[uelover]

Quote:

The fact is silver plated OFC copper is more costly and complex to incorporate into your lineup than using the same cable you use for all your other phones.  The accountants at Sennheiser would say one of three things:
 
1-the cable makes no audible difference, use the same cheaper cable.  Since they do use it, we can rule that out.
2-the cable does do something according to the engineers, so use it.
3-marketing the more expensive cable will yield greater profits over the greater costs of incorporating it.

You can email their accountants and let us know about their reply

 

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

The fact is silver plated OFC copper is more costly and complex to incorporate into your lineup than using the same cable you use for all your other phones.  

And the HD-800 is a more costly and complex headphone.
 
Quote:

The accountants at Sennheiser would say one of three things:
 
1-the cable makes no audible difference, use the same cheaper cable.  Since they do use it, we can rule that out.
2-the cable does do something according to the engineers, so use it.
3-marketing the more expensive cable will yield greater profits over the greater costs of incorporating it.
 
So the choice is either 2 or 3.  Now, IME and reading I know of not one instance where someone's HD800 purchase hinged on what cable it was using.

 
But the marketing is all part of a "package." It's not the singular buzzword that causes people to consciously tip the scales. It's the whole package of which the OFHC is just a part. Much of modern marketing goes after that which is below the conscious level. For an interesting read on this, check out Martin Lindstrom's Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy.
 
Quote:

If you look at the website, it says this:
 
"Specially tuned symmetrical, impedance matching cable with low capacitance"
 
No mention of silver or OFC copper in the description.  No mention of composition in the speciifcations.  No mention of anything on the HD800 box.

 
Look on the HD-800 page on their website under "Premium Parts":
 
The internals of the Kevlar-strengthened cables are made up of oxygen-free copper (OFC) material while the plugs are gold-plated and tinned with silver solder.
 
There are three "audiophile" buzzwords in that section. Aerospace industry, oxygen-free copper and silver solder.
 
se
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

Now you could be right, but with my experience and lack of any data to the contrary I've yet to be persuaded otherwise.  Sorry, I just don't see or hear of anyone buying the HD800 or HD25II based on what kind of cable they have. 
 

I think the vast majority of buyers will buy a particular headphone because they like that headphone, not because of the cable used. You're not going to buy an Audi over a Mercedes because you prefer Audi's OEM tire choice. If you bother to mention your cable at all in your materials (which I don't think you need to do), something like "pure OFC copper" should be enough to persuade the tiny minority of shoppers that care about the cable at all, and small gauge pure OFC copper costs essentially nothing. Anybody who really cares about the cable is likely to replace whatever the stock cable is with an ALO or DHC anyway. Using more expensive copper and better insulators in your cable without telling anyone would seem to be completely senseless - unless you feel that they improve the sound of the headphone.

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

You're not going to buy an Audi over a Mercedes because you prefer Audi's OEM tire choice.

No, but you might convince yourself that you prefer the Audi because of any number of psychological factors that aren't directly related to its performance, including but not limited to the persuasion tactics and priming they use in advertising.

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

No, but you might convince yourself that you prefer the Audi because of any number of psychological factors that aren't directly related to its performance, including but not limited to the persuasion tactics and priming they use in advertising.

That may very well be true. Car buying is very often an emotional purchase, if it wasn't cars would probably still look like they did in the '80s. However, I think the analogy is still applicable. You buy a Mercedes over an Audi or vice versa because that's the car you want. As long as the car comes with a set of tires, that's good enough. Ultrasone loves to brag about their technologies, and they devote one sentence to the cable used on the Edition 10 for the few people who might care about that part. 
 
As I said, anybody who really cares about the headphone cable is likely to toss the stock cable, no matter what it is.

 

[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

No, but you might convince yourself that you prefer the Audi because of any number of psychological factors that aren't directly related to its performance, including but not limited to the persuasion tactics and priming they use in advertising.

I purchased a new 1980 Mercedes 4 dr sedan 300 SD Turbo back in 1980 just because I loved the way it looked upon first sight. No one persuaded me, I saw no advertisements. I didn't even drive it first. It was a beautiful looking vehicle. I guess it was all emotional on my part or attraction to the design, or both. Not sure which.    Either way that car lasted me 21 years with no major breakdowns or repairs.  It had nearly 400,000 miles and was still running when I sold it.  Man I loved that vehicle.  One screwdriver fit all the screws in the car.  amazing suspension. and as I was to find out. Chicks really dug it. 
 
But just to keep this thread on track I think the copper wire used in the audio system was just plain copper.  No special sonic attributes...

 


 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

There are three "audiophile" buzzwords in that section. Aerospace industry, oxygen-free copper and silver solder.

Which is actually wrong according to the manual.  It's silver plated OFC cable.  Imagine all the sales they've lost due to that error!  

  

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

I purchased a new 1980 Mercedes 4 dr sedan 300 SD Turbo back in 1980 just because I loved the way it looked upon first sight. No one persuaded me, I saw no advertisements. I didn't even drive it first. It was a beautiful looking vehicle. I guess it was all emotional on my part or attraction to the design, or both. Not sure which.    Either way that car lasted me 21 years with no major breakdowns or repairs.  It had nearly 400,000 miles and was still running when I sold it.  Man I loved that vehicle.  One screwdriver fit all the screws in the car.  amazing suspension. and as I was to find out. Chicks really dug it. 
 
But just to keep this thread on track I think the copper wire used in the audio system was just plain copper.  No special sonic attributes...

 


 

expensive audio cables are the same way, they look beautiful, and perform better than regular  cables as well. 

 

[Tilpo]

expensive audio cables are the same way, they look beautiful, and perform better than regular  cables as well. 

I don't know about performance, but for one thing a headphone with a cotton sleeved cable and nice contacts will look prettier than one with a cheap looking stock cable.

If I were to produce headphones I think it might be a good idea not to get fancy audiophile cables, but rather get a good looking cable of high build quality. You're paying several hundred bucks for you headphones, and you often even get pretty packaging. So why can't the company spend the extra few bucks on a pretty cable?

 

[Nom de Plume]

 
Dubstep Girl, you certainly aren't prohibited from voicing your opinion, but I implore you to provide something substantial rather than a useless collection of one-sentence claims.
The reason you repeatedly present these arguments while subsequently neglecting to provide any sound evidence continues to elude me. What do you aim to achieve? 

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

I don't know about performance, but for one thing a headphone with a cotton sleeved cable and nice contacts will look prettier than one with a cheap looking stock cable.

You know what's funny?  At our recent local meet I asked where someone got their ratty ass cloth sleeved cables thinking they were cheap and I'd pick myself up some.  I was told they were $600+ used!  So much for my expectation bias.  Guess I didn't get the memo.

 

[Tilpo]

 
Dubstep Girl, you certainly aren't prohibited from voicing your opinion, but I implore you to provide something substantial rather than a useless collection of one-sentence claims.
The reason you repeatedly present these arguments while subsequently neglecting to provide any sound evidence continues to elude me. What do you aim to achieve? 

Trolling?

But I would have to agree. We respect the fact that you don't share our opinion, but it would be better for the discussion if you would give evidence to back up your claims.

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

But just to keep this thread on track I think the copper wire used in the audio system was just plain copper.  No special sonic attributes...

 


 

Very little thought was given to car stereos in the '80s. There may have been a Bose stereo here or there, but I don't think anyone gave it much thought. Unless I'm mistaken, Lexus was the first to break out of that mold with their Nakamichi branded premium stereo offerings. That opened the floodgates to what we have today - Mark Levinson, Naim, Bang and Olufsen, Lexicon, and Porsche's incredible Burmester system. I wouldn't be surprised if the Panamera stereo used something other than plain copper.

 

[WarriorAnt]

High end expensive cabling in a vehicle is where I draw the line and I'm pretty ridiculous in general. But I guess there are car audiophiles who feel they are worth it...

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

High end expensive cabling in a vehicle is where I draw the line and I'm pretty ridiculous in general. But I guess there are car audiophiles who feel they are worth it...

unfortunately, i don't think much of the car audio market is targeted towards audiophiles. its all about watts and bass.