Line In/OUT Cable
Sep 20, 2013 at 3:48 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 7

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Ok, not sure what I'm looking for when trying to find one on the net. Current set up:

Source : Galaxy Nexus (Soon to be Note 3)
Headphones : Beyerdynamic T70
Amp: P4 Warbler
Cable connecting them is from my FIIO E3

What exactly am I looking for in a new cable? A line in or a line out? Does the cable actually matter? Higher quality = better sound? What is the best brand to get?

thanks for fielding a budding audiophile newbie question.
 
Sep 20, 2013 at 5:48 PM Post #2 of 7
Are you using both the FIIO E3 and the P4 Warbler?  Or just the cable from the FIIO E3?
 
"Line in" and "Line out" are not terms used to describe cables, they are used to describe inputs and outputs.  Based on your equipment, it sounds like you just need a mini-stereo cable that is male on both ends.
 
Does the cable actually matter?  This is one of the most hotly debated topics on the forums.  My opinion is: they can subtly change the sound.  But better is totally subjective.  Look up cable ABX tests on google.  What you will find is that when cheap Radioshack cables are compared to cables costing thousands of dollars, 50% of audiophiles will prefer the cheap cables, and 50% will prefer the expensive cables.  When asked to blindly ID which is which, almost all who participate will fail to do so at a level beyond that of mere chance.
 
If you play a trick on the audiophiles by telling them the $5 dollar cable is the $1000 one, they will tell you the $5 dollar cable sounds miles better.  Then they'll get mad when they tell them they've been tricked.  
 
A LOT of how a cable sounds is based on how it looks.  Cables which are well constructed and look fancy will make your brain think there is added detail, better soundstage, tighter bass, etc...  But try doing a totally blind test with a friend assisting, and you will 99% likely find that those changes disappear without the visual component.  The power of visual placebo is a powerful thing.  I've fallen trap to this many, many times!
 
In a nutshell: cables can slightly change sound, but which is "better" is totally subjective.  Sometimes people say silver cables sound "brighter" than copper cables, but there is no hard evidence for this.  No cable sounds absolutely better than another cable.  
 
A good rule of thumb is: spend most of your $$$ on the headphones or speakers.  Spend the remaining on source and amp.  The cable should occupy the smallest portion of your budget.
 
Sep 20, 2013 at 5:51 PM Post #3 of 7
P.S. Monoprice is often recommended as a good source of inexpensive but good quality cables.  Remember that the quality of cables is mostly referring to the outside construction.  When you hear stuff like five 9's pure copper or BS like that, start getting suspicious.  (The wiring inside your amp is not five 9's pure, neither is the all the wiring used in the studio equipment that made the recording, or your phone, or your headphone cable, etc..., so what good is a small segment of five 9's in your interconnect going to do?)
 
And never spend more than 30 or 40 US dollars on cables.  Unless your headphones cost $10000, in which case cost doesn't matter much to you and you go ahead and spend whatever you want. 
 
Sep 20, 2013 at 7:12 PM Post #4 of 7
Source : Phone
Headphones : Beyerdynamic T70
Amp: P4 Warbler
Cable connecting them is from my FIIO E3
What exactly am I looking for in a new cable? A line in or a line out? Does the cable actually matter? Higher quality = better sound? What is the best brand to get?
thanks for fielding a budding audiophile newbie question.

You would use an analog audio cable with a 3.5mm (1/8") male plug to 3.5mm (1/8") male plug.
Typical mini-jack to mini-jack cable.
In other words it's the cable the Fiio E3 came with.
Guess you could get one of Monoprice's "Premium" cables, that as much as I would spend for a cable.
 
I would think if you want to improve audio quality, you might consider getting a good DAP (Digital Audio Player), with a dedicated line-out (not headphone jack), to play your music files from.
Maybe a Fiio X3 or iBasso DX50, or a Cowon brand.
 
Sep 20, 2013 at 7:15 PM Post #5 of 7
if you are asking do mini to mini make a difference, yes, they do from my expierence. ive used toxic cable silver poison mini to mini, and whiplash scsag hook wire mini to mini. both are exceptional 
 
Sep 20, 2013 at 7:43 PM Post #6 of 7
  Are you using both the FIIO E3 and the P4 Warbler?  Or just the cable from the FIIO E3?
 
 

Just the cable from it. The longer one broke that came with the FIIO 3 and the smaller one is starting to go out. Thanks this information helps a lot from these posts. Reason I ask is because just the left cup of the Beyer has a static noise in it and that's the one that I don't get sound when I wiggle the cable around when it is connected to my P4. Really only want to spend 30-40 USD for one. I guess monoprice is the best place to pick one up.
 
Sep 20, 2013 at 8:38 PM Post #7 of 7
  Just the cable from it. The longer one broke that came with the FIIO 3 and the smaller one is starting to go out. Thanks this information helps a lot from these posts. Reason I ask is because just the left cup of the Beyer has a static noise in it and that's the one that I don't get sound when I wiggle the cable around when it is connected to my P4. Really only want to spend 30-40 USD for one. I guess Monoprice is the best place to pick one up.

Good thing about Monoprice is you can order a low priced cheap (but decent quality) stuff and the shipping charge stays low.
I try to wait until I need several (low cost) items from Monoprice before placing an order.
For just one cable, Amazon might offer free shipping on some cables.
 

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