[Punnisher]

I don't buy the "larger gauge is better" view that so many take on.

Have you ever seen the copper winding that make up the coil in the driver? It's an incredibly thin (sometimes the thickness of a hair) strand of copper. Anything larger than what's needed for reasonable durability is a waste in my opinion.

I recable for repairs and for practicality.

OP- I would just leave the internal wiring if you can. I replaced it on my 770 but it wasn't worth the work required.

 

[FraGGleR]

LOL, I was having such a good time reading the posts that I forgot I was the OP. I had no idea I would spark such a debate. Shows you how little I know and how new I am to the forum.

I will have to tinker a little with the internal wiring simply to install a mini XLR jack. I may as well go all the way once in since I have already invested in some fancy copper wire. I am giving my Dad a set of SRH840's for Christmas (shhhh don't tell), so once they have properly burned in, I will be able to do side by side comparisons between his stock and my recable. Hopefully, mine won't sound worse because I botched something

Even if they sound the same, mine will look way cooler.

If I can't tell the difference, then I will buy the cheapest bulk wire that is easy to work with and have fun making cables.

 

[scootermafia]

Well, you'll get the best mileage out of these sorts of upgrades when you have the system in my signature. It's likely that eventually you'll have a balanced system, and the meat and potatoes of this upgrade comes from running the SRH840s balanced, not just installing better wire.

In any case, I have a playlist of various songs, and each of the songs has various details (certain sound effects in a Radiohead song, and so on) and with the stock cable these details are barely audible. You can also hear the details disappear when you are using a cheaper DAC (vs. the AudioGD DAC8/Ref1). This to me is a fairly objective way to tell that my headphone cable is up to snuff. With OCC copper you really hear these details, even if the original intention of Ohno's work was to make a strong cast copper.

 

[Marcel_D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scootermafia /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, you'll get the best mileage out of these sorts of upgrades when you have the system in my signature. It's likely that eventually you'll have a balanced system, and the meat and potatoes of this upgrade comes from running the SRH840s balanced, not just installing better wire. In any case, I have a playlist of various songs, and each of the songs has various details (certain sound effects in a Radiohead song, and so on) and with the stock cable these details are barely audible. You can also hear the details disappear when you are using a cheaper DAC (vs. the AudioGD DAC8/Ref1). This to me is a fairly objective way to tell that my headphone cable is up to snuff. With OCC copper you really hear these details, even if the original intention of Ohno's work was to make a strong cast copper.

Mind if I ask which song in particular?

 

[scootermafia]

Paranoid Android, Karma Police, and anything from In Rainbows has pretty good sound effects. They sound weak and distant rather than clear on headphones other than HD800, and with bad cables or bad gear.

 

[astroid]

A friend of mine has a hifi shop in the small town i live in, he sells some mid/hi fi cables, cardas , nordorst etc.
When he demo's the cables he uses a specific amp, the reason he does this is that this amp allows individual gain adjustment to the different inputs.
He plugs the cables being demo'd into an input with a slightly higher volume than the other. Dishonest ?
His belief about cables is this, if a customer says they can hear a difference then they can , if they dont then they dont, the volume difference just 'helps' them decide!

 

[scootermafia]

There's also the tale of the "magic button" that you adjust that makes people like a component, that actually does nothing.

 

[xnor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroid /img/forum/go_quote.gif A friend of mine has a hifi shop in the small town i live in, he sells some mid/hi fi cables, cardas , nordorst etc. When he demo's the cables he uses a specific amp, the reason he does this is that this amp allows individual gain adjustment to the different inputs. He plugs the cables being demo'd into an input with a slightly higher volume than the other. Dishonest ? His belief about cables is this, if a customer says they can hear a difference then they can , if they dont then they dont, the volume difference just 'helps' them decide!

Are you serious?

 

[astroid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnor /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you serious?

100% serious, the tiny jump in volume is usually percieved as an improvement in quality.

 

[scootermafia]

Yeah, that's why whenever someone complains about the sound of something, I say to myself turn it up...

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroid /img/forum/go_quote.gif 100% serious, the tiny jump in volume is usually percieved as an improvement in quality.

Correct.

It's an old trick that's been exploited by unscrupulous audio salespeople for decades.

se

 

[scootermafia]

I actually make a cable that increases your system's volume. It has a string with a few pulleys attached to it, that connects to the volume knob. When you insert the RCA plugs, this pulls on the volume knob and dials up the awesomeness...

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Correct. It's an old trick that's been exploited by unscrupulous audio salespeople for decades. se

That's horrible. If I ever went to a shop and found out they did that, I'd piss on their doorstep.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scootermafia /img/forum/go_quote.gif I actually make a cable that increases your system's volume. It has a string with a few pulleys attached to it, that connects to the volume knob. When you insert the RCA plugs, this pulls on the volume knob and dials up the awesomeness...

Why are you wasting your talents with audio? With that sort of technology, you could make a fortune in the "male enhancement" market!

se

 

[scootermafia]

After my "tape and popsicle stick" design, I was already a multi-millionaire in that field...