[Moonwalker]

Hi!

Somebody said here to buy Clou cables first, then look for some good amp later.

I'm asking: REALLY cables do more sound improvement than not-very expensive-amp (X-CANS, CREEK, etc..)?
(In case you already have decent output jack on Your rig)

My ears are telling me amp did the major change (job in improvement), and the Clou RED I get made only negligible differences to me.(if any)

Please post your personal experience about what is more important (CABLE/AMP) and don't be angry about what I wrote about the RED CLOU, thanx.

Moonwalker

 

[Vertigo-1]

You should definitely get an amp first. The HD-600s can live without a cable change, but an amp will improve the sound much more, i.e. it's much more audible. Cables simply help to refine the sound once you get everything else into place, such as the CDP and amp. And speaking of Sennheiser cables, you would do well to wait and see how the Cardas and Stephen Arts cables turn out before jumping on Clous.

 

[blr]

100% agree with Vertigo.
Get an amp first, and than think about cables. Perhaps even consider getting some good interconnects first

 

[dhwilkin]

Amp first, agreed, but get the Clou/Stephen Arts/Cardas cable before the interconncts. I found my Clou cable to provide a great boost, even when used w/ regular RadioShack interconnects.

 

[fredpb]

Depends on original amp. It may be that just the Clou cables may help improve sound to a satisfactory degree.

Then it depends on new amp. Using just the stock cable, I had to try a few amps before finding one that satisfied my ears.

Perhaps the Red Clous I bought would have made the first two rejected amps acceptable. I think this is quite possible.
I don't think the Clous would have helped the Creek OBH-11 I had with the HD600's much. I think the Clous would have made the Headroom Supreme acceptable and I would have kept that instead of going to the MG Head OTL.

I have tried the HD600's/Clou combination on a number of devices. The Clous do help all devices. No doubt about that.

Depends on your music source and music material too.

I would love go give the Creek and Supreme a go again, this time with the Clou cables. But that's not going to happen.

A quick summary. Clou's and new amp both can improve sound over and existing system. It depends on what you want in sound, and what the existing equipment can provide.

 

[kelly]

IMHO...

source
amp
speakers/headphones
cables
tweaks

...not that I've always obeyed that rule of precedence. I'm trying to find a good amp/headphone combo while waiting for the affordable SACD player to magically appear.

Kelly

 

[Audio-Me]

Headphone comes first, then amp. Better cables for HD600 are a bonus, not a necessity.

 

[Matt]

...another body to this one-man dogpile. Cans before source, definitely. Unless all he was considering was the upper echelon of cans.

- Mattttttttt

 

[Dusty Chalk]

You know, normally I would agree with:

headphones
amp
source
interconnects

...in terms of order of importance. I.E., all other things being equal, which component to upgrade and in what order. But the Clou is a special case. I would almost put it in front of the amp. It depends on, amp-wise, where you're coming from and where you're going to.

E.G., Moonwalker, in his original post in this thread, felt that going from no-amp (or receiver out, which is technically a built-in amp...however you want to call it) to amp was more of an improvement than the Clou...whereas...I don't know, I would have to hear it again. I was a big cable skeptic when I bought the Clou (not completely, obviously, as I still bought it), but I already had several amps by that point.

I never made a comparison of headphones alone directly out of source, vs. w/Clou but no amp, vs. w/amp but no Clou, vs. w/ Clou and amp. Probably an exercise I should perform...

 

[JML]

There are more cables being released for the HD-600 & HD-580, so it would be a good idea to wait for the final word on those before buying the cable. If it was cans & apm vs. cans and cable, I can't see how those cans would sound anywhere decent without an amp.

Or just buy the ATH-W100. Then the amp. Forget the cable.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Which of these systems would probably sound better?
SYSTEM 1: Koss KSC-35s, Total Airhead, and Classe CDP.3 CD player for $1600
SYSTEM 2: Sennheiser HD 600s, MicroZOTL, Clou Red Jaspis, and Cambridge Audio D500 CD player for $1600

 

[fredpb]

Quote:

Originally posted by CRESCENDOPOWER Which of these systems would probably sound better? SYSTEM 1: Koss KSC-35s, Total Airhead, and Classe CDP.3 CD player for $1600 SYSTEM 2: Sennheiser HD 600s, MicroZOTL, Clou Red Jaspis, and Cambridge Audio D500 CD player for $1600

If they both used Radio Shack interconnects, it would be close.

 

[dcg]

I hope the second, as very soon I'll have Senn 580, MicroZOTL, Cambridge D500SE... just need the clou's.

Dave

 

[kelly]

I wish people like Cambridge were on the SACD bandwagon. If I get to buy a new CD player before they get there, I'm going to end up with a Sony ES and pay twice as much for lesser redbook.

Kelly

 

[Tides]

this is the route I took

HD600
xcanv2 (and ra-1)
new denon dcm370

Next on the list in order

clou cable for hd600
interconnect
next level cd player(source)



Tides