[TooFrank]

So I got my Stella a Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, should be here tomorrow!! Trying to pick out a SD card now. Then I just need a headphone cable upgrade. I’m still lost on the that. Moon Audio’s Black Dragon and Kimber Kable Axios are all I know of. Looking for more quality options. DanaCable perhaps but they don’t have the options I need on their website.

You may also try Arctic cables. Several Stellia owners including me are very happy with the 8-Core Neotech UP-OCC Pure Silver 7N LT-6 Cable.

 

[llamaluv]

You may also try Arctic cables. Several Stellia owners including me are very happy with the 8-Core Neotech UP-OCC Pure Silver 7N LT-6 Cable.

I can also highly recommend Neotech 23AWG solid core silver.

I've started using this for the Stellia since a couple days ago and am loving it. It has a striking "tonal density" across all frequencies, and brings a degree of slam and dynamic speed that finally makes the Stellia remind me of the Utopia more properly. Also, stronger and better imaging than the other silver cable I've tried with the Stellia, which is a Wireworld Nano Eclipse Platinum. I believe it's probably the solid core factor that adds this "something different" that I have not heard from a silver cable before (including silver stranded Neotech wire, which I also agree is very nice for headphone cables).

 

[vonBaron]

WW Nano Platinum is solid core too.

 

[llamaluv]

WW Nano Platinum is solid core too.

Ah cool, thanks for the correction.

But yea, regardless, the Neotech solid core silver is very interesting IMO. Worth checking out. It's quite stiff however, which could be a dealbreaker for some.

 

[vonBaron]

It's this cable? https://www.blackdotaudio.eu/przewo...wg-052mm-w-teflonie-up-occ-srebro-p-4192.html

 

[Failed Engineer]

Silver cable, probably of any variant, does make the Stellia more Utopia-like. I use a Silvergarde V1 and find the same impressions as those of you that have shared with the Arctic Cable Silver and others. If one is looking for a "closed Utopia" but still not totally similar, that's a worthwhile way to go.

 

[vonBaron]

I'm now listing Utopia with Toxic Silver Widow and it's great synergy.
I find litz silver cables more analog that solid core.
Lavricables i'ts for me much harsh and bright of all silver cables that i tested so far. Good for dark sounding headphones.

 

[llamaluv]

It's this cable? https://www.blackdotaudio.eu/przewo...wg-052mm-w-teflonie-up-occ-srebro-p-4192.html

This is what I'm using.

 

[vonBaron]

Looks nice and very cheap.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Thanks for the cable ideas, I’ll look into them. Right now I’m currently emailing DanaCables. The plan would be for a Lazuli Reference headphone cable for the Stellia that is 1.75 meters long terminated to a 4-pin XLR connector, the get a 2.25 meter 4-pin XLR extension cable, then get a 30 cm 4-pin XLR to 4.4mm pentagon connector. That should take care of all my balanced cable needs.

 

[llamaluv]

Looks nice and very cheap.

I had a 7-foot cable made by Triton Audio Cables which required ~30 linear feet, so a little more than $300 for the wire. This is pic, before I had it reterminated for the Stellia recently.

I actually didn't like it as much with the Utopia. The "denser" sound of this cable made the Utopia sound a little bit too intense for me, but totally works with the Stellia. So I'm glad I gave it a shot, rather than just letting it sit collecting dust or selling it off.

 

[vonBaron]

Why you changed Utopia to Stellia?

 

[llamaluv]

Why you changed Utopia to Stellia?

I didn't (I have both).

 

[vonBaron]

Ah, didn't look at your singnature
Great setup btw!

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Unfortunately, DanaCable expressed some minor reservations on soldering their very big Lazuli Reference headphone cables onto the much smaller 4.4mm Pentagon connectors. They recommend staying 4-pin XLR and using 4-pin XLR to 4.4mm Pentagon adapters, especially when considering resale options. I expect that to be the answer for most cable makers relying on soldered connections. Or I’d be advised to buy Woo Audio’s 4-pin XLR female to 4.4mm Pentagon male adapter bullet. And have that big thing stick out on top of my FPGT?? Not likely. I suppose I could then buy a 30cm 4.4mm Pentagon extension cord to separate that adapter from my FPGT, this does nothing for the big adapter’s weight however.

Interestingly, Kimber Kable Axios headphone cables uses hollowed out wood shells filled with a solid resin seal to aid in just that kind of task. The Kimber Kable Axios rep said it took them awhile to figure it all out but now their 4.4mm Pentagon connections are super solid. However, I read in a comparison that the Lazuli Reference sounds a fair amount better than the Axios Copper with the Focal Utopia. Decidedly, even if I get the DanaCable Lazuli Reference headphone cable with 4-Pin XLR, I think I’d want to use it with a 30cm Kimber Kable Axios 4-pin XLR to 4.4 Pentagon cable adaptor cable. With that resin sealing technique I believe Kimber has all my 4.4 Pentagon connection / adapter business for now.

The big question is should I purchase a Lazuli Reference for better sound and use an Axios 4.4mm Pentagon adapter cable, or just go all Axios? And if I go all Axios I could do 4.4mm Pentagon all the way to the 4-pin XLR stereo rack end point, using 4.4mm Pentagon extenders for less connector weight and using the first part of the 4.4mm Pentagon cable with portable gear like the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch.