[olblueyez]

Should I apply for mot based on the fact I bash the 701's and praise the 650's whenever I get the chance? Guess I work for Sennheiser as well huh? Your an idiot.

 

[evangellydonut]

lol now, now, boys, boys...
i have both HD600 and K702, bought SAA Equinox 2nd-hand for 60% retail price, and enjoying both *gasp* There's no doubt that a self-made cable can be significantly cheaper and fairly high in quality (I looked into those too, prior to buying the used cable). Even with a 40% discount, I'm looking at a hefty price premium buying SAA vs. self-made, but it save me the time, trouble, and headache of part procurement...

Anyway, as for some of the other comments made earlier, I just did more searching and found that -
human ear can distinguish 0.75-1db difference in sound (varies with frequency and loudness)
phase difference is hard to perceive and makes little difference
there are lots of on-going research on audio perception and a never-ending topic...

Personally, i believe there are those who are naturally orders-of-magnitude more sensitive to sound than others... There are some who are born with 4 color cones for their eyes, there are some who are born with a 4-th taste bud, and who's to say that there aren't those who are born with hyper-sensitive ears?

 

[monoblocks]

Normally use SAA's Equinoxes w/ both my HD650 and old HD600, but occasionally will return back to the stock 650 cable; the stiff outer housing that came with my Equinox can be a real pain.

That said, I was surprised by the sonic differences between my first Equinox and my later purchase. By now both have about the same number of hrs on them, but the first wire sounds a lot sweeter than the second set...and cost about $100 less. Just goes to prove that inflation really does suck.

 

[sbulack]

For the HD600, the Cardas aftermarket cable seems to bring out the best of these phones at a more affordable price than the alternative aftermarket cables. I still remember vividly the Sunday afternoon that I changed out the HD650 cable that I'd been using with the HD600 (and which was a nice sonic improvement) for the Cardas. I couldn't believe how much MORE of the sound of all of my favorite music came through with the Cardas cable.

When I later got my HD650, my first choice was to try the Cardas I already had - a big improvement over the stock HD650 cable. Then, I read so many accounts of folks who'd switched from Cardas to Equinox, that I did too - again big improvement over the Cardas.

In the meantime, I bought a pair of ALO modded SR225 (18 AWG Jena Cryo cable) after I'd owned an loved a stock pair of SR225 for five or so years. An AMAZING improvement. So, after using the Equinox cable for about a year, I wanted to hear what the ALO 18 AWG Jena Cryo cable could do for the HD650. Again, big improvement - along the lines of what had happened with the ALO-modded vs stock SR225. Just more of everything from all my favorite music.

At this point, I'm listening to stock HFI-780 and loving them. Once I've heard what these phones are capable of when well burned-in (somewhere in the 200-500 hours of use), I'm pretty sure that I'll be getting the ALO Mod for them (strategic dampening of the cups, removal of the diode board, recabling with 18AWG Jena Cryo cable).

Considering that the cost of a Jena Cryo recable of a favorite phone costs in the area of $400, and the amount of added listening enjoyment which follows - it would cost multiple times that to get a similar improvement from improved rig electronics.

For a phone that is already on the "love it" list, it is very cost-effective (relative to other investments) to provide it with a $150 - $400 aftermarket cable - again, relative to the kinds and degrees of the improvements compared to the cost and results of improvements made to other parts of the total audio path - especially the electronic audio units in the audio path.

For me, it's not a matter of comparing the cost of the cable to the cost of the phones - but a matter of comparing the cost (and effects) of the cable to the cost (and effects) of other investments which can provide the same kinds and degrees of improvment. I'm sure that other folks hear things differently. For any Head-Fier thinking about where to put their $$$, there is an important question to answer: is their hearing and listening more like mine or more like folks who hear/think differently? Careful searching and reading posts (especially about equipment in common with the posters) can answer that question pretty well. A few times in my journey to the audio that really satisfies, I've purchased relatively inexpensive gear posted about by a particular poster to quality the applicability of their posts to me about much more expensive gear that I was considering buying. It works.

 

[wavoman]

I use a balanced Moon Audio Silver Dragon cable, and also a balanced Zu Mobiuis cable, with my Senn 600s (driven by a balanced Beta 22, and sometimes a balanced QES HPBA-2 [an amp brand from Italy, not much used in the U.S., meant for recording studios more than for audiophiles]). Maybe it's the balanced operation, but I really think these combos sound better than the stock cable (driven by an EF-1).

Can't blind test, so I might be fooling myself, but I hear what I hear. Many posters like the Zu better than the Silver Dragon, but this weekend I decided for the Silver Dragon and am going to re-purpose the Zu, cutting off the Senn connectors and using it to re-cable/balance a K240 DF.

I have never re-cabled without balancing, so I can't comment on that, but I really do think an aftermarket balanced cable with the right balanced amp kicks up the SQ a notch. Have decided this not only with Senns, but K701s, GS1000s, D2000s, AD2Ks, and 750s. I admit it's hard to compare A/B, so as I said this could all be placebo. Nonetheless I like balanced XLR interconnects and the cable bling. Even if the SQ were the same, is it not a purchase like nice wall coverings or paintings for the listening room? Nobody makes fun of you for that! Or a spoiler for your car, even though you never drive fast enough for it to have any effect?

If your listening environment and your HPs are an important part of your life -- and you wouldn't be here is this were not so -- then I say: bring on the aftermarket cables.

 

[RickEC]

Cables do make a difference. Perhaps, you guys should talk about the value of the differences, with respect to dollars. But then again, everyone's valuation of SQ is different. What are we trying to discuss here? Spare me rhetoric. I prefer experience sharing.

I use Darkvoice 337 to drive my HD650. Yes, the amp you use does matter to reap the benefits of after-market cables. After changing to Jena 18awg, I think the difference is significant. Attack, soundstage and separation improve significantly, at least. Does the improvement worth the money spent? My answer to that question is worthless to anyone reading, except to myself.

I could further share the impact of power cable on SQ, but that could be for another thread.

PS: I am not encouraging expenditure on expensive cables. I have yet to think DIY and professionally made ones have significant differences in terms of performance, look aside.

 

[wavoman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickEC /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cables do make a difference...Attack, soundstage and separation improve significantly, at least

Yea, I think that's absolutely correct wrt HP cables. I notice the improvement in transient response, both attack and decay. As I have posted elsewhere, that's all though ... heard no improvement really in smoothness of freq response or dynamic range or noise floor. But transients -- drum hit very obviously -- aftermarket balanced cable wins. Tested with vocalists and paino/small combo mostly, so no real chance to hear a soundstage or separation difference. Will test again with large-scale choral works.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Furutech 1/4" Gold Pro = $14 25 Ft, makes 6 ft cable, UPOCC 22 AWG Cryo Treated Wires with Teflon (dielectric, shielding) = $47

where ?

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dBs /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I just got my aftermarket Double Helix Cable and I can say that it makes a perceivable difference in the nature of the sound. For me it seems fairly night and day. Things just sound faster. The highs have more presence to be sure and the bass is a bit more impactful. When I say the highs have more presence I dont mean the very tip top of the highs, more the 7-14kHz range maybe. The speed and the highs are where the real differences are though. The "veil" is something that can only be recognized by its absence, and its absence is profound. I am loving the shorter length of this cable. Even if, by some small chance, the auditory difference is placebo, at the very least it was worth it not to trip over my cable any longer. Its also lighter weight despite its bulkier size, thats certainly a pleasant ancillary benefit.

I also ordered a cable from Double Helix Cable and was very pleased with the price and the process. Peter @ Double Helix will work with you to get the cable you want, exactly to your specifications and priced extremely well in comparison to the cost of the parts. While I am not a believer of cables making a sonic difference, his workmanship and dedication to building what the customer wants is beyond what you can expect from Cables 3-4X times his prices.

 

[LostOne.TR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...beyond what you can expect from Cables 3-4X times his prices.

What was the price for your cable / what are the materials (as disclosed by double helix, not asking you to take it apart or anything) used in the cable?

 

[PhilS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LostOne.TR /img/forum/go_quote.gif What was the price for your cable / what are the materials (as disclosed by double helix, not asking you to take it apart or anything) used in the cable?

I suspect the reference to "Cables 3-4X times his prices" is a bit of an exagerration.

They do look like nice cables though.

FYI, I think this might be the correct link to check out pricing, etc.: Double Helix Cables

 

[PascalT]

$120 is very reasonable for a cable (compared to others).

mdb: did the sound change for you at all on your setup?

 

[scootermafia]

Olblueyez might be an SAA groupie, but the fact is that he likes the copper sound over the silver sound. Heavily silvered cables are not for everyone. Copper will have more warmth, tubiness, and bass weight at the expense of detail, and that's just a known fact.

That being said, SAA's ad copy is pretty inventive.

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif For the comfort aspect alone, I would have stuck to the stock cable, but the Zu Mobius sounds better. .

X2

 

[Feather225]

Why the heck does the cable costs so much... theres nothing much in it, just wires to transfer the signals...I don't see how after market cables can outperform the stock ones...

Can anyone tell me if there is big difference between cardas and stock? or $360 vs. $20?