candlejack
Headphoneus Supremus
now:
- source: xDuoo X20 last stock firmware, output impedance: 0.12Ω single end / 1Ω balanced out (when comparing cables, i use single end if any of them is single end; otherwise, i try both outputs), sharp roll-off, low gain, no eq nor any kind of dsp. volume matching at around 94dBSPL@1kHz.
- earphones: moondrop blessing (flc8s before)
- songs: i'm always trying to locate high dynamic range songs, plenty of different sounds. nothing strange, well known themes.. still searching the best themes for this purpose. i focus some songs, which i know well, or i listen to them before, to locate the passages and details to focus on. last used were "lose yourself to dance", daft punk, and "have a good time", the brand new heavies. my fav albums to search in:
edm (house, big beat): the chemical brothers (most albums), the prodigy ("the fat of the land" album), rinocerose ("installation sonore", "music kills me".albums),.saint germain ("tourist" album, electro+acoustic)
soul/funk: daft punk ("random access memories" album), the brand new heavies (most albums), maceo parker (many albums).
others: nicola conte ("jet sound revisited" album), michael jackson ("thriller" album). some themes from nine inch nails and massive attack.
there are no tonal variations (measured a ton of them). differences are very slight, and are about thickness, definition, textures, detail and imaging, imo. so i focus sub-bass and bass texture (rumble, definition), treble (cymbals, highs effects) definition, definition of low volume sounds at dense passages, and overall sensation: the best cables don't hide details, textures, but at same time overall sound is rounded, smoother, more pleasant to listen. with some low quality "silver" plated cables, for example, you seem to perceive more defined and detailed highs, but then you find they are too grainy, more metallic, and overall sound is not as smooth as it should be with your iem, you hear like a grain rain. with some low quality copper cables, you seem to perceive more sub-bass rumble, and smoother bass, but then you find you've lost some bass definition and texture, and overall sound is thicker, kind of loose bass, not as rounded and pleasant as it is with a better cable.
edit: forgot to tell the difference between 165 and 168. with 165 you get good sound. but 168 excels it in cleanliness (definition and textures -both lows and highs-), and overall sensation (rounded, more pleasant).
however, all these differences are not big. they don't transform an iem in another iem, but you can notice that slight difference, and get a more pleasant long session.
It's easier to trust your ears when you have a consistent method. Appreciate the description of your evaluation process!