[KarateKid]

Hi guys. I have a microstack now (bought it used off head-fi). It came with a "switchcraft" mini to mini interconnect. It's silver, looks decent, but am I losing any potential SQ by using this IC or is there something else out there decently priced that would make my setup slightly better? I've been looking at the cardas right angled mini to mini that headroom offers, would it be an improvement over what I'm using now or does it the quality of mini to mini not matter much at all?

Thanks for reading this!

 

[KarateKid]

Oh and I was also looking at this one:

head.com: C&C Mini Crystal interconnect cable

It looks nice... but the question is, is it any good?

What does one need to look for when buying a mini to mini IC?

 

[oicdn]

Any differences in IC are so subtle, unless your rig is up to the task, you likely won't hear a difference.

An example of a rig up to the task, at a minimum would be something like:

Nano -> TurboDock -> Corda Move -> UM2's

That was my rig a couple months back. I switched from an ALO cryodock to TurboDock and the difference was EXTREMELY subtle AT BEST. My friends who aren't audio savvy in the slightest, said they sounded exactly the same, and who knows, they probably do and it's just all psycho-acoustic???

IC's should be the LAST purchase of your rig IMO, and with the least amount of thought, if any at all. Pay for the cosmetics...or as some say "the peace of mind" when it comes to ICs in portable rigs.


As far as that link you have goes, that IC is LONG....way long. There's a reason why you see most ICs are like 2-3 inches of actual cable, and 5-7 inches overall. Because when your cable is long, it increases the bulk of your rig. Afterall, the thing that causes your rig to be bulky, is the IC. Your DAP and amp stack together, the IC just sticks out....

 

[Rednamalas1]

lol this is exact question I have asked

I have been asking around and general consensus is that cable upgrades are only meaningful if your rig can stand up to it.
I dont think it will make noticeable difference for people without ultimate golden ears.

I tried few different interconnects for ipods, etc but they didn't seem to make noticeable change for me.
I'm upgrading to X5L(FLAC files) -> Bada Ph-12 -> K701s
and interconnects are the last upgrades I'll be doing, after recabling my K701s.

 

[KarateKid]

Well it looks like I'll be trying out TURBO's mini to mini ICs.

Oicdn, you're saying I should go for the shortest possible length that I would need? I don't really mind that it sticks out a bit, I just use the stack on my PC (xfi prelude digital out) so space isn't a problem. I would imagine the length of anything under a few meters wouldn't degrade the quality of the sound, no?

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[Lil' Knight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarateKid /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well it looks like I'll be trying out TURBO's mini to mini ICs. Oicdn, you're saying I should go for the shortest possible length that I would need? I don't really mind that it sticks out a bit, I just use the stack on my PC (xfi prelude digital out) so space isn't a problem. I would imagine the length of anything under a few meters wouldn't degrade the quality of the sound, no? Thanks for all the help guys.

Yes. I would say I will try to use my IC as short as possible. The length of the cable affluences the SQ IMO

 

[webbie64]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oicdn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any differences in IC are so subtle, unless your rig is up to the task, you likely won't hear a difference....I switched from an ALO cryodock to TurboDock and the difference was EXTREMELY subtle AT BEST...There's a reason why you see most ICs are like 2-3 inches of actual cable, and 5-7 inches overall. Because when your cable is long, it increases the bulk of your rig. Afterall, the thing that causes your rig to be bulky, is the IC. Your DAP and amp stack together, the IC just sticks out....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil' Knight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes. I would say I will try to use my IC as short as possible. The length of the cable affluences the SQ IMO

oicdn is spot on. I recently listened to all my mini-2-minis in a FLAC/iRiver H140/mini3 or SR-71/Livewires config and found differences BUT more similarity than I'd anticipated (far closer than RCA IC differences on my home rig).

I put this down to, IMHO, portable audio being MidFi at best. So even with the very best rig you only hear relatively subtle differences in different ICs. I still choose well burned in silver ICs, particularly for my FLAC rig. But I found the Cardas Hpi to be remarkably close, so close it's now a part of my MP3 ultraportable (in pocket) rig rather than the more combersome silvers I have that I now reserve for the transportable FLAC rig.

Sorry, Lil' Knight but I reckon the length will only make a difference on SQ, particularly as it makes so little difference with these portable rigs, if it is a considerable difference in length.

 

[zhix78]

I'm using imod running on apple lossless, tomahawk and TF10, currently considering upgrading my IC as well. but like the rest of the users here, i dun see how much difference I will be getting with a new (and more expensive) IC.

 

[cisland]

When going portable, what does people do to hold the player & amp together or just let it loose on the pocket or in the backpack?

 

[oicdn]

Karatekid, yes, I would go with the shortest length available. Coincidently, most cable makers make the cable the shortest length both for ease of manufacturing and practicality.

Cisland, most people just use rubber bands (or those livestrong type bracelets) to keep everything together, that or velcro squares. I prefer the rubber band cause I don't have to stick anything to anything so it can stick to something else... Letting it float loosely in your pocket puts undue stress on the jacks, terminals and plug connections from it moving around all over the place.

 

[KarateKid]

oicdn I've already ordered TURBO's IC, I hope it'll be good!

I've noticed something funny... using the line-out on my PC soundcard (prelude) and plugging into my amp (note that my IC is plugged into the headphone extension and the fit is VERY tight), my sound is magically ... better! The IC I'm using seems loose when I connect it between my DAC and AMP,.... is it an IC problem or a problem with the holes?