I recently decided to compare three different low cost DIY cable replacements for the Elear. Here are the three configurations I tried:
- Blue Jeans Cable MSA-1 (this is the cable BJC uses for headphone cables). It is a pair of coax cables in a single jacket. The coax cables are small versions of their LC-1 interconnect which I use for all of unbalanced interconnects in my systems. Each coax a solid copper core and thick braid. (This is not strictly DIY since they come assembled.)
- DIY made with Belden 1800F balanced cable. This cable is used for BJC’s balanced cables. This cable is also referenced for other replacement cables on Head-Fi.
- DIY made with Moon Audio Black Dragon cable.
Connectors: the BJC cable came with Canare 1/8 inch TS connectors. These fit perfectly in the Elear sockets. All amp ends were Neutrik NC4MX-B 4-pin male connectors. The DIY 1/8 inch connectors were Rean NYS226BG 3.5mm mono TS plugs. These are a loose fit in the Elears so I added a coating of heat-shrink to the connector barrel that made for a more secure fit.
MarkerTek.com is a good supplier for the DIY parts including 1800F cable by the foot. An unbalanced version of the BJC cable can be ordered directly from the
MSA-1 Special Applications Page. Balanced versions must be separately quoted.
Impressions:
All three cables were significantly superior to the stock cable. The stock cable sounded muddy and flat in comparison. Note however that all of the test cables were much shorter - 4 to 6 feet compared to the 15 foot stock cable.
The differences between the three cables were modest but noticable.
All three produced a pleasant soundstage. The soundstage from the Black Dragon cable was the most forward but was uneven. The MSA-1 lacked any soundstage depth but width and focus were OK. The 1800F had the most depth and felt most natural of the three.
The MSA-1 had a slightly forward upper midrange. It also had the best bass definition of the group. For people that like forward upper midrange for female voice or guitar and tight bass (not enough for bass heads) this may well be to their liking.
The Black Dragon had an oddly uneven presentation over the frequency range with some frequencies being accentuated and others being recessed. Of the three, I thought this cable to be the least satisfying and most fatiguing.
The 1800F had the smoothest signature top to bottom. I was a little rolled off at the top end. Its bass was a bit recessed but reasonably well defined, though not as tight as the MSA-1. The bass presentation of an acoustic double bass in jazz recordings was very satisfying. The overall balance of tonality left me with that “ahh…” feeling as I listened. This was the only cable where I found myself forgetting that I was evaluating cables and just fell into listening to the music.
In conclusion, the 1800F is my first preference followed by the MSA-1. I will probably not use the Black Dragon again. The 1800F will be my primary cable and perhaps use the MSA-1 for some content. The 1800F is the least expensive followed closely by the MSA-1 and then a jump to the Black Dragon. This proves (to me at least) that you can get fine sound with inexpensive cables.
My listening biases: I listen to predominately classical music along with some jazz - almost exclusively acoustic music. I very rarely listen to rock. I hate bright cables and have very low tolerance for anything glassy, harsh or sibilant. I have strong preference for overall tonal balance even at the expense of frequency extremes.
Equipment used: Oppo BDP-93 > Yggdrasil > Ragnarok. I also briefly used the Musical Fidelity M1 HPA for unbalanced testing.