[giovanni]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron Yes, since the review I sold the Zu and acquired the Silver Dragon. I like the new acquisition but I have not listened very much or very critically.

got it, I was wondering how come there was no mention of it during or in the comments following your review.

gio

 

[saint.panda]

Voltron was gracious enough to lend us Zurich headfiers his Equinox cable so we had a small Sennheiser cable meet today. Thanks again Al.

Executive Summary:
1.System synergy is very important for choosing the right headphone cable (as I discover again and again)
2.The Equinox is a great cable and in my opinion, on par with the Zu Mobius for top honours in spite of their almost diametrically opposed sound signatures (I’ve always wanted to use that word in an audio context

)
3.Meets are great opportunities to freeload other people’s equipment

(Thanks Kurt for lending me the RS-1 and PS-1!)

Cables present: Equinox, Zu Mobius, Silver Dragon, modified Headphile V2, stock, Oehlbach (but we didn’t bother with this one today)

Unfortunately time was rather short today, only two hours, for all of us to listen closely to the 5 cables we had at hand. Fortunately, I already had the opportunity to compare the Silver to the Equinox at my place. Kurt and JaZZ will still have the chance to hear the Equinox more closely in their own systems over the next few days and week.

Short disclaimer: I’ve had all the cables except for the Equinox in my own system at some point for a month or longer. And sorry for the crude and neither-grammar-nor-spelling-checked English but this isn’t supposed to be a formal review anyway and I'm lazy.


My impressions:

Silver Dragon
This is the cable I’ve been using for the last 1-2 months and it’s a very good one without doubt. It has a pretty good soundstage depth, nice treble extension with lots of sparkle. Microdynamics is another strong suit of the SD as is the overall resolution and the precise placement of instruments. However, its bass is the least accentuated among all the cables and the soundstage width lost out to the Zu and Equinox. A fairly lean and dry cable with a balanced midrange and a slight emphasis on treble. Upper harmonics of certain instruments are brought out more compared to the other cables. The midrange sounds rich and very colourful.

Zu Mobius
This used to be my favourite cable till I sold it to fund a better snowboard. The Zu certainly has the best bass, which includes both quality and quantity although the Equinox comes very, very close. Soundstage is perhaps not as deep as the SD but wider and perhaps a tad taller. Macrodynamics are amazing - “amazing” in the limited context of cable differences of course - as it’s the most toe-tapping and lively cable from the bunch. The upper midrange is emphasised compared to the other cables and as Tuberoller once described it so succinctly, it was probably designed with the Sennheiser veil in mind. Certainly bright.

Headphile
Every time I hear Larry’s cable, I really find little to fault. Slightly more lively in the upper midrange than the SD but less so than the Zu. The soundstage width is also somewhere in between although not quite as deep as the Equinox, Zu or SD. Bass response is very good but the Equinox and Zu have still have slight advantage in definition here. Pretty liquid sounding, too, although sometimes at the expense of a more gritty texturing. Very dynamic and a lot of fun to listen to. Overall, it’s very balanced and simply peerless at the price asked. I mean, it offers competitive performance at half the price of the rest. While, its technical capabilities like focus, micro-detailing and soundstage slightly lag behind the SD, Equinox and Zu, its tonal character is an excellent compromise between the stock sound (stock, Equinox) and a more lively presentation (SD, Zu). Lots of PRaT, too.

Equinox
Ah yes, the cable that made my overproduced jpop finally listenable at full blast. I only had one day and the meet to get to know this cable but I’m already in love with it. Its sound signature is as expected very close to the stock cable but improves on everything and more. The soundstage is the best among all the cables tested, especially with regards to width and holographic imaging. Instruments and voices are placed with superb focus. Microdynamics is not quite as good as the SD but macrodynamics are better, almost as good as the Zu. The bass is another strong point of the Equinox: tight, strong and deep. I’d need more time with the Zu and Equinox to declare a clear winner but my gut feeling tends towards the Zu in this category. The sound signature is organic, smooth but nonetheless highly textured. Picking up miniscule details was the easiest with the Equinox because everything is presented on a plate but not as intrusively as the Zu, which sometimes tries to impose on the listener of what he should draw his attention to. Drawbacks of the Equinox cable is that it’s close to the stock cable’s tonal balance, meaning it’s very laid-back. Paired with the Corda Aria, it just wasn’t as energy-laden as the Headphile or Zu with music types like jazz, electronica, rock or pop. Can be a good or bad thing depending on how you like your sound done. For relaxed evening listening, it’s the perfect choice but for head-banging PRaT and toe-tapping vitality, I don’t think the Equinox is the right cable. The upper treble is a bit blunt and appears to lack air; a bit rolled-off to use a popular term. However, cymbals are portrayed with upmost realism and a long decay. I'm not quite sure why this is the case but maybe I will find out in time. Paired with the more midrange-lively Earmax Pro, however, the Equinox came more to life. Great combo. Maybe just a few words of stock vs. Equinox: vertigo-1 has posted a lot of accurate descriptions so I'll limit myself here to a few words. Frankly, the stock sound sounds like a squished together equinox sound. Like a sponge in a compressed state and harsher in the treble, too. At the end of the day, if I had to find a analogy, I think the Equinox sounds like the Emmeline SR-71 and with similar virtues, too: a tad of darkness, focus, organicity, soundstage and bass.

And since we live in a billboard charts world, just a summary using a few key points:

Bass impact: Zu >= Equinox > Headphile >> SD
Bass definition: SD > Equinox = Zu >= Headphile
Midrange brightness: Zu > Headphile > SD > Equinox
Treble brightness: SD > Headphile = Zu >> Equinox
Soundstage width: Equinox > Zu > SD = Headphile
Soundstage depth: Equinox = SD > Zu > Headphile
Resolution (detailing): Equinox = Zu = SD >= Headphile
Focus: Equinox > SD = Zu > Headphile
Microdynamics: SD > Equinox >= Zu > Headphile
Macrodynamics: Zu = Headphile > Equinox > SD

Please keep in mind that these are all from my memory since I didn' take notes when listening.

Summing it up, my favourites are the Zu for an energised sound and the Equinox for a more relaxed presentation. The SD wins in mirco refinement and treble richness, and the Headphile is the price/performance king with a spirited but still very balanced sound.

And I’d like to emphasise again that cable differences are just that. Take an equalizer, boost the midrange at 1kHz by just one db and you’ll hear bigger differences than any of these cables will give you. HOWEVER, an equalizer can only change what’s already there and it can only change the frequency response (e.g. it cannot even change the timbre which can differ between cables). An eq cannot and will not give you more soundstage, higher resolution, etc. - things a better cable can.

Well, that’s all I can think of at the moment. Kurt and JaZZ will hopefully chime in with their comments shortly. Thanks again Al for the cable.

 

[felixkrull6]

Thanks for the review Saint Panda and a belated thanks to Voltron for his original review. I ordered the GFT from Myo after reading his review and all the discussion that followed.

I'm also glad that you included headphile's cable because I liked what he did with my dt770s. At it's lower price point I might try it next year just for the heck of it. I've already spent too much this year and last on headphones, amps, cables.

 

[Voltron]

I am happy that Tao, Kurt and Marcel all got together to do some listening with the Equinox in the mix. I wish they had a G52 to check out too--after reading Tao's great impressions I am guessing he might like it best of all. I agree that the Equinox sounds best with a strong tube amp, and I think that is true for the Zu even moreso. I'm looking forward to Kurt and JaZZ posting some thoughts--that Black Rose should make the Equinox sound as good as it can sound!

Congrats on picking up an excellent cable Felix

 

[JaZZ]

Voltron...

...many thanks for sending us the Equinox! Just some provisional thoughts about it from the brief minimeet impressions. First I preferred the Zu Mobius for its clearer and more prominent treble, but later I began to be very impressed by the Equinox's high definition and excellent focus, probably also responsible for the great soundstage. With the EMP instead of the Aria prototype there wasn't even any lack of treble sparkle anymore, and I thought it could very well become my favorite HD-650 cable. A more definitive rating will follow after I get it from Kurt for a more extensive audition.
.

 

[felixkrull6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron Congrats on picking up an excellent cable Felix

Thanks, I can't wait to get it. I should have it in a couple of weeks. I'm listening to my HD650s as much as possible with the stock cable so I will be able to judge the differences better.

 

[Patu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda ...

Thanks for your thoughts saint.panda though you guys should've had G52 there also.

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixkrull6 Thanks, I can't wait to get it. I should have it in a couple of weeks. I'm listening to my HD650s as much as possible with the stock cable so I will be able to judge the differences better.

The differences won't be small--you will be surprised and delighted at the change.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patu Thanks for your thoughts saint.panda though you guys should've had G52 there also.

Agreed! On the other hand, I think I offered to have the Equinox sent your way and would be happy to have saint.panda/JaZZ/Kurt send it your way next [so long as they can part with it]. I will PM you just in case because I had meant to follow up with you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaZZ Just some provisional thoughts about it from the brief minimeet impressions. First I preferred the Zu Mobius for its clearer and more prominent treble, but later I began to be very impressed by the Equinox's high definition and excellent focus, probably also responsible for the great soundstage. With the EMP instead of the Aria prototype there wasn't even any lack of treble sparkle anymore, and I thought it could very well become my favorite HD-650 cable. A more definitive rating will follow after I get it from Kurt for a more extensive audition.

I'm really looking forward to hearing further impressions from you and from Kurt, so please keep us informed!

Cheers!

 

[Kurt]

First, thank you very much Voltron, for this opportunity.
Given that the combination with the amp plays a big role in the outcome and the already relatively small differences between the cables.
I compared the Equinox and the ZU in my rig for the last few days.

2 things are very apparent;

- The strong separation of the Equinox. With some amps that is a good thing because of the already mentioned better instrument placement, imaging and seemingly more detail. However, the Black Rose does that already and in combination with the Equinox it is too much for my taste.

- The treble as well as bass roll off of the Equinox compared to the ZU. This is the deal breaker for me. Less apparent details in bass and treble plus weaker bass are resulting from that. Add to that, that the Zu reaches a bit higher and deeper.

At JaZZ’s place I already heard a slight treble roll off when played with the Aria but the bass was not apparent. Again, the upstream components are a big influence. I once listened to a combination where the Headphile was clearly more detailed than the ZU (IIRC, it was UDP-1 -> Aria).

So, in my rig and for my ears the ZU is clearly more enjoyable.

Cheers
Kurt

 

[audiorapture]

Voltron: Good evening. What a great job; and a really time consuming and patient method of reporting. I just purchased an HD650 to replace my 600's and was reading all the impressions and information about which cable could improve this new wonderful headphone.
Voltron, here's a question for you which may be difficult to answer. (I don't know if you have auditioned the Cardas brand), but was wondering from what you have heard, or read, or experienced: If you wanted to improve the soundstage and imaging of the 650 and keep the bass, but open the mids and highs, which cable would you select now, which do you think the majority of members would chose? Do you have any thoughts on this area?
Members, any thoughts on the new or updated "best selection" if we could included the Cardas with this important report? (I would love to compare all cables so we might be able to make a better selection and I think Voltrons work is really helpful). There is no magic answer of course, but the more opportunities to compare everything, the better. Thanks again Voltron...

 

[PFKMan23]

While I am not Voltron, I do feel that of the cables tested (the Cardas was not a part of this test), I feel the best would be the Equinox for this purpose. It keeps the inherent tonality and essence of the 650s and the Sennheiser sound in general, but does expand the smoothness of the treble and the bass.

It is worthy of note that the Cardas is more favorably suited with the 600s, atleast according to many on this forum.

 

[tyrion]

saint.panda, nice impressions. I haven't been keeping up with this thread since I sold my 650's. it's too bad you guys didn't have an Rnb G52 cable for the meet. I loved that cable. I thought I loved the zu until I tried the RnB at the Tampa meet. I used to own an Equinox but it's been a while so I don't know how it would compare. I would recommend to anyone that is considering a replacement cable for their 650's to try and get their hands on one of myo's cables, you won't be sorry.

 

[RnB180]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt First, thank you very much Voltron, for this opportunity. Given that the combination with the amp plays a big role in the outcome and the already relatively small differences between the cables. I compared the Equinox and the ZU in my rig for the last few days. 2 things are very apparent; - The strong separation of the Equinox. With some amps that is a good thing because of the already mentioned better instrument placement, imaging and seemingly more detail. However, the Black Rose does that already and in combination with the Equinox it is too much for my taste. - The treble as well as bass roll off of the Equinox compared to the ZU. This is the deal breaker for me. Less apparent details in bass and treble plus weaker bass are resulting from that. Add to that, that the Zu reaches a bit higher and deeper. At JaZZ’s place I already heard a slight treble roll off when played with the Aria but the bass was not apparent. Again, the upstream components are a big influence. I once listened to a combination where the Headphile was clearly more detailed than the ZU (IIRC, it was UDP-1 -> Aria). So, in my rig and for my ears the ZU is clearly more enjoyable. Cheers Kurt

a bit off topic, but I couldnt help notice your signature, where/where did she say that?

 

[JohnFerrier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt "Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --- Mariah Carey.

According to Snopes this is an urban legend. And from Wikipedia, "This was actually taken from a phoney satirical interview on a site called 'Cupcake' that has been widely circulated as an actual quotation since its appearance in early 1996."

 

[Voltron]

Iam posting from my Blackberry so pardon my brevity and likely typos.

Kurt-
First of all a belated thanks for your impressions. I have been busy and traveling for work or I would have responded sooner. I am glad you got to compare the Equinox directly with the Zu. I really think the Zu is great with tube amps in particular. I will add another recommendation for the GrAce 52 (hey tyrion-do you wish you still had the 650s?) because your prefernces would fit it well. If I figure out a way to get one another Euro tour will be in order.

Audiorapture-
Nice handle! Thanks for the kind words. Short answer to your question is the same as PFK--my guess is the Eq would match your needs best. The Cardas is supposed to be more constricted but search for comments by Jude and JaZZ (I think) and others. There are a number of similar threads that are helpful.

Cheers from Tahoe!