[fiascogarcia]

  Portable end game reached, at least for the next few months  ; )
 
 
DHC Molecule Elite 22 
DHC Mini Complement4 
RWAK380cu + RWcuAmp
ALO CDM running Mullards
Hifiman Edition X
Fully Balanced
 
 
 
 

Very nice setup!  Is the mini Complement4 a silver or fusion?  Noticeable SQ enhancements with it?  Thanks!

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Spoiler: onlychild

  Portable end game reached, at least for the next few months  ; )
 
 
DHC Molecule Elite 22 
DHC Mini Complement4 
RWAK380cu + RWcuAmp
ALO CDM running Mullards
Hifiman Edition X
Fully Balanced
 

 

 
That is a stunningly beautiful setup, gorgeous equipment and truly breathtaking cables!
 
Yeah ok @onlychild, so you have a better setup than my Onkyo DP-X1 set to high gain, balanced ACG mode, connected directly to my DHC Molecule Elite 22 OCC Silver Litz (25AWG) balanced cable with aluminium body and silver carbon fibre Y-splitter.
 
I really want that ALO CDM, but I will be getting the Cavalli Audio Carbon in September, and hopefully a 2.5 mm to 2x 3-Pin XLR Complment4 Silver (or Elite 22 Silver) interconnect, as well as a 2.5 mm to 4-Pin ultrashort adapter.
 
Anyway, again with poor lightning in my room, here's my setup tonight!
 

 
<3
 
Been playing with that and my Meze Headphones Classics 99 Walnut Silver all day!

 

[onlychild]

Very nice setup!  Is the mini Complement4 a silver or fusion?  Noticeable SQ enhancements with it?  Thanks!

It's silver. Before I got it I was using 8-wire copper Plus sound audio balanced IC and I noticed it was too much warmth with the ALO CDM and was losing details and space vs playing straight out of RWak380cu Amp. The silver complement4 fixed that, incredibly neutral.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

It's silver. Before I got it I was using 8-wire copper Plus sound audio balanced IC and I noticed it was too much warmth with the ALO CDM and was losing details and space vs playing straight out of RWak380cu Amp. The silver complement4 fixed that, incredibly neutral.

 
I mentioned in a big earlier post on this thread the perceived nature of colour and sound humans have, but generally yes, copper is warmer sounding.
 
However, @onlychild nails the sound of the DHC Complement4 Silver (the DHC Molecule Elite 22 Silver that we both use is also a Complement4 but without the heavy shielding).
The Silver cables we both use is neutral, but I would go further and say it's just pure holographic, effortless and grain free. I have never heard cables to lower so much in noise that it allows the music to play so truthfully.
 
I think @onlychild and @mi will back me up on that.
 
Peter is a ******* genius, just saying.

 

[onlychild]

Wow. TOTL everything! So how's it sound?

 
Incredible!!  Took me a while to get the right amount of warmth, detail, bass, highs, power, etc THAT I LIKE, basically the sound that I wanted.  The Edition X is what started it all!  The DHC cables is what helped me finish it/fine tune it.  

 

[Luvdac]

Balanced cables for meze 99 classics....???? Forgive my not wanting to go thru the entire thread.....

 

[goldendarko]

  Balanced cables for meze 99 classics....???? Forgive my not wanting to go thru the entire thread.....

No.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Balanced cables for meze 99 classics....???? Forgive my not wanting to go thru the entire thread.....

No.

Actually, it's a maybe.

Peter of DHC has posted about this, and so have I.

I wrote about this topic earlier on the Meze 99 Classics thread (please read that post).

However, here's the important info for you guys from my post:

"The Meze 99 Classics are, currently, an odd ball.
There are currently no unbalanced cables designed for 99 Classics due to the very small entry bores on each earcup.
Peter from DHC has posted a possible solution, and I believe he's working with Meze and myself to see what's possible, but nothing is concrete.

"So, I would enjoy the 99 Classics unbalanced. My Onkyo DP-X1 drives them well via unbalanced 3.5 mm, and I switch to my Audeze EL L-8 Titanium with DHC Molecule Elite 22 Silver cable in DP-X1 ACG balanced mode, throughout the day.
Two different yet equally amazing experiences.

"The 99 Classics sound amazing unbalanced, which I still cannot believe considering that they are not priced at $500 (I'm also including aesthetics; every tasteful part and look double up as functional pieces. Excellent engineering and thoughtful design!). The sound is closer to what I expect from balanced cans.

"Enjoy them as is but keep your eye out on here and DHC thread."

Essentially, Peter is working on a solution, but there is no guarantee that it will work.
If it can't be done, then we will not see higher quality unbalanced or balanced cables for 99 Classics; nothing has been decided or offered at present.

Keep your eyes on here and the Meze thread.

 

[goldendarko]

Actually, it's a maybe.

Peter of DHC has posted about this, and so have I.

I wrote about this topic earlier on the Meze 99 Classics thread (please read that post).

However, here's the important info for you guys from my post:
Essentially, Peter is working on a solution, but there is no guarantee that it will work.
If it can't be done, then we will not see higher quality unbalanced or balanced cables for 99 Classics; nothing has been decided or offered at present.

Keep your eyes on here and the Meze thread.

I was actually more referring to how easy they were to drive, 103db Sensitivity & 32 ohm's so they shouldn't require the extra power balanced brings.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

I was actually more referring to how easy they were to drive, 103db Sensitivity & 32 ohm's so they shouldn't require the extra power balanced brings.

That is true, and I touched upon that in my post too.
Unbalanced is a nuts, amazing, really awesome.

However, balanced isn't just about power, but potentially lower noise floor and greater clarity.

Take, for example, the Onkyo DP-X1.
It can run in full balanced mode (BTL: 2x DAC's/channel, 2x Amps/channel), or Active Control Ground mode (2x DAC's/channel, 1x Amp set to ground 0v, 1x amp for both Left and Right channels).
The latter has lower output power than BTL, but greater clarity due to lower noise floor.

So that's a potential of balanced gear, lower noise.
Of course, unbalanced systems can also have low noise if extremely well built, such as Pass Labs HPA-1.

Furthermore, whether unbalanced or balanced, who wouldn't want a superior copper, copper + silver, or pure silver cable for 99 Classics!

 

[goldendarko]

Yeah, even still, I wouldn't recommend balanced cables for headphones in the $300-$400 dollar range, half the time the cables will cost at least as much as the headphones and the gain won't be nearly as significant as with a higher end headphone. I would recommend to either get the Meze's and enjoy them as is, or use the extra money and invest in a higher end headphone, or spend it on a better amp. Just my opinion though.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

  Yeah, even still, I wouldn't recommend balanced cables for headphones in the $300-$400 dollar range, half the time the cables will cost at least as much as the headphones and the gain won't be nearly as significant as with a higher end headphone. I would recommend to either get the Meze's and enjoy them as is, or use the extra money and invest in a higher end headphone, or spend it on a better amp. Just my opinion though.

 
I'm sorry for the long delay in my reply...
 
Though I agree investing in an aftermarket cable can be expensive, and it may seem extreme to spend more on a cable than the headphone itself, bear in mind that a good portion of the audio industry is based on pushing equipment to their best (to whatever you find to be the musical to you), from expensive cables to DAC's, amps, etc.
This is no different for headphones.
 
I wrote an extensive article regarding this, please read this link here.
 
I'll quote one line from that article post here:
 

"However, for me the cost of cable is not relative to the cost of the headphone. If I can maximise the potential of a certain headphone as far as I can, then I don't mind pouring in the investment to do so." by @TheOneInYellow

 
 
Of course this is my opinion, but I feel that once you have found a headphone you enjoy, why not max it's capabilities with the best cable you can, giving you years of enjoyment with any gear you use or test?
 
On the other hand, that thinking is expensive, but this is Head-Fi afterall
 
Enjoy!

 

[goldendarko]

Sure but I'm just saying in general if you can get a great headphone with a stock cable or a mid level headphone with a high end cable you're still better off with a better headphone.

 

[Whazzzup]

Sure but I'm just saying in general if you can get a great headphone with a stock cable or a mid level headphone with a high end cable you're still better off with a better headphone.

Ill agree with this, quality cables are the fondant of the cake as a metaphore, and to exemplify its taste, the cake inside should be of high quality first. For maximum pleasure. Well thank goodness its nearly dinner time in passau now, i worked up some apetite.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

 Classics Quote:

Sure but I'm just saying in general if you can get a great headphone with a stock cable or a mid level headphone with a high end cable you're still better off with a better headphone.

 
 

Ill agree with this, quality cables are the fondant of the cake as a metaphore, and to exemplify its taste, the cake inside should be of high quality first. For maximum pleasure. Well thank goodness its nearly dinner time in passau now, i worked up some apetite.

 
That is the alternative to my thinking.
 
I believe both are correct, but it all depends on what you prefer to do, and your own finances.
 
For example, as I wrote in my link posted above, some users only have finances for certain headphones, and may buy a headphone now, then a cable at a later date. Sure, they could sell the headphone and use the cash for the cable to get another headphone, but that is just one, very good idea.
I do believe that is usually the correct way to go forward in this hobby for many Head-Fi'ers too.
It is something I did for a long time, but no longer.
 
However, for some users, the headphone they invested in might have multiple applications, suits their lifestyle, so purchasing an expensive cable to max the performance of said headphone may be preferable to that user than finding an alternative headphone of greater sonics that matches their lifestyle. I fall into this group.
 
So I'll now use myself as an example.
My Audeze EL-8 Titanium, with the insane DHC Molecule Elite 22 OCC Silver Litz (24AWG) 4-Wire balanced cable, is great for at home and away, being my ultimate TOTL high-fidelity audiophile headphone for both applications. However, I will only take this as a portable setup if I am taking my (Timbuk2) messenger bag and official Audeze EL-8 case.
My Meze Headphones 99 Classics (Walnut Silver) is great for primarily portable use, especially when I am not taking my messenger bag, but also as an alternative headphone when I am at home. (I didn't want a similar sounding headphone to the EL-8 Ti, hence why I did not pick the Audeze Sine and, via Meze Headphones direct, got the 99 Classics).
 
The EL-8 Ti is $800, and DHC Molecule Elite 22 is $1100.
Added together, yes, I can invest $1900 into another can, but there are not many cans that have the features that the EL-8 Ti does and suits my needs. Furthermore, headphones around $1900 may not be suitable for outdoor or transportable use.
 
My Meze 99 Classics is $309, but I am currently using stock cables. I am working with DHC to get a Molecule Elite 22 Silver 4-Wire balanced cable for the 99 Classics; I do not expect anyone else to go so far, but I am crazy! That cable will be around $1000.
Once again, I could invest the cost of both ($1309) into another headphone, but what other headphones around that price matches the light ergonomics and sound for portable use?
 
Thus, each headphone are a permanent addition to my home and portable setups, and I don't mind getting the best cables for each.
 
I am not going to find many headphones that would equal or better either of those cans at either their respective prices, aesthetics, features and sonics for both at home and away applications when also including the cost of expensive aftermarket cables.
 
I also don't expect to get any other headphones in the near future either, as I planned carefully headphones to use for the long run.
That said, if I am going for any other headphones, I will now only look at the TOTL headphones in the world: Mr Speakers Ether C or Ether Electrostatic, Audeze 2016 LCD-4 200 Ohm, Noble Audio K10 CIEM, Focal Utopia, etc.
 
A lot of time, research, and investment was poured into the above, and my home setup is just missing two pieces of gear (Cavalli Audio Liquid Carbon and associated DHC interconnect cables). Combined with my Onkyo DP-X1 and SubPac S2 seatback tactile bass system, I am creating a very specific immersive sound system via headphones.
The EL-8 Ti and 99 Classics (alongside AKG K 712 for gaming) fit this setup, or with just DP-X1 for away use.
I envisage a very long time of use with this setup with little changes (maybe DAP changes but we shall see).
Once this setup is complete, I can look forward into investing into top tier, summit-fi headphones and summit-fi cables too. 
 
It is a choice to each user, but I'll say this; worthiness is different to each person, and when you have found something of worth to you that fits your needs, do all you can to maximise your happiness.
 
Once again, this is a personal opinion, and is certainly not the only one. It's just that I am completely bonkers, but I didn't do any of the above without real thinking and research, having the support of this forum and my audio friends.
 
^^