[edopix]

Greetings All,
 
Very happy with my AK100 II and often listen to it on my Graham Slee Novo UL amp and the Grado GS1000i, using the normal headphone out to twin phono when at home.
However, going to be getting a Sennheiser HDVD800 with the HD800 and a balanced headphone cable, and would like to attach the AK100 II via the 2.5mm balanced output to the amplifier.
Alas funds will definitely not allow me to get the frankly overpriced AK PEF11 balanced cable and I can't find anyone in the UK who can make me a cable, so started looking at the US.
 
Norne audio are working up a quote at the moment, but worryingly I got the following reply from Moon Audio:
 
"We are no longer building a cable that goes from the AK to AC powered devices. The AK because it has no true earth ground can some times cause a hum issue between it and a AC power device like the HDVD800. We have had a bunch of returns as a result. So we will no longer offer such a cable as it is hit or miss depending on your home's grounding or electronics grounding."
 
Has anyone had this problem with a custom made cable or the AK PEF11 cable? Any thoughts and feedback from personal experience would be very much welcome. Does the AK cable have a way to combat this problem?!
 
I'd rather not take the risk of ordering from the US and if there is an issue having to lose out on all that shipping costs and import duty etc!
 
Cheers,
 
Edmond
 
PS - I've been a long time reader but this is my first solo post!

 

[Lannie]

I'm in the same boat as you. Did you find a solution?

 

[suicidal_orange]

There is no magic fix for ground loops (the usual cause of hum) so no, the official cable will be no more reliable than the one Moon Audio don't want to sell you.
 
Depending on your exact requirements (2.5mm TRRS to ?) I should be able to knock together a short cable for less than £20 that you can use to test before investing in an expensive one, or if you're not worried about warranty (I'm not a pro, if I die you'd have to find someone else to fix it) I could make one from any boutique wire and connectors you want.
 
Send me a PM if you're interested

 

[seeteeyou]

.

 

[Lannie]

Thanks for the reply
I think I would want something with a ground cable like Ted's version below or like this one.
http://www.doublehelixcables.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=149

 

[edopix]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Huge thanks for the very kind offer, it's very very much appreciated, but I decided to go another route and just use the AK for portable use. I've hooked up a laptop via USB to the HDVD800 and will hopefully be getting an SACD player to plug in using the balanced XLRs.

Cheers,

Edmond

 

[Wyd4]

If you dont mind me asking, what are the advantages of using this type of cable over the 2.5mm balanced out?
I am searching the ak240 thread as we speak as well, but very curious.

 

[edopix]

  If you dont mind me asking, what are the advantages of using this type of cable over the 2.5mm balanced out?
I am searching the ak240 thread as we speak as well, but very curious.

It is the 2.5mm balanced out that we're discussing here

 

[Wyd4]

 
It is the 2.5mm balanced out that we're discussing here

Oh sorry, 
 
I thought you were talking about the PEF11 cable which uses both the 2.5 and 3.5 plugs for whatever reason.

 

[edopix]

  Oh sorry, 
 
I thought you were talking about the PEF11 cable which uses both the 2.5 and 3.5 plugs for whatever reason.

I think the only reason it uses the 3.5mm jack as well is purely as a physical support as the balanced cable is pretty heavy and most certainly too much for a 2.5mm socket!!

 

[musikaladin]

@ edopix, I understand that you discuss the 2.5mm balanced output of the AK100II here. Still, you could try to connect your AK100II via the 3.5mm optical output to the optical input of the HDVD. Will not play DSD, but Flac up to 192kHz works well.
 
Actually I use the optical for the combination with a cambridge iPod docking-station (also playing high res by using the Onkyo app).
My FiiO X5 is digitally connected via cinch to the HDVD. You can see the X5 here laying on the Krell Kid connected using a 3.5mm to cinch adapter to the HDVD just below.
 
If you still wanna try the 2.5mm balanced, here you go, just solder yourself a nice cable to the 3pin balanced inputs of the HDVD: