Sugano-san
1000+ Head-Fier
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The following is an updated and revised version of a more casual review that I posted elsewhere in this forum.
I did a comparison between 3m (10 ft.) runs of the new ZU Mobius and my Cardas aftermarket cable after burning in the Mobius for about 30 hrs. with various types of music. Amplifiers used were the Earmax Pro, the RA-1 (also for RS-1 comparison), and a well-maintained X-Can v2 w/ X-PSU and NOS tubes.
Executive Summary: The Mobius has more of everything, but most of all it lends to the HD 600 that crisp and immediate feel that many were missing (that effect was sometimes referred to as the "veil").
If you imagine several layers of thin "veils" instead of one thick one, the best metaphor would be that a considerable number of layers are removed by the Mobius. This can be easily detected when listening at very low volume. The amount of detail that the Mobius retains in comparison to the Cardas is surprising. It's a bit like the feeling when you first notice how much better high-quality vinyl reproduction is compared to CD.
When listening at high volume you have the feeling you can hear everything -- minute details, breaths, the sound of the strings of a double bass on the fingerboard, creaking from the chairs of the players in the orchestra, different shades of percussion instruments -- the HD 600 together with this cable gives you a very intense feeling of "being there".
Among other things, I listened to a "private" recording of an orchestra at the rehearsal, and the sheer sense of "room" that I suddenly experienced in the split second before the orchestra started playing and the players were inhaling at the same time was simply stunning.
At "normal" listening volume, the amount of treble, presence and brilliance that comes through taken together with the deep and clearly defined bass and the extremely informative midrange allows you to considerably reduce the overall listening volume. The subliminal urge to turn louder in order to detect more detail that I sometimes felt with the Cardas and certainly with the stock cable is gone. You can actually listen at lower volume and still get more satisfaction out of it. Listening fatigue bye-bye.
The stunning thing about the crisp sound of the Mobius is how "real" and up close the midrange sounds. Voices (male and female), saxophones, guitars, everything is so much more informative and -- with the right amp -- magic (see below). Even Patricia Barber's voice suddenly and unexpectedly sounds really sexy - who would have thought that?
The company's website says that the Mobius is supposed to sound better than any other cable right out of the box and that during the first 24 hrs. it may sound a little grainy. Both claims are justified in my view. By now the grain is mostly gone, and the distance between the Mobius and the Cardas keeps increasing (according to the info on the ZU website the complete burn-in process takes approx. 250 hrs.).
The best amp for the HD 600/Mobius combo of the three mentioned above is the Earmax Pro. The combo also sounds nice with the other two amps, but the HD 600/Mobius/Earmax Pro combination has it all. It is so charming, sweet and seductive yet at the same time dynamic and detailed (thanks to the cable's virtues described above) that the sound enchants your ears like a 1945 Bordeaux would enchant your palate, if you'd be able to get a hold of a bottle.
How does the HD 600/Mobius/Earmax Pro combo compare to the RS-1/RA-1? It's clearly better in all material respects. And I do mean all material respects. As this is a matter of personal taste I am not going to go into any more detail.
Do I recommend the Mobius to the owner of a HD 600 with a stock cable? Yes, and without reserve!
Do I recommend it to the owner of a Cardas cable? Yes, but with the reserve that the Cardas enjoys its good reputation for a reason, and although I did purchase the Mobius in addition to the Cardas, there may be convincing economic reasons not to do so. Until this past Friday I was always very happy with my Cardas.
Do I recommend the Mobius to someone who would like to squeeze the optimum out of his HD 600? Let me put it like this: I am currently not aware of a better cable for these headphones.
I am anxious to hear how a well-burned in HD 650 fares with that cable, but at this point it is hard for me to imagine that the HD 650's stock cable will be considerably better than the Mobius.
To be continued...
Thank you very much for your interest.
I did a comparison between 3m (10 ft.) runs of the new ZU Mobius and my Cardas aftermarket cable after burning in the Mobius for about 30 hrs. with various types of music. Amplifiers used were the Earmax Pro, the RA-1 (also for RS-1 comparison), and a well-maintained X-Can v2 w/ X-PSU and NOS tubes.
Executive Summary: The Mobius has more of everything, but most of all it lends to the HD 600 that crisp and immediate feel that many were missing (that effect was sometimes referred to as the "veil").
If you imagine several layers of thin "veils" instead of one thick one, the best metaphor would be that a considerable number of layers are removed by the Mobius. This can be easily detected when listening at very low volume. The amount of detail that the Mobius retains in comparison to the Cardas is surprising. It's a bit like the feeling when you first notice how much better high-quality vinyl reproduction is compared to CD.
When listening at high volume you have the feeling you can hear everything -- minute details, breaths, the sound of the strings of a double bass on the fingerboard, creaking from the chairs of the players in the orchestra, different shades of percussion instruments -- the HD 600 together with this cable gives you a very intense feeling of "being there".
Among other things, I listened to a "private" recording of an orchestra at the rehearsal, and the sheer sense of "room" that I suddenly experienced in the split second before the orchestra started playing and the players were inhaling at the same time was simply stunning.
At "normal" listening volume, the amount of treble, presence and brilliance that comes through taken together with the deep and clearly defined bass and the extremely informative midrange allows you to considerably reduce the overall listening volume. The subliminal urge to turn louder in order to detect more detail that I sometimes felt with the Cardas and certainly with the stock cable is gone. You can actually listen at lower volume and still get more satisfaction out of it. Listening fatigue bye-bye.
The stunning thing about the crisp sound of the Mobius is how "real" and up close the midrange sounds. Voices (male and female), saxophones, guitars, everything is so much more informative and -- with the right amp -- magic (see below). Even Patricia Barber's voice suddenly and unexpectedly sounds really sexy - who would have thought that?
The company's website says that the Mobius is supposed to sound better than any other cable right out of the box and that during the first 24 hrs. it may sound a little grainy. Both claims are justified in my view. By now the grain is mostly gone, and the distance between the Mobius and the Cardas keeps increasing (according to the info on the ZU website the complete burn-in process takes approx. 250 hrs.).
The best amp for the HD 600/Mobius combo of the three mentioned above is the Earmax Pro. The combo also sounds nice with the other two amps, but the HD 600/Mobius/Earmax Pro combination has it all. It is so charming, sweet and seductive yet at the same time dynamic and detailed (thanks to the cable's virtues described above) that the sound enchants your ears like a 1945 Bordeaux would enchant your palate, if you'd be able to get a hold of a bottle.
How does the HD 600/Mobius/Earmax Pro combo compare to the RS-1/RA-1? It's clearly better in all material respects. And I do mean all material respects. As this is a matter of personal taste I am not going to go into any more detail.
Do I recommend the Mobius to the owner of a HD 600 with a stock cable? Yes, and without reserve!
Do I recommend it to the owner of a Cardas cable? Yes, but with the reserve that the Cardas enjoys its good reputation for a reason, and although I did purchase the Mobius in addition to the Cardas, there may be convincing economic reasons not to do so. Until this past Friday I was always very happy with my Cardas.
Do I recommend the Mobius to someone who would like to squeeze the optimum out of his HD 600? Let me put it like this: I am currently not aware of a better cable for these headphones.
I am anxious to hear how a well-burned in HD 650 fares with that cable, but at this point it is hard for me to imagine that the HD 650's stock cable will be considerably better than the Mobius.
To be continued...
Thank you very much for your interest.
