I don't hear a difference in the HD25-1 cable....

[adkimemory]

I didn't hear a difference when I modded the HD25-1 stock cable to the HD650 cable. In a blind test, I actually found that I prefered the stock cable. what's up with this?? Because the HD25-1 is my main set of cans, I was really hoping the mod would improve the sound noticeably... but to no success. Amping it didn't noticeably change its sound either...
To me, the Stock cable unamped HD25-1 sounds exactly the same as the HD650 cable amped HD25-1

But as a last resort, I was wondering... do you think the Senn V2 cables at headphile.com make a difference for me??

 

[Ryan Williams]

It's a cable. You can spend all the money you like, but it's not going to give you a miraculous increase in sound quality. There're only so many things you can do with a piece of metal fibre.

If you're happy with how it sounds then just stick with it. Cables can make a difference, but it doesn't take long before you run squarely into the territory of diminishing returns. That is, the difference between a cheap and a medium cable may be large, but the difference between a medium and an expensive cable is much less so. And the difference between an expensive and a very expensive cable is almost imperceptible.

Not unless you convince yourself it sounds better when it really doesn't, anyway — which I'd imagine happens quite a lot considering the ridiculous prices some people pay for cables. The brain is a powerful tool; you know of placebo drugs, right?

 

[White Mike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adkimemory /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't hear a difference when I modded the HD25-1 stock cable to the HD650 cable. In a blind test...

Shhh! You'll give away The Secret!

 

[saint.panda]

If you can't hear the difference compared to the stock HD 650 cable, getting a Headphile cable won't help much either. I find there to be quite a difference between stock unamped vs. non-stock amped but our reference points may be difference. In any case, I never found self-made blind tests to be very conclusive when comparing cables. Give it some time, maybe the differences will emerge at some point. In the meanwhile, be happy for having saved some money.

 

[nickchen]

I also never managed to hear differences between cables. Somewhat unpopular approach here, but quite common outside the north american audiophile subculture.

I don't claim to be "right" though.

 

[majkel]

When I get the HD650 cable, I'll comment on this. I tried some DIY cables which were either worse or identical to the stock Beyerdynamic/Sennheiser/Grado cables, so that's why I merely believe in those expensive replacements' abilities.

 

[outbreak123]

Nice thread OP, because i don't have to change the cable on my HD25-1 II.

 

[moriez]

Recently I started using the HD650 cable and a Mini3 for the HD25s and I also find it hard to notice a difference over the default setup. However, I start to believe there is a difference but just very small. I would say leave the comparing alone for a while and just enjoy them. Then after a month or so switch to the other setup and see if you notice a difference.

 

[adkimemory]

I guess one very small difference I can note is that the HD650 cable sounds a bit richer and fuller?? While the stock cable sounds cleaner and clearer??

I don't know... my guess if a guy stuck a gun to my head

 

[Caution]

I can't tell the difference either :x I'd much rather the single sided / shorter cable anyway ;]

 

[ILikeMusic]

It's actually really simple. You can't hear an audible difference because there is no audible difference.

 

[nickchen]

Deepest nighttime in north america actually. You should wait what the other fraction has to say before drawing final conclusions.

 

[Ryan Williams]

My personal stance is that a combination of placebo and getting used to the sound accounts for a lot of 'improvement' in audio, both for cables and the process of burning in. Your ear adapting to the sound is a particularly big factor that's often ignored by proponents of burning in, etc. Or perhaps it's just conveniently ignored.

I'm not saying there is no difference at play in both areas, but they're nowhere near as significant as some people would have you believe — hence why the OP is so surprised that he can hardly tell the difference, after clearly expecting a big jump in quality.

 

[arteom]

the hd-25's steel cable sounds punchy, and is very microphonic, just try and tap it. Upgrading to a copper cable should help relieve some of this punchiness and also improve microphonics. and not necessarily and expenisve cable, there are a few option for the hd-25's, one made especially for it (10ft 1/4terminated single sided).

 

[QQQ]

The only way to tell if anyone can hear a difference is a DBT, since it not allowed here(and still you gotta be in one room to make a dbt, not on a message board) there's nothing to discuss really.