[jonathan c]

Listening to HP8 with AO. Raytheon 6SN7GTs and CK 5751 with a FAW Noir Hybrid Cable. So good.

When did you get the Noir Hybrid? One of the best, I think !

 

[geoffalter11]

When did you get the Noir Hybrid? One of the best, I think !

I got it 2 weeks ago. It is an absolutely sensational cable. I also bought a T3 OCC Pure Litz Copper Cable from Ted at headphone lounge for my ZMFs. I wanted to try both of them. Ted's needs some burn in. The FAW I bought used and is completely burned in and is incredible. The best cable I have owned. I just bought an Arctic Magnus for my TH-900 Pearl White. Excited to try that cable too...

 

[Pharmaboy]

There's a bit of an echo in this echo chamber: just yesterday I was configuring & obsessing over Arstic Cable's Telos (apparently their TOTL pure copper cable).

Somewhat cheaper but proven to be beyond excellent is the FAW Noir HCP MK2 (their TOTL pure copper)...already have 2 of those, and love 'em.

I'm not all in on silver. I have a ZMF silver cable (not sure what its name is) and it seems to go well w/the Aeolus. I keep meaning to try it with faster, more "ZMF neutral" headphones (ie, Final D8000 & Caldera).

 

[geoffalter11]

There's a bit of an echo in this echo chamber: just yesterday I was configuring & obsessing over Arstic Cable's Telos (apparently their TOTL pure copper cable).

Somewhat cheaper but proven to be beyond excellent is the FAW Noir HCP MK2 (their TOTL pure copper)...already have 2 of those, and love 'em.

I'm not all in on silver. I have a ZMF silver cable (not sure what its name is) and it seems to go well w/the Aeolus. I keep meaning to try it with faster, more "ZMF neutral" headphones (ie, Final D8000 & Caldera).

I love the Faw Noir Hybrid HCP. I am stoked to get the Arctic Magnus. Can’t wait to try it on my TH-900 Pearl White. Fortunately, I have a 1/4” so HP8 is in play.

 

[geoffalter11]

The Talos is 1 gauge thicker than the Magnum. They have a new TOTL copper cable called the Apeiron. It is 15.5 AWG but Val at Arctic felt it wasn’t necessary for the TH-900. He felt the Magnus was exactly right. I wish all headphone makers used the mini XLRs like ZMF and Audeze and Meze and Kennerton. Sure would make life easier.

 

[jonathan c]

The Talos is 1 gauge thicker than the Magnum. They have a new TOTL copper cable called the Apeiron. It is 15.5 AWG but Val at Arctic felt it wasn’t necessary for the TH-900. He felt the Magnus was exactly right. I wish all headphone makers used the mini XLRs like ZMF and Audeze and Meze and Kennerton. Sure would make life easier.

A great pet peeve. It’s one thing for the Sennheiser 600 series to have their ‘snake fangs’ - then the 800 series has their own attachment! Same issue with Focal Clear etc - then Utopia! .

Also, not all mini-XLRs are equal. I really dislike the Reans: the button to press in to release the connection loses ‘cushion’ then doesn’t work. The Furutech mini-XLRs, by contrast, are top-notch .

 

[gimmeheadroom]

A great pet peeve. It’s one thing for the Sennheiser 600 series to have their ‘snake fangs’ - then the 800 series has their own attachment! Same issue with Focal Clear etc - then Utopia! .

Also, not all mini-XLRs are equal. I really dislike the Reans: the button to press in to release the connection loses ‘cushion’ then doesn’t work. The Furutech mini-XLRs, by contrast, are top-notch .

OTOH the old Reans with the round button never jam but the ones with the slide-release do almost like clockwork.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I think I'm out of step with others here. The only mini-XLRs that give me any trouble are the ones w/the tiny black/round buttons.: not only because I have to press that button really hard and deep to get it loose from the jack (not easy when the button is maybe 2mm diameter); but worse, because the fit is tight in the ZMF mini-XLR earcup jacks. I actually pulled out a jack on my Atrium loaner (that I subsequently bought and sold) due to the little button thingie.

By contrast, the mini-XLRs on my Forza Noir HCP MK2s -- the kind with a fairly wide, round lever you press against the metal body to release it from the earcup jack -- work perfectly every time. They also seem ever so slightly smaller in diameter, meaning I don't have that feeling of slightly forcing the thing into and out of the earcup jack.

That's my story, and I'm sticking with it...

 

[jonathan c]

OTOH the old Reans with the round button never jam** but the ones with the slide-release do almost like clockwork.

** how I wished …

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I think I'm out of step with others here. The only mini-XLRs that give me any trouble are the ones w/the tiny black/round buttons.: not only because I have to press that button really hard and deep to get it loose from the jack (not easy when the button is maybe 2mm diameter); but worse, because the fit is tight in the ZMF mini-XLR earcup jacks. I actually pulled out a jack on my Atrium loaner (that I subsequently bought and sold) due to the little button thingie.

By contrast, the mini-XLRs on my Forza Noir HCP MK2s -- the kind with a fairly wide, round lever you press against the metal body to release it from the earcup jack -- work perfectly every time. They also seem ever so slightly smaller in diameter, meaning I don't have that feeling of slightly forcing the thing into and out of the earcup jack.

That's my story, and I'm sticking with it...

Interesting, so perhaps it's headphone specific. I had enough jams with my Audezes that I got a replacement cable on warranty to match the round button Reans that never jam with my LCD-2C and 3F.

 

[JonT]

Apologies for taking the thread off topic, but as a delighted listener of the HP8 Mk2 SE for two-years I thought I'd briefly share my findings of trying an Icon Audio Stereo 30SE (Mundorf caps option) in my speaker system.

I've listened for 12 hours or so - purely vinyl playback system - swapping out my Rega Elex-R. Speakers are quite sensitive (90db) ProAc DT8s.

The Rega is no slouch, has good synergy in my system/room, and costs 1/3rd less than the Stereo 30SE. That said, the difference is not subtle (and I was expecting a fairly subtle change) - the Stereo 30SE is simply incredible! It's fast, detailed, handles dynamic swings amazingly (it most certainly isn't syrupy or plodding or overly euphonic). Bass control is amazing. All this in Triode mode (18w RMS) with the volume pot at about 1 o'clock and giving in the range of 75-85db listening levels in my chair about 2.5 metres from the speakers.

The most noticeable change, though, is a flow within and between musical passages that is incredibly smooth and an incredible depth of layering in the soundstage. I'm sure this isn't attributable to a single element in the design and implementation but I can't help feeling some of this derives from the Class A typology - the Rega in comparison seems to have a hint of unnaturalness that (in my mind at least) derives from having to re-assemble the music when the signal split in the A/B typology.

I haven't even tried the amp yet in Ultralinear mode.

I had concerns about the low power/low current, low damping factor, high distortion measurements (on paper), and so forth - but in my use case I cannot hear anything of that sort. An HP8 for my speaker system!

The dear old Rega lasted 20 minutes on eBay before someone kindly took it off my hands.

Build time for the Stereo 30SE was less than 2 weeks.

 

[Wes S]

A great pet peeve. It’s one thing for the Sennheiser 600 series to have their ‘snake fangs’ - then the 800 series has their own attachment! Same issue with Focal Clear etc - then Utopia! .

Also, not all mini-XLRs are equal. I really dislike the Reans: the button to press in to release the connection loses ‘cushion’ then doesn’t work. The Furutech mini-XLRs, by contrast, are top-notch .

Interesting, as I have had nothing but great experiences with my Reans so far on my Forza, and love those connections for how easy they are to put on and remove. I only use one cable between my two headphones and switch a least twice a week, and they are the easiest and best working connectors of all the brands in my opinion and work without any issues for me. Perhaps you just got some connectors from a bad batch or it was a fluke. . .? Just like @Pharmaboy I have had issues with the one's that have the round black button, that seemingly does nothing a lot of times, and has to be pressed so hard majority of times it makes my thumb hurt.

 

[jonathan c]

Interesting, as I have had nothing but great experiences with my Reans so far on my Forza, and love those connections for how easy they are to put on and remove. I only use one cable between my two headphones and switch a least twice a week, and they are the easiest and best working connectors of all the brands in my opinion and work without any issues for me. Perhaps you just got some connectors from a bad batch or it was a fluke. . .? Just like @Pharmaboy I have had issues with the one's that have the round black button, that seemingly does nothing a lot of times, and has to be pressed so hard majority of times it makes my thumb hurt.

I agree with you, Wes. My FAWs with mini-XLR have Reans that have a silver ‘lever’ that is easy to use. I have had, on non-FAW cables, earlier (?) Rean mini-XLRs that had the black button. Those were god-awful, and did lose responsiveness.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I agree with you, Wes. My FAWs with mini-XLR have Reans that have a silver ‘lever’ that is easy to use. I have had, on non-FAW cables, earlier (?) Rean mini-XLRs that had the black button. Those were god-awful, and did lose responsiveness.

I'm starting to realize I have no idea what "Rean" means vs all the others. I do know that the mini-XLRs on my 2 FAW cables (the ones with the little silver levers that one depresses, not the tiny black buttons on other mini-XLRs) are easily the best & most usable IMHO.

I have a couple cables with the little black buttons (whatever the mfr is), and those mini-XLRs are nerve-wracking torture to get out of the earcup on various ZMF dynamics w/o pulling the male jack's housing out of the earcup (this has happened--frightful). One of those cables is the very fine nude copper Drausk, which apart from the connectors used is a wonderful cable.

Here's another irony of this rabbit-hole hobby: I got my first FAW Noir HCP MK2 cable (2M) with the full intent of using it for any/all headphones configured for mini-XLRs (currently 4 ZMFs + the Final D8000 with FAW 3.5mm/male-to-mini-XLR/male 6" connector cables). Then I got a 2nd FAW Noir HCP MK2 (this one is 2.5M); then the 2.5M Drausk; and a 2M ZMF silver (not sure which one)...and I'm thinking of getting yet another.

"There I go, there I go, there I go again" (thank you Eddie Jefferson & James Moody)

 

[geoffalter11]

I'm starting to realize I have no idea what "Rean" means vs all the others. I do know that the mini-XLRs on my 2 FAW cables (the ones with the little silver levers that one depresses, not the tiny black buttons on other mini-XLRs) are easily the best & most usable IMHO.

I have a couple cables with the little black buttons (whatever the mfr is), and those mini-XLRs are nerve-wracking torture to get out of the earcup on various ZMF dynamics w/o pulling the male jack's housing out of the earcup (this has happened--frightful). One of those cables is the very fine nude copper Drausk, which apart from the connectors used is a wonderful cable.

Here's another irony of this rabbit-hole hobby: I got my first FAW Noir HCP MK2 cable (2M) with the full intent of using it for any/all headphones configured for mini-XLRs (currently 4 ZMFs + the Final D8000 with FAW 3.5mm/male-to-mini-XLR/male 6" connector cables). Then I got a 2nd FAW Noir HCP MK2 (this one is 2.5M); then the 2.5M Drausk; and a 2M ZMF silver (not sure which one)...and I'm thinking of getting yet another.

"There I go, there I go, there I go again" (thank you Eddie Jefferson & James Moody)

My FAW Noir HCP MK2 for my ZMFs has the silver buttons. No clue what this means... I have a T3 Litz Ultra Continuous Cast Copper from Ted Allen at Headphone Lounge as well and it has tiny black buttons on the mini-xlrs. While the cable sounds great, it is not the FAW. However, I just got an Arctic Magnus for my TH-900 Pearl White and this is easily the best cable I have owned for a headphone. I have more ZMF braided and OFC cables than any one person needs, but probably not as many as Jonathan who has a dozen ZMF headphones. I think I have 8 total ZMF cables between what I've gotten for my ZMFs and what I've purchased. I think I'd like to try a 2K Copper at some point as well. But, I don't see myself buying another cable anytime soon. At least not for my ZMFs. I am a lightweight as I only have 3 ZMFs.

Listening to the HP8 right now with the AC and the suede pads with the headphone lounge cable using an adaptor into the HP8. That is my next purchase. I need a good adaptor.

I haven't listened to the HP8 in a bit, been drooling over my Corda Soul with the Pearl White for the past couple weeks.