[pervysage]

Picked up the NOS 11 today.  Pretty quick delivery must say.

There is one thing that bothers me though.  For whatever reason, my LCD-2 sounds much better on the stock single end cable (the crappy ribbon type) than the 4 pin XLR balanced cable I got from C3 Audio (the basic 6' Canare w/ nylon sleeving, cheapest decent looking aftermarket XLR cable that I can find, which still think is ridiculously priced).  Not sure if it is just my brain or what, the sound is rather hollow and recessed from the 4 pin output with my particular setup...  

Not sure if I got a crap cable or there is something wrong with my balance output, or is my brain playing awful trick on me...

I once bought a 4-pin balanced cable off Ebay and ran into the same issue. Turned out it was the cable and I just got a different one.

 

[Cloud9Blue]

I once bought a 4-pin balanced cable off Ebay and ran into the same issue. Turned out it was the cable and I just got a different one.

I think the cable might very well be the issue here.  The $150 C3 Audio cable uses thinner cable, which was apparent once I take off the connector cover.  Argh...  Should have just bought the $80 Audeze 4 pin cable instead...
 
Guess I will just bring out the soldering iron and rewire the stock 1/4" to the 4 pin XLR myself then.
 
Anyway, avoid the cables from these guys: http://www.c3audio.com/ http://www.head-fi.org/t/605706/charleston-cable-company-headphone-cables-and-interconnects/30

 

[Astral Abyss]

  I think the cable might very well be the issue here.  The $150 C3 Audio cable uses thinner cable, which was apparent once I take off the connector cover.  Argh...  Should have just bought the $80 Audeze 4 pin cable instead...
 
Guess I will just bring out the soldering iron and rewire the stock 1/4" to the 4 pin XLR myself then.
 
Anyway, avoid the cables from these guys: http://www.c3audio.com/ http://www.head-fi.org/t/605706/charleston-cable-company-headphone-cables-and-interconnects/30

 
I've got one of the C3 balanced Canare cables (10') for my HD800s.  Cable sounds great.  Mines connected to a Ragnarok.
 
Canare cable and Neutrik XLR connector that C3 uses for that cable isn't exactly junk. 

 

[PeterCraig]

Not sure if I got a crap cable or there is something wrong with my balance output, or is my brain playing awful trick on me...

How much time do you have on that cable? Probably isn't burned in yet. Give it 300-400 hours then try comparing it. Plus your audio-gd gear isn't even warmed up yet let alone burned in. I wouldn't be making any critical listening decisions until closer to October. You gotta be patient with new gear.

 

[Cloud9Blue]

How much time do you have on that cable? Probably isn't burned in yet. Give it 300-400 hours then try comparing it. Plus your audio-gd gear isn't even warmed up yet let alone burned in. I wouldn't be making any critical listening decisions until closer to October. You gotta be patient with new gear.

HD800 is an high impedance phone that requires high voltage but low current to drive. LCD-2, being planar, requires the exact opposite, thus being much more sensitive to changes in wire gauge.

Same reason is why your electricity from the power station are in high voltage rather than high current.

 

[Cloud9Blue]

How much time do you have on that cable? Probably isn't burned in yet. Give it 300-400 hours then try comparing it. Plus your audio-gd gear isn't even warmed up yet let alone burned in. I wouldn't be making any critical listening decisions until closer to October. You gotta be patient with new gear.

I don't want to start a war here. But coming from a materials science background, I don't believe there is such thing as cable burn in. Period.

And a solid state DAC/amp won't really need that long of a burn in period neither. Once it up to stable operating temp, which should occurs within an hour or so being turned on, it should sound the same. The only gear that might requires a long burn in period is tube amp.

In any case, new gear sounds gear even in SE. Have a bit of random pops coming from Audivarana from time to time through the USB output on my Mac, which is something that I didn't experience with my previous gear. Looks like I need to play around with the settings more.

 

[Pixelplay]

  I thought the Yggy has a slightly better soundstage than the M11, yet I found the yggy slightly fatiguing in the long term as the highs were slightly shrill to me. A touch on the cold side imho. but that sounds stage surely was nice.  I'm excited to test the YGGY, M11 (updated to nos11 and silvergarde wire), my newest dac...the HOLO Spring "Rise Ji" Edition w/Jensen caps and special ordered Green label OCC silver primary and OCC silver secondary 100VA O-Core transforme (1 of 3 total with this spec). and lastly, comparing to my DIY project...the Dual Soekris Dam1021 in true balanced from end to end. My DIY project is called "Dusk til Dawn". It's a two chassis DIY project, one is called Dusk (amplifier section) and the other is called Dawn (DAC section). My wife's name is Dawn and it's being built for her!  

How did this comparison go?

 

[EinZweiDrei]

Where do you guys buy proper 4pin xlr cables? I brought some and they sounded noticably worse than what i borrowed from a friend of mine.

 

[casper3127]

In the EU you've got Toxic Cables, Forza Audioworks just to mention two of them...

Enviado desde mi H1

 

[patrikh]

Ask PETEREK to make one for you. He's awesome.

 

[pervysage]

Are there better connection options than the Amanero USB?

 

[EinZweiDrei]

Any good sites for xlr cables the ships to the US?

 

[PLUSSOUND]

Any good sites for xlr cables the ships to the US?

We offer XLR cables. What kind do you need? If you have questions, send us a PM or email. 

 

[motberg]

Any good sites for xlr cables the ships to the US?

http://www.cullencable.com/
 
I have some of his stock cables and also he made some custom configurations for me... highly recommended and fair prices..

 

[defbear]

I am using Swedish Supra USB, Optical, RCA and Powercables along with their 6 outlet "power block". My favorites. Get them from Zendada on Ebay. I have no relationship except for fine sound.