[Mak333]

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Originally posted by Moonwalker ...You say the lower cable impedance, inductance, capacitance for HD600, the better. Alright. But you also say the resistors in Ety's cable makes them sound better (4P->4S) issue. How? The amp loses control if resistance is put between it and the driver!? Don't you think the cheap resistor in Etys drastically worsens the entire behavior of the cable connection and all its electrical parameters?

It makes no sense to state that the resistance of a cable is a decisive quality factor. Headphones aren't dependent on high damping factors the way loudspeakers are – to damp the system resonance. There's a certain headroom within which you can move and even fine-adjust the frequency response around the resonance frequency and the impedance rise in the upper end (due to inductivity) with resistances.

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I know factors like capacitance, relative delay of signal travel speed, inductance etc.., but I think the cable doesn't make any jump in quality. And, more so, how could cable cost as much as the entire headphone set???

The costs are one thing I simply can't judge, but I suspect that for the thousands of dollars you can pay for one piece of cable you don't get a fair value and the manufacturing costs are «covered» by a factor around 30... Nevertheless, different cables sound quite different. And there's no clear explanation why, AFAIK. It's easy to outclass the stock HD 600 cable – I achieved this with pure handicraft.

It's certainly not imagination. I have build different replacement cables with different sounds.

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Then I'll say, let's try it. Till then, happy listening with (for me) EXPENSIVE replacement cable to all of you. I'm not a rich man, maybe I'll never be (to purchase such an expensive piece of wire). Amps and sources are IMHO better and wiser investment.

I respect your opinion, but I have to disagree. You can build your own cable (Jan Meier gives some suggestions) based on the stock cable or its connectors, respectively. And in some cases, especially in the HD 600 case, a cable upgrade may bring more improvement than an amp (upgrade).

JaZZ

JaZZ,
 
Are we talking about "improvement" or "difference"?... Or both?  I hear many people talking about sound quality when they probably mean a difference in sound.  If in fact you are talking about a difference in sound, I don't believe you are hearing an improvement in audio quality.  It may just be an improvement to what your current 'liking' is.
 
My friend/co-worker has loaned me his HD-600 Cardas cable.  I believe I hear a difference between the stock cable and Cardas cable, in some songs more than others, but can't confirm it.  However, the difference I think I hear doesn't appear to be an improvement in sound quality, only a difference in sound.
 
What I can say for sure is that I will not be purchasing the Cardas cable from my co-worker, because I do not believe the value for the difference in sound (that I may or may not hear) is worth $150.
 

 

[Radioking59]

You realize this thread is 9 years old, right?

 

[Mak333]

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You realize this thread is 9 years old, right?

You act like that degrades it's relevance.  Why do you ask?
 

 

[sjones]

I know this is an old thread, but I dug it up to share my opinion and hope it helps others evaluate whether they need the Cardas cable. Recently, I got the Cardas cable for my HD600. I didn't think I would hear much of a difference, but I actually do, and it was a positive difference too.
 
The first instance I plugged the cables in and listened, I didn't like it that much. I did noticed there was a difference right away. I felt like the treble was diminished (and details so I thought), and in place it emphasized more of the upper bass and mids. The lightness of the sound was gone, and I found it to be more dark. The "quality" of the sound was also not that much better than the stock cable. To be exact, at that point I wasn't sure if it was better of not, just different. In terms of quality, I mean the dynamics, soundstage, details, separation, air, fullness, depth, etc. which contribute to enjoyment of the music. I only listened for about ten minutes and went to work. So I left the headphones to play music and came back several hours later... and was pleasantly surprised!
 
This second time around, I found the sound noticeably better! I spotted it right away. What I mentioned as sound quality that was lacking earlier, was now improved. I felt the music now sounded more engaging. It made me notice things in the music that I didn't notice before. The biggest improvement I heard from the Cardas compared to the stock cable is more weigh and fullness to the notes. Yes, the bass was fuller and struck with greater weight, but I'm not so sure I heard it to be tighter. The details that I was fretting hours earlier was not only there now, but in a greater amount. I wouldn't say it was a lot greater, but no doubt improved. The tone was still darker than before, but I found this improved listenability on some tracks. I have boosted up the treble on my amp a bit and this helped fix the problem. The instruments in various tracks stood out more, and became more "real", where before they were more suggested and not fully heard. I can't quantify how much better the cable upgrade made, but I do know that I am more satisfied, a lot more in fact, with the sound than before. 
 
There is no question about it, the sound changed, and the Cardas cable does make a positive difference. This is from my experience after my first day receiving the cable and listening. I didn't even have to switch back to the stock cable, I remembered what I was missing from it and didn't feel the need to go back. I realize claiming that both burn-in and cables do make a difference will put me under the wrath of objectivists.  Just my humble opinion on my experience. YMMV of course. If you don't hear a difference you just saved yourself over a hundred dollars.

 

[Beagle]

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You act like that degrades it's relevance.  Why do you ask?
 

 

[spencexxx]

9 years!?  I better stop reading. This old info about the old headphones on my old head is old news!

 

[claud W]

  9 years!?  I better stop reading. This old info about the old headphones on my old head is old news!

Not really. The HD 600 is still one of the best. In the last 9 years, other headphone cables have been announced that are somewhat better than the Cardas. Wywires Red , Toxic Silver Poison ......... I myself had the original Smurf Blue Cardas which was a great cable, but a bit stiff. I replaced it with Toxic Silver Poison which takes a long time to arrive, but is very supple and dynamic

 

[Godel Von]

I prefer the original cable