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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2009 16:20:24 GMT
Looking at cables for Senn HD650 and 600. UK market is crap - Stefan is about it here. I don't like it.
Just want to see what you guys are doing - did you spend loadsadosh on a cable or did you just put one together yourself?
I can't stand all the **** that cable makers come out with 'cos you can never tell whether they speak the truth. Some of the prices for 10 foot of wire and thee plugs is outrageous. A piece of cable is worth 2 x-cans V2?
Are you guys all happy with a stock cable?
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2009 20:31:59 GMT
Ian Have a look at Blue Jeans cables in the U.S.A. Miguel recommends them, and I bought a couple of pairs of their 6 foot low capacitance cables. They work well and the asking price was very reasonable. But these are interconnects, not aftermarket heaphone cables. Alex www.bluejeanscable.com/store/audio/index.htm |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 28, 2009 21:36:29 GMT
Looking at cables for Senn HD650 and 600. UK market is crap - Stefan is about it here. I don't like it. Just want to see what you guys are doing - did you spend loadsadosh on a cable or did you just put one together yourself? I can't stand all the **** that cable makers come out with 'cos you can never tell whether they speak the truth. Some of the prices for 10 foot of wire and thee plugs is outrageous. A piece of cable is worth 2 x-cans V2? Are you guys all happy with a stock cable? Ian I can make a cable for around £22 with "£15" of that going towards these..... the "£15" for these connectors being the most expensive item. Unfortunately, there is no way around the "£15"..... if you want the connectors you have to pay for them..... a rip off? YES! but still a lot cheaper and BETTER to go this route as the end result is a lot better than the likes of Cardas / Moon etc. etc. Mike. PS: I am talking £22 "parts" here ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2009 22:07:52 GMT
Looking at cables for Senn HD650 and 600. UK market is crap - Stefan is about it here. I don't like it. Just want to see what you guys are doing - did you spend loadsadosh on a cable or did you just put one together yourself? I can't stand all the **** that cable makers come out with 'cos you can never tell whether they speak the truth. Some of the prices for 10 foot of wire and thee plugs is outrageous. A piece of cable is worth 2 x-cans V2? Are you guys all happy with a stock cable? Ian I can make a cable for around £22 with "£15" of that going towards these..... the "£15" for these connectors being the most expensive item. Unfortunately, there is no way around the "£15"..... if you want the connectors you have to pay for them..... a rip off? YES! but still a lot cheaper and BETTER to go this route as the end result is a lot better than the likes of Cardas / Moon etc. etc. Mike. PS: I am talking £22 "parts" here ;D Plus your time Mike? So, I assume you guys think it's worth changing the cable? I've had a Stephan Audio cable for over a year and couldn't stand the bits going into the cups hitting my shoulders every time I turned my head. So I took it off and returned to stock - did I miss it - NO! It may have made a smidgen of difference to the sound but in all honesty, the inconvenience of the cable made it a pain to listen to music. I put out a message on HF just to see what kind of reaction and within the space of 30 minutes, had emails from some guys in USA offereing cables of between $200 - $400!!! Even after I asked about anyone making a cable for a decent, honest price. I mean - 10 foot of wire and three plugs? Mike - these guys are either takin' the piss or there's some kinda voodoo going on. I can appreciate that a good cable may cost quite a few quid but not $400? To me that's a pair of bloody good headphones. Ian |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 28, 2009 22:21:17 GMT
Ian...... it's quite well known that I don't advocate the use of "boutique cables" they're a fcki'n rip off. The stock Senn cables do the job nicely.... you don't need, or want, a vulgar mega buck python like cable wrapped round your neck..... pure snake oil with the snake oil vendors praying for placebo.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2009 22:44:54 GMT
Well this is it, mike. I didn't hear anything particularly better via the Stefan Audio but I didn't notice until I went back to stock. There was not a lot to notice imo.
Just thought it was me, but the cable is bloody expensive when you look at it. Soldered on plugs under a shrink wrap. Ordinary jack plug that wasn't even in line with the cable.
I thought it was just me being insensitive. Should've bought a V2 when I bought the cable. Much more of a difference!!!! I love that one!!
Ian
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 29, 2009 8:51:48 GMT
I paid £250 ish for my Stefan Audio Arts AKG K1000 cable - fantastic value in my opinion. I think I paid £150 for the Equinox AKG K501 replacement as well.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 9:38:23 GMT
The Stefan Audio Arts cables seem to be the only one available in the UK. I didn't like the connection at the headphone. Very crude and touched my shoulders if I moved.
That's a lot of dosh for wire though isn't it. Two X-can V2's.
It's also the thing that seems to get everyone angry on HF. Not here thank goodness and I wonder if the anger stems from guys who have spent a lot on them.
It would be nice if the companies making the cables had outlets where you could actually try the cables so if you can't hear any difference - so be it. Taking a chance with £200 odd on a cable is quite a high price to pay.
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 9:56:14 GMT
I paid £250 ish for my Stefan Audio Arts AKG K1000 cable - fantastic value in my opinion. I think I paid £150 for the Equinox AKG K501 replacement as well. Nigel Either you have a very understanding wife, or you didn't tell her !  What improvements were the most obvious ? Alex |
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Post by Nigel on Nov 29, 2009 10:32:19 GMT
A more natural balance of the frequency spectrum delivering fuller, deeper bass, warmer, sweeter mid range, clear non fatiguing highs & an open airy soundstage, also a more closer association with the music.
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 29, 2009 10:36:42 GMT
It's a four conductor quad braid field geometry cable consisting of linear induced isolation constructed ultra pure copper enclosed with a teflon/oxygen dielectric finished in minimum absorption techflex. 96 hrs break-in period to reach specified sonic performance.
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Post by Nigel on Nov 29, 2009 10:45:14 GMT
 I posted the above for Mike, I know how much he appreciates construction descriptions etc. Seriously though, all of the above to an extent. OK in the grand scheme of things it wasn't worth £247, I just checked the price but if a job's worth doing.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 11:34:04 GMT
I posted the above for Mike, I know how much he appreciates construction descriptions etc. Seriously though, all of the above to an extent. OK in the grand scheme of things it wasn't worth £247, I just checked the price but if a job's worth doing. Wow!!! I felt like that about the Stefan cable. Didn't pay that much though. I loved the description Nigel. The thing is, the exotic ones look so pretty too don't they? Speaker cables seem to make a difference. I had a disgustingly expensive setup installed in my house for me to audition a few weeks ago. (I also blew a valve!!!!) The guy who set it up for me also left some cables. They definitely made a difference but they were like pythons on the carpet. I'd have to bury them in the wall or under the floor. Again, they were a disgusting price and I was tempted to put some ordinary wire in place..... Basically, I'd like the cable guys to offer trials but we haven't got many in the UK so it's a bit difficult. A change of amp would probably give a more easily heard change though for that kind of money. Two of those cables would give you a reasonable amp. If headphone cables were cheaper, I'd at least try them. Ian |
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robertkd
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Post by robertkd on Nov 29, 2009 12:26:01 GMT
It's a four conductor quad braid field geometry cable consisting of linear induced isolation constructed ultra pure copper enclosed with a teflon/oxygen dielectric finished in minimum absorption techflex. 96 hrs break-in period to reach specified sonic performance. mmm I know it's not polite but seriously there are some technical reasons why you could get some (read slight) improvement by using different cable but how much is real and how much is woo ?? I mean the description above seems more sales orientated then technical  Yes I am a skeptic, I can accept that you can get some improvement over "stock" in some cases but I do seriously doubt some ok maybe most of the claims by peddlers of expensive interconnects.  |
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 29, 2009 16:05:10 GMT
If I bought updated cables for all my full size cans it would cost me more than a pair of HD800s. I know what I'd rather have...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 16:32:59 GMT
In the case of the Senn HD600 I compared over 10 aftermarket cables and my two favorites ones were: 1. Revelation Audio Cryo Silver 2. Headphile's BlackSilver At the the time I chose the Headphile BlackSilver which was about half the cost of the Revelation Audio and IMO the two were extremely hard to tell apart. The other cable were far more expensive (Silver Dragon, Zu, etc) and IMO not as good. Cheers. OMG Miguel. Did you pay for all of those cables? This is the thing, you can't easily try them. I've seen the Headphile one turn up quite a lot in peoples' mentions. Probably one of the lower costing cables? I don't know, the Stefan Audio cable put me off them what with the cost and the added weight. The other thing is the import tax gets whacked on if we buy anything other than a Stefan Audio which is the only one available in the UK. All the pothers are imports for us. My wife would think I've gone nuts (Or slightly more nuts) if I asked her to buy me a piece of wire for £200!! Ian |
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Post by Nigel on Nov 29, 2009 17:43:32 GMT
If I bought updated cables for all my full size cans it would cost me more than a pair of HD800s. I know what I'd rather have... But then you would need a new cable upgrade Toad. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 19:02:53 GMT
NO! I borrowed a bunch a cables both from vendors and from friends. I thought for a minute you were ultra-rich or something!!! The Headphile cable is at slightly more realistic prices I suppose. It's just a question of how much difference would it make? Do these companies lend them out then, or are you a special customer? Ian |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 20:24:59 GMT
Miguel
It shouldn't be necessary to go to silver coated output cables, whether with a headphone amplifier or speaker amplifier, UNLESS the rest of the system is lacking. Using Blue Jeans LC1 interconnect cables is likely to give a similar lift where this is lacking,especially with valve sources which often have a relatively high output impedance.
Actually, a 6' Blue Jeans LC1 cable was tried beteeen tthe output of my
X-DAC V3 and the input of my preamp, and made things a little TOO bright sounding.
Alex
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2009 20:37:26 GMT
I agree with Robert
There is no substance there. Far more important is the way they are constructed. Things like are they 2 twisted pairs of OFC wire in a sheath, and the method used to further reduce capacitance between both pairs, or are they 2 thin low capacitance screened cables in the sheath. (not likely, but possible.) The photo would seem to indicate 2 twisted pairs in the sheath. Much of the attention to detail would be about making the complete cable as flexible as possible, in which case the use of other methods than single solid core conductors would be an advantage, but not for technical reasons at the audio frequencies involved ?
Alex
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 30, 2009 7:37:08 GMT
I think from my point of view, unless I had the chance to do as Miguel has done and try a shedload of cables before I parted with the cash, I'd rather just stick with stock cables.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 30, 2009 11:25:49 GMT
Why don't we start a blow by blow "build your own Cardas Killer" thread? It's really NOT that difficult to make a cable you know |
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 30, 2009 12:04:47 GMT
Well I might be willing to try it on a pair of my HD681s I emphasise "might"  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2009 18:09:12 GMT
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Post by clausdk on Nov 30, 2009 23:44:48 GMT
Cables the last frontier.
I know I can tell the difference if we are talking speakerwires, but headphones ?
At a recent meet in Denmark we had 3 * 701 with new cables (ALO was one of them) and also a pair or two with stock cables and some of us could detect some miniscule differences (most liked the stock cable better).
Cables are IMO just a way to rip people of their hardearned cash, the money are much better used on updating phone, amp or source.
I also am confused about this "Jitter" is it real ? how does it sound ?
I know that jitter can be measured, but I have a hard time believing that ears can detect a "johnny comes lately electron" when my drivers get hit with 40.000+ electrons/second, but I have an open mind and would love to hear the "jitter" if only somebody could explain me how it sounds.
Oh and I like the "Snakeskinned" cable
making a "how to rewire your headphones" would be a cool thread, for us with limited experience
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