Austin Morrow
Headphoneus Supremus
Headphone cables nowadays have become so expensive that it’s almost pain inducing. I’m honestly shocked at the amount of cables I’ve seen that are $500 and upward, and they cost literally 1/10 the price to assemble and make using the exact same parts. It really brightens my day when someone comes along with a high quality cable at a relatively low price, and that’s what we’ll be taking a look at today. The ZXAC (Zombie X Amateur Cables) SXC Lightning Q701 headphone cable. It has both the build quality and outstanding sonics that live up to the price point.
The Cable Itself
So, what exactly is the ZXAC SXC Lightning cable made of? While Austin does make and sell the cable from his site, the pure cable wire comes straight from ALO and is silver plated OCC copper. I’ve actually been contemplating making my own cable for the Sennhesier HD650 but it’s very hard to find straight stranded silver at a lower cost, since silver usually tends to be a lot more expensive than copper.
The cable itself comes shielded naked, but can be ordered with custom TechFlex colors as well as a nylon sleeving. I personally find that the naked look puts off a much cooler vibe, but that will vary among people, so it’s good to see that Austin has a diverse set of options when ordering up front. The cable comes terminated in all of the standard presets, so nothing new there. That’s really all there is to it when it comes to the design, and the simplicity and beauty of the SXC Lightning cable looks both appealing and streamlined all at once.
Sonic Impressions
The SXC Lightning cable is one of the best cables I have ever heard when it comes to sound reproduction. Anybody that owns a Q701 or K702 really needs to drop Austin a line, because the SXC cable really cleans up the whole spectrum. In a nutshell, the SXC Lightning cable is resolving, slightly bright, very energetic, and has better overall extension up top than the stock cable, which tends to be quite warm and very smooth. When I say that the SXC has good extension, I mean it in every way possible. I’ve always felt like the Q701 had a slight roll off up top with the stock cable and the SXC cleans that up significantly with better extension and a little bit of added sparkle in the treble, with even more speed than before.
The midrange is also presented quite well. The SXC cable cleans up the slightly thin midrange of the Q701 with more sweetness and better resolution and clarity. While I find the SXC to be slightly on the bright side and a tad bit shrill, the added clarity and resolution that the cable adds is pretty fantastic in its own regard. Finally, the bass on the Q701 (which I find to be quite good and with plenty of power, contrary to popular belief) is a tad bit more extended although I don’t feel as if the low end is significantly improved. The SXC cable mainly focuses on clarity and resolution, which is really what the Q701 needs. Any more warmth and you're approaching closer to HD650 territory.
The Price
Besides the sound quality, Austin’s cables are pretty low cost (albeit all headphone cables are still pretty expensive) when compared to other companies such as Double Helix Cables and ALO’s cables. The Lightning sells for $180 at 6 feet and since I’m using the three foot version, I’m estimating that the final price for a 3 foot cable will be anywhere between $140 and $160 since 6 extra feet is $45. Now, that’s a pretty good asking price when you take it into consideration other cable prices which can easily soar above $400. Is the SXAC cable still expensive? Yes, but it’s the cheapest cable I’ve seen that has superb sonics while not sacrificing literally anything.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the SXAC SXC Lightning cable. It’s significantly cleaner than the stock cable and while it may be a tad bit sibilant for some, most people will find that the overall refinement the cable adds is worth the added brightness. Plus, it’s one of the cheapest, high quality cables I’ve seen on the internet, and while headphone cables are still significantly more expensive than they need to be, the ZXAC SXC is a very good value compared to the competitor.
ZXAC SXC Q701 Lightning Cable @Zombie X Amateur Cables
