Okay, I know it's been a while since I had the 12-wire cable and I've been busy with school so I haven't had the time to explain more.
When I posted the pics on the previous page, it was literally brand new so I didn't have the time to post sonic impressions. Now, as I'm taking a break from studying, I feel this is the right time to do so.
When switching back and forth between the 12-wire sinnet and the stock HE-500 cable, it is a world of difference for me. Being so used to the Sinnet, the HE-500 with the stock cables sound congested and uneven in comparison. Here is a comparison, the stock cable is like a clogged artery all full of plaque (be sure to exercise daily!) while the DHC Sinnet Hybrid is like a healthy artery. The word that captures the difference between a quality cable, such as DHC, and an inferior cable has to be "effortless". Throughout my entire listening experience, the word "effortless" manages to capture just what DHC cables does best. For instance, vocals sound more effortless, meaning the delivery sounds unstressed. People confuse this description with "laid-back", but that is a tragic misconception. Effortless, to me, means unstressed and natural sounding, almost like a fantastic vocalist having the time of his/her life on stage with a smile on their face.
Treble sounds noticeably smoother as well. Still manages to capture crisp treble, but does it with more ease now, reducing some uneven aspects. In general, I believe OCC just CLEARS things right up, from bass to treble.
Like I said above, vocals are more effortless. Strings, specifically my favorite Cello and Violin, sounds more delightful now. In a sense, it sounds more raw. The tone sounds unstressed and natural; a step closer to the real thing.
With the bass, it almost feels like it is tightened up. Quantity wise, I feel it is difficult to measure, but texture wise, it sounds much better refined and put together. With the Symbiote SE and my UM CIEM, I managed to hear a significant bass extension improvement, but with the HE-500 and Sinnet, extension seems to be unchanged mostly because my CIEM failed to get past 24Hz while my HE-500 easily reaches 20Hz.
I know there is always debates on how cables don't make a difference and how measurements are done. Yes, I agree how measurable elements, such as FR and THD, shows how cables fail to improve headphones, but there is another part to this debate that cannot be measured with equipment as easily. It is extremely difficult to measure elements like unstressed and "effortless". I use aftermarket cables specifically for aesthetics and subtle improvements such as I described. People just expect cables to "fix" up the bass, mids, treble, soundstage, and other nonsense applications. This is the reason why such heated debates arise.
Don't argue with measurements, it is pointless to do so. I agree how there is no quantifiable increase in whatever. Trust your ears, and if you do give aftermarket cables a shot, make sure it is OCC copper... Not OFC.