How does any cable enhance the sound quality unless the original calbe was severely defective to begin with? Honest question here, not trying to start an argument. I can understand if you wanted better aesthetics or durability, that's what I'm looking for. I don't expect any improvement in the sound. Is there any research that shows otherwise?
I've been through AB testing, I've put myself through it too. It is certainly an issue when one object is more expensive than another, and when you've invested in the new/expensive object, there are lots of reasons to have biased opinions. However it helps to be a curmudgeon with AB's behind me that showed nothing, barely anything (maybe), and a lot.
Headphone cables actually do seem to have a lot of variability. In the past few years:
1. HFM HE-500: stock vs aquired Black Dragon v1: stock: piercing treble BD: much deeper and more potent bass, balanced sound
2. MD-4XX: stock SE vs silver plated cheap XLR; very little difference, can does not resolve well.
3. HD-600: stock SE vs very nice O2 free cable 'custom cans' XLR: XLR seems a bit less splashy and bit more bass - but the amp works better in balanced then SE, so proves what? Not much
4. HFM HEX v2: stock vs Cardas O2 free copper vs Silver Litz. Copper and silver somewhat different - but not hugely, however both stomp the ridiculously awful stock.
5. HFM HE6SE: replay of #4 stock malarky vs O2 free 'custom cans', huge difference - as in a grandmother of 85 could tell the difference.
6. HFM HE5LE: hand-made (not by me) canare XLR vs Black Dragon XLR; something must be wrong w/ the canare, it's dull, rolled off at the extremes, not good.
7. MD-X00 Mahogany: just changed SE to XLR on the stock wire, dreadful headphones, bit more controlled bass.
8. Fostex FH500RP: another weak headphone, changed SE to XLR, like #7 bit better.
9. HE-6 6 screw: stock vs Black Dragon v1; only 3 hours to compare. stock is oxydized, highs seem a bit dull. Not huge diff.
The stock HFM cable is made cheaply, is anything but O2 free. I used to make speaker cables. Same advice as store bought - get good quality. Ignore marketing, rumors, hype, price = taste arguments. Buy it/make it and install it, and relax. If you are on the never ending escalator of improvement through spending more money - you might want to try some blind AB testing. Cables have 3 electric qualities - there is no better, just different - for some equipment. Look at Quad ESL's - they like high capacitance cable. Naim used to make this cheap brown stuff that drove them better than any 2.5k for 10' cable. I was in an ultra high end saloon and they had six $5k for 5 feet of AC power cord (1998 I think) I had my trusty Synergistics $250 AC cable (bought used for $125), and there was no obvious or even subtle difference. I asked to see the basement and the breaker box, and a lot of the wiring was circa 1955, lots of bare copper, lots of untight connectors. Please. Guess what I still have the cable 22 years later - because I know it ties $5k stuff - haha - no need to look around again.