Here's what I've got: now, recommend a cable for my HD650's! - Page 2

I've compared the Cardas with the Silver Dragon and the Silver Dragon was head and shoulders above the Cardas, I would go with the Silver Dragon or the Zu...

From Gpalmer's, Tuberollers, and so many others' positive comments about it, I'm planning to get the Silver Dragon. Xaipemw if you go for that one too, then we'll both have 650's, Perreaux, SR60's, and Silver Dragon!

newguy,

i agree with every word said.
before i bought my Rega Planet or even hooked up my headphone rig to my Sony DVD/CD player, i thought that the difference between a portable source and a standalone source couldn't be all that geat. WRONG!!! when you really want to hear BIG differences with a pair of good headphones, upgrade cables, and even a good amp, you must first feed all that with a worthy source. in the words of MarkL, or some other head-fier who said it first...
crapolla in, crapolla out!
have fun trying to swat away that upgrade bug.

I think it really more important to select the amp, and source you use upstream in order to get the sound you want rather than trying to fix it at the end of the chain. The 650's are so good they let you hear everything your system is doing.

I use the Cardas (of course) and love them. I don't feel they add or subtract anything from the sound, but refine the sound you have.

xaipemw, I don't know about the other brands, but the Cardas is available in 10, 15 & 20 ft lenghts since you are needing to reach your bed.

Interesting. To my ears, the 650s, TAH and iPod combination sound great. I have the SR125s and the 650s are a big improvement to me.

Part of my situation is that I've never heard an expensive CD player and really don't understand why they aren't all alike. I am really not trying to provoke anyone. I am just new at this and not sure where it is taking me. Consumer Reports always says that all CD players sound great.

Just received email from Drew at Moon-Audio, Silver Dragons are sold out, second batch won't be available for couple months. Argh! Those unplated, pure copper pins in the Zu don't grow on me too much though. Undecided...

No idea really, but I think it shouldn't be problematic.

Thats my point. If you want to hear all your source can give the HD650's, the Zu will pass it to them better than the Cardas or the equinox. It's not about fixing the phones at all. It's about adding a cable to them that allows them to give you more music. For me of the four cables I had(stock,Zu, equinox, cardas) the Zu did that job the best. I've used three different sources with the Zu and they all have a different sound to them.
The upgrades the Zu adds to the 650 was the same on all three CDP's. The cable will not change the sound of your source, just let you hear more of that sound. The treble through the Zu is GREAT. It go's so high and clear, yet never painful. Midrange is sweet, and the bass is the best of the three cables also.

newguy,
the problem with consumer reports is they are written by people who really don't care about anything other than making sure people aren't getting ripped off (which is good for as far as budget players go). they don't really take into account the smaller sound differences like we freaks do though they may be small, they are huge relative to going from budget to high end. then again, there might be a consumer reports guide for higher end equipment...i'm not sure about that.

i see where you're coming from when you say you haven't really heard anything high end. we all have definitely been there! first off, the diff between a portable source(even a good one)and a budget home cd/dvd player is that the cd/dvd player has simply put, more room for better components which then sums up to a better overall sound quality. then there's the diff between the average/budget cd player and the high end one. high end cd players are made by specialists who dedicate their knowledge to improving all that can be improved on the average cd player. they put in higher quality components (or pretty much every part) and improve upon even the minute things such as, for example, allowing 2 more cubic inches for the better fit of a higher end component. and again, the sum of all that means taking the sound quality to the next level.

the diff i noticed going from a budget cd player to higher end one were HUGE, right away, and not something i slowly noticed over time.

try to see if you can bring your familiar headphones (225's) to an audio shop where you can connect them to a high quality cd player and amp. then come back here and report your findings...and then proceed to empty your wallet, bank account, stock funds, and the like

The Zu definently has a couple of cons going for it, namely those strange copper pins on the top that require a wash every now and then, not to mention the standard length is 8 feet rather than 10, which leaves the buyer needing to purchase an extra half a meter making it more expensive than the silver dragon (although it does look a little nicer IMHO). Zu's non-promo price is $259 for a 10 foot length per the website. $259 versus $145 for the Cardas is a huge monetary difference. How much sound does that $100 really pay for if sources like Headroom favor the Cardas but other users feel the opposite? Tough to speculate...

Well, decided to place the order with Zu, just sent them a fax.
It's actually $214 for a 10 feet (3.0m) Mobius, they have a promotional introductory price. Nate (Zu cables) also told me they do have 60 day money back return policy, so I decided to try them, we'll see.

Before my new PPA arrived, I hooked up my HD600's to my TAH and iPod (with the Zu Mobius). While I love the pod as a portable and for the cool factor, it just doesn't do justice as a source for the 600. Neither is the TAH, when compared to the PPA. It's all about matching your source, amp, cables, and phones. YMMV!

what copper plugs are we talking about with the Mobius? i'm pretty sure that the little plugs on the left and right sides were a silver colour...of course that doesn't mean they aren't copper?? are they really copper, and why would they use copper and not some other higher quality metal...like the beautiful aluminum that lies at the base of the little plugs?


xaipemw,
yes there surely is some cons regarding the Mobius. but i feel they are well worth it to have such wonderful, beautiful, essentially perfect sound. i'd also like to point out that there are cons with every cable one can buy. nothing is perfect, except for the Zu's perfect sound one just has to find which cons/cable combo they are willing to live with.

some things i don't like about the Zu's are...
the cord is a little stiff, although not that bad. it is somewhere in between an extremely stiff cable and a flexible one (650 stock cable). and it breaks in after awhile too. you also easily learn how to adjust. the issue of the Mobius being stiff is something we all must deal with anyways when upgrading to any of the thick, high quality cables (although i think some of the others are a little less stiff, but not by much). another thing i disslike (perhaps my biggest gripe) is the fit of the plugs into the Senns. it is exetremly hard to do! once they're in, boy are they in there for good. but in the end, all it takes is some pushing, time, and patience to get them in. i personally didn't need to use any sort of pliers to get them in...so it is possible to get them in without the use of a tool. on a positive note, after they are installed, the tight fit provides for a VERY secure fit preventing them from being yanked out as easily as some of the other cables. the length you pay for i also think is a little poor. too short for too much money. but my amp can be easily moved around by the length of its cord, so it really doesn't matter to me. the only reason i bought the Zu's was because i sold my HD600's to fund them. but again, in my view, the pros far outwiegh the cons by a LONG SHOT! plus, the return policy is great for just being able to test them out without worrying about money issues. as far as cables go, they are the best looking, imo, of them all and perfectly match with the HD650's silver/greyish colour...Zu must haved planed it this way

so, in the end, if the worst thing one has to deal with when owning the Mobius upgrade cable is the tight fit of the L&R plugs, then they are well worth their hefty price tag...again, imo! it is a very small price to pay for having pretty much one of the best sounding headphones in the price category.