[zeta555]

How comfortable are the Cascades for those who wear glasses?

no problem here. but YMMV. on my old titanium frame using any headphones was unbearable. now with some cheapo plastic frame it's actually no problem at all.

 

[BuddhaBruce]

I have a V30 and strongly thinking about giving these a go. I have certainly found out that this phone does not play well with planars, as both the HE-4xx and Hex v2 just dont have enough power. On the contrary, my FAD Pandora VI will blow my ears off at half volume--but that original slider system is atrocious and they are just way too big to tow around. I also have a Calyx M and Hidizs AP200, both of which may be on the selling block soon. I wish i would've known about the Cascade in time to sign up for the tour as the headband system and ear cup sizes are big variables to test out--I guess that's why places like headphones.com have such great return policies...and an incredibly knowledgeable staff as well.

I tried to at least scan all 64 pages of this thread and i noticed a few of you are using this V30 source. How does it sound with these broken in....clarity and power...compared to a dedicated amp?

I am completely NON-IEM for a variety of reasons and have moved my entire DSD collection over to SD card for V30 playback and a duplicate of the ones for my Exasound DAC. So yes, I would be nearly 100% high-res DSD for playback. Deciding between this and the much pricier Focal Clear, which, although its at perfect resistance to trigger high-powe mode, i dont think the phone would be able to resolve well enough for their expense.

What do V30 owners think of the pairing of these?

Strange I can drive my edition x v2 pretty easily on my iphone 6s

 

[scottm18]

Strange I can drive my edition x v2 pretty easily on my iphone 6s

The V30 has a notoriously picky amp. It drives dynamic phones with no issue, but seems to have trouble with planars. My dynamic Pandoras are at least twice as loud as especially my HE-4xxx. The Hex is a bit better at less resistance and more senstivity, but still needs more oomph.

 

[Seler]

Since I do own the ZX300 I decided to test the 4,4mm balanced output and went for the DIY silver cable (ca. 140$). Now just need to wait a week or 2 untill it's done. I was considering ALO cable but with duty tax and VAT the price would be more than 50% of what I paid for Cascades and for me it means getting too close to "this hobby is a disease" zone.

 

[Anaz]

See my Post #732 and Post #739. I added a replacement HD 580/600 headband cushion for added padding and so the the center notch could relieve pressure on the center.

Hi,

Got a pair of these recently. They are quite uncomfortable, I cannot do long listening sessions at all. I have a pair of HD6xx that I have no problems with for 8hr sessions.

Any suggestions? Maybe some sort of a cloth for the band?

 

[koenoe]

See my Post #732 and Post #739. I added a replacement HD 580/600 headband cushion for added padding and so the the center notch could relieve pressure on the center.

Yes I know, tried this too. But it looks hideous, lol.

 

[NewEve]

I was considering ALO cable but with duty tax and VAT the price would be more than 50% of what I paid for Cascades and for me it means getting too close to "this hobby is a disease" zone.

This reminds me of something...

 

[Sound Eq]

i am past 150 hours using cascade, and I am using no filters at all and everything sounds simply amazing, I feel the music never sounded as amazing like when using cascade on my ifi pro can amp, I ended up selling my lcd x, which was an all time favourite of mine.

The sound is simply addictive I am using it non stop for hours a day, the bass and how fast it is and full rich, the mids which are right where I like them, the highs never harsh and detailed. Soundstage is perfect.

All I can say i am dead worried how my upcoming hifiman he xv2 and zmf atticus that will arrive soon will compete with the cascade, this cascade simply is the best headphone I ever heard to this date.

@KB thanks for this masterpiece

 

[KB]

i am past 150 hours using cascade, and I am using no filters at all and everything sounds simply amazing, I feel the music never sounded as amazing like when using cascade on my ifi pro can amp, I ended up selling my lcd x, which was an all time favourite of mine.

The sound is simply addictive I am using it non stop for hours a day, the bass and how fast it is and full rich, the mids which are right where I like them, the highs never harsh and detailed. Soundstage is perfect.

All I can say i am dead worried how my upcoming hifiman he xv2 and zmf atticus that will arrive soon will compete with the cascade, this cascade simply is the best headphone I ever heard to this date.

@KB thanks for this masterpiece

Sound Eq,

Wow, so great to hear! we could not be more thrilled to hear all the great feedback.

I thank you so much.

Cheers

Ken

 

[menuki]

Hey Guys,

I'll be preordering the Cascade's very soon, but I'm just a tiny bit hesitant as one reviewer stated this:

"Concern for yolk/hanger durability"

He mentioned that the yolk / hanger was slightly bent on arrival, thus he bent it back and it was fine, but he was a still worried that dropping might break them since Aluminium in generel rather snaps than bending. Can some of you maybe do a little stress test and assure me that this is not really a weak point? How does it generally feel stability-wise arround that area? Otherwise they seem built like a tank.

Furthermore, is there any other Over-Ear headphone which can even reach the water of the cascade in terms of Bass-heavy-signature, while maintaining a nice midrange and treble, which are also built like a tank and which are also as affordable?

Also, Ken, if you're reading this, could you tell me if you're actually offering replacement pads? I'm not sure how long real leather-earpads take to be worn down, but I suposse after 2-4 years one might want to replace the pads.

Thank you all in advance!

 

[Wiljen]

We will see how well the pads hold up when the tour units come back in. They will have probably 600+ hours on them at that point so probably a pretty good barometer of how well connections, pads, filters, etc hold up to long term usage.

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

is there any other Over-Ear headphone which can even reach the water of the cascade in terms of Bass-heavy-signature, while maintaining a nice midrange and treble,

No.

RBH did a cheap set that alluded to the potential that this driver coating had. It was a revelation for folks who love bass and expect/hope/dream for good mids and treble.It is rare. I'm not aware of any set that does it better and I spend my time in Japanese headphone shops looking for em'.

 

[Anaz]

Yes I know, tried this too. But it looks hideous, lol.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder LOL ...I haven’t been outside with them yet tho

On another note, I have 200+ hours on the Cascade (no filters) and the sound is amazingly rich with a bass punch now and then LOL. IMO, the Cascade sound better the more I listen to them (driver burn-in definitely, plus some user acclimation to the sound signature). Also, I’ve found that the Cascade pairs extremely well with a Mojo. If the Cascade are any indication, I’m definitely pleased with the CA house sound.

 

[menuki]

No.

RBH did a cheap set that alluded to the potential that this driver coating had. It was a revelation for folks who love bass and expect/hope/dream for good mids and treble.It is rare. I'm not aware of any set that does it better and I spend my time in Japanese headphone shops looking for em'.

This also makes me wonder why they opted for a beryllium driver instead of carbon-diamond for example. Maybe beryllium does some things better than even graphene or ceramic found in even more expensive headphones. But who knows, maybe their next headphones will have a graphene driver or one made out of some other metal.

 

[BuddhaBruce]

Hey Guys,

I'll be preordering the Cascade's very soon, but I'm just a tiny bit hesitant as one reviewer stated this:

"Concern for yolk/hanger durability"

He mentioned that the yolk / hanger was slightly bent on arrival, thus he bent it back and it was fine, but he was a still worried that dropping might break them since Aluminium in generel rather snaps than bending. Can some of you maybe do a little stress test and assure me that this is not really a weak point? How does it generally feel stability-wise arround that area? Otherwise they seem built like a tank.

Furthermore, is there any other Over-Ear headphone which can even reach the water of the cascade in terms of Bass-heavy-signature, while maintaining a nice midrange and treble, which are also built like a tank and which are also as affordable?

Also, Ken, if you're reading this, could you tell me if you're actually offering replacement pads? I'm not sure how long real leather-earpads take to be worn down, but I suposse after 2-4 years one might want to replace the pads.

Thank you all in advance!

I would not be so concerned about durability. Since they were made for travel - they should be able to take a decent beating. Likewise the yolk/hanger is rather thick. If you have seen an Aeon yolk/hanger it is about 2x/3x as thick.

I had a similar situation where my right yolk was bent slightly, not allowing the intended full motion of the hinge. This problem seemed to resolve itself somehow as I didn't do much manual bending.

As for other headphones, you could try that Sony Z7 a try. I've never tried it but I heard it's pretty good for the price..