Heyas good folk! The parts came in from China and I finally got my new cable constructed! I have had it done for a few days but I wanted to get a full set of testing done before I post anything. First off, as much as my previous posts were genuine and honest in regards to my impressions on the increased sound quality between cables, forget everything I said! My new OCC dual plug balanced cable is a whole new beast!
But first, a few pictures. Sorry for the potato quality, the ambient lighting was at the perfect level that my 6th gen iPod hates.
The Preparation
First Impressions on build quality:
My first impression was that of worry. The cable was the size of the Sennheiser IE80. I knew I ordered essentially an IEM DIY replacement cable, but the pictures made the thickness seem beefier than it was. After re-wiring my one of my SR60i and A/B'n the stock cable vs the new one, all worries went out the door.
The cable is very light, and essentially feels invisible when dangling from the cups. Construction wise, while light feels very durable. The outer cable casing does not feel cheap, and both the metal plug and the y-split relief feel like they will out live the cable. Microphonics are literally absent; No matter what the cable rubs on (shirt, collar, chair, beard) or even if I tap the cord, it is dead silent!
In terms of any EMI/RFI, the cable offers none. Moving the cable close to my WiFi router and cordless phone, I could hear nothing but a dead black background. Not only are the OCC strands twisted, they are coated with a non-conductive teflon-esque material, and the signal/return wires themselves are twisted, so there is no need for elaborate shielding that are required for straight leads.
The Sound:
One word: MAGIC!
Game over, I am done! See ya'll later!
OK ok, I will elaborate.
Speed: The first major change I noticed was the increase in speed. Not just the lower frequencies, but across the whole spectrum! I never in a thousand years would expect a cable to increase the speed of a dynamic transducer, but it did, and not in a subtile way either. The added speed is
very tangible, I would even go so far as to say visceral.
Bass: The mid-Bass definitely slams harder, and the sub-Bass (while not as increased) has added weight. Thanks to the increase of speed, the added control on the bass is simply astounding. I would say a good 1.25dB gain and 100% added control.
Mids: The mids were always pretty smooth and detailed, but the new cable added a good dose of body and added transparency. I hate to say it, but even with my Audiophile OFC interconnects, as well as my previous custom cables, there was invisible grain. I never noticed it before, but after the OCC upgrade, it becomes quite apparent. It was especially prevalent in the upper-mids (i.e. female vocals) but that is all gone.
Treble: OMG! Pure bliss! I am now hearing the nano-details I have only heard with beyerdynamic's Tesla series drivers. Dead serious here! Not only does the treble come across as more airy, the detail just pops! Again, thanks to the added speed, the treble is
very controlled. No glare, no peakiness!
Soundstage: While the left/right and the up/down space remained virtually the same in comparison to my old custom cable (which was significantly better than the stock cable), what was significantly increased was the depth. Listening to some of Chesky's test tracks sound even more lifelike and amazing. My ears may have flinched before when Edgar the Barber was giving me a virtual haircut, now they curl!
Transparency: Metaphors best describe the added transparency. The stock cable is like a dirty pane of glass. Upgrading to (virtually) any aftermarket cable is like wiping the pane of glass with your sleeve to clean it. Upgrading to an audiophile/custom cable is like using Windex and a soft chamois to clean the glass. The OCC cable is equivalent to outright taking away the glass altogether!
Volume increase and the break-up of sound: This is kind of an off-ball category, but is worth a mention as it is not only a big factor, but one that many professional reviewers have given the M4U 1 a negative for (usually their ONLY negative). At higher volumes, the sound tends to not sound as smooth, and at loud volumes tend to break-up. The most noticeable degradation of sound is that of peakiness, greatly effecting sibilance (both harshness and stridency), adding glare to the upper registers of instruments, and generally taking away from the overall transparency. The OCC cable
completely remedies this! I listened to my M4U 1 for 3 hours straight last night at a level that would make most audiophiles cringe, and my ears heard nothing but euphoric bliss! I could have easily listened for another 2 hours but it was already very late and sleep was a good option.
Well, that's about it. In closing, if anyone is interested in a cost effective way of
significantly increasing the performance of your M4U 1 (or any headphone for that matter) I suggest taking the route I took. Seriously, $15 total cost! One does not need to be an expert in soldering to make this happen, but if anyone is unsure, or unequipped to make your own cable, PM me and we can arrange for delivery to me and I will gladly make one up for you and ship it (assuming you live in North America, it should be a couple dollars shipping from me to you). Anyway, I am off to enjoy the fruits of my labour!
Have you tried the PSB's with your home rig? WIth Tubes in the Mix I would be curious if the PSB's sounded close to the th900's on your home rig. Getting a tube sound on the go may be hard
