[BenF]

I'm considering buying a 4N OFC upgrade cable:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zees-Music-4N-OFC-upgrade-cable-for-Sennheiser-IE8-IE80-IE8i-Four-Color-/251374000781
 
Will it really be a significant upgrade over the stock cable?

 

[krismusic]

I'm considering buying a 4N OFC upgrade cable:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zees-Music-4N-OFC-upgrade-cable-for-Sennheiser-IE8-IE80-IE8i-Four-Color-/251374000781

Will it really be a significant upgrade over the stock cable?

Prepare to sit there straining to hear micro details that convince you that you have not wasted your money.

 

[H20Fidelity]

  I'm considering buying a 4N OFC upgrade cable:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zees-Music-4N-OFC-upgrade-cable-for-Sennheiser-IE8-IE80-IE8i-Four-Color-/251374000781
 
Will it really be a significant upgrade over the stock cable?

It will not be a significant difference, there are only a few times I've heard a cable difference that could be considered significant such as Tralucents silver/gold and silver cables which run at a price more than IE80 itself , even then some would question my opinion and blame my placebo effect due to it's cost. Cables are a touchy subject on head-fi why you get some unhelpful people. The cable in your link is just a basic upgrade and one thing to remember with cables is they're really only for tweaking, so while changes can be heard it's often not the big explosion people are expecting and rather subtle.

Sunrickys cables are decent though I know of some that offer a better price to performance ratio, you would need to spend about $50 USD. Just remember that a cable upgrade should always come last for fine tuning your rig, and can be rather bothersome to get right as I have recently experienced with my 1Plus2 unit.

Here is the cable I was speaking about::  (he has none in stock) 

Also consider Dark Lord another silver plated cable made by Sunricky. very popular a while ago for TF10 users.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dark-Lord-Telfon-upgrade-cable-for-Sennheiser-IE8-IE80-/261318993201?pt=US_Music_Mixed_Lots_Other_Formats&hash=item3cd7d36531




 

 

[willyvlyminck]

 
It will not be a significant difference, there are only a few times I've heard a cable difference that could be considered significant such as Tralucents silver/gold and silver cables which run at a price more than IE80 itself , even then some would question my opinion and blame my placebo effect due to it's cost. Cables are a touchy subject on head-fi why you get some unhelpful people. The cable in your link is just a basic upgrade and one thing to remember with cables is they're really only for tweaking, so while changes can be heard it's often not the big explosion people are expecting and rather subtle.

Sunrickys cables are decent though I know of some that offer a better price to performance ratio, you would need to spend about $50 USD. Just remember that a cable upgrade should always come last for fine tuning your rig, and can be rather bothersome to get right as I have recently experienced with my 1Plus2 unit.

Here is the cable I was speaking about::  (he has none in stock) 

Also consider Dark Lord another silver plated cable made by Sunricky. very popular a while ago for TF10 users.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dark-Lord-Telfon-upgrade-cable-for-Sennheiser-IE8-IE80-/261318993201?pt=US_Music_Mixed_Lots_Other_Formats&hash=item3cd7d36531




 

The HiFi industry and certainly those specialized in Upgrades live from unsatisfied People, but what is there not to be satisfied about the IE80? I spend them Comply Tx500, but more for my comfort, for the rest I think that Sennheiser did know what they were doing in the experimental Phase before production, and that the Standard cable is the best possible regarding the Price.What is the Point of spending another 200 Dollar on a cable, if this bring only minimal differences?

 

[H20Fidelity]

 
The HiFi industry and certainly those specialized in Upgrades live from unsatisfied People, but what is there not to be satisfied about the IE80? I spend them Comply Tx500, but more for my comfort, for the rest I think that Sennheiser did know what they were doing in the experimental Phase before production, and that the Standard cable is the best possible regarding the Price.What is the Point of spending another 200 Dollar on a cable, if this bring only minimal differences?

What you're missing is the point while Sennhieser may of had best intensions to provide cable quality for IE80, in all their 'experimental phase'  they also did so at a cost that would benefit to them on a ratio in which they could sell IE80 . If they were to outlay a cable cost up in the $200 dollars bracket (as you mentioned) it would run the cost up of their overall package and no-one would buy it. So what they do is find a metal (in most cases the cheapest metal: copper) to get the job done. This is why you see most stock purchases come with copper cables only as it's cheap and effective, very rarely do you see an IEM come stock with silver plated cable, though I do know Vsonic gave it a try.  So in saying that, no the stock cable is not the best possible it is the cheapest while keeping the sound on a suitable level.

 

[willyvlyminck]

Copper is not cheap at all on the contrary, gangs are stealing copper wherever they can find it. I am not sure about the benifit of silver cables in this matter. Only that it turns out to have less bass.

 

[H20Fidelity]

  Copper is not cheap at all on the contrary, gangs are stealing copper wherever they can find it. I am not sure about the benifit of silver cables in this matter. Only that it turns out to have less bass.

Copper is much cheaper than silver or silver plated copper strands, why almost all electronic devices use the most cost effective conductor they can. Take en electrical extension cord for example, they use copper because it's inexpensive in bulk and conducts efficiently. Plus  to complicate things further there are different purity levels of these metals, different gauges, solid core, single strand, this all reflects the overall end cost, why we see some silver cables for $150 some for $400. And I can almost be certain the stock cable on IE80 would have just enough purity that it was effective to Sennhesier and beneficial to them on a profit margin otherwise it is simply not worth their time.

By all means I think what we need to stick to here is: if you're happy with the stock cable then why upgrade? If that's what you like the sound of then more kudos you and more money to buy something else. The origin of this conversation was a member asking how much of a change he would notice from a $35 cable, I answered that and have said enough, I'm not here to discuss the price of copper or gangs ransacking it from around the word unfortunately. 

 

[Cornelisjuh]

Bought a spare set of cables since my original broke, at customcables. I hope they arrive this week. I have been using apple inears for some time now, I want my IE80s back

 

[BenF]

  Bought a spare set of cables since my original broke, at customcables. I hope they arrive this week. I have been using apple inears for some time now, I want my IE80s back

Do you mean this one?
http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/replacement-lead-for-sennheiser-ie80-earphones-1.2-metre.html

 

[Cornelisjuh]

 
Do you mean this one?
http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/replacement-lead-for-sennheiser-ie80-earphones-1.2-metre.html

Yes, that one! The mailman just brought the packet here, have been listening to them for 10 minutes and they sound exactly identical. The package was just like other Sennheiser spareparts. No doubt these are original cables! Well worth the price. Great service too, bought on thursday, send on friday and just got them (Western Europe)
 
Now I only need another pair of comply foam tips and then I will be good to go for some time

 

[Cornelisjuh]

However, after some more use I found two differences.

One was that it was way harder to plug the earmodule in the cable and two that the cable itself is thinner, or more flexible. My old cable could almost freeze stiff when it was cold but these stay soft.

 

[BenF]

However, after some more use I found two differences.

One was that it was way harder to plug the earmodule in the cable and two that the cable itself is thinner, or more flexible. My old cable could almost freeze stiff when it was cold but these stay soft.

So it's a better cable?
Is SQ the same?

 

[Cornelisjuh]

Sound quality wise I dont hear any difference. But it has been a while since I used my IE80s so I need to give it a few more days. But so far so good.

As for the thickness, one might find a less stiff cable better, the other finds it annoying. I dont have equipment to really objectively test it, but again it sounds just as good as the one I got originally with my IE80s.

 

[krismusic]

I hope no one minds. I originally posted this in the IE8 Appreciation thread but I think that may have gone cold so I thought I would post here.
 
I've just past a 1000 posts so I just thought I would mark that by giving the IE8's some love.
I've been using them for a few years now. With custom tips from ACS.
I have tried a couple of other options but always end up back on the 8's.
They are a frustrating 'phone. They do so much right but that mid bass hump is just wrong.
Straight out of my iPhone 5S they sound as bad as the day I bought them. No burn in there IMHO. Even after a few hundred hours.
Through my Headstage Arrow, which is a very clean little amp, with a bit of treble boost they sound pretty damn good.
If I have learned anything on here it is that nothing in audio is perfect.
I could, and probably will! Waste £100's trying to find better but would probably just find different.
Thanks to all who have interacted with me during my time on Headfi. Good and bad it's taught me a lot. About Audio. About forums. And maybe even a little about life!
Thanks again. 

 

 

[burtomr]

They are a frustrating 'phone. They do so much right but that mid bass hump is just wrong.
 

 
I suppose you already know this, but the IE80's have a less pronounced "hump" and clearer highs. Also, have you tried the 'tape mod'? That can help, too.