[jojo_b2]

Just asking would there be a significant difference If I just reterminate the STOCK HD800cable to Balanced? or just leave the stock cable alone and just get my Black Dragon cable re-worked?

I just got a 2nd hand Apache (my first balanced amp) and would really like to go balanced for the headphones I have.

I have a Black Dragon cable I had for a HD650. I might have the connectors reterminated for the HD800 and have it balanced at moon Audio. If this is a better option.

 

[Pale Rider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shellylh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would guess that the Black or Blue Dragon would be a better match since the HD800's are already pretty bright. The Black Dragon would probably be very nice but I am not sure that Drew is offering that option (it is not an option on the website). Of course, this is all speculation. I do not know what Drew is recommending. I have not actually heard the Silver Dragon so maybe I should not be commenting at all.

I can't say Drew specifically suggested the Blue over the Silver, but based on my musical listening tests, and what I conveyed I heard with my HD800s, he thought I would be happy with the Blue.

 

[KevinR70]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fafner /img/forum/go_quote.gif I seem to remember it takes 5 full days to put a Voice cable together, and most of that is for the cable itself. The braid is just about look, but sound is all what counts, and the HD800 sounds outstanding with it (but I must admit I've no idea on how the stock one sounds). I would certainly be interested to know your impressions about the improvements, as you could listen to your HD800 in its stock version. Not that I don't trust vcoheda's impressions, but multiple impessions are always welcome, and given the price of the Voice I don't really expect many reports. An hardwired vs connector comparison would be even greater, but I guess we'll never really see one.

Received my hardwired Voice cable this weekend and couldn't be happier with the purchase. The stock cable is a joke compared to this cable. This cable fixed what I perceived as the two weaknesses of the 800, a low end that didn't go low enough for my taste and a high end that was a little bright on certain tracks. The 800's are now perfect to my hears. I couldn't be happier with the purchase, and I was certainly a little skeptical dropping that kind of money on a cable. I've spent a lot of money in the last month to bring out the best in the 800's. I upgraded to a Marantz SA-7S1 SACD ($7k CDP), added SAA endorphin power cables to the CDP and my Zana Deux, added an SAA umbilical cord to the ZD power supply, SAA ribbon RCA cables, added 3" thick solid maple boards with vibration control under the boards and under my components, ran 2 20amp dedicated circuits with audiophile outlets, added an ISO fuse to the ZD power supply, and finally treated my connections and tube pins with Deoxit gold and SilClear. The Voice cable may be my best addition to date. The other additions were obvious improvements, but I would not be completely happy with my system without the Voice cable upgrade. BTW, my cable is not balanced since I'm running into a Zana Deux amp. So I can definately call BS on the talk I've heard about balancing being the primary reason for any improvement in an 800 cable upgrade.

 

[Pale Rider]

Just started listening to my Blue Dragon balanced that showed up today. Thanks Drew! I can't say I am hearing a big difference in the highs, but there is a definite improvement in bass presence. Listening to Mickey Hart's Rolling Thunder, Verdi's Requiem, & Fleetwood Mac is noticeably improved. I'm So Afraid in particular seems to have benefitted. Bass intro to Steely Dan's Josie off the MFSL of Aja very nice; similarly, bass lines in Tool's Sober are less recessed. Bass & toms on the Sheffield Drum & Track Disc are very sweet.

Nice job Drew; thanks much!

 

[johnwmclean]

^^There's no doubt should one chose to believe that single ended cable upgrades would work with the HD800. Simply reterminating to balanced is not a cable upgrade, the cable simply utilises balanced topolodgy. On the other hand if I was to replace an existing balanced cable, with an upgraded cable I would probably see benefits as well.

 

[Currawong]

There was a benefit on my amp in going balanced, but I don't think at all that it is as straightforward as going balanced to improve the HD-800s at all. I'm awaiting HD-800s plugs, then I'll complete my balanced OCCC cable. Right now I agree about the bass and the highs, so much so I'm using my Stax rig mostly at the moment.

 

[twsmith]

I've been extremely pleased using my HD800's with the stock cable reterminated with XLR connectors for balanced operation -- I'm hearing full, robust bass, smooth detailed but non-strident highs and fantastic midrange. So I'm now wondering exactly what additional benefits would I gain by switching to a different balanced cable altogether? Based on what I hear, I would strongly disagree that the stock cable is junk.

 

[jojo_b2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by twsmith /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been extremely pleased using my HD800's with the stock cable reterminated with XLR connectors for balanced operation -- I'm hearing full, robust bass, smooth detailed but non-strident highs and fantastic midrange. So I'm now wondering exactly what additional benefits would I gain by switching to a different balanced cable altogether? Based on what I hear, I would strongly disagree that the stock cable is junk.

I'm not really expecting Day and night. But can you describe what change after balancing the stock cable. I'm really condisidering reterminating my stock HD800 cable w/ Nuetric XLRs. My balanced amp just arrive yesterday but no balanced headphone to use on it. =)

 

[Jerrycan]

I've just finished my reterminating job on the HD800 stock cable with neutrik XLR's. It took me all morning but I'm pleased with the result. The differences are indeed not night and day, but the sound seems more "balanced" so to speek, bass is deeper, highs and mids a tad smoother. Everything more a whole.

 

[qusp]

well I was able to hear Johns HD800 with my balanced cable at the sydney meet this weekend just passed; i didnt have a listen to the stock (reterminated) cable, as he recommended (regretfully) but I did NOT find that with his rig Buffalo32->Beta22 reciting Tool's aenima, that these headphones are lacking bass. in fact they had quite dynamic bass (both figuratively and literally) and well defined bass texture too. It is however a safe bet, that they would not have the same authority if SE and underpowered; which is possibly where many of the reports of them being lacking are coming from.

 

[Anouk]

Hello, i guess it depends if you are a basshead or not. I have the hd800 with the stock cable (non-balanced) and I dont think it is lacking bass or harsh at all, it can be harsh if the material is but not in itself.
I think the bass is great.
I am eventually planning but i am happy for the moment with my current rig.
Greetings, Anouk,

 

[jojo_b2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerrycan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've just finished my reterminating job on the HD800 stock cable with neutrik XLR's. It took me all morning but I'm pleased with the result. The differences are indeed not night and day, but the sound seems more "balanced" so to speek, bass is deeper, highs and mids a tad smoother. Everything more a whole.

Thanks Man!

I'll chime in after murdering... ehem... reterminating the stock cable. Anyway. i might still have my my Black dragon worked on. =)

 

[KevinR70]

Quote:

Originally Posted by twsmith /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been extremely pleased using my HD800's with the stock cable reterminated with XLR connectors for balanced operation -- I'm hearing full, robust bass, smooth detailed but non-strident highs and fantastic midrange. So I'm now wondering exactly what additional benefits would I gain by switching to a different balanced cable altogether? Based on what I hear, I would strongly disagree that the stock cable is junk.

Did you notice how thin the stock wire was when you reterminated to balance? Based on my experience of just a cable upgrade (single to single) the gains were huge. So I'm assuming if you upgraded (balanced to balanced) you would see similar results.

 

[twsmith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinR70 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did you notice how thin the stock wire was when you reterminated to balance? Based on my experience of just a cable upgrade (single to single) the gains were huge. So I'm assuming if you upgraded (balanced to balanced) you would see similar results.

Well, since the retermination of my HD800's was done by Headroom at their factory before I ever saw them, I couldn't comment on how thin the stock wire actually is. I may be ignorant re the engineering, but I don't quite understand exactly why the diameter of the cable wire alone would necessarily have such a negative impact on sound quality anyway.

To set the record straight re an earlier comment, I'm not saying that a different or "upgraded" cable would not make any difference in the sound quality of the HD800's. If a different cable happens to make the sound more pleasing to anyone's particular ears, all for the better. What I do want to state is that in my opinion the HD800's stock cable is not intrinsically "bad" -- as some have commented in a parallel thread, it wouldn't make any sense for Sennheiser to pair a poor-quality cable with an otherwise very high quality headphone. In MY system and for MY ears, the reterminated balanced stock cable works very well.

 

[ctemkin]

I have been continuing to use my balanced Silver Dragons. I have not done direct comparisons with the stock cable, because I am concerned that if I start popping the connectors on and off the headphone, I will eventually screw something up. However, I remembered that with the stock headphones some sibilance on Santana's Black Magic Woman was irritating. So I listened with the Silver Dragons, and behold the sibilance was tamed; it was there, but not to the point of being irritating. Also, the separation and tonal accuracy of each percussion instrument was phenomenal.

I have mostly been listening to classical music. I do not know if the bass is stronger than with the stock cable, but I for one do not find any weakness of bass. I was comparing versions of Beethoven's Appassionata by Gilels and Tchetuev, and the lower registers came through with assertiveness and power. Ditto for various orchestral pieces.

As I said before, I have no way of knowing if the improvements I have noticed are due to the cables being balanced, and therefore taking full advantage of my other equipment, or being intrinsically better than the stock cables. I would love to be able to go to a meet and compare the different cabling options.