours of testing, the TWag X had already started improving the tonal imbalance of the HD800s signature presentation.  Some of the harshness in the upper treble range started to mellow and at the same time lower midrange and bass had begun to develop more pleasant overtones and richness, not quite evident earlier and nearly relegated to indistinguishable echoes of their intended form of delivery. 

Conclusion:  Why write one of my own, when 6Moons have already stated it much better, after evaluating the HD800 using their superior equipment:

My two cents to add here is that the first two sentences above are equally, if not more applicable to the HD650s as well.

Closing Words

I have asked Craig whether he’s willing to disclose some more details about his new series of Reference Series Cables, in particular the Sennheiser TWag Reference X Replacement Series.  What better way to close out this review than highlighting some of the research, development and manufacturing efforts that have made these possible, described here by his own words in BLUE:

Behind the Scenes – The Story Of The “Whiplash Sennheiser TWag Reference X Series Replacement Cables”—By Craig Sanborn, Whiplash Audio

When developing a new design, one must identify the key objectives that will stand out to the listener and perhaps attract them in a way where they understand that the investment put in drives the anticipated outcome.  When the Sennheiser HD650s had first come out, I have been probably the first to receive them hoping that there were improvements over the HD600s.

Here is what I’ve found:  The bass was more present and the mids seemed a bit more present, by they still less engaging and presented the kind of 3D soundstage that made me feel as if I were sitting somewhere around the 9th row of a concert.

So when someone asked me to make a cable for the HD6XX series, I was up to the challenge since I knew it had more potential. This was a few years back.

This is what I was looking to accomplish.

• Create a highly flexible cable that was not bulky and a cable with little to no microphonics.

• Control the bass where it was not "colored", but inviting w/o any detail loss.

• Make me believe that I have scored front row seats!!!

The TWag Sennheiser HD6XX replacement cable achieves these goals and adds a more "life-like" experience to the listener. Several HD6xx listeners, who already use this cable have actually told me that they are no longer listening to their other, $1,200+ reference headphones since this cable had enhanced their HD6xx headphones to the level that is so inviting and musical that its well worth the price of admission.

The TWag HD800 replacement cable is a different beast. I must say, at first, after hours of burn in, I did not like them. Not one bit. So, again, someone challenged me to radically improve upon this, since they invested $$ and expected to receive his investment pay off.

For the TWag HD800 X Series, I had the following development goals:

• Achieve significant improvement so that I would personally be satisfied with the sound quality!!

• Control the soundstage with more articulate details and mids that are not floating or bloated.

• Make the headphone more universally accepted with the vast inventory of amps that are out there.

I own some pretty serious rigs both in my development lab and home, so I had no issues with powering the HD800's. BUT with the stock cable, I did not like them at all. The construction is similar to the HD6XX cable in these key aspects:

• ALL parts used in the construction, including the TWag cable itself is cryogenically treated.

• Handmade and hand drawn with proprietary braided shielding that is extremely expensive and is NOT used for this application normally since its a custom design for military use and I have been fortunate to be the only one that can use this shielding in almost all of my cables including my LODs, ICs and replacement cables. There is almost no microphonics because of this custom-made, Whiplash Proprietary shielding.

• Dampening techniques used throughout

The result is the HD800 transformed into a soothing, wide range, spatial headphone with an incredible dynamic range that I now do like!! Those who know me personally know that I am extremely meticulous about how my products are presented in addition to their sound quality. This is also applicable to what headphones I like to listen to when I'm working or just relaxing (yea right). I have almost every popular headphone out there in my collection and these days, I find myself using the HD800 with the TWag replacement cable more and more since they are not fatiguing at all, great details with accurate, not forced bass, incredible blackness between notes and very comfortable.

While writing this, I have switched back to the stock cable and I will never make that mistake again. I hope my "reasons" make sense. I could continue to make comments on both headphones, but that is why reviewers review!!

One final note I would like to add. I make both cables in my TWspc (silver plated copper) and TWcu (copper). Both are amazing in their own way and less expensive as well!! Balanced, 1/4", 1/8" - you name it!!

The End

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Addict 

At last years RMAF in Denver, Jude had the HD800 paired with the Raptor and from what I remember they were a great match.  I don't recall the cable on the HD800 though.  Could you clarify further what the Raptor wasn't able to extract from the HD800s?  Are you indicating it ran out of juice to drive the HD800s?
 

A fair question.  The Raptor, like pretty much all of Ray's amps I had a chance to audition is masterfully built and offer great sound quality.  There is a difference when you listen in an exclusive manner to one combo for an extended period of time vs. switching back and forth as part of a comparison review.  Individually, both cans have great synergy with the Raptor.  But after in the TWag X recabled sessions between the HD650 and HD800 I got the distinct impressions that there was more headroom being left on the table that the Raptor could push out.  I did audition a similarly recabled HD800 at Can Jam, although it was a different cable, but it was connected to an Apache in balanced mode.  I did not experience this type of premonition, for lack of a better word.

In addition, my ModWright Platinum Signature Truth SACD player has a Tube-modded output stage.  When paired with a tube-based amp, it simply could be a bit slower than a solid-state amp like the Apache.  One thing's for sure, both of these cans are just begging to be recabled and so far, these are the cables I have liked the most.

Hopefully soon, I'll be able to obtain an Apache of my own to test my theories.  For sure, the Raptor offers a big bang for the buck!

Thanks.  I can't say whether it's a hands-down winner, since I didn't have the opportunity to compare with those you mention.  Craig probably has but he can hardly be called an objective observer.

The TWag Elite X is a brand new product, so there would not be as many reviews and reports as there are of the more established brands you have listed.

In any cable what matters most is the material and termination/IC quality.  The TWag cable itself is priced way above per ft from Cryo-Parts.com than any of the other copper or copper-based cable.  How much of that equates to better sound quality, I could not tell you, again, because I'm not entirely sure what the stock cables for these HPs were made of.  All I can say, based on my review, is that there were considerable improvement in overall SQ with both upgrades, so I would recommend them without hesitation.

I have also heard that other customers with significantly higher end amplifiers have experienced an even bigger difference, which is definitely feasible.  The current bottleneck of my system is the Raptor head-amp, so I'm working on upgrading that.

Hope this helps!