[ken6217]

Thank you very much for the info, will give that a try.

You’re welcome. If you look back a couple pages, I posted the email address. If you don’t find it, let me know and I’ll look for it.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I got 4 pair of that aliexpress plug and it works great, I would never call it bad quality, it's just plastic instead of metal.

I wouldn't trust long plug that doesn't secure the jack. We've seen a fellow head-fier that got the internal jack broken.

I purchased a pair of 8" connector cables from Forza, made of the same cable as my 2 x 2M Noir HCP MKIis. They have a long, narrow jack that can fit into the D8K's earcups without interfering with the locking mechanism (ie, the shaft is thin enough for no contact to happen).

Is this ideal? Of course not. I would glady have purchased Final's locking jacks direct from them, but they won't sell them. apparently preferring to sell customers a very pricey "upgrade" cable (1.5M silver) that is too short, too expensive, and the wrong metal for me. So I declined to buy that cable and sought alternatives.

I never unplug those cable connectors, so no wear and tear on the female jacks in the earcups. Once, just once, I snagged the longer Forza cable on something, and the left earcup's 8" connector popped out. I plugged it back in ... no problem to this day.

So I do trust the long plug "solution" to this issue, mainly because I'm careful with them, also because Final doesn't give me much choice.

 

[timsams]

So I do trust the long plug "solution" to this issue, mainly because I'm careful with them, also because Final doesn't give me much choice.

If you have a second thought, give the aliexpress plug a chance. A forza cable si cheap enough, you can experiment to your liking.

 

[OctavianH]

I never unplug those cable connectors, so no wear and tear on the female jacks in the earcups. Once, just once, I snagged the longer Forza cable on something, and the left earcup's 8" connector popped out. I plugged it back in ... no problem to this day.

So I do trust the long plug "solution" to this issue, mainly because I'm careful with them, also because Final doesn't give me much choice.

I am the fellow head-fier @timsams mentioned that broke the internal female jack of the D8000 Pro. Basically this is the reason I bought a spare D8000 Pro and now I wait to send my headphone to Japan to be fixed (hopefully). I will show the Forza AudioWorks connector:

And I will also explain my usage scenario and my personal view on the matter. I unplugged 40-50 times this connector, or maybe more, it's hard to track it since I never thought this can be a breaking point of the headphone. Everyone was complaining about rattle, high volume driver problems, but in my case the 3.5mm female jack broke first and I never encountered any of the other issues. The reason I disconnected the cable more often is because I am a tube roller and from time to time, when I switch tubes with new pairs I prefer to protect the headphone by disconnecting it before I check all is fine on the amplifier. It's not a daily basis operation but it happens from time to time, and the XLR 4 pin termination on the amplifier is harder to disconnect than the headphone itself. So I preferred to do it like this. A better scenario for me would be to make a 6.3mm cable with pigtail and disconnect from the cable and not amplifier/headphone. I prefer to have less connections if possible.

Now, my personal view on the matter: this problem is not a wrong usage of the product from my side, in my view such a connector should last hundreds of connect/disconnect operations. It is also debatable if usage of a non proprietary cable with a non proprietary connector might be also wrong usage. In my view all these companies reinventing the wheel with these connectors are also doing a wrong design. And to replace that female jack which is inside the metal unibody is not easy either, because you need to disassemble completely the involed earcup.

One thing I want also to mention is that the silver newer pair of D8000 Pro has much better "grip" when you insert the cable than my older black pair had even at beginning. My pair was bought new so I exclude wear, it was new and unsealed by me. I think in time Final improved something on this side and my early model did not had it. Of course, pure assumption.

 

[fidgeraldo]

Hmm, interesting story

I am like Pharmaboy. When I connect the cable once...it stays there.
I didn't have to read this story to know that these connectors are fragile.
HD800S or HD820...there is no way that I would disconnect these again unless it's really necessary...
I did a couple of times because I had to...and that's it...

Hmm, I am contemplating the idea that it would be best (safest) if all headphones had their own amp,
so I don't have to bother with unplugging at all

And the reason why you did that is...because it's easier...huh
Good luck, man!

Cheers!

I never unplug those cable connectors, so no wear and tear on the female jacks in the earcups.

Besides that, have you tried Caldera closed back at CanJam?

Cheers!

 

[samr33]

Many thanks for taking the time to dig up this info. Have you used the Bispa plug?

Yes, all of my homemade cable are using Bispa plug.

 

[alpha80]

D8000 Pro is really the best reference Planar IMHO, with *almost* as much frequency-response-neutrality in the most important areas as the AUDEZE SINE, but quite obviously worlds better in all other regards.

And the area where the frequency response isn’t “engineer neutral”, but makes things “sound better than they really are, is in the “irritating range”, with a very similar “smoothing of shouty vocals” dip, ALA the FOCAL UTOPIA, and SENNHEISER HE-90 ORPHEUS, or the less expensive but great for their time BeyerDynamic DT-990 600ohm.

So in that regard, the D8000Pro can be utilized as an engineering phone, for everything except that area of human vocal range/ascending mids. In those regions, same as the HD800/s, AKG K812, DT-1990, it toes the line of audiophile headphone and engineer’s tool. It also has every bit as much AIR as the DT-1990A & K812, but the D8000Pro is slightly more forgiving of recordings with excessive sharpness.

That said, in the rest of the FR range, it tends more towards the analytical/eingineer side, very similar to the DT-1990A, or a leaner K812, but with the sweeter/smoother/more-upfront mids of the FOCAL UTOPIA.

It has the best timbre, soundstage, and overall frequency response I’ve heard in any Planar. Yes, even slightly better Timbre & FR than the venerable Susvara.

Well done, FINAL AUDIO, y’all and FOCAL are showing much promise, in creating the next generation of truly exemplary flagship headphones for professionals and ultra-discerning hobbyists alike.

 

[alpha80]

Hmm, interesting story

I am like Pharmaboy. When I connect the cable once...it stays there.
I didn't have to read this story to know that these connectors are fragile.
HD800S or HD820...there is no way that I would disconnect these again unless it's really necessary...
I did a couple of times because I had to...and that's it...

Hmm, I am contemplating the idea that it would be best (safest) if all headphones had their own amp,
so I don't have to bother with unplugging at all

And the reason why you did that is...because it's easier...huh
Good luck, man!

Cheers!


Besides that, have you tried Caldera closed back at CanJam?

Cheers!

Same as both of you with my beloved K812, only two in-strokes in its 3-pin LEMO connector history lol. I have taken great care of it like a newborn, and have zero problems of any kind with it. Hoping for decades more use from it.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Besides that, have you tried Caldera closed back at CanJam?

Sure did. That's going to be a killer headphone. It's still pre-production ... ZMF hasn't nailed down the pads that will be stock, wood, etc. But it's already evident the CC will be pretty wonderful.

"And in D8000 news" (OG D8000 with the Pro's "G" pads, right now listening to some fine neo-R&B on the D8K with the V281. This is an amp and headphone that never disappoint. Lovely sounds and bass that won't quit. There really is nothing better than planar bass, and my favorite planars (D8K; Ori; Caldera Open) really bring it.

 

[joseG86]

Sure did. That's going to be a killer headphone. It's still pre-production ... ZMF hasn't nailed down the pads that will be stock, wood, etc. But it's already evident the CC will be pretty wonderful.

"And in D8000 news" (OG D8000 with the Pro's "G" pads, right now listening to some fine neo-R&B on the D8K with the V281. This is an amp and headphone that never disappoint. Lovely sounds and bass that won't quit. There really is nothing better than planar bass, and my favorite planars (D8K; Ori; Caldera Open) really bring it.

Indeed, V281's been my best purchase in audio besides D8KP, it NEVER disappoints

 

[OctavianH]

Indeed, V281's been my best purchase in audio besides D8KP, it NEVER disappoints

Better than HA-6A?

 

[joseG86]

Better than HA-6A?

Totally different hahaha, V281 is like you power on and instantly enjoy while HA-6A you sit, make a cup of coffee or some good alcohol and relax with plenty of time ahead because it is going to be worth it

 

[OctavianH]

Totally different hahaha, V281 is like you power on and instantly enjoy while HA-6A you sit, make a cup of coffee or some good alcohol and relax with plenty of time ahead because it is going to be worth it

Tube amps provide you the complete experience, you just need to be patient. Alcohol, tobacco, women and later music. LOL

 

[Pharmaboy]

If you have a second thought, give the aliexpress plug a chance. A forza cable si cheap enough, you can experiment to your liking.

Honestly, I never even had a first thought...so a second seems unlikely.

(but seriously) Soldering and terminating cables is way beyond my skills, so I'll have to take your word on the aliexpress plugs. The only way I could use them is to send them to a cable mfr (Matt @Forza or Trevor @Norne) and pay to have cables redone. Since I'm quite happy with the sound I'm getting from these cables "as is," I probably wouldn't do that.

 

[Pharmaboy]

The reason I disconnected the cable more often is because I am a tube roller and from time to time, when I switch tubes with new pairs I prefer to protect the headphone by disconnecting it before I check all is fine on the amplifier. It's not a daily basis operation but it happens from time to time, and the XLR 4 pin termination on the amplifier is harder to disconnect than the headphone itself.

I'm kind of baffled by this. I would never disconnect the cable from the headphone when I could instead disconnect the 4-pin XLR jack from the amp. Several reasons for that:

1. Balanced cables are always separate L & R, so disconnect the cables at the headphone means disconnecting 2 jacks, not one
2. Those headphone side jacks are always smaller and less robust than the single 4-pin balanced jack on the amp side
3. And disconnecting the 4-pin XLR jack is never truly hard, though the few amps I have that have locking tabs make this a bit more of an adventure than it should be sans locking tab

Not intended as criticism, though. Maybe this is just my preferred mode of operation. I tend to leave the same cables plugged into the same headphone for long periods and very rarely find myself unplugging the cables from the headphones for any reason...