Sennheiser HD800 and Cardas cable, a good match?

[Stoney]

Quote:

Since hardly anyone else finds the HD800 fatiguing in any setup

I abandoned plans to buy HD800 after hearing several on many amps at the San Francisco meet. On all but one, they were sibiliant and very forward in the upper mids / lower treble. Voices were split in two: a too-chesty lower midrange, and a brash top end with a bit of suckout in the middle. On the B22, the sibilance was less but not the glare.

Instead, I bought a new model of the HD650 (mine were quite a bit older and a bit dark on my amp) and I'm quite happy now with the balance and integrity of vocals in particular. I do miss the detail, transparency, and extension of the HD800s... but what they did to vocals was unaccepable to me.

If a cable helps, then yes, I'd give it a try.

 

[vcoheda]

the 800 + cardas is a good match. recommended.

 

[Suntory_Times]

Quote:

The HD-800 sounds wonderful out of the Zana Deux and with the stock cable. I owned a Cardas cable and found zero difference in sound. I couldn't measure a difference between it and the stock cable, either.

Don't order an aftermarket cable. Just get the headphones first and give them a listen.

In the meantime, spend some time reading about whether a cable can make any diference at all.

First, no one has ever measured a noticeable difference between cables.

Second, no one has ever noticed a difference between cables in an unsighted test.

Third, aftermarket cables are ridiculously profitable for manufacturers. Some of them even send "shill" salesmen to message boards to get more sales.

You should listen to the stock cable before deciding to replace it. And you should, at the very least, attend a meet to hear different cables before buying anything just on someone's say-so. Otherwise, a shill might talk you into spending a few hundred dollars that you could have saved or spent on something else. Don't throw away money, especially considering the economy.

Hmm, i'll get the cardas then.  Mt stock cable was damaged and I can't use the headphones untill I get a new cable and the Cardas is cheaper to around the same price, and I need it be be balanced in any case.
 

 

[Chris_Himself]

Cardas and HD's sound very good together!
 
HD580
HD600
HD650
HD800
 
All of them have shown improvement with Cardas cables. HeadRoom wouldn't sell them with their splendid return policy that they have if cables didn't sound better?
 
I'd give DHC a try before Cardas, his stuff is pretty good:
http://doublehelixcables.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1
 
There is a point where cables become silly but the allure of making a flagship headphone sound better is difficult to resist.
 
 
 

 

[s4nder]

I'm very happy with my Cardas cable. The sound is considerably less edgy (SPC cables are known to cause a "tweeter in the face" effect, no idea why Sennheiser used it), bass quantity is also increased. Bass isn't as tight anymore though. I'm also noticing new details but that may either be placebo or the fact that my Cardas cable is only one meter long. Shorter is always better.

 

[musicman59]

Selling my DHC Complement.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/565281/double-helix-cables-complement-for-hd800
 
 
 

 

[tropicana]

bumping an old thread for opinions on DHC Molecule vs Cardas for HD800.

 

[faverodefavero]

Love bumping old threads...
 
So, for those who believe in cables making a noticeable difference in headphones sound: Which (up to ~USD$500.00 maximum only! Please) cable would sound better with it (and why)... AloAudio, ToxicCables, DoubleHelixCables, Cardas or MoonAudio ones?
 
Thanks for you opinions 'cable-believers'!

 

[faverodefavero]

Forgot about 'HeadphoneLounge' cables... Any other sub-USD$500.00 HD-800 cable brand?

I'm trully particulary interested in a direct comparision between the ~USD$260.00 (or something like that, it's their "basic" HD800 cable) HD800 Cardas cable and the DHC Molecule. Also, having ToxicCable into this sub-USD$300.00 Cardas/DHC comparission would be great.

Again, thank you gentlemen.

PS: as it is right now, no headphone cable has ever made me believe in any expressive sound difference from one to another, but I'm willing to try - in a near future - some tests with my HD800 stock cable and an aftermarket USD$200~300 cable to see if I can really make something out of it (even wanna try some blind tests, someway). Really inclined towards DHC Molecule at the moment...

 

[hainss]

If someone think it's a bad idea to cut the original 1/4 cable plug for changing for a balanced?

 

[Stoney]

I trust a pro like Cardas over these newcomers, most of which push treble at you. I've used Cardas for decades and they just keep getting more neutral, extended, and detailed. Uses advance manufacturing and termination others can't afford.

There are clear differences in cables. I'm loving my Clear Light cable on the HD650. I'd recommend that or Clear for the HD800.

 

[p a t r i c k]

The reported sound improvements by some for these aftermarket cables are all very well within the scope of suggestion and autosuggestion.
 
Our perception of hearing is very flexible, it is the great strength in fact of our hearing that we can emphasise different aspects of sound. We do this continuously sub-consciously and we can also do this consciously.
 
I've written a short article about suggestion and auto-suggestion and there is a link to it in my signature.
 
People do not realise how powerful the suggestion or auto-suggestion can be with hearing.
 
There is only one way to eliminate suggestion or auto-suggestion when comparing audio components and that is with blind ABX testing.

 

[Redo]

Quote:

Zana Deux

 
Unfair D:!!!!

 

[Nudel]

I think that sennheiser made his stock cable in pretty smart way...
Higher and mid frequencies running mostly on the outer side of wire, when lower frequencies (bass) running mostly through the central section of cable, so... I think that's why they used the silver plated ofc copper wire for the stock cable. Silver helps to gain more speed, air and details, when copper helps to preserve overall healthy mass and more flesh to the sound compairing to the fully silver conductor.

 

[pdrm360]

  I think that sennheiser made his stock cable in pretty smart way...
Higher and mid frequencies running mostly on the outer side of wire, when lower frequencies (bass) running mostly through the central section of cable, so... I think that's why they used the silver plated ofc copper wire for the stock cable. Silver helps to gain more speed, air and details, when copper helps to preserve overall healthy mass and more flesh to the sound compairing to the fully silver conductor.

 
How do you know this? any source please?