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

[Saraugie]

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...k=in_edm_other&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

 

[Maxx134]

out different plugs using the same wires, there must be some sort of excitations by different elements/compounds that give sound different characters

Yes I also have observed this noticably when I replaced sockets on a headphones

In every conductor we have so much going on with as you noted the geometry affecting R/C/L, magnetic fields, skin effect, insulator effects, and shielding effects.

I remember a friend regretting buying some expensive thick braiding silver cables, that were clearly not better than other silver cables.

My fav cable is flat "wire world" cable. But for IEMs it's a different ballgame as so many choices

 

[Carpet]

do you by any chance remember the model name? they make a bunch of cables, and I can't seem to find that specific one.

This one has 4 core gel cable for blue and purple, 2 core silver

 

[saldsald]

Yes I also have observed this noticably when I replaced sockets on a headphones

In every conductor we have so much going on with as you noted the geometry affecting R/C/L, magnetic fields, skin effect, insulator effects, and shielding effects.

I remember a friend regretting buying some expensive thick braiding silver cables, that were clearly not better than other silver cables.

My fav cable is flat "wire world" cable. But for IEMs it's a different ballgame as so many choices

Exactly, it is just wishful thinking to hope that a single measurement one of the many properties of a cable would be enough to describe the characteristics of a cable.

I have tried some cables with the same core wires but different skins and that was enough to give different sounds. I have also noted that the anti-breakage fibers such as those in a Litz type 6 configuration might cause a huge resolution drop. There are just too many factors and it is just very hard to do any guesstimation.

I think it's just impossible to judge the sound quality of any wires by their price. I have tried some expensive ones and some cheaper ones and there's no correlational between price and performance.

 

[Uprox]

I think it's just impossible to judge the sound quality of any wires by their price. I have tried some expensive ones and some cheaper ones and there's no correlational between price and performance.

There's one nuance: cheaper cables utilizes cheaper connectors, plugs and solder, it can influents to the sound on a bad way. Overall cheap cables has insufficient productivity due to the same cheap solder and furniture, so their conductor material almost has no matter for SQ, I guess.

 

[saldsald]

There's one nuance: cheaper cables utilizes cheaper connectors, plugs and solder, it can influents to the sound on a bad way. Overall cheap cables has insufficient productivity due to the same cheap solder and furniture, so their conductor material almost has no matter for SQ, I guess.

Yea, but I was actually talking about the wire, not the cable. One thing I have noticed about XINHS' cables was that their cable actually tended to sound similar in a way. Like I could pick up some distinctive sound (in a bad way) listening to those cable and I figured out it was their plugs and likely also the copper base wires for making other wires. Their plugs were really quite bad and I have sold almost all of mine under the brand name but maybe they have already made some improvements.

 

[Jerwardemy]

Has anyone tried the new NiceHCK SnowWings? 7N OCC Silver and 24k Gold plated and optional OFC copper plug

 

[568812]

There's one nuance: cheaper cables utilizes cheaper connectors, plugs and solder, it can influents to the sound on a bad way. Overall cheap cables has insufficient productivity due to the same cheap solder and furniture, so their conductor material almost has no matter for SQ, I guess.

That is a generalising to quite some extent ... .

 

[Maxx134]

More wires usually get you more treble because they are litz wires and sometimes bass.

Good to know. There should be a sticky about wire braiding, insulation, metal type, and fibers adding, and what are the better designs.

I only noticed some generalizations like metals: silver (detailing & brightness), gold(solidity & lushness), copper (clarity & low end)

I think the "cable design" affects the soundstage, and also noticed heavy braiding did not benefit a cable.

But they are only my own impressions, which is just too variable to apply to any other person's specific scenario.

I am cable agnostic / don't necessary believe in cables impacting the sound signature of headgear.

For technical agnostic thinkers, It's actually known with board design how electronic board traces themselves, are subject to all three "R/C/L" effects, and so they design components to not interfere with close proximities.

Every IEM has a crossover network wich will behave differently once you add a cable, with its own "R/C/L" properties.

So there is a technical aspect and reality for cable effects. It's properties will effect both the source and the transducer (to a small extent) as everything electronic has all three components (resistance/inductance/capacitance in varying slight degrees.

The issue is that we must "simplify" in electronics and separate these three effects for calculations. So we are told wire is just a "zero" in any effect. A total lie for the sake of simplicity in electronics.

 

[Nick76]

Has anyone tried the new NiceHCK SnowWings? 7N OCC Silver and 24k Gold plated and optional OFC copper plug

Yes it's awesome. Think I got it for around $16 dollars when NiceHCKs website opening sale was going on. Behaves beautifully, sounds good. One of my favorite budget cables.

 

[saldsald]

Good to know. There should be a sticky about wire braiding, insulation, metal type, and fibers adding, and what are the better designs.



I only noticed some generalizations like metals: silver (detailing & brightness), gold(solidity & lushness), copper (clarity & low end)



I think the "cable design" affects the soundstage, and also noticed heavy braiding did not benefit a cable.



But they are only my own impressions, which is just too variable to apply to any other person's specifi

It is hard to generalize anything here IMO. You can get bright and detailed pure copper cables, gold and palladium are kind of similar they both slow down the sound, pure silver cables can also be very bassy and most importantly I don't think the cable makers always tell you the true plating materials, palladium are usually infused with gold plating or even silver plating, and sometimes they may use nickle too.

One thing I feel it might be more conclusive is on the thickness of the wire, 4 wire with each wire 22AWG or thicker might get you a better stage and information, not sure if that has anything to do with attenuation.

c scenario.
The issue is that we must "simplify" in electronics and separate these three effects for calculations. So we are told wire is just a "zero" in any effect. A total lie for the sake of simplicity in electronics.

Very true, nothing is perfect in the analogue world and all formulas are just (overly) simplfied descriptions of the reality. It is important to distinguish the purpose of the electrical signal/power transmission, while these formulas are enough for describing the work done they are not enough to describe the musicality due to the simplification and we are yet to objectively define musicality.

 

[568812]

Yes it's awesome. Think I got it for around $16 dollars when NiceHCKs website opening sale was going on. Behaves beautifully, sounds good. One of my favorite budget cables.

Looks nice and seems well made. Probably as good as something costing a hundred times more. Is white a practical colour for an IEM cable though?

 

[Pezzab]

Some nice and not so nice cables I picked up recently (using the Penon Space with Fan 3 as my baseline for comparison).

XINHS A04 4 strands Graphene+7N Pure Copper Hybrid Upgrade Cable

Enhances mid range over bass, making the sound stage feel wider, great seperation. Thin but handles nicely, looks even better in the flesh. Currently my second favourite cable with the Fan 3.

ivipQ-532 4-Core Oil Immersed Graphene+Silver Palladium Earphone Upgrade Cable

Similar characteristics to the above but with more bass and a more forward, louder sound. Medium thick cable which is nice to handle and subtle colours which catch the light.

I seem to keep gravitating back to this over the Space cable but also jockeying with the XINHS A04.

XINHS K01 8-core 7N bright copper+7N dark copper HIFI headphone cable

Most disappointing cable in my recent batch. Looks lovely and is nice and thick. But with my set up it didn't seem to have good synergy at all.

Lacking in dynamics and seems to require more power to drive it, the soundstage isnt good. On the plus side I felt I could pick out micro details but just isn't enjoyable enough to listen to for any length of time.

ZiSin-03 8-Core 7N OCC+Alloy Copper In Ear Earphone Upgrade Cable

Another nice to look at and handle cable that felt like it flattened the sound.

Again perhaps a synergy issue, I think I need to spend more time with it.

XINHS Summer Elves 7N Single Crystal Copper HiFi Earphone Upgrade Cable

Just a nice looking cable. Thinner less bassy sound than the Space, pleasant enough, just doesn't noticeably enhance any elements to my ears by comparison.

 

[crezo]

Got to drop a quick recommendation for this beasty Openheart cable that just arrived from Ali Express today.

Full price is £25 and got it in the sale for £12!!

Always hated the Litz cables that come with Campfires as they’re so thin they just tangle like crazy.

This is an OPENHEART 8 Core Original MMCX C. 8 strands 1.4m (4 strands Silver-plated Copper + 4 strands Copper), 240 cores, single strand 30 cores and solid brass connectors (which also suit the gold Dorado shells perfectly).

Super well made and heavyweight cable that sounds great. Only noticeable difference in sound is a very slight brightening of the treble, which is very much appreciated with these IEMs as they’re lack brightness.

And they even come with a nice little pouch thing if that does it for you

100% recommended.

 

[abcdff]

Hello guys, completely beginner here. Can I have some recommendation cable under 15$ for Truthear Hexa? The original was broken and if possible I want a bit more treble.