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First Impressions of Stefan AudioArt Equinox HD-580/600 Cable

post #1 of 32
2/1/02 at 5:02am
Thread Starter 
The Equinox just arrived today, so I admittedly don't have much to say about it beyond its physical appearance and build quality.

Noteworthy:
  • For RFI rejection, the conductors are braided using a quad-braid field geometry (quite similar to Kimber PBJ or Silver Streak)
  • They are the most flexible of the bunch, slightly more flexible than the Cardas.
  • It comes with a miniplug with 1/4" adapter.
  • The braid underneath the black Techflex feels very tight, which is nice. The cables, after the Y, that lead to each earpiece are loosely twisted pairs.
  • The plugs that go into the earpieces appear, like the Clou Cables, to be the same ones as on the Sennheiser stock HD-600 cable.
  • The overall quality of build seems very good.

From a construction standpoint, there is one concern I have in particular that I also had with the Clou, and that's the apparent use of the stock Sennheiser HD-600 cable plug that goes into each earpiece. My concern is the fact that there is likely some sort of splicing used in order to make use of those plugs from a stock cable.

Like the Clou, the Equinox has heatshrink just aft of each of the two earpiece plugs, covering a bumpy stiff part where I suspect the splice is. One of my additional concerns about this is that that stiff part sticks out about two inches aft of each plug, and I worry that this could put undue strain on those little plugs.

How do they sound? Well, I won't comment too much on that right now since they just arrived earlier today. Do they sound different than the Cardas? Yes.

I'll give my first sonic impressions this weekend or on Monday.
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post #2 of 32
2/1/02 at 6:50am
~an...ti...ci...pa...tion! ~~

thanks again jude for taking the time to review all these cables!
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post #3 of 32
2/1/02 at 4:50pm
so, jude, what you're saying is that my decision to upgrade has become even more difficult oh, my what am i to do
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post #4 of 32
2/2/02 at 12:44am

Stefan AudioArt Equinox headphone cable construction

Jude - In response to your concern about the Spade connection section of the Equinox cable - that portion of the cable has 6 layers of heat tubing applied in a proprietary configuration for optimum strength.

I worked out the special layering process using my engineering background and alot of testing. It is one of if not the strongest portion of the cable. Any strain generated is directed to the now triple reinforced spade strain relief - where it should go.

This layered construction makes this section much stronger than the "spade molded to the cable design" - Sennheiser stock and Cardas use the molded process.

I also feel I have taken great care in making the heat shrink that is used in this section to look as good as possible without sacrificing strength.

I also feel it looks considerable better than the equivalent section of the Clou cables.
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post #5 of 32
2/2/02 at 1:03am
James

On behalf of Head-Fi, I want to welcome you. It is always great when manufacturers post regarding their product. It provides great value and is very much appreciated.

Again, welcome.

JMT
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post #6 of 32
2/2/02 at 1:20am
Thread Starter 

Re: Stefan AudioArt Equinox headphone cable construction

Quote:
Originally posted by James Serdechny
I also feel I have taken great care in making the heat shrink that is used in this section to look as good as possible without sacrificing strength.

I also feel it looks considerable better than the equivalent section of the Clou cables.

I agree that you've executed this part of the cable with better aesthetic results than Clou.

Thanks very much, James, for coming by, and thanks for the opportunity to review your Equinox.

I'll post my initial sonic impressions late this weekend or on Monday. So far so good!
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post #7 of 32
2/2/02 at 6:31pm
James:

As others have said, welcome to Head-Fi. It's ALWAYS great to see the makers of products here!
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post #8 of 32
2/2/02 at 6:46pm

Re: Stefan AudioArt Equinox headphone cable construction

Quote:
Originally posted by James Serdechny
Jude - In response to your concern about the Spade connection section of the Equinox cable - that portion of the cable has 6 layers of heat tubing applied in a proprietary configuration for optimum strength.

I worked out the special layering process using my engineering background and alot of testing. It is one of if not the strongest portion of the cable. Any strain generated is directed to the now triple reinforced spade strain relief - where it should go.

This layered construction makes this section much stronger than the "spade molded to the cable design" - Sennheiser stock and Cardas use the molded process.

I also feel I have taken great care in making the heat shrink that is used in this section to look as good as possible without sacrificing strength.

I also feel it looks considerable better than the equivalent section of the Clou cables.
That's good to know..although, given how much the Equinox costs versus the Clou and Cardas, one should expect this level of workmanship
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post #9 of 32
2/3/02 at 6:33pm
I have had the Equinox for a few weeks. I am very pleased with the purchase. To keep the comments brief and succinct, all aspects of the sound improved with moderate to great effect, soundstage, detail, but the biggest improvement was to the bass! Well worth the upgrade, if you can afford it. I would risk guessing that the HD 600 now competes with electrostatics for the details and highs and with the best dynamics for bass punch...better than the stock Grado RS-1 that I used to have. I sincerely doubt you can get any better sound in real world dollars.

If anyone has the Extreme album, Three Sides To Every Story, I particularly enjoy the track Cupid's Dead. The opening few bars with the snare and bass drum are unbelievable with the new cable. The report of the snare is so tight it feels like the drum stick is hitting my tympanic membrane directly (no pain)!

I can't compare it to the Clous or Cardas however.

My test rig is below.

I will defer to Jude for the definitively detailed review since I am not patient enough to go through all the details. If anyone would like to ask specific questions, feel free to do so.
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post #10 of 32
2/3/02 at 7:54pm
You feed a $3000+ system into a corda? no disrespect to the corda, but wouldn't a amp like a Max be a better match to your source?
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post #11 of 32
2/3/02 at 8:23pm
I agree, but baby steps.
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post #12 of 32
2/4/02 at 1:23am
Well according to THIS, the Corda sounds almost as good as a Max for a mere fraction of the price...
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post #13 of 32
2/4/02 at 1:39am
Is there a price set for these cables?
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post #14 of 32
2/4/02 at 1:41am
$189 for the 9 ft cable
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post #15 of 32
2/4/02 at 2:17am
/taps foot impatiently...
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