[chesebert]

If this was true speaker cables wouldn't matter ... and you won't find anyone in the speaker world with any sort of experience who would say speaker cables don't matter. In fact with speakers the differences are enormous, much more noticeable than headphones.

I will reverse this, if you don't hear a difference between silver and copper, then maybe you just don't hear this difference biologically (and I would love that to be true for me as I would save a nice chunk of change), or your system is not resolving enough for this to matter.

I never said cables make no difference. Read my post again.

 

[krude]

I never said cables make no difference. Read my post again.

Read my post again

TLDR people with 2 channel setups say 600W wouldn't spend ridiculous sums of money on cables would they? Especially that you can power 95% of speakers with 50W pc and you have loads of headroom.

 

[chesebert]

Read my post again

TLDR people with 2 channel setups say 600W wouldn't spend ridiculous sums of money on cables would they? Especially that you can power 95% of speakers with 50W pc and you have loads of headroom.

IMO 50wpc is meaningless without understanding the actual amp, the load and the SPL requirement. Do people spend a lot on cables when they have 600W mono blocks? Sure. Those amps are probably $50k and their speakers are probably 80-100k so budget 5-10k for speaker cables to find the right sound flavor and the right look make sense. For us regular folks, we would be better off saving that $10k for the next source upgrade.

 

[walterboss]

I never said cables make no difference. Read my post again.

So if your position is that some cables can make a difference, but you haven't tried the Chimera, then you're talking with a huge amount of authority about something you haven't tried.

Here is an unpopular opinion, if a cable makes that much difference for you that means your amp is not adequate to drive the headphones (note "drive" is not the same as "loudness"). Try using speaker amp or a more powerful amp to drive 1266 and you should find the more expensive cable doesn't actually sound materially better than the stock, just a different flavor.

What about an Envy's numbers suggests it's 'not adequate' to drive Susvara and 1266?

I have tried enough cans and enough cables to know otherwise.

But you haven't tried the actual cable I'm talking about This is insane.

So, 'I'm telling you that cable you think is great can't make that much difference, despite the fact I've not tried it, because I've tried other cables.'

That's both preposterously arrogant and ignorant. Speaking of which...

(note "drive" is not the same as "loudness"). Try using speaker amp or a more powerful amp to drive 1266 and you should find the more expensive cable doesn't actually sound materially better than the stock.

Don't dish out wisdom when you don't know who you're talking to. Assuming I don't know the difference between drive and loudness?? Did I go on r/headphones to tell everyone how well my Topping A90 'drives' my 1266?

Also, have you listened to 1266 on an Envy? No, you won't need to do that because you tried 1266 with amp x however long ago.

Planar magnetic drivers need musical and highly powerful solid state amp to bring out their best performance.

Don't confuse preference for fact.

When you next feel like coming down off your mountain to tell me what's what, let me know. I'll be right here on the edge of my seat.

Until then, you probably shouldn't speak with such certainty about things you haven't even tried.

Right, I'm off to listen to music on my woefully underpowered amp.

 

[krude]

There are 2 schools of thought on this.

1. Power is everything.
2. Only the "first watt" matters and power is not that important.

I personally, like all SET amp lovers, subscribe to school number 2. Audio Note Vindicator Silver Signature has 3.5W per channel, it is laughable even for headphones, yet it drives sensitive speakers incredibly with any music genre, full bass, full dynamics, you would never say it's 3.5W pc, and it also drives the TC to the fullest, again incredible bass, full detail. The same is apparently true for WA23, although I won't comment because I haven't personally heard this amp.

 

[paradoxper]

Useless posts to read this early in the AM. Thanks.

 

[Whazzzup]

Cables matter. Amps more, servers more, dacs more, but cables matter. Imo. Power matters I like 10 watts per but whatevs

 

[jlbrach]

I have tried enough cans and enough cables to know otherwise. Try a good speaker amp (you will need preamp unless integrated) and don’t waste money on cables. Planar magnetic drivers need musical and highly powerful solid state amp to bring out their best performance. This is common knowledge in 2 channel btw.

the envy drives the 1266 magnificently...I have the CFA3 which is as powerful a SS as one can find and the envy is better IMHO...surely no lack of power for any HP including the susvara..I do not like to engage in insult but anyone who tells you that the envy doesnt drive the 1266 properly either hasnt listened to it or...well lets leave it at that

 

[chesebert]

the envy drives the 1266 magnificently...I have the CFA3 which is as powerful a SS as one can find and the envy is better IMHO...surely no lack of power for any HP including the susvara..I do not like to engage in insult but anyone who tells you that the envy doesnt drive the 1266 properly either hasnt listened to it or...well lets leave it at that

Well, in that case I can't think of a reason why headphone cables can have this dramatic effect on the cans. Are you sure CFA3 does not control the driver better than Envy (evidenced by better bass control, quicker, greater transparency, greater soundstage depth, more air and blackness between instruments, black blacks, etc.)? I know 300B probably sounds better to you because of all the 2nd and 3rd harmonic can help with 1266's wonky FR and fill in some missing stuff.

Have you noticed significant difference in overall sound from 1266 with more expensive cables out of CFA3?

 

[jlbrach]

I like them both but to my ears the envy is better..the CFA3 is wonderful and I could be happy with it as I was before I owned the envy...the SS is less work for sure though...the envy FWIIW sounds better to my ears with the susvara as well with the upgraded tubes but again the CFA3 is great as well...all I was commenting on was the ability of the envy to drive the 1266 or any HP for that matter..I am not speaking of cables, I am not arguing for or against cable upgrades etc

 

[number1sixerfan]

I haven't done a ton of cable testing and I'm not really into it tbh, but got the opportunity to demo the SC cable for a week in home and the differences between it and stock are extremely easy to notice.. like within the first minute of swapping. It added more weight to the mids, which is pretty helpful to the mids, along with it being slightly less spacious width wise. I still kick myself for passing on one used, as I just wasn't willing to pay $2k for a cable. I likely would have the TCs still.

FYI, I used the TC on plenty of capable headphone and speaker amps, none of which had as drastic of an effect on the midrange. Like I said, I have no dog in the cable fight, but it was a very interesting experience and if I owned the TC, I'd have it or something similar to prop up the mids.

 

[ageofadz]

I haven't done a ton of cable testing and I'm not really into it tbh, but got the opportunity to demo the SC cable for a week in home and the differences between it and stock are extremely easy to notice.. like within the first minute of swapping. It added more weight to the mids, which is pretty helpful to the mids, along with it being slightly less spacious width wise. I still kick myself for passing on one used, as I just wasn't willing to pay $2k for a cable. I likely would have the TCs still.

FYI, I used the TC on plenty of capable headphone and speaker amps, none of which had as drastic of an effect on the midrange. Like I said, I have no dog in the cable fight, but it was a very interesting experience and if I owned the TC, I'd have it or something similar to prop up the mids.

Exact same thing happened to me and now I have one. Was the best spend at the moment and there isn't a day I'm not glad I did.

Today I started using HQPlayer for the first time... wow, and I've not even unlocked its full potential as I have only tried it on a decent laptop so far (bits sound crushed on anything that goes above 384 PCM).

 

[Ciggavelli]

I'm a cable agnostic person. It works in some situations, maybe, and doesn't work in other situation, maybe. I definitely agree that you should spend your money on amp, dac, source first, then cables. I love the SC, and think it's well worth the money (if only for the ergonomic benefits. ).

But yeah, spend more money on your amp, dac, and source first. The cables should be the last thing you buy. The difference between a DAVE stock and a WA33 EE JPS are enormous. The difference between the stock cable and an upgraded cable are minimal, in comparison.

 

[skhan007]

I don't have a lot of cable experience, but what I do know is that I'd like to upgrade my stock AB 1266 cable to something more comfortable, flexible, mechanically friendly. The stock cable is unwieldy. I'm thinking about a Norne copper cable (I think it's called Drausk) based on its ergonomics.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I don't have a lot of cable experience, but what I do know is that I'd like to upgrade my stock AB 1266 cable to something more comfortable, flexible, mechanically friendly. The stock cable is unwieldy. I'm thinking about a Norne copper cable (I think it's called Drausk) based on its ergonomics.

The ergonomics on the stock cable are fukcing terrible. I often thought they made it that way so you buy the SC. It worked for me....hahaha

Typically it's copper for bass, and silver for treble and resolution. A mixed cable might be the best bet. The SC is really good though. I'd personally get that over anything else. I tried the Danacables Nirvana and Voila off the TCs, and I still preferred the SC. I loaned my TCs to Danacables to see if they can make a better cable. We shall see. The SC is hard to top...