I find it an interesting phenomenon that every cable opinion thread is full of anti-cable crusaders.
I came in with an open mind and I DIDN'T want to believe the whole cable thing because it meant I would have another variable and expense to consider in my purchasing decisions and it would be far more convenient to think that cables were just voodoo bs. However, after giving it a fair go with RCAs (I swapped a Monster cable with some no brand ones), I noticed that there WAS indeed a difference. I played the same song and the Monster cable had clearly more bass body.
Anyway, the bottom line is, I kept on testing and sometimes I couldn't tell the difference (different USB cables on the Schiit Modi) and other times, like on the pupDAC, I could (comparing stock usb vs Wireworld Starlight vs Kimber Cu vs Furutech Formula).
I also bought a Beyer T1 and I hated it. I tried "burning in" for 100+ hours. Still hated it. Too much treble, not enough bass, hurt my ears even though it was really clear and 3d sounding on the bottlehead crack amp. I ended up selling it.
After i did more research, I decided to buy the T1 AGAIN but this time have it re-cabled by Whiplash so it had a very nice looking, light silver/copper hybrid cable. I wasn't sure what to expect with the sound as I didn't find many reviews out there for hybrid cables.
The difference though, was CLEAR. It seemed to have dialled down the bass impact a notch (which I didn't like) but the clarity and "space" in the soundstage improved significantly. Most importantly... it no longer hurt my ears. The treble sounded smooth even though there was the same or even more details.
I then got myself a bassy DAC (Neko Audio D100 Mk2) and the synergy between the DAC, AMP, cable and headphone was PERFECT for my listening experience.
My friend recently bought a T1 with stock cable. I tried it in an A-B test and guess what? Sound was slightly too aggressive and hurt my ears AGAIN. Put my recabled T1 back on... perfect. When I started this journey I was trying to DISPROVE the notion that cable made a difference. However, I am more interested in facts and the truth than winning arguments or "being right".
The fact is, for better or worse, cables DO make a difference. Do they make much difference? It varies depending on different situations, setups, and ears. In some setups, especially low end systems, there is something limiting the sound quality and cables do very little to change this. However, on high quality equipment, the difference is clear as day and night.
I find it hard to tell tiny changes in sound (eg. slightly wider soundstage, etc). However, the changes I heard were clear even to my relatively unperceptive ears.
I think that cables are upgrades of EXTREMELY diminishing returns. You just get less and less for your money the higher end you go. I personally don't think it's worthwhile after a certain point but to those who can afford it and who can tell the difference, I don't see why they have to be consistently trolled by those who obviously do not have a lot of experience in this but also lack the humility just to present their perspective as merely that, their opinion from a very limited experience. Instead I often see sweeping generalizations about cables not making a difference, snake oil, voodoo, bla bla bla.
It would be great if the cable "haters" can just have their own anti-cable threads and allow those who know the difference and those who want to try for themselves to just get on with their discussion.
I actually came here because I am about to pick up a HD600 and I wanted to know if anyone has tried Toxic Cable Scorpion or Viper on it. I remember that when I used to own a HD580 (with stock cable) I found that it seemed to lack bass impact and quantity. I want a cable that enhances bass but I was wondering if that would compromise treble. How does the treble sound on the HD600? I don't remember.
Any responses from those who actually have experience would be great. Cheers.