[SpudHarris]

Having just modded my SR325i's with a detatchable Van Damme SPOFC Starquad cable, I'm looking for advice on what type of cable I should use to make my next one. The Van Damme stuff is great when you consider that it's quite cheap here in the UK but I'm sure there is better stuff out there.

I would consider Silver but it is real expensive and I'm not entirely convinced that it would be durable enough for a headphone cable.

Any advice from you guys would be brilliant, Ive only been on the forum since Jan (I think) so don't have enough experience to know what would work best with the 325i's.

Cheers in advance.....

 

[compuryan]

You are correct, silver is not as flexible for cables as copper, but you should still be able to use it if you desired. But if I remember, the 325's are already quite brilliant and the addition of a silver cable may make them shrill. I'd recommend the cardas 4x24ga blue smurf diy cable. If you want to go all out, Jena Labs is the answer.

 

[Headphile808]

I just had a custom HP cable made by qusp for My HD25s. He gave Me alot of options as far as wire is concerned, Mundorf, Cardas, Kimber, & Jena Labs. I ended up going with the 22AWG Jena Cryo which we discussed would be the most durable & flexible for portable use since I skate w/HD25 on an almost daily basis switching between those & IEMs. Must mention that the Jena was recommended for it's SQ first & foremost which it is well-known for & should be of highest priority. Looks incredible too, as I prefer to leave it as is not covered in techflex. Very pleased w/the results as You can see by the pics, makes for one really beautiful no-comromise portable HP cable w/the Cardas Connectors & Switchcraft Mini Plug.

Aloha

Headphile808

 

[SpudHarris]

Thanks for that.....

Where can I buy Jena cable from?

I can do the braids, mods etc myself so just need th cable.

Cheers

Nigel

 

[compuryan]

Direct from Jena Labs would probably be best. Welcome to JENA LABS home page
Minimum of 25 feet, but you will probably need at least that much.

 

[Bonthouse]

They have a minimum of 1 foot

You pay $6 per foot until you hit the 25 feet mark. When you hit that, the price drops to $5 per foot.

 

[SpudHarris]

Thanks guys, wow $125 + shipping, customs, VAT. Really need to think seriously about the payback against my Van Damme SPOFC.

Off to do a bit more research, appreciate all your help!

 

[lisnalee]

When i had my 325i i got them recabled with an original grey cardas cable, it cost around $160 and didn't really change much to the sound.

As mentioned before the grado's are bright enough so i'd avoid a silver cable like the plague. I've had a few hp's recabled with the jena and really love it, it does cost more than others but worth it IMO.

 

[qusp]

hehe wow; I didnt expect to come in here and see a plug .. thanks man. theres a few other wires I would mention too for budgetsish cables. goertz micropearl is really nice interconnect cable that is perfect for a headphone cable and looks great too.cardas 4 x 24 blue cable is good; a couple from kimber are really nice; and the latest i've used is the new copper from cryoparts, really nice wire, but slightly more than jena and only comes in 24AWG

 

[scootermafia]

I like the new ALO SXC wire, sounds a little sharper than pure copper if that's what you're into. Smoother may be the key for Grados.

 

[qusp]

not a big fan of SPC myself; I prefer an alloy if that is the objective (to mix metals) metal boundaries are not so flash, so plating doesnt really do it for me. only silver I like on headphone cables is piccolino. but $$$.

and agreed on the copper/grado thang. silver would IMO make them unlistenable

 

[smallcaps]

if price is an indicator of quality (which we all know its not) you could take a look at the teflon insulated Mundorf pure gold/silver wire which features an insanely conductive mix of 99.999% pure silver alloyed with 1% pure 99.999% gold. i hear it's quite malleable too, so braiding and flexibility problems are negligible. no personal experience tho, ymmv.

edit: but for the grados... probably want to stick to copper.

 

[qusp]

Quote:

edit: but for the grados... probably want to stick to copper.

^^ exactly no way with the silver/grado thang. I dont mind the mundorf, but you really have to be careful where its used. mundorf isnt 5N its 4N; as alloys go i'm becoming interested in the amorphous blends which have no crystal boundaries at all; thats pretty exotic stuff though. mundorf is actually pretty cheap really if bought wisely (its the cheapest solidcore silver I have) IE, not in europe. its really nnice, but not a fan of the teflon sheath, its too thin and a PITA to strip; at least the 24AWG is.

anyway I should really move on; this is getting too close to the rules for me.

 

[SpudHarris]

Well I had a lengthy listening session with the Van Damme SPOFC last night and I have to say it really suits the 325i's. Details are real nice, which is what you would expect from the Grados but highs were just beautiful with no evidence of shrill, bass is now tight and well defined but deeper than I remember without bloat. All in all this recable/mod has made me extremely happy. But I still want to try other types, I have ordered some Canare Star Quad to experiment with and may well venture into the Neotech wire when my wallet has recovered from the PSU1 and D7K purchase.

Anyone not familiar with the Van Damme stuff should road test it. I have used it a fair bit over the years for interconnects, LOD's etc....... Mainly because I can get it at fairly reasonable prices, I personally can't fault the SQ and I get next day delivery. Whereas all other decent stuff like Jena, Mogami, Canare, Neotech, Vampire etc is really hard to get here in the UK.

I will be giving the pure Silver a miss.