[Huxo]

Would be great if someone can tell me the inner dimensions of the XL pads (height/width)?

 

[rudbeard]

Would be great if someone can tell me the inner dimensions of the XL pads (height/width)?

The ID of the XL leather pads are about 45mm wide and 70mm tall. the regular leather 35mm wide and 65mm tall.

 

[Huxo]

The ID of the XL leather pads are about 45mm wide and 70mm tall. the regular leather 35mm wide and 65mm tall.

Thanks a lot. Sounds perfect!

 

[Neweymatt]

Loving my new Cascades!
Picked them up last Friday along with an AK SR25. This is my first significant HeadFi purchase, and in some ways I'm glad I've waited. This combo, along with Tidal HiFi subscription, is ideal for my kind of music: classic/indie/alternative Rock, EDM, Hip Hop & Rap. It's no slouch with acoustic, classical, folk or jazz either..

After more time with the Cascade, I'm definitely hearing the benefit of a couple additions. XL Pads, burn-in, an aftermarket hybrid cable and a bit of EQ adjustment has brought these to life for me.

Can I ask which cable you've got? From what I've read in this and the SR25/SR15 forums, I'll get more out of the Cascade using the 2.5mm balanced output. I'm just not sure I can justify US$349 for the SXC8 Cable from ALO...

Any other recommendations for a not-break-the-bank balanced cable are welcome.

 

[joshUKUSA]

I've been considering buying either this or the e-mu teak, has anyone heard both of these and can offer a comparison?

 

[Malevolent]

I've been considering buying either this or the e-mu teak, has anyone heard both of these and can offer a comparison?

The E-MU Teak is the more balanced headphone of the 2. It is slightly bass boosted, with a more linear midrange, and a treble section that is lively and clear.

The Cascade, on the other hand, has a huge mid-bass hump, a recessed midrange, and a slightly-elevated treble. It has an undeniably "v-shaped" signature.

I find the Teak the more resolving headphone. It is also the preferred choice if you are not at all a huge basshead; you want something that is generally musical, with very good bass texture.

I own the Cascade, and I have auditioned the Teak on a few occasions.

 

[joshUKUSA]

The E-MU Teak is the more balanced headphone of the 2. It is slightly bass boosted, with a more linear midrange, and a treble section that is lively and clear.

The Cascade, on the other hand, has a huge mid-bass hump, a recessed midrange, and a slightly-elevated treble. It has an undeniably "v-shaped" signature.

I find the Teak the more resolving headphone. It is also the preferred choice if you are not at all a huge basshead; you want something that is generally musical, with very good bass texture.

I own the Cascade, and I have auditioned the Teak on a few occasions.

I'm essentially looking for a closed back with a good amount of bass to complement my hifiman sundaras, the cascades sound like a fun option for the level of bass on offer but I wonder if they suffer on detail and resolution in comparison to the e-mu's, if you could only own one set of closed backs which would you take out of the two?

 

[Malevolent]

I'm essentially looking for a closed back with a good amount of bass to complement my hifiman sundaras, the cascades sound like a fun option for the level of bass on offer but I wonder if they suffer on detail and resolution in comparison to the e-mu's, if you could only own one set of closed backs which would you take out of the two?

When I was shopping for the Cascade, I was looking for a "fun", bass-heavy option to complement the other headphones in my collection. Toward that end, I'd say that the Cascade fulfilled its intended role (very) well.

With that said, the Teak is the better choice, in general. Unless you're an unabashed basshead, and you need a lot of low-end thump, the E-MU's relatively linear signature will be a better fit for most genres of music.

Speaking of music, what are your preferred genres? Your answer will provide a little more context.

 

[joshUKUSA]

When I was shopping for the Cascade, I was looking for a "fun", bass-heavy option to complement the other headphones in my collection. Toward that end, I'd say that the Cascade fulfilled its intended role (very) well.

With that said, the Teak is the better choice, in general. Unless you're an unabashed basshead, and you need a lot of low-end thump, the E-MU's relatively linear signature will be a better fit for most genres of music.

Speaking of music, what are your preferred genres? Your answer will provide a little more context.

A pretty wide variety tbf, while the sundaras sound pretty great for most genres I suppose I'm looking for something with that extra level of bass and intensity that can add some extra oomph to EDM/Hip-Hop/Rock/Metal with the sundara remaining my standout choice for jazz/classical/acoustic and vocal heavy music. While the level of bass on the cascades sounds great for EDM can it end up muddying the music a bit for rock/metal?

 

[Nostoi]

A pretty wide variety tbf, while the sundaras sound pretty great for most genres I suppose I'm looking for something with that extra level of bass and intensity that can add some extra oomph to EDM/Hip-Hop/Rock/Metal with the sundara remaining my standout choice for jazz/classical/acoustic and vocal heavy music. While the level of bass on the cascades sounds great for EDM can it end up muddying the music a bit for rock/metal?

The Cascade is fairly configurable with the filters. In stock form, it can be muddy, but when I had them, I removed the white filter and it improved things remarkably. The massive mid-bass hump became far more linear. Same with pads, they vary the sound a lot. They're great headphones, but I think they fall short on a technical front.

 

[Neweymatt]

A pretty wide variety tbf, while the sundaras sound pretty great for most genres I suppose I'm looking for something with that extra level of bass and intensity that can add some extra oomph to EDM/Hip-Hop/Rock/Metal with the sundara remaining my standout choice for jazz/classical/acoustic and vocal heavy music. While the level of bass on the cascades sounds great for EDM can it end up muddying the music a bit for rock/metal?

I can't offer you a comparison to the e-mu, but I can say that the Cascade is great for what is sounds like your listening for.

The Cascade is my first serious HP purchase and I couldn't be happier. While I do appreciate a very wide range of musical genres & styles, the bulk of my listening lines up with harder rock/alternative, EDM, rap & hip-hop. I auditioned a few other closed backs such as Focal Elegia, Beyer T5p, Audeze LCD2, but they all felt like they were 'missing' something for me.

Have a listen yourself to be sure, but for me to enjoy the Stones, Radiohead, NIN, AC/DC, Metallica, Tribe Called Qwest, LCD Soundsystem, Run The Jewels etc, feels like these Cascades were made for it.
They're also pretty damn good with Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Beethoven's 9th as well...

 

[Malevolent]

A pretty wide variety tbf, while the sundaras sound pretty great for most genres I suppose I'm looking for something with that extra level of bass and intensity that can add some extra oomph to EDM/Hip-Hop/Rock/Metal with the sundara remaining my standout choice for jazz/classical/acoustic and vocal heavy music. While the level of bass on the cascades sounds great for EDM can it end up muddying the music a bit for rock/metal?

In stock form, the Teak is a cleaner headphone throughout; the lower-mids are free from mid-bass bloat. However, as @Nostoi mentioned, you can change the filter pads on the Cascade, and this will result in noticeable differences. One of the filters reduces the mid-bass hump, thus cleaning up the midrange a little.

It sounds like you want something with a sizeable low-end presence. If that is what you are looking for, go for the Cascade. The Teak will not provide the satisfaction that you seemingly crave.

For context, I listen to a lot of dance music, and they sound fantastic with the Cascade.

 

[niels004]

Question for the long term users.

How is the build holding up?

Are there problems with creaking or things breaking with moderate/intensive use?

 

[Malevolent]

Question for the long term users.

How is the build holding up?

Are there problems with creaking or things breaking with moderate/intensive use?

I haven't had any issues with the build quality, thus far. Of course, I have only had my Cascade for a few months, and I don't use them on a daily basis. Still, they are sturdily-built; I think they were made to last.

Long-term users can chime in with their thoughts. I, too, am interested to know if they can go the distance.

 

[mikem1062]

Question for the long term users.

How is the build holding up?

Are there problems with creaking or things breaking with moderate/intensive use?

Across roughly two years - everything's held up great. No wear noticeable on my set; still sounding great.