[Maxx134]

I agree to many variables exist in the topic itself.

So today I visit a friend using a system I am not too familiar with and I swap out two good "headphone" cables on an HD800, and I immediately notice a type difference, which I was "not" expecting...
I was expecting some difference, but not the type of difference I heard.

This leads me to believe that the headphone cable market would be the easiest area to pick, to find out what's going on.

Traditional tests of speaker or interconnect cables, used on various "electronic systems", and in rooms of people really doesnt reduce the variables in testing.

I think headphones, (especially dynamics) are way more affected by cables than electronic systems.

We know that dynamic headphones vary in impedance according to frequency, and so I am suggesting that all areas of sound would be affected, because all areas of sound are contained within that electrical signal, which is being affected by the dynamic interaction of the amp and headphone.

I am assuming that the amp ability to "not" be affected by the load, has same thing to do with stronger amps always perceived as sounding better than low power amps...

 

[Maxx134]

I just realized I went off topic into a component weakness variable, instead of actual wire difference...

 

[Sterling2]

I have had problems with only a handful of cables, RCA's, which were not properly terminated. These were noisy. This defect was easily heard and easily corrected by replacement with higher quality cables. So, for sure, high quality cables better assure satisfaction. That's all I can contribute to this thread.

 

[bigshot]

I've found that Amazon basic cables and mono price cables are high quality.

 

[Laura80]

Does anyone have experience with copper cables providing warmer more forgiving treble on Sennheiser hd 800’s?

 

[bfreedma]

Does anyone have experience with copper cables providing warmer more forgiving treble on Sennheiser hd 800’s?

You're probably asking that in the wrong section. I think you'll find most of those who post in Sound Science will tell you, based on actual measurements, that a properly constructed cable, whether silver or copper, is going to sound exactly the same.

A better (actual) solution would be to look at EQ solutions.

 

[Matez]

What a gem of a thread this one is and I write this with no sarcasm at all. Even though I'm on the other side of the fence than most folks here (it looks that way as my business is based on changes cables introduce), it was good to dive in this thread and read more than half of it thus far. Cool stuff.

 

[bigshot]

We used to have a high end cable maker in this group who was happy to admit that his cables made no audible difference, but his customers liked the fit and finish.

 

[bfreedma]

We used to have a high end cable maker in this group who was happy to admit that his cables made no audible difference, but his customers liked the fit and finish.

I own one of his cables - the OOB cable wasn't long enough - bought because it was the lightest and most flexible cable I could locate. Also appreciated the lack of extraneous unicorn dust and unobtanium metals in the marketing materials. Probably one of the longer ones he ever made, as my listening seat is across the room from the gear. I still owe a beer to whomever had to twist it.

Quote from Steve when I asked if he would make it: "Is this for you or so that your next door neighbor can listen". Or something to that effect.

 

[Laura80]

We used to have a high end cable maker in this group who was happy to admit that his cables made no audible difference, but his customers liked the fit and finish.

I’ve just watched a video review of a pair of headphones where you get an option of a cable which costs over £2000.

For that kind of cost, you’ve really got to appreciate the aesthetics I guess.

 

[bfreedma]

I’ve just watched a video review of a pair of headphones where you get an option of a cable which costs over £2000.

For that kind of cost, you’ve really got to appreciate the aesthetics I guess.

As you spend more time here, you may be surprised by how many people spend as much or more on cables as they do on headphones. And keep chasing the "perfect" cable, taking a loss on each purchase/resell.

For the amount of money invested, one could buy a lot of music...

That said, everyone is free to do what they wish with their money. What frustrates me is that they then convince others they NEED to purchase outrageously priced cables based on easily debunked "science" quoted from the marketing materials from some of the cable vendors.

 

[bigshot]

Foolishness is a virus online. It spreads from person to person as "common knowledge". People come in here and hear us saying things and they're shocked, because that isn't what they hear in audiophile forums and from people who post audio equipment advertorial. They hear us say that audible differences are measurable and DACs are designed to all sound the same, and they think we must be wrong because so many people online say otherwise. "20,000 Frenchmen can't be wrong!"

I think internet forums attract a certain type of personality or perhaps particular cognitive conditions. They use the internet for validation and they soak up the myths and spout them like Rain Man. Just because you hear something all the time in internet forums, that doesn't mean that it is the truth, and it doesn't necessarily represent the majority opinion of the population either. Not everyone in audio forums are audiophools, but odds are the ones who parrot each other without checking for themselves are.

 

[Maxx134]

Does anyone have experience with copper cables providing warmer more forgiving treble on Sennheiser hd 800’s?

Nope.
I actually heard one copper headphone cable sound more dull/tame than the other (Draug2 cable), but this could be explained as the excessive winding leading to possible capacitance interactions to the amp, rather than an actual cable thing.

One issue that I found about the headphone instead of the cable, but indirectly cable related, is that the HD800 is audibly sensitive to changes.

I made the mistake of not choosing correctly the wire, when I re-wired the inside with a new mini-xlr connector.
I used some heavy silver plated solid core wich permanently made my HD800 sound darker.
The stock HD800 internal wire was extremely thin and also had measurable resistance.
So now I am experimenting to use different wire and will update in my mod thread.
But this really boil down to a driver sensitivity issue.

Just want to point out these scenarios are typical when finding out the real reasons why you may think the wire has a sound.
In that, I am continually finding out that it is actually another reason altogether for the observation of audible changes, not the actual wire.

Regardless, its hard to stray from a general consesnus that there are differences which may or may not be audible, but depending more on application, such as use of microphone cable made for that application.
Or antenna wire made for that application.
Its usually for a performance application rather for any sonic traits.
Etc.

 

[bigshot]

If you're hearing differences between cables, you're using the wrong cables. Cables are supposed to pass a signal directly, not alter it. If they do alter the sound, they are either defective, poorly designed, or unsuitable for the purpose. Just go to Amazon and buy the Amazon Basics cables and you will get the best sound possible.

 

[Voxata]

Cable builder here... I'd be happy to share my experience over the many years of cable building, listening and experimentation. I've listened to a LOT of different wires, connectors and build configurations.

- Buy a cable for the looks and feel. Using soft wire and the right weave a cable can be truly luxurious to handle and look at. There is a good amount of enjoyment to be hand thumbing a noodle soft sleeved cable that has no microphonics while zoning out and enjoying your tunes. Really nice wire and labor for this isn't cheap. The max a really highend cable should be is $150 (IMO). Cheaper one? Maybe $70..cheap chinese stuff? $15-25? It is the labor of making the cable you need to consider. Is it hand made, custom to order, colors, etc? Nice cables are something headphone hobbyists are willing to pay for and can be real hard on the hands if one builds too many.

- As far as the sound debate... A nice cable isn't going to revolutionize your listening experience. I've only ever heard a difference on certain open back thin diaphragm planar headphones. This difference isn't lifting a veil, it isn't some next level experience.. That said, in my opinion my HE-560 was definitely a bit brighter using a Nucleotide V3 wire compared to cheap Cardas core which for some reason has a duller characteristic. It didn't change my experience with the headphone enough to choose one over the other and who knows it may be a phenomenon.. Again, this is the only type of headphone that I've been able to tell a difference and this is the same headphone I have that exhibits the most benefit from chain changes.

I'll tell you what sucks though. Having a MrSpeakers headphone (Ether C 1.1 in this case) with the worst stock cable I've ever seen. It basically feels like stiff unraveled and unstraightened microphone cable wrapped in paracord. Sitting at your desk with a stiff microphonic cable that doesn't lay flat makes the admission price for a new cable pretty easy to justify.