Eagle_Driver
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
- Posts
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- 61
Quote:
Well, fair enough.
Also, built-in DACs in even the best portable CD players are mediocre at best. My recommendation? If you insist on the built-in DAC of that CD-3400, you might as well sell your META and your HD600 (unless you already have a better system to use the amp and headphone with), and downgrade all the way down to something like a pair of Koss KSC-35's or Grado SR-60's. (I know, what I'm recommending may sound like heresy, but I've even seen people downgrade all the way down to a really cheap $5 pair of low-end Sonys for this purpose. I wouldn't recommend the latter at all.) You see, if you don't care much for the sound of the HD600 with the stock cable, the chances are good that you won't care much for the HD600's presentation regardless of cable upgrade. Conversely, I wouldn't call the HD600 a good value if it sounds okay with the stock cable from a mediocre source but awful with the stock cable with a high-end source.
Okay, so I do like the HD600's sound with the stock cable in general, but there are some aspects of that combo that could be improved upon. (And I know that the audio signal from even my mediocre home components can reproduce better sound quality than what even the stock-cabled HD600 can reproduce.)
So, if you're like me, I'd wait until I get a stationary home component source, which will likely be better than most PCDPs, before I would upgrade the HD600's cable.
| Originally posted by markl IMO, aftermarket replacement cables for the HD600 are for people who already *love* the HD600 sound with stock cabling. If you're on the fence or unimpressed with the cans, no cable swap is going to turn them into an Orpheus for you. To me, it's throwing good money after bad, maybe better strategy is to plow that cash into another headphone. In your case (I assume you like the HD600), based on your system, I'd have to agree with those who say forget the cable, put that money into a better source, that will be money well spent. The DAC idea is not a bad one for someone in your shoes who maybe doesn't want to save up the $400 or so it would take to get a nice budget player (which is really the best option, IMO but maybe too expensive). So, until you have a source at a level that will let expensive cables shine, I wouldn't worry about replacement cables. Mark |
Well, fair enough.
Also, built-in DACs in even the best portable CD players are mediocre at best. My recommendation? If you insist on the built-in DAC of that CD-3400, you might as well sell your META and your HD600 (unless you already have a better system to use the amp and headphone with), and downgrade all the way down to something like a pair of Koss KSC-35's or Grado SR-60's. (I know, what I'm recommending may sound like heresy, but I've even seen people downgrade all the way down to a really cheap $5 pair of low-end Sonys for this purpose. I wouldn't recommend the latter at all.) You see, if you don't care much for the sound of the HD600 with the stock cable, the chances are good that you won't care much for the HD600's presentation regardless of cable upgrade. Conversely, I wouldn't call the HD600 a good value if it sounds okay with the stock cable from a mediocre source but awful with the stock cable with a high-end source.
Okay, so I do like the HD600's sound with the stock cable in general, but there are some aspects of that combo that could be improved upon. (And I know that the audio signal from even my mediocre home components can reproduce better sound quality than what even the stock-cabled HD600 can reproduce.)
So, if you're like me, I'd wait until I get a stationary home component source, which will likely be better than most PCDPs, before I would upgrade the HD600's cable.
