Going balanced worth it or not?
Aug 1, 2018 at 1:55 AM Post #17 of 29
Thanks everyone.. Before I spend $200 on cables I think I'm just going to run with what I have. Can't wait for my toys to arrive in the mail!

There are cheaper cables on Amazon and eBay. Since the only real difference as long as cables are detachable dual entry is that the L- and R- from each side is soldered into the GND on a TRS plug of either size and on separate pins on an XLR plug, if the cable is cheap, the XLR version isn't that much more expensive. Still usually more than the price difference of the 4-pin XLR plug vs TRS plug but that also accounts for lower volume sales.

If you get the more affordable cables, even if there's no audible difference to you, at the very least you can keep these around as spare cables along with your stock cables.
 
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:21 AM Post #18 of 29
Hi HoneysPoohBear,

Extending ProtegeManiac's response, in some cases, not always, balanced cables can improve the signal from source to output by making the connection 'stronger' though this depends mainly on source as highlighted already, noise floor, power output, etc as some amps &/or sources have better overall output single ended rather than balanced so it depends.

Hope this makes sense.

I will suggest if when you decide you like to try balanced cables &/or connections, look up veclan.com, they have all sorts of good quality cables, not just balanced for at reasonable prices.

Hope you have a great day !
 
Aug 1, 2018 at 9:08 PM Post #19 of 29
Hi HoneysPoohBear,

Extending ProtegeManiac's response, in some cases, not always, balanced cables can improve the signal from source to output by making the connection 'stronger' though this depends mainly on source as highlighted already, noise floor, power output, etc as some amps &/or sources have better overall output single ended rather than balanced so it depends.

Hope this makes sense.

I will suggest if when you decide you like to try balanced cables &/or connections, look up veclan.com, they have all sorts of good quality cables, not just balanced for at reasonable prices.

Hope you have a great day !

I do not see an option for an He 500, only the 400i and I'm not sure they are the same cable.
 
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:32 AM Post #21 of 29
Just tried searching too and it seems the cheap ones no longer come with XLR, likely because they're not really making a lot of them anymore after HiFiMan switched over to the mini TRS plugs.

I also noticed the the Modi2uber is an unbalanced DAC, so would it even work with my setup? I know the Massdrop LCX is a fully balanced amp but the dac is unbalanced.
 
Aug 2, 2018 at 8:38 AM Post #23 of 29
I do not see an option for an He 500, only the 400i and I'm not sure they are the same cable.

Hi @HoneysPoohBear,

You can always ask Veclan if it is an option otherwise null-audio.com also has some options you can consider though they are pricer overall but quality is high, your choice.

At the end of the day, it all depends what you're after, as has already been stated on this thread, SE or Balanced doesn't make a lot of difference in terms of what the human ear can distinctly hear & all depends on your source &/or amp.

Hope you find what you're looking for.
 
Aug 2, 2018 at 5:30 PM Post #24 of 29
Yes the Liquid Carbon X has both single ended and balanced connections so your dac will work just fine. My Yggy has both balanced and single ended outputs and I can’t tell the difference between the two on the Liquid Carbon. On the output that is another story as you double the power going balanced on the LC not that it sounds much better it is just more powerful so you think it’s a lot better .
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-HiFiMAN-...e-500vable&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313 . Don’t know anything about them but you can get some cables fairly cheap and the quality doesn’t look too bad.
 
Aug 4, 2018 at 2:19 AM Post #26 of 29
Will the Fostex THx00Mahogany sound better through the Liquid Carbon X or the CTH?
Depends on your tastes. I prefer to tame the high end of the v curve with a bit of warmth in the amping, but that's not everyone's taste. I think I recall hearing the CTH is a bit more warm than the LCX, but I might be mixing them up...
 
Aug 4, 2018 at 11:40 AM Post #28 of 29
Depends on your tastes. I prefer to tame the high end of the v curve with a bit of warmth in the amping, but that's not everyone's taste. I think I recall hearing the CTH is a bit more warm than the LCX, but I might be mixing them up...
Yes you’re mixing them up the Carbon is warmer than the CTH .
I noticed last night after a couple hours my ears started to hurt some from the clamping force and pads. I do love the sound signature but wish they were more comfortable
You might look up on how to stretch out a bit different headphones stretch in different ways .
 
Aug 4, 2018 at 12:57 PM Post #29 of 29
I noticed last night after a couple hours my ears started to hurt some from the clamping force and pads. I do love the sound signature but wish they were more comfortable
Which headphones are uncomfortable?

Yes you’re mixing them up the Carbon is warmer than the CTH .
Figures.
 

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