[Armaegis]

In the headphone world, "balanced" is very different from the definition in the pro audio world. It's frankly really dumb and only promotes confusion of the term. With headphones, balanced essentially means four conductors instead of three so that the headphone can be used with an amp that has a non-shared ground between the left and right channels. Originally the term may have been used properly, but it's been dumbed down since then.
 
In the correct usage, it has to do with the hot and cold having equal impedances relative to ground. The signal is differential, not necessarily inverted (though typically is). Ugh not explaining well. It's 5am and I'm way too tired. I'll let someone else step in.

 

[kurt bermuda]

You don't need balanced cable for a 10' length of cable.
 
Balanced cable starting at $240? That's ridiculous. Ridiculous? Actually it's insulting. With pricing like that, Sennheiser must think consumers are dumb.

 

[Steve58]

Sennheiser is trying the "Audiofool" market. Am sure they will do well out of it.​

 

[kurt bermuda]

Head-Fi and many of it's members excel at confusing people. This place hurts people's understanding of engineering as much as it helps.
 
I'm convinced it has to do with the sounding of the two words "balanced" and "unbalanced". "Balanced" sounds good, less bad, and less risky. Humans don't like that stuff and when they hear those words their irrational/animal brains don't react to them well. Marketers know this. "Unbalanced" sounds bad, risky, and not as good as "balanced".
 
Read Wikipedia's "balanced" cable entry. It does a good job at explaining the engineering behind "balanced". It was developed for long cable runs, snaked cable runs, heavy duty use (show and stage use), and grouped cable runs. Yes, you can use "balanced" cable for a 10' length, but it's unnecessary.

 

[Steve Eddy]

The first "balanced" headphone amplifier was just a bridged amplifier, i.e. two separate amplifiers per channel with their outputs bridged. But instead of it being appropriately called a bridged amplifier, it was called a "balanced" amplifier, and that misleading and misappropriate term has been used ever since. It didn't have anything to do with marketing and the sound of the two words, but rather simple lack of understanding.

se

 

[alejandro7]

Yes to that Steve58! Why should I spend that much for adequate shorter Senn type HP cables for mobile or travel use? I see plenty of virtuoso small shop cable makers on net or ebay who are willing to do the soldering and wire buying I haven't time or skill to create...and charge me under $100. It's just a good OFC cable I need with good connectors, after all. Why not?  There I've had my cable dump.    alejandro

 

[Armaegis]

The first "balanced" headphone amplifier was just a bridged amplifier, i.e. two separate amplifiers per channel with their outputs bridged. But instead of it being appropriately called a bridged amplifier, it was called a "balanced" amplifier, and that misleading and misappropriate term has been used ever since. It didn't have anything to do with marketing and the sound of the two words, but rather simple lack of understanding.

se

 
So in other words, we get to blame Tyll for this whole mess ...

 

[Steve Eddy]

   
So in other words, we get to blame Tyll for this whole mess ...

 
I didn't say anything.

 
se

 

[Steve58]

I have heard on the grape vine that for only $95 extra, 

Sennheiser can supply factory "burnt in" cables saves you having to do it yourself.​

 

[AladdinSane]

You're a bad man Steve58. I mean that in the best possible way.

 

[cskippy]

Wow!  I bought my HD650 for less than the HD800 cable...so sad.  

 

 

[linglingjr]

  I have heard on the grape vine that for only $95 extra, 

Sennheiser can supply factory "burnt in" cables saves you having to do it yourself.​

lmao, yeah I heard that too.  Burnt in using only the highest quality pink noise at optimum volume.

 

[parbaked]

Has anyone determined for certain if the new balanced cable is any different from the SE HD650 cable, other than the connectors?
Does the stock HD650 cable also have " Four leads configured as two straight pairs made of copper (OFC)."?
Thanks!
 
Sennheiser CH 650 S:

1. Four leads configured as two straight pairs made of copper (OFC).
2. Length is 3m (around 10 feet).
3. Termination is 4-pin XLR.
4. Weight is 95g (3.35 oz).
5. Price is $239.95

 

[Austin Morrow]

CharlestonCable made me an excellent quality HD-800 4-pin balanced cable (Canare) for $150. If one insists on the ultra-maxi-shmaltzy level cables, they offer those as well. They've made me balanced cables for all my headphones.

DISCLAIMER: I am only a long-time satisfied customer and have no financial interest in this company.

http://www.charlestoncablecompany.com/store/p27/Sennheiser_HD_800_Headphone_Cable_--_Canare.html

Another fine company as well, I have one for my HE-500's.

 

[Skyyyeman]

Another fine company as well, I have one for my HE-500's.

OK, but understand that Canare cable is a good but basic cable used mostly in the pro audio world and selling for about $1 a foot or so for the raw cable (unterminated).  My experience with Canare was that it was good but exceeded in quality (sound quality) by higher end brands.