Looking for a good quality headphone extension cable
Oct 5, 2015 at 10:11 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19
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I'm looking for a good quality headphone extension cable say in the 8 to 10 foot range. I need 1/4 inch female to 1/4 male.
I have tried Hosa, Monoprice, etc and I found all to be problematic at best. 
I'm looking for something of better quality than those, but budget friendly. I am looking for something not over $30.
 
I have been scouring the web, including amazon and all I get is crap for stupid phones. I actually have and use a stereo system, I know that is rare, but does anyone know where I can look for a quality headphone extension cable with the 1/4 inch jack size? I don't know metric and of course everything is in metric. It has gotten to the point where one can't even shop for a simple cable anymore.
Why are all things headphones so impossible? 
 
Oct 5, 2015 at 10:27 PM Post #2 of 19
solitary man said:
  I'm looking for a good quality headphone extension cable say in the 8 to 10 foot range. I need 1/4 inch female to 1/4 male.
I have tried Hosa, Monoprice, etc and I found all to be problematic at best. 
I'm looking for something of better quality than those, but budget friendly. I am looking for something not over $30.
 
I have been scouring the web, including amazon and all I get is crap for stupid phones. I actually have and use a stereo system, I know that is rare, but does anyone know where I can look for a quality headphone extension cable with the 1/4 inch jack size? I don't know metric and of course everything is in metric. It has gotten to the point where one can't even shop for a simple cable anymore.
Why are all things headphones so impossible? 
Click to expand...

 
Anything you find will be made in China, so you pay your money and take your chances. They are for sale on Ebay. 
 
BTW....... 1/4" = 6.3mm. ( It's not rocket science.)
 
Oct 5, 2015 at 10:37 PM Post #3 of 19
mr rick said:
   
Anything you find will be made in China, so you pay your money and take your chances. They are for sale on Ebay. 
 
BTW....... 1/4" = 6.3mm. ( It's not rocket science.)
Click to expand...

Most (not all) headphones are made in China too, even the high dollar ones I think. Ebay is verboten and metric is rocket science when one is old school
normal_smile .gif
.
Anyway, I just learned something. 6.3mm headphone extension cables do not even exist. This is because nobody has a need for 6.3mm jacks...except me perhaps. Everybody uses mobile devices or computers to listen to music.
I guess I can stop looking now and just sit in a chair next to my system, that will work...I think.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:01 AM Post #5 of 19
Grado Labs - made in the US (like everything Grado), high quality, slightly over budget (cheaper from many authorized dealers), and slightly over length:
http://www.4ourears.net/Grado_headphone_extension_cable_p/4e-excab.htm
Fantastic cable; included with many of their more expensive headphones.

Koss - likely made in China (hard to say with Koss; some is US made, some is Chinese made), closer to target length, much less expensive, and coiled:
http://www.koss.com/en/products/accessories/10ft%20Extension%20Cord__10_ft_extension_cord (available in 25ft too)
That one is 3.5mm (1/8") but you can adapterize either (or both) ends as needed

Bose - made in China, significantly over target length, nice 45* Bose connector, under budget:
https://www.bose.com/products/headphones_accessories/20-extension-cable-for-bose-headphones.html
That one is 3.5mm (1/8") but you can adapterize either (or both) ends as needed

Ultrasone - unknown make (their headphones are made in Taiwan and Germany), closer to target length, fits within budget, available in black and white:
http://ultrasone-shop.com/us/cable/46-ultrasone-pro-550-.html (6.3mm (1/4") - white)
http://ultrasone-shop.com/us/cable/44-ultrasone-pro-550-.html (3.5mm (1/8") - black)

I own (or have owned) the Grado and Bose cables - both are solid. I have never had an issue with any Koss or Ultrasone product or cable, but do not own those specific models.

Depending on your headphone (if it has removable cables), you may be able to buy a longer cable for it directly and just use that as well.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 11:02 AM Post #7 of 19
obobskivich said:
Grado Labs - made in the US (like everything Grado), high quality, slightly over budget (cheaper from many authorized dealers), and slightly over length:
http://www.4ourears.net/Grado_headphone_extension_cable_p/4e-excab.htm
Fantastic cable; included with many of their more expensive headphones.

Koss - likely made in China (hard to say with Koss; some is US made, some is Chinese made), closer to target length, much less expensive, and coiled:
http://www.koss.com/en/products/accessories/10ft%20Extension%20Cord__10_ft_extension_cord (available in 25ft too)
That one is 3.5mm (1/8") but you can adapterize either (or both) ends as needed

Bose - made in China, significantly over target length, nice 45* Bose connector, under budget:
https://www.bose.com/products/headphones_accessories/20-extension-cable-for-bose-headphones.html
That one is 3.5mm (1/8") but you can adapterize either (or both) ends as needed

Ultrasone - unknown make (their headphones are made in Taiwan and Germany), closer to target length, fits within budget, available in black and white:
http://ultrasone-shop.com/us/cable/46-ultrasone-pro-550-.html (6.3mm (1/4") - white)
http://ultrasone-shop.com/us/cable/44-ultrasone-pro-550-.html (3.5mm (1/8") - black)

I own (or have owned) the Grado and Bose cables - both are solid. I have never had an issue with any Koss or Ultrasone product or cable, but do not own those specific models.

Depending on your headphone (if it has removable cables), you may be able to buy a longer cable for it directly and just use that as well.
Click to expand...

Bose cable won't work obviously. I'm not so sure about Grado, it looks like what I have already as do the rest.
 
I guess I forgot to mention the headphones I am getting the extension for as I did not think it important since I will be using another pair of cans as well. Anyway, right now it's a pair of Senn HD518s. Yes, I found a 9 foot cable for them which I will pick up, but 9 feet is just long enough to reach if I sit bent forward. With that of course, I could use a shorter extension (4 feet would be more than adequate). The issue is finding the right jack size. Come to think of it, I think the 518s have a native 1/8 male end with adaptor for 1/4 if I'm not mistaken. If so, I could use a 1/8 female to 1/4 male, trouble finding those too I imagine. It's that 1/4 size that's the cause.
My near future headphones will be a pair of AKG K712 pros and I don't know their native terminator yet.
 
I've been using adaptors with the cables I have, but they present problems I have found at the termination point, so I wanted to try to avoid using them. (It's no good when the sound cuts out with the slightest movement, etc.) 
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:48 PM Post #9 of 19
fourrobert13 said:
  DIY your own cable.  Radio Shack sells them if you have one near you.  You could also get a 3.5 mm cable and use 1/4" adapters...just a couple other options.
Click to expand...

I do like the DIY approach. I did that for my speaker cables and they are just as good as the big names like Audioquest that sell for well into 3 digits. Maybe even better because they aren't branded.
Radio Shack has been out of business (at least in california) for about a year at least. Beside their stuff was the cheapest quality ever. 
I wonder if there is someplace where I can buy quality parts for that?
 
As for adaptors, like I said, I am trying to avoid that because I have been doing that and they are causing problems. I have a cheap bad st of cans that use a screw on adaptor, that may be a better kind. Unfortunately, the cable I have don't take that type.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 3:18 PM Post #10 of 19
I wish grado would come out with an extension cable to match their higher-end stuff, like an 8-conductor cable to match my ps1k.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:31 PM Post #11 of 19
Why won't the Grado or Ultrasone cables work, exactly? They're 1/4" on both ends and sufficiently long - what else does the cable need to do?

As for the Bose and Koss - yes I pointed out you'd need to adapterize them. That isn't a big problem; sounds like you've just had bad luck with the cheapest of the cheap though.

Grokit - I thought the newer extension was 8 conductor (but haven't the cans moved on to 12)? Idk mine is older and thinner than their latest cables but I've never had an issue with it. They claim up to three of them (a whopping 45 ft) is still transparent FWIW.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:42 PM Post #12 of 19
solitary man said:
I do like the DIY approach. I did that for my speaker cables and they are just as good as the big names like Audioquest that sell for well into 3 digits. Maybe even better because they aren't branded.
Radio Shack has been out of business (at least in california) for about a year at least. Beside their stuff was the cheapest quality ever. 
I wonder if there is someplace where I can buy quality parts for that?

As for adaptors, like I said, I am trying to avoid that because I have been doing that and they are causing problems. I have a cheap bad st of cans that use a screw on adaptor, that may be a better kind. Unfortunately, the cable I have don't take that type.
Click to expand...


Parts-Express, Markertek, or Redco (Markertek is in NY, but I believe the otehrs are in California) would sell decent parts for what you want.

The Neutrik locking 1/4" female jacks are a little awkward to put back together, but certainly not difficult.

That with a good male jack and some Mogami 2893 or 2799 would make for an excellent extension cable.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 8:31 PM Post #13 of 19
obobskivich said:
Why won't the Grado or Ultrasone cables work, exactly? They're 1/4" on both ends and sufficiently long - what else does the cable need to do?

As for the Bose and Koss - yes I pointed out you'd need to adapterize them. That isn't a big problem; sounds like you've just had bad luck with the cheapest of the cheap though.

Grokit - I thought the newer extension was 8 conductor (but haven't the cans moved on to 12)? Idk mine is older and thinner than their latest cables but I've never had an issue with it. They claim up to three of them (a whopping 45 ft) is still transparent FWIW.
Click to expand...

It's just that the Grado and Ultrasone look like the same thing I have already that is giving me grief. I also think adapters may be part of the problem as well.
 
Oct 6, 2015 at 8:34 PM Post #14 of 19
liquidzoo said:
Parts-Express, Markertek, or Redco (Markertek is in NY, but I believe the otehrs are in California) would sell decent parts for what you want.

The Neutrik locking 1/4" female jacks are a little awkward to put back together, but certainly not difficult.

That with a good male jack and some Mogami 2893 or 2799 would make for an excellent extension cable.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I'll look into that too. I need not worry about putting the Neutrik jacks back together except once, so I don't see an issue there. If I can handle GSK and NAK terminators on speaker cable, there is very little to worry about.
 
Oct 7, 2015 at 8:19 AM Post #15 of 19
solitary man said:
It's just that the Grado and Ultrasone look like the same thing I have already that is giving me grief. I also think adapters may be part of the problem as well.
Click to expand...


Honestly headphone extension cables are going to look pretty much the same. Like I said, I'm not sure what else you really expect here. Cheap/junky cables ("I bought this for $3 on ebay" kind of stuff) *can* cause problems, but this doesn't mean all cables of a given type, or all adapters of a given type, etc will cause problems. Adapters are not, inherently, problematic. But junky ones *can* be. Same goes for extension cables and so forth. You mentioned Monoprice and Hosa in your first post - IME neither is a consistently reliable or quality manufacturer (Monoprice ultimately has a 100% failure rate IME, Hosa is slightly less bad) - but lumping Grado, Ultrasone, etc into the same boat with them "because they look like the same thing" is like saying a Cadillac will behave just like a Kia "because they look like the same thing." :rolleyes:

And note that I'm not trying to force you into any specific choice - do whatever you want - I'm just trying to address what I see as misconceptions or over-broad generalizations.
 
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