[etc6849]

Honestly didn't cost a bunch, maybe $65 in materials just for the one cable where $44 was for the dumb two pin connectors.  I probably could have gotten one for $200+ of similar quality.  I used some nice Magomi shielded 2 wire, 25 gauge mic cable.  It's super flexible.  There's about 32 feet of wire as I braided them together.
 
The problem is I have extra techflex sleeving in various colors, extra cable, different 3M 5 foot heat shrink sizes (the expensive stuff with glue), extra connectors to make adapters, 25 feet of magomi 24 gauge 4 conductor cable (to make an XLR-4 extension cable), etc...  If you count my leftovers and extras it was well more than $200 in supplies; most stuff comes in 25 foot increments from parts express.  I could make several more headphone cables, but no way would I sell them for less than $200.  I don't know how that guy on ebay does it for $120, but I value my time much more than that.
 
No way would I buy one off ebay after soldering the two pin connectors.  They are tuff even for those that have EE degrees, but I didn't have any issues just super small and getting heat shrink over the individual pins was a PITA.  I can only imagine the botched solder job these overseas cables have, no heat shrink to prevent shorts, etc...

 

[craftyhack]

  Honestly didn't cost a bunch, maybe $65 in materials just for the one cable where $44 was for the dumb two pin connectors.  I probably could have gotten one for $200+ of similar quality.  I used some nice Magomi shielded 2 wire, 25 gauge mic cable.  It's super flexible.  There's about 32 feet of wire as I braided them together.
 
The problem is I have extra techflex sleeving in various colors, extra cable, different 3M 5 foot heat shrink sizes (the expensive stuff with glue), extra connectors to make adapters, 25 feet of magomi 24 gauge 4 conductor cable (to make an XLR-4 extension cable), etc...  If you count my leftovers and extras it was well more than $200 in supplies; most stuff comes in 25 foot increments from parts express.  I could make several more headphone cables, but no way would I sell them for less than $200.  I don't know how that guy on ebay does it for $120, but I value my time much more than that.
 
No way would I buy one off ebay after soldering the two pin connectors.  They are tuff even for those that have EE degrees, but I didn't have any issues just super small and getting heat shrink over the individual pins was a PITA.  I can only imagine the botched solder job these overseas cables have, no heat shrink to prevent shorts, etc...

Awesome, thanks for all of the info!  It sounds like it might be fairly economical to do several sets at the same time maybe, and even more to build your wires with an adapter at the end (maybe there is a cheap yet quality option?) so that the the cables can be either balanced or SE, or maybe if you have an unusual amp, have 2 3 pin, etc.  I am pretty sure I have seen other folks make cables for all of their cans like that so they can move them between rigs without requiring more than one main cable for each set.  I suck at soldering... not including tinning wire ends, that that info is very helpful on what I would be getting into .
 
I am thinking about trying this anyway, I have two sets of cables for I think every set I have, where I could probably sell all of the aftermarket cables that are higher cost and then make myself replacement cables.  I don't think I have an ear trained to tell the difference between cables assuming they aren't damaged, the same plug type, etc., so these >basic cables I have picked up over time are wasted on me .
 
Thanks again, you are a really helpful person, it is appreciated!

 

[etc6849]

Get a nice soldering iron so you know the tips temperature.  This is the one I use:  https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WESD51-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000ARU9PO
 
Then watch youtube videos and practice   I set my tip temp around 720 degrees.  If you like doing stuff with your hands it is fun I think, plus your screen name is crafty hack, so you are obligated to try it.
 
I think the sound difference is from the differential amp, but it could be my mind playing tricks on me.  I used the Mogami W2552 Superflexible Microphone Signal Cable 1 ft. Part # 103-1016 from parts express.
 
Definitely if you made several cables there is a huge cost savings.  
Quote:

  Awesome, thanks for all of the info!  It sounds like it might be fairly economical to do several sets at the same time maybe, and even more to build your wires with an adapter at the end (maybe there is a cheap yet quality option?) so that the the cables can be either balanced or SE, or maybe if you have an unusual amp, have 2 3 pin, etc.  I am pretty sure I have seen other folks make cables for all of their cans like that so they can move them between rigs without requiring more than one main cable for each set.  I suck at soldering... not including tinning wire ends, that that info is very helpful on what I would be getting into .
 
I am thinking about trying this anyway, I have two sets of cables for I think every set I have, where I could probably sell all of the aftermarket cables that are higher cost and then make myself replacement cables.  I don't think I have an ear trained to tell the difference between cables assuming they aren't damaged, the same plug type, etc., so these >basic cables I have picked up over time are wasted on me .
 
Thanks again, you are a really helpful person, it is appreciated!

 

[craftyhack]

Whoops, that got long fast!  TL;DR, I have invested probably hundreds of hours soldering with excellent tools available, training and guidance, etc., but I suck anyway.
 
LOL, unfortunately I am not saying I suck because I don't do it much.  First, I starting turning wrenches on stock race cars (best friends dad self sponsored, so free labor was good for him, and being taught to rebuilt 350s, etc. was awesome for me!), and redoing (or making) harnesses, and other odd elec work needed soldering.  Then I started buying broken electronics from garage sales when I learned how easy it was to fix things (sometimes), but this was the 80's and some of the stuff I picked up was from the 70s,  If it wasn't a internal glass fuse or something that was blown, then pretty much needed to solder (sometime the damn fuse was soldered :/).  Then my first real job was working at a comp. car system installer at 15, and I had to solder there all the damn time when putting together a comp system for a client.  Skip a few jobs, and I worked at a Toyota dealer as a line tech with my specialty/training/certifications being electronic diagnosis and repair, and I don't think a month passed since that installer job at 15 where I wasn't doing a custom install for myself or a friend..  Then I joined the Navy at 19 and ended up being a nuke wirebiter, (Nuke EM).  Two years of training to qualify, with a ****load of training and practical soldering for maintenance all through that.  Pretty much everything except coms/sonar, etc. in a boat built in the mid 60's can be repaired by replacing a resistor here or a cap there, no throwing away whole boards (which were older than I was). Then I go to college at UT via a commissioning program so I remained active duty but my major was pretty much dictated... take a guess .  EE/CE (computer engineering, this was 97 and it was a pilot program for a new type of degree).  Damn, more soldering, who knew I would be doing practical labs and building stuff in college, buit it was actually pretty fun, my favorite part of the program actually .
 
I still do work on my own cars, on my electronics where I can, I have made a few repairs/mods on surface mount components found in electronics nowadays(nightmare for me), I had to get a magnifying glass rig to do that stuff but it was worth it for the couple of times I have succeeded, God bless the internet for showing me how. 
 
No matter how much I soldered through all of this, I could never get one of those nice even spreads of solder when mounting components in a PCB, or on a surface mount resistor or whatever.  No matter the temps of the iron, of ambient, humidity if that really matters, what kind of solder I used, cleaning, use of flux, or any of the tips I got from in person training, youtube, whatever.
 
Even when I tin wires they look crappy, and I have done thousands of those over the years.  I dunno, I can get the work done after a few practice runs on a donor board and then a couple of tries on the real job, and it is (usually) conductive where it is supposed to be without shorting anything else, but pretty much always ugly and I can never get the correct amount to stick :/.  It is a curse maybe?  I would love to blame the tools, but I have a few decent ones that others used to do fine work with, and about 5 years ago I picked up a Hakko FX-888 (version previous to digital one) because I saw on youtube or somewhere that *anyone* could solder well with it and it was pretty highly regarded even though it looked like something from Fisher Price.  I also purchased a bunch of tips, very nice ones so I had the exact right one for the job, as well as different diameters and types of solder, and other accessories, anything to help.  When I was in school and in the Navy, they provided outstanding irons and that helped me a tiny bit, but everything I bought didn't make a difference.
 
I am meant to suck... and past a few tries, the more I practice the worse I get .  Its OK, joints are functional, but with the time I have invested, I should be a darn master electronics tech.

 

[LarryMagoo]

You guys are funny discussing the finer arts of soldering!!!!   Those 800 HP connectors are ridiculously small....I had to wear two pairs of reading glasses so I could see to solder the pins

   But when the parts are cleaned and fluxed the solder flows great....you gotta get in and get out before you melt the polymer.....but certainly a lot of pride in a cable well made...I used Cable form DH Labs called their HP-1.  I made a 20 footer and I think my cost with a set of those HP connectors cost me around $200...I put some braided poly sleeve on there to make it look fancy.... 
 
I know a lot of folks don't believe in break-in but I do.  So I have been breaking in my Oppo HA-1 with my 800S's and cable creeping on almost 200 hours and they continue to exhibit more detail as well as slam....

 
 
One Soldering tip is I use a Butane Soldering iron...that has an adjustable temp dial...I get the tip just hot enough to melt the solder (in this case .032 Dia.)  the solder will heat those small pins quickly when you have it all jigged up..

 

[polecrab]

Uh oh, I was playing music from my iPhone plugged into the front mobile USB input and I heard a pop and then silence. iPhone would show music playing but there would be no sound and no VU meter activity on the HA-1. Plugged in my iPad and still nothing. Then I switched to Bluetooth and that worked, and then switched back to mobile USB and it was working again. Hope this temporary glitch isn't a sign of trouble. Anyone else have one of the digital inputs not working temporarily?

 

[etc6849]

I am almost 40...  I can feel my day is coming to need reading glasses.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryMagoo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I had to wear two pairs of reading glasses so I could see to solder the pins

  

 

[LarryMagoo]

Dude....aka etc6849
 
You got at least 5 more years ...then the procession stronger and stronger glasses keep coming....it happens

 

[WayTooCrazy]

 

My need for reading glasses hit me at 40. I'm happy I don't need to use them all the time though.

 

[craftyhack]

 
My need for reading glasses hit me at 40. I'm happy I don't need to use them all the time though.

****, I just turned 40 this year.  I don't need reading glasses yet, and I spent about $6k on lasik a few years ago and still appreciate the freedom from glasses/contacts EVERY DAY.  I am gonna be pissed if I need glass again .  Oh well, as long as the hearing sticks around for a while I guess.  If not, I am glad my gear can go to 11!  BTW,  I am demo'ing a few different pairs of speakers to go with the HA-1 as part of a desktop rig, and demoing cans is WAY easier .  It has been a while, I forgot how much of a pain it is to setup each set of speakers, deal with positioning, wiring, and all of that.  Very hard to A/B in my situation given there is only room for one pair at a time, so there is a minimum of 5-10 min between "A" and "B".  I am switching between Focal CMS 40 studio monitors, Def Tech Incline PC speakers (they go cheap compared to MSRP at release), and a pair of Vanatoo... not really studio monitors.. powered speakers I guess.  Unfortunately the last two sets don't have great analog inputs; they both have DACs so the HA-1 is kind of wasted, but I will give their analog ins a try to compare anyway.  The reviews for these last two made them too interesting to pass up.  So far, all of them sound great!  Very different (with or without HA-1 as the DAC), but fun.  I need a bigger desk...

 

[imac2much]

I just purchased some Def Tech Inclines too. I've been using them via USB but I am bringing them back to China where my HA-1 is; I plan to try them via RCA-to-aux and compare via USB. Let me know how it goes with your setup too!

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Those Def Tech do looking interesting. I like the Sub out. I hope they didn't do "anything" like AudioEngine did with mine and send full signal to the speakers, even with a sub attached. That is the reason I had to go to an external X-over to combat that. O'well, more toys on the desk I guess.

 

[Korabeu]

   
@craftyhack Can you describe your settings for gaming?; I cannot get game audio to play over the Oppo via USB or Optical. All of the windows sounds work; foobar works, vlc works. I cannot any of the games I own working over the HA-1: (GTAV, NFS Most Wanted/The Run, Sniper Elite V2, Battlefield). Im sure this is my mistake with a setting somewhere.
 
Oppo support responded to me; their response to my request for WHQL drivers was disappointing. Basically: we dont have WHQL, dont want WHQL, and will never have WHQL because it slows us down. I accepted that. Then I was thinking about it a few days later::: Slows what down? Your ONE driver revision in 3 years? Your online knowledge base answering 4 FAQs? Then I looked at the Support for their BDP players; its unreal; constant firmware updates; very detailed clear setup instructions; even how to set the BDP for ASIO from several different applications. 
 
Another oddity about Oppo Digital support; the Japanese Oppo Digital support forum is the most helpful. Oppo Support admitted it and told me to use google translate... lol  

 
Hi,
 
did you find a way to get sound in those games you mentioned?
 
Is one to understand that the lack of WHQL drivers for the OPPO HA-1 may translate in having no sound in some/most computer games?
 
I reckon that's not...very good.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

   
Hi,
 
did you find a way to get sound in those games you mentioned?
 
Is one to understand that the lack of WHQL drivers for the OPPO HA-1 may translate in having no sound in some/most computer games?
 
I reckon that's not...very good.

That would make this a "No Go" for me. It would have been one of its major uses in my desktop setup.

 

[imac2much]

That doesn't make any sense to me. I use my HA-1 for everything, including all of my games. GTA, overwatch, witcher 3, etc. never had a single problem.