Hifiman Sundara (HE400i upgraded, around $500)
Jul 23, 2020 at 5:29 PM Post #2,626 of 4,239
Jul 24, 2020 at 5:11 AM Post #2,629 of 4,239
Where can I get my hands on a balanced cable for the Sundaras in Europe?

Also, if anyone using Sundara with ifi zen dac, would you say it's worth it to switch to balanced?
I got the Meze 2.5 cable to work with the Sundara, costs 50€ (100€ initially), well worth it! Good quality and sounds great to me.
https://www.amazon.fr/MEZE-Audio-Cuivre-plaqué-Symétrique/dp/B07FQ2BCK5
Using it with Fiio Q1 Mark2 and E1DA 9038s G3, great portable setup and those 2 can power the Sundara just fine in balanced mode.

Of course there are a lot of much more expensive options out there depending what you're looking for
 
Jul 24, 2020 at 7:15 PM Post #2,630 of 4,239
Of course there are a lot of much more expensive options out there depending what you're looking for

Yes, there are, but there's nothing wrong with affordable cables if they're built to last :)
 
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Jul 25, 2020 at 4:11 AM Post #2,631 of 4,239
Yes, there are, but there's nothing wrong with affordable cables if they're built to last :)
As far as I'm concerned, cables come in last position of the things affecting the sound. Pads, amps and DAC all come way before! and of course EQ, but I almost never use it
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 2:08 PM Post #2,634 of 4,239
IMO the stock cable is too elastic; it keeps bouncing on the table and refuses to stay in place. Also, 1.5m is too short for me.
SQ-wise I can find nothing wrong as my ears are never that sensitive.
I agree, the stock cable looks good and has nice connectors but feel weird, hollow, bouncy and elastic... how is this so hard to come up with a simple, non microphonic, supple cable?
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 2:53 PM Post #2,636 of 4,239
Yeah, the stock cable is kind of disappointing. My quarantine project the past few months was learning how to build cables. I highly recommend it to anyone curious about custom cables, because it's so much fun using your own homemade cables. I made one for my Elex and HD58X, and now I'm working on a Sundara cable sleeved with white paracord.

IMG_0982.jpg
 
Jul 25, 2020 at 5:15 PM Post #2,637 of 4,239
As far as I'm concerned, cables come in last position of the things affecting the sound. Pads, amps and DAC all come way before! and of course EQ, but I almost never use it

It's a fair priority list, I also think that boutique cables aren't mandatory early on. If there's no other way to push sound quality further, it doesn't hurt to try an aftermarket cable then.
 
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Jul 29, 2020 at 8:42 AM Post #2,639 of 4,239
I have been recommended the hifiman sundara above the lcd-1. But I don't know if an iPhone will be enough (with a 3.5mm lightning dongle). What do you think?
Definitely not!
It will make sound, but will not be loud enough AND will not have near enough dynamics and bass tightness for it to shine even remotely.
In spite of the marketing, in my opinion an amp is required
 
Jul 29, 2020 at 12:32 PM Post #2,640 of 4,239
I have been recommended the hifiman sundara above the lcd-1. But I don't know if an iPhone will be enough (with a 3.5mm lightning dongle). What do you think?
Yeah, don't use it straight out of an iPhone. If you do get the Sundara, also get something like a FiiO Q1, I find it powers the Sundara pretty well. https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Q1-Mark-II-Amplifier/dp/B0757MH46M.
Or if you want to go the desktop route, get a JDS Labs Atom amp. You can even connect your iPhone to it with a 3.5mm cable.
 

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