[meat01]

From this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f21/ne...-cable-370785/

You have 3 feet of silver cable and then you have the 2 little pins that connect to the headphone that are made of whatever material (does anyone know?) and the silver is supposed to change the sound of the signal, but the pins don't affect the sound? Even though the pins are one of the last things that the signal goes through, the silver is what determines the sound signature and makes everything special?

Can anyone explain this phenomenon? Why doesn't that big 1/4" plug or jack affect the sound?

 

[tjumper78]

i had the same question. i diy'ed a senn cable for my hd600/650 just to see what kind of difference i would hear.
i've tried silver-plated copper wires and pure silver wires. they DO sound noticeably different from stock/copper wires. 15 or so people that i've built senn cables for also swear that they heard the difference (afraid to say "improved". dont wanna cause arguments here) so i am a believer in re-cabling headphones but i do not have answers to the questions you asked. maybe someone else can help?

 

[FrederikS|TPU]

One of the explanations as to why the pins do not make a difference is due to the length. The capacitance of such a small piece of metal will be marginal hence making a small difference in the system compared to the 2 m cable and so on. I am no expert please don't flame

I changed cable on my now modded Sennheiser HD580s and the improvement was audible but no where near night and day difference. The biggest improvement came from removing all the foam around the back of the driver and in front.

 

[cantsleep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meat01 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why doesn't that big 1/4" plug or jack affect the sound?

who said it doesnt?

 

[meat01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantsleep /img/forum/go_quote.gif who said it doesnt?

I just hadn't seen any 1/4" headphone connector reviews, talk of burn in or even any head-fi threads on them for that matter yet, hence they don't seem to make a big difference.

 

[Lil' Knight]

I think the plug makes difference ... because they're selling cryo-ed plug

 

[myinitialsaredac]

Well Likely the 1/4th and those little pins do have an impact on the sound, though probably less noticeable do to the short length or w/e.
Companies like cardas do sell plugs and those connectors so some people do believe in the difference.

Dave

 

[NelsonVandal]

Seriously, do you think a couple of mm of (probably gold plated copper) would affect the sound in an audible way?

 

[QQQ]

Quote:

Can anyone explain this phenomenon?

Yeah, it's called "marketing".

 

[metalears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QQQ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, it's called "marketing".

x2

Or the placebo-effect for expensive cable buyers

 

[Reader]

I am not very sure about other cables, but I can tell a clear difference between Silver Dragon Cable and Zu Mobuis(Is is how it's spelled? I am away from them for too long) Cable for HD650. And I don't think it's placebo-effect, as both cost the same, and from the reviews I read before I bought them, I thought I'd like silver dragon more, but end up liking Zu a lot more.

 

[NightOwl]

Whether someone believes that cables have an effect on sound is irrelevant to me as all I will do is share my personal impressions.
I have no experience with aftermarket headphone cables, but about 25 years
experimentation with interconnects and speaker cables, both branded and custom. I can tell a difference with every cable change. Sometimes the difference is small and more of a tonal nature. At other times the change was one of euphony. Sometimes the change was dramatic, more detailed and spacious than I'd ever heard before.
Connectors also make a difference. Why would anyone use a high quality wire and then put a crap connector on it? Gold plating is cheap to do and can be thinly plated on a brass and nickel base. You may as well use lamp cord.
However, I also believe that the law of diminishing returns applies to cables more than anywhere else and spending thousands of dollars on cables is ludicrous.
If anyone is really interested in the science or placebo effect of cabling, the Cable Asylum on the Audio Asylum site is the place to go.
Audio Asylum -- Audio Reviews, Audiophile Forums and Stereo Reviews

 

[meat01]

The cable asylum is not the place to go, because it is DBT free, so you really can't do proper tests without placebo getting in the way.

 

[bidoux]

I think the most important thing in Hifi is not to have the best sound but rather to have the bigger eargasm. So if everybody is happy with their new cable/power cord/anything you want/ just let them be happy.

PS: Yes, i'm a troll
PS: i don't believe cables/interconnects/anything you want/ make any difference in SQ.

 

[b0dhi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bidoux /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the most important thing in Hifi is not to have the best sound but rather to have the bigger eargasm. So if everybody is happy with their new cable/power cord/anything you want/ just let them be happy. PS: Yes, i'm a troll PS: i don't believe cables/interconnects/anything you want/ make any difference in SQ.

I tend to agree with you...but at the same time I get pissed at people who spend money on expensive headphones/power cables. I think in the long run it hurts the hobby because then people are chasing illusions rather than real improvements in performance which accumulate over time to give us better sound.