[SonicTrance]

Yes, import charges are a pain! The ela-audio cable would cost me $63 in shipping + import charge. That's just the way it is. I will look into that toxic cable some more! Thanks for the tip baron.

 

[baronbeehive]

Check out some old English rock guys, I like it, you probably won't. If not blame MisterX for starting this trend

.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdfFAqzrwok&list=PLWfGw2maX1M7tHG1zp-gyRiws9Bxmcx4s&index=7

 

[SonicTrance]

@baronbeehive
I just ordered the toxic cable! It seems very hard to beat for the price!
 
And as you expected, I did not enjoy the English rock, lol

 

 

[baronbeehive]

  @baronbeehive
I just ordered the toxic cable! It seems very hard to beat for the price!
 
And as you expected, I did not enjoy the English rock, lol

 
Excellent. I'm sure you will not regret it. I will get one from there when I need one. I was interested to see they incorporate gold into the cable as well!
 
BTW you have no taste lol

.

 

[baronbeehive]

Yes it's quiztime folks!!!
 
Can you tell me the answers to the following questions:
 
1. Which of the driver stage decoupling and bypass caps is correct if any?
 

 
2. Which of the power stage decoupling and bypass caps is correct if any?
 

 
 
 
 
 
3. And finally which of the cathode bypass caps and bypass is correct if any?
 
Clue - I'm looking for the orientation of the caps with respect to the bypass caps, not the overall position on the board!
 
Answers please.

 

[baronbeehive]

Sorry can't get the second pic to come out, back again later

.
 
Ok it's there now

 

[baronbeehive]

It's not a trick question, I just want to know so that I can make a start!!! Does it matter which way round the caps and bypass caps go?

 

[SonicTrance]

Caps dont have polarity so it doesn't matter. Jupiter marks the outer foil, but since you're using Mundorf it doesn't matter.
Just place them how you want, in the same direction.

 

[baronbeehive]

Caps dont have polarity so it doesn't matter. Jupiter marks the outer foil, but since you're using Mundorf it doesn't matter.
Just place them how you want, in the same direction.

 
Correct answer! They're all right. You win the star prize. Thanks for bothering 

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[Maxx134]

 
Found another one which is a lot less money for me as it's within EU.




I didn't read the Swedish review!

It does look good quality from what you can tell from his information, I think I would go for one of these though for £160, £10 more, they are OCC silver and have good recommendations. They are 26awg:

[url=http://www.toxic-cables.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_61&product_id=59]http://www.toxic-cables.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_61&product_id=59

Not really bothered for my HE-500 which sounds good with copper but for the LCD-3 I think silver would be great!

Edit: the UK cost of the Ebay silver cable you posted the link to is £149, I expect it woud be considerably cheaper in Sweden! So the Toxic cables silver cable would probably be quite expensive in comparison but it was only £10 more in UK money, (£160).

The problems with the toxic cable are:

1- "The total wire diameter is 26awg(thin!)

2- It is silver mixed with Gold...
This make it either a plated or impure mixed metal.

This results in EVEN LESS silver content for its thin guage.(!)..

Add to this that Gold is noticably lower and below copper in conductivity,
Making this actually a poor choice for us.

It may sound "nice", but most likely will sound "different".

The following is my sudjective opinions from my own experience:

With the limited amount of silver, the larger signal demands will force electrons to go thru the less conductive gold,
which can cause sonic anomalies, like skew the sonic image...

I have noted this anomaly when using silver plated copper, yet this is different.

This either gold plated or mixed silver.. or both.

For sure this will cause a sonic difference, as the guage is so thin.

For me, the safest approach for choosing a headphone cable,
(Which is a long journey of signal to your headohines) is NOT to mix and mingle strands of different plated or impure metals..
That eliminates alot of cables out there..

Go either all way OCC copper,
Or all silver. ..

To me, that is the Safest choice for retaining proper sonic perspective of ambient cues without ear fatigue.

Last point, none of this will matter as much if your headphones is not a top-tier resolving one.

It will also not matter much if you didn't "supermod" your amp.


Herr is my amp getting last listening done before I open and install new caps and new impedance mod...

Yet even NOW...
The utter lack of any veil, extreme clarity and palpable holographic soundstage is what you get with these mods in place.
I keep having the dilemma that what I hear cannot be described properly without sounding exaggerated...

 

[Maxx134]

Yes none of the film caps we are using have any polarity.
Only the PSU electrolytic. .

Oh, and Mister X,
I didn't read that you bought the cable.
Lets hope my opinion is wrong on that cable and I hope you like it.

 

[Mogos]

Yet even NOW...
The utter lack of any veil, extreme clarity and palpable holographic soundstage is what you get with these mods in place.
I keep having the dilemma that what I hear cannot be described properly without sounding exaggerated...

I agree with your last sentence in 120%

.

 

[baronbeehive]

The problems with the toxic cable are:

1- "The total wire diameter is 26awg(thin!)

2- It is silver mixed with Gold...
This make it either a plated or impure mixed metal.

............
For me, the safest approach for choosing a headphone cable,
(Which is a long journey of signal to your headohines) is NOT to mix and mingle strands of different plated or impure metals..
That eliminates alot of cables out there..

Go either all way OCC copper,
Or all silver. ................

..............

 
I agree with that, that's why I opted for the OCC copper. But I think that the reason for the gold is not for plating but apparently to fill in the gaps between the OCC silver crystals to ensure a smooth transition for the signal, whatever that means. Why one needs this with OCC silver is anybody's guess. I believe it is very minute amounts of gold and if it is anything like the Mundorf SGO caps it should impart a realism to the sound, which the pure silver sound may not quite get. I know that the manufacturer who is an enthusiast has worked at getting this right. If MisterX is in any doubt he could check out the toxic cable thread where there are overwhelming positive comments, for example this one with reviews: http://www.head-fi.org/products/toxic-cables-silver-poison
I would still go for this cable myself unless I could get a cheaper all silver one.
 

............

Herr is my amp getting last listening done before I open and install new caps and new impedance mod...

Yet even NOW...
The utter lack of any veil, extreme clarity and palpable holographic soundstage is what you get with these mods in place.
I keep having the dilemma that what I hear cannot be described properly without sounding exaggerated...

 
What a work of art! The fan looks great...... pity its hidden underneath. Can't wait to experience some of that sound myself

.

 

[SonicTrance]

Yes none of the film caps we are using have any polarity.
Only the PSU electrolytic. .

Oh, and Mister X,
I didn't read that you bought the cable.
Lets hope my opinion is wrong on that cable and I hope you like it.

I hope so too!
Main thing though is that I feel it's a worthy upgrade to my existing cables. Otherwise it's money down the drain, lol. We'll see once I get it.
 

 

[Maxx134]

Personally I feel any metal with silver won't do anything,
as eletrons will choose the higher conductance silver.

Also if the silver is OCC, then there would be no such gaps in crystals.

Because by definition, "OCC" is a continuous cast of crystal,
Which leads me to believe it is normal silver.

Normal silver is still very superior to copper or any other metal anyways,
So the claim of gold does not make sense.

The only thing I can see is that the gold platong would keep the silver from getting oxidized,
Which is a good thing.

Most silver cables are thin but have conductance equivalent to a larger copper wire many times it's size.

Anyways whatever difference the wire does,
It will not be as significant as the impedance mod(!)

The impedance mod brings more precise control of bass, and in my case, a stronger bass for my "Ether" headphones.

That, plus a shift in the headphones signature,
from a bit mid centric to neutral with more clarity..

That last observation I attribute 50% to the fact that I need to upgrade my WCF caps, which I will be doing today.

They were limiting my clarity with lower impedance phones,
As the second "WCF" triodes took presidence in that situation.

I will place 2 smaller, faster, more lively caps in parallel, in place of the one original cap, which was a "soft" cap.
It was a Jupiter HT,
Not their best "copper" foil cap..