[john_jcb]

Now that most people have had the upgraded cables from a variety of manufacturers for some time I would like to hear your opinions after listening to them for many months.

I find that it is far easier to hear differences in equipment if I listen to one setup for an extended period then switch in the components I want to compare.

 

[fyrfytrhoges]

two thumbs up, way up, to the cardas smurf cable for the hd600's, haven't had them for many months but the difference was noticeable right from the start, a huge improvement from the stock cable...

 

[mezzman]

While I haven't tested the Cardas cable, the Equinox cable I own is a vast improvement over the stock cable. I am experiencing a much wider soundstage and tighter bass overall.

 

[dparrish]

Loving mine and haven't looked back . . .

 

[LTUCCI1924]

HI: i agree with MEZZMAN (Equinox cable I own is a vast improvement over the stock cable. I am experiencing a much wider soundstage and tighter bass overall.) These are on my 580s. Does that count?

 

[grinch]

i aquired a used clou red a while ago and upon first plugging it in i was floored by the difference. the difference when using an upgraded cable is HUGE. much bigger than the difference in interconnects, in my opinion. i now have upgraded the cardas and have not turned back. here's a quick run-down on my feelings about the two upgraded cables i have owned for the hd600:

clou red: frequency extended in both directions, but most evident in the highs. very thick and hard to work with, but worth it for the sound (before the cardas came out, that is). it sounds to me like a very bright cable which kinda brings the hd600 from way back in the dark and out into the open.

cardas: smoother overall than the clou red, but not with loss of detail (if that makes sense). the cardas is just a tad less harsh in its sound, more like it was catered for the exact sound of the hd600 rather than made to brighten up the hd600 (like the clou red, in my opinion). it is also *almost* as flexible as the stock cable which was one of the biggest reasons why i upgraded to it from the clou red. great sound, i don't see how anybody could regret the upgrade. how many times have you see a post in the for sale forum saying "i'm selling this cardas cable because i hate it and the stock cable sounds better!"

i hope i that helped contribute something to this thread.

 

[bkelly]

It is not as popular as the the Cardas but I liked the Clou Red better because it wakes the 600's up very noticeably. It's more than just a frequency tweak too. It's as though the 600' all of a sudden had more dynamic impact. The Red Clou is one of the most noticeable cable swaps I have ever heard when compared to other headphone cable swaps or swapping interconnects.

The Cardas has been well reviewed here and elsewhere so I won't add to that (especially since I haven't heard them in a while) other than to say that it is the most popular cable available. Still not my personal favorite.

The Stephan Audio Arts cable could be see as being somewhere in between these two cables and if I remember right it had the best bass but the weakest top-end which, likewise, is one of the weaknesses of the 600's. If this aspect of the 600 sound doesn't bother you then you might want to also consider this cable.

At any rate the stock cable is so bad that any of these cables will be impressive when you first hear them.

Hope that helps.

 

[OneMalt]

I've used a Clou Blue for several months on my HD-600 and felt it was a huge improvement over the stock cable. I recently got a Cardas and while hearing some subtle improvements over the Clou, I'm not sure that to my ears it fully justifies the increased expense. YMMV.

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by john_jcb Now that most people have had the upgraded cables from a variety of manufacturers for some time I would like to hear your opinions after listening to them for many months. I find that it is far easier to hear differences in equipment if I listen to one setup for an extended period then switch in the components I want to compare.

John,

I hope you will make the meeting(please see thread in meetings forum) so that you can try all the cables.Bring your phones and any music you want to audition.