Low end. Cheap. Generic. Otherwise bang for buck cable thread!

[rendyG]

Thanks to this thread I found the Lunashops store where I just ordered balanced cables for my DM6 (on the way) and HD580.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/8-c...CC-Copper-Earphone-Cable-For/32916330758.html
Really like the looks of this one - reminds me of it01 cable which I really enjoyed. Will report once it arrives. Can do measurements in school if anyone is interested.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-5...arphone-Cable-For-Sennheiser/32934020492.html
Seems pretty good for the price, Sennheiser cables are usually expensive..

 

[hakuzen]

Thanks Dsnuts. I bookmarked the Penon's adapter, in case I go for the F1.
I will use the Zishan DSD / F.Audio F1 exclusively with IEMs (DD or hybrid), that's why I'm a bit sceptical about Zishan (based on hakuzen's posts in the Zishan thread). On the other side, the F1 has the small drawback of the 3.5 balanced output and the bigger one of click between songs (and no firmware on the way... Xduoo-style). I will keep on thinking about these players the next few hours

sorry for being off-topic..
i don't know F.Audio F1 output impedance nor if uses output coupling caps.. anybody knows it? so it could have same issues than zishan dsd.
xduoo x3 stock firmware was crap, and no upgrades available.. but since xvortex made its rockbox port for x3, the user interface is way better than zishans or f.audios.
xduoo x20 stock firmware, hiby os based, is good. and xvortex also made its rockbox port (dual boot) recently. x20 uses standard 2.5mm trrs jack for balanced out. it features usb dac, even bluetooth dac. complete and deep measurements are known, thanks to raa:
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/amp/xduoo-x20.php
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/amp/xduoo-x20-balance.php
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/dac/xduoo-x20.php
https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/dac/xduoo-x20-bluetooth7.php
and it's cheaper than f.audio fa1.
what the hell does the f.audio fa1 have? ak4497seq dac? one rollable opamp (to mess everything by trying unappropriated opamps)? sorry, i prefer sabre dac and the right opamps (no oscillating, tested), and rockbox + hiby.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

I love my single PAPRI copper cable! I just ordered a copper/silver mix too.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/PAP...ystal-Copper-OCC-Silver-Male/32856159043.html

 

[hakuzen]

for interconnect cables, i rely on Ghent (https://www.ghentaudio.com/), canare starquad mostly. affordable high quality, superb craft working, fast shipping, and great customer support.
i tried some boutique expensive cables before. no way.

 

[Dsnuts]

So which cables you guys ended up getting. I ended up getting 3 sets for me.

Everyone had this cable over a $100 even on sales day but found one vendor which had them at $85. Had to do it. I have high expectations on this one simply due to what people are charging on the express.

Then I got one of these too.

Price is back up to $100 today but got it for $68. I got expectations of this one as well. Will most definitely report how they do.
Also got a pure copper OCC from NiceHCK which ended up costing $45 for me

 

[-rowan-]

Great! We have some overlap - will be interesting to triangulate impressions of these. Picked up 3 as well:

Also got a pure copper OCC from NiceHCK which ended up costing $45 for me

^ If I had budget for a fourth, this one would have been it.

In fact... I still have it in my cart.

And while the price jumped to $80+ right after the sale, I just noticed that it's back at $48...

 

[Dsnuts]

Ya vendors will have a residual sales the next day to give a chance to people to snap up stuff one last time. If you get a 2nd chance I say go for it. The sales never last a 2nd day however. Jim at NiceHCK was telling me about this OCC cable. Is imported from a high grade cable maker from Taiwan. Told me it sounds fantastic on everything you connect it to

It wouldnt surprise me if that OCC cable is actually higher end than the previous pure copper I posted for $68. Everyone that left reviews seems to love it. Can't wait to try it with my IT04.

 

[facethemusic88]

for interconnect cables, i rely on Ghent (https://www.ghentaudio.com/), canare starquad mostly. affordable high quality, superb craft working, fast shipping, and great customer support.
i tried some boutique expensive cables before. no way.

Hakuzen, any idea who makes cables with rsa/alo termination?

 

[hakuzen]

Hakuzen, any idea who makes cables with rsa/alo termination?

you can ask ghent for interconnect rsa/alo. he makes custom cables.

if you want iem/headphones cable with rsa/alo termination, you can ask these guys (i've got 3 cables from them, and they are going to build a custom one for my ATH-M70x):
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/3879013
you can also go for luxury eidolic cables (they provide rsa/alo termination for most of their cables) at https://doublehelixcables.com/

but maybe the best option is to get a quality rsa/alo male to 2.5mm TRRS adapter, so you can use your 2.5mm TRRS standard cables:
https://doublehelixcables.com/product/ultrashort-adapter-for-adapting-amp-terminations/ (ultrashort quality adapter, no internal wiring)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/113245989446 (no internal wiring)

 

[Randonneur]

for interconnect cables, i rely on Ghent (https://www.ghentaudio.com/), canare starquad mostly. affordable high quality, superb craft working, fast shipping, and great customer support.
i tried some boutique expensive cables before. no way.

I'd second this. Inexpensive, decent materials.

 

[facethemusic88]

you can ask ghent for interconnect rsa/alo. he makes custom cables.

if you want iem/headphones cable with rsa/alo termination, you can ask these guys (i've got 3 cables from them, and they are going to build a custom one for my ATH-M70x):
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/3879013
you can also go for luxury eidolic cables (they provide rsa/alo termination for most of their cables) at https://doublehelixcables.com/

but maybe the best option is to get a quality rsa/alo male to 2.5mm TRRS adapter, so you can use your 2.5mm TRRS standard cables:
https://doublehelixcables.com/product/ultrashort-adapter-for-adapting-amp-terminations/ (ultrashort quality adapter, no internal wiring)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/113245989446 (no internal wiring)

That is of great help my friend. I have contacted them. Lets see what they have for me.

 

[-rowan-]

Ya vendors will have a residual sales the next day to give a chance to people to snap up stuff one last time. If you get a 2nd chance I say go for it. The sales never last a 2nd day however. Jim at NiceHCK was telling me about this OCC cable. Is imported from a high grade cable maker from Taiwan. Told me it sounds fantastic on everything you connect it to

It wouldnt surprise me if that OCC cable is actually higher end than the previous pure copper I posted for $68. Everyone that left reviews seems to love it. Can't wait to try it with my IT04.

Guess what - one of my 11.11 purchases fell through so I took it as a sign to pull the trigger on this.

Thank you for the enabling... I think.

 

[Dsnuts]

I like enabling. Especaily for fellow headfiers. Lol. Let us know how that worked out. The wait begins. I ended up spending around $500 the other day. unreal I set my budget for $250 and blew that pretty quickly.

Will see how these cables turn out. Please report with your findings.

 

[josesol07]

Hi, got BGVP DM6 IEM with the Copper & Silver Plated Copper (C & SPC) cable. Looking for an option that flatens the sound signature, equivalent to the stock Silver Plated Copper (SPC) cable.
Is there anything available on Aliexpress or Amazon USA for less or about $20?
I am overwhelmed by the many options in Aliexpress. Appreciate your help

 

[hakuzen]

Hi, got BGVP DM6 IEM with the Copper & Silver Plated Copper (C & SPC) cable. Looking for an option that flatens the sound signature, equivalent to the stock Silver Plated Copper (SPC) cable.
Is there anything available on Aliexpress or Amazon USA for less or about $20?
I am overwhelmed by the many options in Aliexpress. Appreciate your help

the cable won't change tonal signature by any means, regardless of its material and thickness. no tonal alterations.
i think the cable could affect to distortion/thickness, but this is still to be demonstrated. if this was true, you'd get slightly thinner sound with pure silver compared to pure copper or spc. useful for dm6 warm (means thick) sound; less bass rumble, mids body, illusion of lighter bass and more detailed mids and highs.
that's why i prefer pure copper cables for analytical thin sounding iems, and pure silver for thick (warm) sounding iems.
but you can't find decent thick pure silver cables <$20.