[439598]

I noticed during modding that the HD800 cable that it had a satiny metal plating that looked like silver,
it didnt seem likely but that is the case according to the sennheiser page for replacement HD800S cable

''Silver coating of the strains minimizes resistance for sound transmission.
Developed, designed and manufactured in Germany.''

HD800 being arguably one of the best headphones ever made, with excellent engineering in about every aspect of the headphone, why would these highly competent engineers have a ''snake oil'' gimmick on their top product?
..
marketing, right?
except this fact isnt mentioned anywhere on the actual HD800S page

silver plating relates to the skin effect but as we've all been told the skin effect only pertains to RF frequencies, right?

What could possibly have warranted the engineers to use more expensive silver plated wiring on every single cable since the original HD800 with no indication of this fact in the advertising?

My guess is they heard the difference themselves but chose not to mention it to avoid upsetting the any of their ''scientist'' customers who think electronic analysers are better at telling us what we hear than our own ears.

 

[bagwell359]

I first found the efficacy in headphones when I wanted to adjust the vertical tracking angle of my tonearm during play in 1981. The AKG 240 resolved the answer much more surely than my DQ-10's and Maggie II's. I pretty much got away from "snake oil" cables etc. around 2002. But I stayed basically in speaker land until 2015. Since then I've bought, modified, done double blind testing on a number of headphones and associated equipment.

The difference between:

HE-500 stock HFM cable (SPC) and Black Dragon (copper)

HD-600 stock cable and after market cable (both copper)​

is clear.

Preferring balanced to SE here is obvious since there is more wattage and less impedance from my amp in balanced over SE

Using dynamat is also an obvious 'fix' to minimize bass resonance.

One encounters a lot of phenomena. If one doesn't have an ego attachment (I spent x dollars, must defend), or suffer from the emperors clothes (of course I can hear it! the sales guy said I had exquisite taste, i must prove and re-prove my mastery). If one gets beyond that good headphones can resolve a lot - from music to equipment. It's easy to get sucked up in equipment land, sometimes its good to lay it all down for 6 months or a year and enjoy the music alone.

I reckon those engineers working on 800, found an answer that bettered the others. Quantify all you like, in the end its always a subjective perception/judgement that makes that call.

 

[Strat1117]

I say get rid of it and get an all copper cable anyway, as I believe the silver is responsible for at least some of the tipped up treble that people complain about in the HD800 and HD700. That’s coming from someone who believes that wire does make a difference but also agrees that the prices of high end wires are out of control. I’ve been in this hobby a very long time and, with the occasional exception of low level phono cartridge signals, I have yet to meet a silver cable that didn’t sound annoyingly bright and thin after a while, up to and including the Audioquest WEL Signature.

 

[Whazzzup]

because someone said ill meet those production quotas for under anyone else prices

 

[439598]

I say get rid of it and get an all copper cable anyway, as I believe the silver is responsible for at least some of the tipped up treble that people complain about in the HD800 and HD700. That’s coming from someone who believes that wire does make a difference but also agrees that the prices of high end wires are out of control. I’ve been in this hobby a very long time and, with the occasional exception of low level phono cartridge signals, I have yet to meet a silver cable that didn’t sound annoyingly bright and thin after a while, up to and including the Audioquest WEL Signature.

100% agree, the HD800 cable is a recipe for bright, harsh sound with its extremely thin, silver plated stranded conductors ..... stranded cable tends to be a little scattered/harsh compared to litz or solid core and I believe its surface of the wire strands where it comes from which silver plating only accentuates, pure silver wouldnt be any worse in this regard. such thin conductors have an affect on bass response making the sound leaner/anemic, almost always the silver cables being sold are thinner compared to copper variants... Silver is only more conductive than copper if the gauge is the same.
I use hardwired 20AWG OCC Litz copper on mine,

 

[bagwell359]

100% agree, the HD800 cable is a recipe for bright, harsh sound with its extremely thin, silver plated stranded conductors ..... stranded cable tends to be a little scattered/harsh compared to litz or solid core and I believe its surface of the wire strands where it comes from which silver plating only accentuates, pure silver wouldnt be any worse in this regard. such thin conductors have an affect on bass response making the sound leaner/anemic, almost always the silver cables being sold are thinner compared to copper variants... Silver is only more conductive than copper if the gauge is the same.
I use hardwired 20AWG OCC Litz copper on mine,

Wait, what headphone cable that you know uses solid core? Isn't stranded the most common type? With litz, silver, spc all being less common? Do you make your own? If not which outfit(s) uses 20 ga litz?

 

[439598]

Wait, what headphone cable that you know uses solid core? Isn't stranded the most common type? With litz, silver, spc all being less common? Do you make your own? If not which outfit(s) uses 20 ga litz?

I was refering to cables in general, which includes speaker cable and interconnects, but there is nothing stopping someone diy their own solid core headphone cable, though its not practical because of its flexibility, and maybe durability too.
litz is probably the most common type, most stock low to mid range headphones/IEMs use it.
No HP cable makers use 20ga OCC litz afaia, considered how overpriced most of them are it would cost a fortune. I just bought the wire myself.

 

[439598]

Wait, what headphone cable that you know uses solid core? Isn't stranded the most common type? With litz, silver, spc all being less common? Do you make your own? If not which outfit(s) uses 20 ga litz?

There are 20AWG litz OCC copper and silver cables for sale here I found
http://www.norneaudio.com/litzheim/index.php?route=product/category&path=17_104