[jago]

Hi,
I've been really enjoying some Yuin PK2's daily for a while now and unfortunately broke the jack a week or two ago.
Decided that if i was going to put a new jack on i might as well recable them aswell eh
 
Thought they turned out quite nice...

(Mogami 2893 / Neutric (NTP3RC) plug).
 
 
Was pretty shocked to find out that the soundstage has been shrunk considerably, they still hold all the clarity and detail im used to just in a more tightly together sound. I could listen to them for hours when stock, but now i find them a little fatiguing as they've become SUPER upbeat!
 
I honestly didnt think that a cable could have such a dramatic effect on a set of buds, I thought that the Mogami would be a nice little step up, little more up top and that would be it, but to completely change the sound sig shockled me a little.
 
Don't get me wrong they're a 'Really' fun listen! (especially with some Led Zep, they get your toes'a'tappin!) but i do prefer the soundstage before the recable.
 
 
James
(Tempted to get another pair and add some silver.....)

 

[KimLaroux]

Have you verified that the fit hasn't changed?
 
Buds are very sensitives to fit, and changing the cables can alter their position in the ear. I'm thinking added/diminished weight, which would change the height of the driver relative to the hear canal. Another thing is the flexibility of the cable. It can force the driver in a different angle than the original cable did. The new cable might be "straigther" just bellow the bud, angling the driver inward. Maybe bending the cable slightly at this point would allow you to regain the original fit.
 
But it's not impossible that the cable itself changed the sound signature. These new wires possibly have a much lower impedance than the original one. Just make sure it's not the fit that's responsible for the change, before blaming the new wires to "sound" different. 

 

[Mad Max]

Which colors are the signal wires?

 

[jago]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, been messing around with the fit for a little while now and there's a very very slight improvement. Still really 'Energentic' though.

All the solder joints are nice and shiny, the signal wires are:
BLACK + GOLD = GROUND (COLD)
RED = RIGHT POS (HOT)
BLUE = LEFT POS (HOT)

Will try adjusting the wires as they enter the buds and see what happens tonight at work.

Regards

J

 

[Mad Max]

Place the grounds (black and gold/clear) between the signals (red and blue) and you should no longer hear any reduction in soundstage.

 

[jago]

hmmm...so a full recable would be in order?
(sorry, could you explain how this would resolve the soundstage issue please).

J

 

[Mad Max]

No recable necessary, but if you can, get the signal wires away from each other to reduce the crosstalk that you are getting.  The grounds should be between the signals from the Y-split to the plug.

 

[jago]

Thanks for that. Will have a go when I finish work in the morning.

Cheers

J

 

[nikongod]

Quote:

No recable necessary, but if you can, get the signal wires away from each other to reduce the crosstalk that you are getting.  The grounds should be between the signals from the Y-split to the plug.

 
I agree that its best to keep the L&R signal and L&R grounds as far from each other as possibe by using diagonal strands, but I dont think that this is where the OP's problem comes from. At worst you loose a db of cross-talk with funky wire routing here, it wont be missed. 
 
My bet is on a funky ground connection at the plug.
 
He should fix the wire routing anyways, 'cause Im anal retentive about that, but first he should do this:
 
Do you (the OP) have an ohm-meter (multimeter)? What does it tell you when you measure DCR between the following points:
Tip to sleeve
Ring to sleeve
Tip to ring
 
Tip to sleeve & ring to sleeve should be within a few percent of (tip to ring)/2 
If tip to sleeve & ring to sleeve are "way a lot more" than (tip to ring)/2 I'm right  

 

[jago]

Hi,
Thanks for your input.

A quick measurement gave the following:
Tio to sleeve = 15ohms
Ring to Sleeve = 15ohms
Tip to Ring = 30ohms

Cheers

James

 

[nikongod]

Weird. 
 
One more thing to check. 
Play this track through the headphones. 
 
http://persiconi.com/wrx/downloads/empegsound/soundfiles/speakerpolaritycheck.mp3
 
How does the guy sound? 

 

[jago]

Thanks for the link.
There definitely in phase. Seems very slightly louder on the left though, could be me.

 

[Mad Max]

Quote:

 
I agree that its best to keep the L&R signal and L&R grounds as far from each other as possibe by using diagonal strands, but I dont think that this is where the OP's problem comes from. At worst you loose a db of cross-talk with funky wire routing here, it wont be missed. 
 
My bet is on a funky ground connection at the plug.
 
He should fix the wire routing anyways, 'cause Im anal retentive about that, but first he should do this:
 
Do you (the OP) have an ohm-meter (multimeter)? What does it tell you when you measure DCR between the following points:
Tip to sleeve
Ring to sleeve
Tip to ring
 
Tip to sleeve & ring to sleeve should be within a few percent of (tip to ring)/2 
If tip to sleeve & ring to sleeve are "way a lot more" than (tip to ring)/2 I'm right  

 
Well, to me there is a small reduction in soundstage with having the signals next to each other.  Whatever.
 
So what's the benefit of keeping the different grounds apart from each other?
 
Diagonal strands?  I don't get it.  Like this?