headwilier
100+ Head-Fier
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1 week for manufacturing, 8 days delivery from US to Hong Kong
The NEW Headphone Lounge Thread
kh600rr
500+ Head-Fier
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Hey, you guys also know Ted can fix cables also. He repaired my HD-800 cable.
I just recently sent my cable for him to replace the connector, he ended up making me a whole new cable with new connector. What a man LOL Can't wait for it to arrive on Monday.
Would recommend his service to anyone interested in aftermarket cable in heartbeat nowadays.
Would recommend his service to anyone interested in aftermarket cable in heartbeat nowadays.
CanadianMaestro
Headphoneus Supremus
I am listening tonight to my Senn HD650 with Ted's silver balanced cable, out of a Bryston BHA-1 amp, with BDP-1 digital player and FLAC files ripped from CDs, along with the Bryston BDA-1 DAC feeding bal analog output to the BHA-1.
Here is the 650 with silver cable: (shown with my other reference, an LCD-2.2)
Albums I am enjoying tonight:
Bought this silver OCC cable back in late March, and have used it extensively on the 650. On the Schubert Quintet's sublime adagio, the strings shimmer with a celestial sparkle that the stock cable came nowhere near replicating. The cello did not lose any of its warmth, and imaging was pristine -- I could almost reach out and touch the 5 players. On Grimaud's virtuosic rendition of Beethoven's dynamic "Emperor" concerto, her piano key strikes sounded more realistic, and orchestral strings were better textured in the sublime slow movement. In the first movement, a real test for dynamics of any headphone system, the silver cable gave my 650 smoother, brisker attacks in the brass crescendos. Piano rarely sounded more realistic with the 650s paired with Ted's cable. Yummy to say the least. The only limitation, if you can call it that, was that the soundstage did not widen with this cable. The 650s are known to be a very intimate HP, putting the listener near the front of the stage. The silver cable did not change this fundamental character, which is good. The last thing I needed was to have the cable turn my beloved 650 into a baby Grado.
Finally, one of my fav albums -- Pat Barber's Companion. On "Like JT", the warmth of the bass appeared like dollops of luscious butter hanging in mid-air. The silver cable made the twang of the bass strings a bit more audible, and softened the reverberations a tad bit. The percussion cadenza of "Black Magic Woman" sounded tight, with the shimmer of the drum kit more forward than with the stock cable. Barber's voice on all tracks of this album was clearer, more lifelike, and a tad leaner, almost as if she had been through a Jennie Craig program! In contrast, the stock cable made her seem more "rounded", fuller, almost chubbier. Not a huge difference, but a noticeable one.
Overall, I would highly recommend Ted's silver OCC cable for the 650, especially in balanced mode. In SE mode, with a Cardas HP cable, the SQ was fuller, warmer, and less detailed up top. Still pleasant nonetheless. But if you crave those upper-mids like I do, especially for classical music, then Ted's silver is the way to go for the 650. Much has been written about the "veil" of the 650s. I did not find the 650 to be "veiled". Their highs are just not in-your-face. The silver OCC from Ted did not change the relaxed character of the 650s, but they did give them more "air" and better rhythmic spice than the stock cable.
Here is the 650 with silver cable: (shown with my other reference, an LCD-2.2)
Albums I am enjoying tonight:
Bought this silver OCC cable back in late March, and have used it extensively on the 650. On the Schubert Quintet's sublime adagio, the strings shimmer with a celestial sparkle that the stock cable came nowhere near replicating. The cello did not lose any of its warmth, and imaging was pristine -- I could almost reach out and touch the 5 players. On Grimaud's virtuosic rendition of Beethoven's dynamic "Emperor" concerto, her piano key strikes sounded more realistic, and orchestral strings were better textured in the sublime slow movement. In the first movement, a real test for dynamics of any headphone system, the silver cable gave my 650 smoother, brisker attacks in the brass crescendos. Piano rarely sounded more realistic with the 650s paired with Ted's cable. Yummy to say the least. The only limitation, if you can call it that, was that the soundstage did not widen with this cable. The 650s are known to be a very intimate HP, putting the listener near the front of the stage. The silver cable did not change this fundamental character, which is good. The last thing I needed was to have the cable turn my beloved 650 into a baby Grado.
Finally, one of my fav albums -- Pat Barber's Companion. On "Like JT", the warmth of the bass appeared like dollops of luscious butter hanging in mid-air. The silver cable made the twang of the bass strings a bit more audible, and softened the reverberations a tad bit. The percussion cadenza of "Black Magic Woman" sounded tight, with the shimmer of the drum kit more forward than with the stock cable. Barber's voice on all tracks of this album was clearer, more lifelike, and a tad leaner, almost as if she had been through a Jennie Craig program! In contrast, the stock cable made her seem more "rounded", fuller, almost chubbier. Not a huge difference, but a noticeable one.
Overall, I would highly recommend Ted's silver OCC cable for the 650, especially in balanced mode. In SE mode, with a Cardas HP cable, the SQ was fuller, warmer, and less detailed up top. Still pleasant nonetheless. But if you crave those upper-mids like I do, especially for classical music, then Ted's silver is the way to go for the 650. Much has been written about the "veil" of the 650s. I did not find the 650 to be "veiled". Their highs are just not in-your-face. The silver OCC from Ted did not change the relaxed character of the 650s, but they did give them more "air" and better rhythmic spice than the stock cable.
headwilier
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
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Equipment:
Ted Headphone Lounge's 25.5AWG 30 Strand Silver OCC (balanced 2.5 TRRS)
AK120 II
SE846 (neutral blue filter)
Music:
Tea for the Tillerman (FLAC)
The Four Seasons - Akiko Meyers (FLAC)
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones (FLAC)
Adele 21 (320 mp3)
(all comparisons vs Shure Stock cable single ended out)
Comfort:
Ted did a great job... there is a thinner memory wire which fits around my glasses easier. The cable is more flexible so overall the fit is better. Microphonics like the stock are minimal, but overall comfort is better as the cable is thinner and lighter.
Sound:
Overall improvement is quite obvious to my layman ears. There is a cleaner, more refined and airier presentation. Zero background noise in between songs. I always felt the stock had a slightly detached veiled or muffled sound and the silver cable brings you closer to the music.
Tea for the Tillerman - beautifully renditioned vocals with a wider soundstage. It's just much more delicate and natural with all the guitars tangoing like orchestrated fireworks. I really enjoyed listening to this album again. The fast paced guitar work is revealed in detail... it's just much more nimble and precise. Beautiful!
The Four Seasons - Crisper and delicate character leading to unveiling of more detail on complex pieces. The responsiveness (PRAT) is so much more apparent, making The Four Seasons much edgier and frenzied in its attack. Decay of strings is much cleaner. Stock cables tended to present a dull "thud" on percussions but now there is a more natural decay. Overall musicality is heightened.
Adele - Treble is extended such that female vocals are pushed to the edge without being fatiguing... i think its the sweet spot (I found the white filters with stock cable fatiguing with Adele to the point of being screechy/shouty). Bass is less pronounced but still good and feels less deliberate than with the dark filters.
Norah Jones - omg... exceptional textures on the vocals and the various instruments... i actually had to listen to the whole album again as it's so musical. The sound just sounds like honey.
Conclusion:
Was very sceptical about the difference it would make, but its readily apparent. This could be a mixture of Balanced vs Single Ended output & the Silver vs Stock. Overall am very impressed and would estimate as a 15% improvement to the overall portable setup.
PS:
I tried the warm black filters with the Silver cables but they just cancel out the sparkle of that the cables provide on the treble. Definitely recommend the neutrals.
Ted Headphone Lounge's 25.5AWG 30 Strand Silver OCC (balanced 2.5 TRRS)
AK120 II
SE846 (neutral blue filter)
Music:
Tea for the Tillerman (FLAC)
The Four Seasons - Akiko Meyers (FLAC)
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones (FLAC)
Adele 21 (320 mp3)
(all comparisons vs Shure Stock cable single ended out)
Comfort:
Ted did a great job... there is a thinner memory wire which fits around my glasses easier. The cable is more flexible so overall the fit is better. Microphonics like the stock are minimal, but overall comfort is better as the cable is thinner and lighter.
Sound:
Overall improvement is quite obvious to my layman ears. There is a cleaner, more refined and airier presentation. Zero background noise in between songs. I always felt the stock had a slightly detached veiled or muffled sound and the silver cable brings you closer to the music.
Tea for the Tillerman - beautifully renditioned vocals with a wider soundstage. It's just much more delicate and natural with all the guitars tangoing like orchestrated fireworks. I really enjoyed listening to this album again. The fast paced guitar work is revealed in detail... it's just much more nimble and precise. Beautiful!
The Four Seasons - Crisper and delicate character leading to unveiling of more detail on complex pieces. The responsiveness (PRAT) is so much more apparent, making The Four Seasons much edgier and frenzied in its attack. Decay of strings is much cleaner. Stock cables tended to present a dull "thud" on percussions but now there is a more natural decay. Overall musicality is heightened.
Adele - Treble is extended such that female vocals are pushed to the edge without being fatiguing... i think its the sweet spot (I found the white filters with stock cable fatiguing with Adele to the point of being screechy/shouty). Bass is less pronounced but still good and feels less deliberate than with the dark filters.
Norah Jones - omg... exceptional textures on the vocals and the various instruments... i actually had to listen to the whole album again as it's so musical. The sound just sounds like honey.
Conclusion:
Was very sceptical about the difference it would make, but its readily apparent. This could be a mixture of Balanced vs Single Ended output & the Silver vs Stock. Overall am very impressed and would estimate as a 15% improvement to the overall portable setup.
PS:
I tried the warm black filters with the Silver cables but they just cancel out the sparkle of that the cables provide on the treble. Definitely recommend the neutrals.
Ivabign
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Jan 16, 2012
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Does it have to be one he built?
I also seem to have backed into being a Ted "fan" - I was looking on the FS/FT threads and saw a silver Litz cable for a nice price and since I liked what my cable from my Tralucent did for my JH16's - I bought it - thinking it was as thick - but no - it is thinner and more elegant. Now I have looked at a lot of the cables for sale and the braiding is usually good - but on this cable, the braid right up to the Westone/JH pin connector is tight and even - it looks amazing, not like it could loosen up at any moment like some of the others being touted...
I would definitely like to buy another in the next few weeks - to use with my V8's, 8A's and other 2-pin CIEMs...
Very nice work....
spook76
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Jan 13, 2013
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No, for a reasonable fee Ted will reterminate or fix other makers cables. I have said it to all and a sundry that Ted Allen is great to deal with and yes he has very reasonable prices.
teds headfood
Member of the Trade: Headphonelounge Cables/FBI cables
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- Dec 6, 2009
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for se846 and other shure owners burtomr just posted on se846 thread about a great tool for cleaning mmcx connections while using with deoxit red/gold.
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/superfine-microbrush-applicators-421180/?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/superfine-microbrush-applicators-421180/?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email
M Coupe
500+ Head-Fier
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- Dec 20, 2012
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Pictures of my Ted Allen cables and adapter. Thanks Ted! Always a pleasure working with you.
I received the HPL Reference Silver Litz cables in the mail today. I ordered an accompanying Litz IC for my Pico and RSA Protector. First off, build time and shipping was a little longer than last time. 2 1/2 weeks for build and 2 weeks for shipping (USPS had my package sitting in LA for 3 days...) It was quite a long wait compared to my previous order (2 1/2 weeks build and shipping time).
All the following impressions/comparisons were done with a Silver Plated Copper cable (balanced) and RSA Protector/Pico combo as the baseline. As a side note, I have always been a skeptic behind cable upgrades.
I'm going to skip past the build quality and workmanship as the high quality of Ted's products is well known. The only problem with my order: I asked for a FBI heat shrink but it was not applied. No biggie though; I just needed a way to distinguish between my cables.
The Litz cable itself is slightly thicker than my SPC and it has this nice sheen to it. Comfort and flexibility is the same as well.
Moving onto the most important part, the sound:
Bass: Noticeably tighter. The same weight and quality of bass that the 846 can deliver is still there.
Mids: The mids (along with the highs) are what I purchased the Litz for. One thing I noticed with the 846's is that the attack/delay was a little sluggish. The Litz eliminates this, making the already excellent 846 even better. This faster sound leads to an improvement in clarity. Male vocals on the 8's are slightly recessed, but with the Litz they are brought forward to where they should be. Upper mids are more pronounced as well.
Highs: There is a little more air in the highs. Once again, the attack and decay of cymbals are faster and more accurate.
Soundstage: This is one area I did not expect to hear an improvement. There is a slight increase in soundstage. Width wise there is a marginal improvement, but the real winner here is the depth.
Overall, the Litz cable provides the perfect upgrade for my 846's when compared to the SPC cable. All the gripes I had with the 846's were solved with the Litz. I am very happy with the Litz and my only regret is not purchasing the Litz initially.
Thanks Ted!
All the following impressions/comparisons were done with a Silver Plated Copper cable (balanced) and RSA Protector/Pico combo as the baseline. As a side note, I have always been a skeptic behind cable upgrades.
I'm going to skip past the build quality and workmanship as the high quality of Ted's products is well known. The only problem with my order: I asked for a FBI heat shrink but it was not applied. No biggie though; I just needed a way to distinguish between my cables.
The Litz cable itself is slightly thicker than my SPC and it has this nice sheen to it. Comfort and flexibility is the same as well.
Moving onto the most important part, the sound:
Bass: Noticeably tighter. The same weight and quality of bass that the 846 can deliver is still there.
Mids: The mids (along with the highs) are what I purchased the Litz for. One thing I noticed with the 846's is that the attack/delay was a little sluggish. The Litz eliminates this, making the already excellent 846 even better. This faster sound leads to an improvement in clarity. Male vocals on the 8's are slightly recessed, but with the Litz they are brought forward to where they should be. Upper mids are more pronounced as well.
Highs: There is a little more air in the highs. Once again, the attack and decay of cymbals are faster and more accurate.
Soundstage: This is one area I did not expect to hear an improvement. There is a slight increase in soundstage. Width wise there is a marginal improvement, but the real winner here is the depth.
Overall, the Litz cable provides the perfect upgrade for my 846's when compared to the SPC cable. All the gripes I had with the 846's were solved with the Litz. I am very happy with the Litz and my only regret is not purchasing the Litz initially.
Thanks Ted!
headwilier
100+ Head-Fier
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Just wanted to add that my Balanced TRRS 2.5mm to Single Ended 3.5mm adapter is on its way.
Ted even delivered it before I made payment and I had to remind him to bill me!
Want to thank Ted for the personal service and for the really competitive pricing.
Ted even delivered it before I made payment and I had to remind him to bill me!
Want to thank Ted for the personal service and for the really competitive pricing.
John Gazerro
New Head-Fier
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- Nov 5, 2013
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Ted is the only way to go if you want a balanced and grounded XLR cable for your AK240. Silver litz XLR cables terminated 2.5mm/3.5mm (Astell & Kern's new configuration). Ted went the extra mile and used Hawaiian Mangowood for the "block." I was expecting a plain 2.5mm and 3.5mm cable. Price was very, very easy on the wallet compared to other options I've seen. Cable sounds great.
Thanks, Ted!
Thanks, Ted!
headwilier
100+ Head-Fier
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this is Ted's balanced cable 2.5mm with my SE846 + AK120II + addition
al adapter to convert to 3.5mm single ended. works brilliantly!
al adapter to convert to 3.5mm single ended. works brilliantly!
Samuel777
500+ Head-Fier
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- Nov 1, 2013
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Hello,
can you give me the exact link to purchase also the two cables ?
thx
sam
gmahler2u
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Dec 19, 2011
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