[dnnaudio]

DHC wait time is now down to 2 weeks according to their website. On my last order it was less than 2 weeks from order to delivery.

Was not aware of that thanks will consider it. Axios CU still my #1 option as I can easily order from nearby local shop who is Kimber country distributor.

 

[kwansheungchi]

Last month DHC has a wait time for 2 days only, I ordered a custom cable and Peter did deliver it as promised. I think he has picked up his work greatly this year. I would recommend to email him directly to ask what's available if you want to order from DHC.

 

[kefs]

Norne Audio also has all copper option w/c is slightly larger guage than the DHC and awaiting for quote. Not sure I wish to deal w/ long unpredictable wait times of DHC but they do make outstanding cables.

Trevor at Norne all the way!
@TigzStudio

 

[Hinomotocho]

I can't justify a new cable at the moment but I'd really like to replace the Sony Kimber with one that has a better weave.

 

[Slim1970]

I can't justify a new cable at the moment but I'd really like to replace the Sony Kimber with one that has a better weave.

Is it because you don’t like the looks of the Sony/Kimber cable or because you want something that sounds better?

 

[Hinomotocho]

Is it because you don’t like the looks of the Sony/Kimber cable or because you want something that sounds better?

My main motivation would be to find one that handles better as the Sony gets odd kinks and twists and is difficult to coil up in my custom case.
The bonus would be improvements to the sound, and I am guilty of being drawn to a good looking cable. The Axios looks to tick the boxes and those DHC look nice.

 

[nc8000]

My main motivation would be to find one that handles better as the Sony gets odd kinks and twists and is difficult to coil up in my custom case.
The bonus would be improvements to the sound, and I am guilty of being drawn to a good looking cable. The Axios looks to tick the boxes and those DHC look nice.

Build wise and joy of owning/looking at/handling the Axios CU wins over the Lavri Grand and it does sound good as well but after having both I settled on a slight sound preference for the Lavri and it was also longer than my Axios which was on the short side so I sold the Axios

 

[Hinomotocho]

Build wise and joy of owning/looking at/handling the Axios CU wins over the Lavri Grand and it does sound good as well but after having both I settled on a slight sound preference for the Lavri and it was also longer than my Axios which was on the short side so I sold the Axios

I had seen yours for sale and was tempted. I originally was using my Z1R with my 1A and really wanted a shorter cable, luckily I didn't splash out as now the 2 metre length works very well with my TA-ZH1ES.

 

[Slim1970]

I got a request to do some comparative listening with the Z1R’s and my new HE-R10P’s. Keep in mind that my Sony’s are over 3 years old and well broken in and my Hifiman’s are only a week old. Some other things to note are the Z1R’s are a little more efficient than the HE-R10P’s. So I had to turn the Dave up on the HE-R10P’s to volume match them as best as I could. Secondly, I have an all silver cable on the Z1R’s, which helps tightens up the bass, add more clarity to the midrange and smooth out the treble. It also helps improves the Z1R’s resolution and speed. As I found out while comparing the two headphones the Lavricables Grand really helps to bring the performance of the Z1R’s closer to that of the HE-R10P’s, but not exceeding them is sound quality or technicalities.

Both headphones are being driven directly out of the Dave although at different volume levels. During my listening there are few things that stoodout. The HE-R10P’s have more resolution. Bad recordings sound worse on the HE-R10P’s, while the Z1R’s have a tendency to smooth things over and make poor recordings more listenable. The HE-R10P’s have better instrument separation, soundstage and imaging. On the HE-R10P’s the artist occupy their own space, individual instruments can clearly be heard and the artist can be placed on the stage with more space in between them. The Z1R’s soundstage width is a bit smaller and the artist sound closer together. Soundstage depth isn’t as deep on the Z1R’s either. This puts the artist more in a straight line than spread out on the stage. Imaging isn’t as clear as I had trouble placing where the artist is on the stage in regards to each other.

Next there’s a difference in transient speed. The HE-R10P’s sound faster, more snappy. The silver cable on the Z1R’s help improve their transient response but the HE-R10P’s still sound more crisp, sharper.

Bass is really good on both headphones. Quantity wise they are just about even. The HE-R10P’s has a little bit more impact. Bass sounds tighter with better decay than the Z1R’s. The bass on the Z1R’s again benefit from the use of a silver cable. The big bass you get from the all copper Sony/Kimber cable get replaced with a tighter more controlled bass with the silver cable. The Sony/Kimber cable sounds a little boomy, loser in comparison.

The midrange on the Z1R’s is slightly more forward than the HE-R10P’s. Vocals, guitars standout more. I enjoy this about them. The midrange is more inline with rest of the frequency spectrum on the HE-R10P’s, making them sound more balanced. You can also hear a bit more going on in the midrange of the HE-R10P’s because it’s better defined, more expressive.

Other than that, the performance of these two headphones is top notch. They are two of the best closed back headphones I’ve had the pleasure of owning. I’ve had the Z1R’s is my collection longer than any headphone I own. I love their sound and their tuning. Adding the silver cable to the Z1R’s improves their performance tremendously. It is by far my favorite closed back headphone. The HE-R10P’s are joining them as one of my favorites. At the same time it exceeds the Z1R’s performance. Namely in soundstage depth and width, speed, detail, imaging and resolution. I’ll be seeking a silver cable for the HE-R10P’s soon. Thanks for reading.

 

[hawk13]

Thanks for another great review!

 

[askeladden]

I must say i lost a little respect from Hifiman when they made the HE-R10P because in my view its kinda like how some watchmaker microbrands make "homage" watches. It's a bit cheezy. Even worse is it that the retail price is not that far from what you have to pay for an acutal R10. Could be a great sounding headphone though. There is a market for high end closed back planars for sure, but I'm not sure this is the best way to captialize on it.

 

[Slim1970]

I must say i lost a little respect from Hifiman when they made the HE-R10P because in my view its kinda like how some watchmaker microbrands make "homage" watches. It's a bit cheezy. Even worse is it that the retail price is not that far from what you have to pay for an acutal R10. Could be a great sounding headphone though. There is a market for high end closed back planars for sure, but I'm not sure this is the best way to captialize on it.

I get it trust me. Externally they are not unique. Internally they couldn't be further apart from the Sony design.

 

[gerelmx1986]

I must say i lost a little respect from Hifiman when they made the HE-R10P because in my view its kinda like how some watchmaker microbrands make "homage" watches. It's a bit cheezy. Even worse is it that the retail price is not that far from what you have to pay for an acutal R10. Could be a great sounding headphone though. There is a market for high end closed back planars for sure, but I'm not sure this is the best way to captialize on it.

And he is comparing two different tech planar vs DD IMO not the same

 

[gerelmx1986]

oppo HA-2

 

[Slim1970]

oppo HA-2

An oldie but goodie. I had the Oppo HA-2se twice. The bass boost isn’t done as cleanly as the Centrance products, but the Sony’s don’t need more bass anyway. The sound of the HA-2/se is very organic and musical. I bet the pairing sounds good.