[music_4321]

vwinter, I reckon I should be getting eke's ASG-2s by the middle of next week. If I'm not that impressed by their sonics, you can all blame it on the Madonna marathons Gintaras subjected the ASG-2s to.

Idsyschrono, so you went ahead and got yourself a pair of K3003s… Hmmm, you poor little thing. Anyway, be prepared for the following:
a) You'll be the proud owner of a pair of the Kings of Incoherence, Treble Peaks, Very Grainy Treble and Super Slow Muddy Bass, ie you'll absolutely hate the AKG's sonics.
b) You'll absolutely love the packaging and perhaps even like the hand-made leather case quite a bit (the packaging alone is worth the asking price, so you'd better keep it in a safe place)
c) Your love life will change dramatically AND instantly…… for the better — the K3003s, unlike any other earphone or headphone, always attracts very good-looking young women… thankfully most of them not of the chav kind.

 

[xaddictionx]

:-D

James444, pls borrow my BH and C3, with S9 which i also have everything will sound the same, Cowon is not what i would use for audition cables. You also right, cable will no bring new sound, what it did for me was slightly adding space between instruments, purifying mid bass so that it obstructs a bit less low bass, mids get only slight add via removing bit of grain from voices and trebles reveive slightly meatier body. This is how i heard it.

If you ask me for how many % the improvement i would say about 10 to 15, and if you ask me was this worth the price i would say Yes, i know some other dudes would disagree about 15 percent costing megabuck... but for me that was worthy improvement. Just do not expect cable to turn ASG into 1+2 :-D

May i ask why Cowon players are not suitable for cable audition?

 

[vwinter]

So. much. win.

vwinter, I reckon I should be getting eke's ASG-2s by the middle of next week. If I'm not that impressed by their sonics, you can all blame it on the Madonna marathons Gintaras subjected the ASG-2s to.

I understand. I already blame existence of the entity currently known as Gintaras on the Madonna marathons Gintaras subjected Gintaras to.

 

[xaddictionx]

Silver plated copper. Yes, I have an idea on what might change.

You might experience a wider soundstage, you might experience better separation and slightly crisper edge on tonality and vocals, there's also a possible chance of extracting more detail and better bass texture. Be warned though the cable I linked does have some cable noise, if you're out and about or jogging it may be become a problem..I guess cables are something you need to try yourself and see what you think, I think I personally hear a difference. If you want other cheaper options take a look at some of sunrickys cables, though I still had best results with the SPC I linked you.

Here's the cable on TF10 sporting major sex appeal, as the eBay photo does not do it justice.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Thanks much for your time and explanation! I was also using the TF10 but with a lune MKIII. I personally do hear a difference in SQ too (for the better). Now I'm more inclined to try out SPC cable rather than just copper cable haha. Will be keeping a lookout at the Fiio SPC cable too which costs really amazing.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

May i ask why Cowon players are not suitable for cable audition?

The better your sources the better the potential for your gear to scale up. Of course that is my opinion.

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

Quote:

c) Your love life will change dramatically AND instantly…… for the better — the K3003s, unlike any other earphone or headphone, always attracts very good-looking young women… 

 

...thankfully most of them not of the chav kind.
 

 
Muzak, I thought it was clear when I reached out to you, the, "arbiter of poor taste, that it was mutually understood that I, in displaying my interest in the "Kings of Incoherence", inherently possessed shockingly bad taste myself; taste that extends to all walks of life, not the least of which includes designer earphones and loose women. Rest assured though, for if I'm not buried under a pile of knickers by month's end, I will flip around and funnel that 1K into a grand's worth in tracksuits, jewelry and Burberry snapbacks. Ladies can't resist my snapbacks bruv
 
 

So. much. win.

 


Some day, Idsynchrono shall beget Kidsynchrono

 

[james444]

Quote:

May i ask why Cowon players are not suitable for cable audition?

 
Actually, I was using a Cowon + Xin Supermicro IV portable amp, the latter having been measured by dfkt (of ABI) and proven to be stable and highly transparent.
 
@Gintaras: thx, but no need to borrow any of your source equipment. The Supermicro IV is an excellent and proven source, and If cables would show a difference with your equipment, then it would very likely be due to said equipment. Like I said, I'll continue the comparison with more complex material and different sources though, particularly with the Fiio X3 when I get it back from a loan tomorrow.

 

[Mimouille]

Quote:

What of how an IEM / headphone was originally voiced? If certain cables make an audible sonic difference, are we not in effect kind of getting a new IEM / headphone?
 

 
For the 1Plus2, the iem was voiced to sound at its best with the silver or silver gold cable, with different qualities for each. The uber apparently has the quality of both. Honestly, it could totally be placebo, because as you said, I think we do not have precise audio memory and it takes some time to switch cables. But the silver gold is the only cable where I thought I could hear a difference (with my Miracles that is) vs. a copper cable.
 
 
Quote:

Isn't it odd that people will buy a $300, $500, $1,000 or $1,300+ IEM and spend $300 / $500 / $1,000+ extra on a cable?

A lot of what we do on headfi is odd. However I agree that paying more for the cable than the iem is TOO odd. But to me, having a 2k stack with 200 dollar iems is also weird.
 
Quote:

What of those (expensive) IEMs that have no removable cables (K3003, FI-BA-SS, 1601, 1602, Flat4s… and so many others)? Are they all doomed?
 

 
Yes.
 
Well to be more precise, the FAD are all doomed. It has been foreseen in the scriptures. If you add all the numbers from FAD iems, you get 9.11.
 
The K3003 are not doomed...but cursed...with coherency issues.
 
The Flat 4 of the Kaede kind are saved because of the sacred maple they use which replaces fancy cables.
 
Quote:

If cables are the easiest thing to modify (and do research on), why is it that manufacturers are not using some these cables or cable materials in their IEMs? Surely the consumer would pay A LOT less as production costs would be MUCH lower for the manufacturer.
 

 
ALL the cable manufacturers rely a very few OEMs to source their cables, so I am not sure there would be such huge savings. But imagine a 500$ iem. I think people will more easily buy it 500$ than pay 300$ for a cable than pay the iem with great cable for 700$. It seems to me people prefer to upgrade themselves and have the choice in cables.

 

[basementdweller]

I don't know if it matters at all, but I just received my ASG-2 and have only listened to it for three 30 minute sessions.  I honestly wasn't completely impressed by anything because the bass bleeds over on all my 90's and newer music...this doesn't seem to be the case with my recordings from the 60's and 70's for some reason.  I happened to have a Moon Audio Silver Dragon laying around which happens to be the only aftermarket cable I own.  Bought it used because I was, and still am, a skeptic about cables.  I wanted to be sure since everyone here always brings them up....
Well the mid-bass isn't interfering with the mids anymore even though there is slightly less bass in general, and there is more treble presence.
 
I listened to the same six songs in each thirty minute session, 2 Angels and Airwaves in FLAC, 2 Arcade Fire also in FLAC, and 2 Rolling Stones 24bit/96khz.  There are only three possibilities: the IEMs are burned in after an hour and a half, I got used to the sound even though they where short listening sessions, or it was the cable.  Even after observing this, I am still a cable skeptic and I'm not sure anything can change that...and I really don't believe in burn in unless we are talking about capacitors or non-BA type speakers(Please don't flame me).
 
Anyway, just wanted to share a little and throw out this cable combo in case nobody else has tried it yet.  I love the sound now and am definitely holding onto these for a while.

 

[james444]

^ Well, why not switch back to the stock cable and listen to your test tracks once again? Wouldn't that answer the question whether it's burn-in or the cables?

 

[lee730]

Quote:

I don't know if it matters at all, but I just received my ASG-2 and have only listened to it for three 30 minute sessions.  I honestly wasn't completely impressed by anything because the bass bleeds over on all my 90's and newer music...this doesn't seem to be the case with my recordings from the 60's and 70's for some reason.  I happened to have a Moon Audio Silver Dragon laying around which happens to be the only aftermarket cable I own.  Bought it used because I was, and still am, a skeptic about cables.  I wanted to be sure since everyone here always brings them up....
Well the mid-bass isn't interfering with the mids anymore even though there is slightly less bass in general, and there is more treble presence.
 
I listened to the same six songs in each thirty minute session, 2 Angels and Airwaves in FLAC, 2 Arcade Fire also in FLAC, and 2 Rolling Stones 24bit/96khz.  There are only three possibilities: the IEMs are burned in after an hour and a half, I got used to the sound even though they where short listening sessions, or it was the cable.  Even after observing this, I am still a cable skeptic and I'm not sure anything can change that...and I really don't believe in burn in unless we are talking about capacitors or non-BA type speakers(Please don't flame me).
 
Anyway, just wanted to share a little and throw out this cable combo in case nobody else has tried it yet.  I love the sound now and am definitely holding onto these for a while.

 
Why not do this then. Get fully accustomed to that new cable you have. Use it extensively for a week or so. Even use tracks that you know by heart. Then go back and compare using the older cable. It should be clear as day to you at that point. Always was for me.

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

Just curious, but where is the bass knob at on your pair? Do you have them closed? I heard from Eke and I think V that they go out of AS headquarters sometimes set past closed. I find that if you were to set them anywhere past the halfway mark towads the first notch from the closed position that things get pretty unruly. I personally have got the knob just a teeny, tiny bit past the closed position so that the driver is just barely vented. At that mark, I find the bass to be tight, well controlled, and yes, a bit elevated, but hey, I dig it like that, sue me. 

 

[basementdweller]

Quote:

 
Why not do this then. Get fully accustomed to that new cable you have. Use it extensively for a week or so. Even use tracks that you know by heart. Then go back and compare using the older cable. It should be clear as day to you at that point. Always was for me.

Yeah that's a good idea and I will do that.  I didn't really intend to ask a question other than maybe a rhetorical one.  Really, I was just trying to share some of my initial impressions.  I generally make up my mind rather quickly whether I like something or not, and these have already passed that test already, it just takes a lot longer to decide if I love something and, if so, what kind of hierarchical placement it deserves next to the other things I have tried.
 
On a side note, I have followed this thread for quite some time and while the 1plus2 sounds like it might fit my preferred signature slightly more so than the ASG, I just can't swing that price...unless you guys are saying that it equals or betters my full size cans with their associated gear  Anyway, I took a shot with the ASG because it seems to be performing very favorably too higher priced gear.  So far I am starting to believe that I made a very good decision on the ASG.

 

[basementdweller]

double post

 

[Gintaras]

Quote:

James, I take it you used a Hi-Res file (must be 384/32) for your test. If you didn't, I'm afraid I can't take your findings seriously.

 
dude, he did better, much better. James invited Wiener Philarmoniker to perform in his house and made a master tape recording