[chimney189]

I sold all other headphones after getting the Z1R 2 1/2 years ago and have not felt the need for any other

It shows in your signature that you have the Sony WF-1000XM3...?

 

[nc8000]

It shows in your signature that you have the Sony WF-1000XM3...?

that’s not a headphone but an wireless in ear for commuting. I only have the Z1R as full size. I also have the Z1R in ear for my travel rig and the wireless over ear XM3 for flights

 

[chimney189]

I finally made the jump and bought a Sony Kimber cable. It's more for convenience and because it uses similar connectors to the stock cable, but I wonder if there will be a change in sound signature.

 

[FourT6and2]

I finally made the jump and bought a Sony Kimber cable. It's more for convenience and because it uses similar connectors to the stock cable, but I wonder if there will be a change in sound signature.

I doubt you'll notice anything significant. I bought the 4.4mm Pentacon version of the Kimber just because it's longer than the stock one and gives me more freedom to move around. I don't hear a difference.

 

[Lookout57]

I sold all other headphones after getting the Z1R 2 1/2 years ago and have not felt the need for any other

Since I got the Z1R I don't use my LCD-X anymore. Might be time to sell them.
-

 

[ervin192]

With the price also considered the HD800 may be a better compliment with the Z1R. The ADX is expensive, after all.

 

[bdjul]

Bought Sony Kimber too and notice a difference in sound, especially in soundstage. Did somebody compare Sony kimber and kimber axios?

 

[ervin192]

axios is tighter, more clear and spacious.

 

[MacedonianHero]

axios is tighter, more clear and spacious.

Agreed...brilliant cable for the Z1Rs...just love the pairing!

 

[Sonic Defender]

Agreed...brilliant cable for the Z1Rs...just love the pairing!

I am close enough to you that one day I would love to come and have you do multiple trial, blind listening tests. I will admit my bias is that you can't hear a difference at all in cables, but the fan of this hobby hopes that I would be wrong. I have actually devised a way that despite the different cables, the blindfolded user shouldn't be able to tell what cable is attached. Essentially a neck and body shield to prevent any tactile sensation from the cable to any part of the body, which could of course give things away. If the weight was different I would have to adjust for that. Maybe someday I'll see if this could happen. Would you be interested in participating and making the results public?

 

[MacedonianHero]

I am close enough to you that one day I would love to come and have you do multiple trial, blind listening tests. I will admit my bias is that you can't hear a difference at all in cables, but the fan of this hobby hopes that I would be wrong. I have actually devised a way that despite the different cables, the blindfolded user shouldn't be able to tell what cable is attached. Essentially a neck and body shield to prevent any tactile sensation from the cable to any part of the body, which could of course give things away. If the weight was different I would have to adjust for that. Maybe someday I'll see if this could happen. Would you be interested in participating and making the results public?

I no longer own the Z1Rs, but I can hear differences between well built cables like the Axios or DanaCables and stock...and quite quickly. I've A-B'd for years and some cables don't make a difference and some do ... but upstream transparent gear and headphones also help. YMMV, but my ears have my mind made up. Have you heard these particular cables?

 

[phonomat]

I am close enough to you that one day I would love to come and have you do multiple trial, blind listening tests. I will admit my bias is that you can't hear a difference at all in cables, but the fan of this hobby hopes that I would be wrong. I have actually devised a way that despite the different cables, the blindfolded user shouldn't be able to tell what cable is attached. Essentially a neck and body shield to prevent any tactile sensation from the cable to any part of the body, which could of course give things away. If the weight was different I would have to adjust for that. Maybe someday I'll see if this could happen. Would you be interested in participating and making the results public?

Please do.

 

[chimney189]

I clearly remember hearing a difference between a stock HEKv2 cable and a WyWires Platinum cable. It was nearly a night and day difference. This might have to do with the transparency of a headphone, in my view. I also bought the HEKv2 from a dealer that, themselves, decided to change out the stock cable with the WyWires Platinum cable.

 

[FourT6and2]

Cables are not magic. They have specific mechanical and electrical properties that affect how they transmit signals. I'm surprised audiophiles speak in subjective terms instead of objective, measurable ones, like people in other audio-related fields. Resistance, capacitance, inductance, etc. These things are measurable and 100% affect sound. And in other hobbies, cable makers supply these specifications openly. But in the audiophile world, it's a big secret it seems. Instead of talking about how this or that cable adds sparkle and deep notes of red burgundy, ya'll should talk about how Cable X has 50pF of capacitance per foot, while Cable Y has 180pF per foot. Clearly Cable Y will be darker due to rolling off more treble. Pull up the data sheet on whatever cable you're considering and just compare the specs.

Here's the data sheet for Gotham dual balanced 2-conductor. It sells for $1.15/foot:
https://www.redco.com/Gotham-GAC-2prflt.html

Here's the data sheet for Mogami 2893, for example. It sells for $0.80/foot:
https://www.parts-express.com/pedoc...on-microphone-signal-cable-specifications.pdf

Here's the data sheet for Van Damme mini star quad. It sells for $0.74/foot:
http://www.van-damme.com/wp-content...Tour_Grade_Classic_XKE_Miniature_Starquad.pdf

Here's the data sheet for Canare L-4E6S/4E5C Starquad. It sells for $0.49/foot:
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=53

A 4.4mm Pentaconn connector is $30. A 4-pin XLR connector is $5 – $10. Sony headphone plugs are $5 each. A 6-foot balanced XLR cable for the Z1R would cost you about $30 to make.

All of these will work fine for balanced headphone cable connections. Now, go to Kimber's website and spec an Axios cable for the Z1R. A 3-meter 4.4mm balanced cable using copper wire is over $1,000. Ridiculous. BTW, that same cable from Sony is $240 on eBay. But where is the data sheet for the cable they use? Nowhere to be found. Why don't companies offering fancy headphone cables publish the cable specs? I can think of a few reasons...

 

[nc8000]

Cables are not magic. They have specific mechanical and electrical properties that affect how they transmit signals. I'm surprised audiophiles speak in subjective terms instead of objective, measurable ones, like people in other audio-related fields. Resistance, capacitance, inductance, etc. These things are measurable and 100% affect sound. And in other hobbies, cable makers supply these specifications openly. But in the audiophile world, it's a big secret it seems. Instead of talking about how this or that cable adds sparkle and deep notes of red burgundy, ya'll should talk about how Cable X has 50pF of capacitance per foot, while Cable Y has 180pF per foot. Clearly Cable Y will be darker due to rolling off more treble. Pull up the data sheet on whatever cable you're considering and just compare the specs.

Here's the data sheet for Gotham dual balanced 2-conductor. It sells for $1.15/foot:
https://www.redco.com/Gotham-GAC-2prflt.html

Here's the data sheet for Mogami 2893, for example. It sells for $0.80/foot:
https://www.parts-express.com/pedoc...on-microphone-signal-cable-specifications.pdf

Here's the data sheet for Van Damme mini star quad. It sells for $0.74/foot:
http://www.van-damme.com/wp-content...Tour_Grade_Classic_XKE_Miniature_Starquad.pdf

Here's the data sheet for Canare L-4E6S/4E5C Starquad. It sells for $0.49/foot:
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=53

A 4.4mm Pentaconn connector is $30. A 4-pin XLR connector is $5 – $10. Sony headphone plugs are $5 each. A 6-foot balanced XLR cable for the Z1R would cost you about $30 to make.

All of these will work fine for balanced headphone cable connections. Now, go to Kimber's website and spec an Axios cable for the Z1R. A 3-meter 4.4mm balanced cable using copper wire is over $1,000. Ridiculous. BTW, that same cable from Sony is $240 on eBay. But where is the data sheet for the cable they use? Nowhere to be found. Why don't companies offering fancy headphone cables publish the cable specs? I can think of a few reasons...

The Sony Kimber and the Kimber Axios is not the same cable