Headphone Cable XLR Retermination Question (or what are some 4-conductor cans?)

[The Monkey]

I'm becoming obsessed with balanced cables. I love the balanced sound--and I'll readily admit it could be placebo!

Regardless, I'm assuming that I can't just lop off all my plugs and reterminate in XLRs--or can I? Put another way, which cans' cables are as easily reterminated in XLR plugs for balanced use as the HD650's. I'd really rather not open up my cans if I don't have to.

EDIT: I will try to consolidate responses (and other research) into a list for those interested.

4-conductor headphone list:

Senn HD580/600/650.
Senn HD280
Senn PX100(?)
AKG K701
AKG K340
Grado SR-225
Grado RS-1
Alessandro MS-2
Alessandro MS-1
(All Grados? Unconfirmed)
Sony Qualia 010
Sony MDR-7502 (not sure if it is all the way to the drivers, but dual-entry so I think it is, for whatever that's worth).
AT L3000*
AT W5000*
AT W2002*
Denon AH-D5000

* Need to confirm that these AT cans are 4-conductors all the way to the drivers.

 

[jjcha]

You should be able to do it with your W100. Double check with thrice before doing it though.

Best,

-Jason

 

[ayt999]

depends on whether the cable has four leads going to the plug or not. some combine the common ground channel before the plug so for those you would need to do a complete recable.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 /img/forum/go_quote.gif depends on whether the cable has four leads going to the plug or not. some combine the common ground channel before the plug so for those you would need to do a complete recable.

Indeed. I guess I'd like this thread to become a sort of repository for easily XLR-terminated (read: four-lead cabled) cans. For example, do Grados have 3 or 4 leads?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif You should be able to do it with your W100. Double check with thrice before doing it though.

Will do, thanks Jason.

 

[thrice]

You can do it with the W100, but it's a bit of a pain in the ass. The stock cable is a 3 wire cable with common ground that goes into one side. Then once it's there one wire goes to the left driver and the other goes through the headband to the right side. The ground wire attaches to the ground pad on the left driver and a wire that goes from the same ground pad goes through the headband to the right driver. So you need to spearate the ground wires there.

Do not attempt to make thes dual entry headphones. Attempting to drill a hole through the metal ring is a pain and may break the metal ring.

Taking them apart is fairly easy. Take off the pads and you'll see a black plastic mold with 4 screws in it. Unscrew them and them pull them away from the wood cups...you'll have to pull hard, but don't worry, it's not glued...it just gets stuck. It's not the easiest recable, but not the hardest either. Just take your time.

 

[The Monkey]

Just found this thread, which has a partial list of 4-conductor cans:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...light=Senn+xlr

 

[Nebby]

thanks for the good info thrice; I'm personally looking at doing some test recables to get the hang of things before I start touching the pricier cans. I know it's probably a stupid question, but what kinda wire/cable do you(all) like to use when doing some DIY recables?

 

[DigiPete]

Other 4 wire cans are the HD-650 and the AKG-701

 

[episiarch]

Per Iron_Dreamer, I see that CD3K is not on the list. Drat.

Anyone happen to know about SA5K? K501?

 

[thrice]

SA5K is aweful.....it's a 3 conductor cable up until the Y split and then a 4 conductor up to the earcups.....so that helps a little bit. The Y connector does not come apart easily so you pretty much have to destroy it if you want to just rewire from that point down to a plug. The earcups are fairly easy to take apart though and being dual entry makes life a little easier.

 

[thrice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nebby /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the good info thrice; I'm personally looking at doing some test recables to get the hang of things before I start touching the pricier cans. I know it's probably a stupid question, but what kinda wire/cable do you(all) like to use when doing some DIY recables?

Just the standard Belden silver coated copper stranded wire I use in my amps...22 gauge I think. It's not the best stuff in the world, but not the worst either....it's a bit stiff for headphone cables but it does the job.

 

[episiarch]

Thanks, thrice.

 

[TimmyMac]

You could just buy 20' of 24ga teflon/silver wire and some nylon multifilament and do a $250 recable job while you're at the retermination

 

[The Monkey]

Does anyone know how many conductors the DT 770 cable has?

 

[threEchelon]

The SA5000 has a 3 conductor cable and uses the same cable to go from plug to the y-split and the y-split to the drivers. I would not include it on your list.

Besides, you want to get rid of the stock cable anyways; it breaks on the inside

.