Expensive Headphone Cables - A personal investigation

Discussion in 'Modifications and Tweaks' started by Rthomas, Feb 13, 2017.

  1. Tyll Hertsens

    Tyll Hertsens Grandpappy of the hobby - Special Friend

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    In my experience, getting the treble "righter" causes it to sound smoother, not brighter or more (obviously) detailed.
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2017
  2. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    15 years ago i was fooled into believing cables matter, so i bought a Cardas cable for my HD600 and well it did sound a bit smoother. But not really worth the money imo. However it has seen alot of use and still works today.
    So from a durability/ergonomics pov it might be worth it but trying to eq your system with a cable when there are easier and more effective options out there ... well not a good idea imo.
     
  3. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    I've been deep down the cable road and I just wanted to share a bit of perspective. Take it for what it is, hell mock me if you want to, I've got thick skin.
    I bought a whole lot of different expensive cables for my HD800 and the one I found to be the best was the Nordost Heimdall 2. Not because it sounded better as I was trying to convince myself and the world of (yes yes yes, reviews, posts, blogs, posts and so on), no it was best because of it's construction. Very light weight and easy to manage around my office desk. It just felt like it disappeared, and I felt like the sultan of cables with that red cable yumyum.

    But who the hell pays $6-700 for a headphone cable just because it's nice?! I did. Not on that one but in total for a whole lot of different cables and probably more. I borrowed the Heimdall2 wanting to try it before purchase and shortly after I just gave up. I was facing to chose from getting some really rare jazz CD's that I had been looking for a long time, or that "nice" headphone cable. That's when I realized that holy hell, this is madness - I'm an addict. :(
    I couldn't hear much difference, and if I could I wouldn't be sure if it was difference or improvement.

    So I've sold off all my cables step by step over the last 8-10 months, bought a lot of jazz and have been happy with the stock HD800 balanced cable along the way. The only thing I HATE about it is that it seems to twist, turl and get stuck everywhere. It drives me absolutely bananas!
    So I was happy to find Impact Audio Cables via @DigMe . Relatively cheap (About $150 including shipping to Sweden) 8ft balanced cable which includes customization in terms of plugs and colors. Very cool. I'm quite convinced that I will not hear any improvement or much difference, but it's frickin' nice looking with Imperial Red cable going into the right channel and a black one going to the left and finally a hot Eidolic XLR plug in the source end. It's pushing the envelope in terms of price, but I've read that it's lightweight and easy to manage, so I'm hoping for the best.

    Here's the kicker:
    Do I believe in buying expensive headphone cables before getting the Source-DAC+Amp+Headphone synergy right? Absolutely not. What about after getting system synergy right? To pimp your setup yes, to gain in sound quality - I haven't been convinced so far...
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2017
  4. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    @Changeling - you might also enjoy Forza Audioworks. They are in Poland, so ship pretty fast to Europe, and make some really nice pliable, comfy cables to your exact spec. They also look pretty damn cool, and their prices are reasonable. Generally, they can make up almost anything, even if it's not listed on their site.

    I discovered them due to horrible stiff HifiMan stock cables, which are so hard to handle that they drove me nuts.

    Here's a really old picture of some HE-400i with their "Claire HPC Mk2" - good honest copper cable:

    [​IMG]

    No muss, no fuss. The cable outlasted the headphones, which were sold some time ago.

    They're my goto guys any time that I want a more comfy luxury cable to use... :)
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2017
  5. sacredgates

    sacredgates Audio-Technica's high priest

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    Another vote for Forza Audioworks when you are in Europe! I have two balanced cables from Matthew. Good workmanship and reasonable prices (compared to others).
     
  6. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    Looks like you don't get to choose your own custom sleeve colors though. |\/|
     
  7. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Nope, I don't think so, it's mostly translucent, translucent black or black sleeving, which is fine with me :)
     
  8. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    cosy, comfortable cables.

    Now people are talking! Sounds moist to me. But still... $150.... o_O
     
  9. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    And we all know that matters most :p
     
  10. Changeling

    Changeling Tube Slut

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    Cheaper than a new stock cable. For HD800 going from single ended to balanced I'd say it's a good deal. For someone already having the balanced cable with a history of cable nervosa buying another cable because it seems cosy, cool and comfortable.......HEY, I see what you did there ;)
     
  11. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Sadly, cheap HD800 cables aren't a thing- even just buying the bare connectors on their own to build one is a non-trivial amount of money. Apparently, they're also a bitch to work with (according to my lab tech, who winced visibly when we talked about them).
     
  12. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    Your lab tech's not wrong. Those connectors are a bitch and a half. Also, the new cables is ~195 usd from Sennheiser for a SE termination and 380 for a 4 pin XLR.
     
  13. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Given that he hand-solders tiny surface mount parts by hand for fun, I was a little taken aback by that one... I'm actually quite glad that I am content with the stock cable for now!
     
  14. Riotvan

    Riotvan Snoofer in the Woofer

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    Yeah those connectors are a bitch, i made a cable a couple of years ago. Using the Furutech ones was even more of a bitch since to actually make them fit i had to drill out the metal casing of the connector. And then the strain relief in those connectors is just stupid, it's just a simple screw that easily digs into the cable mantle which is just asking for trouble. I fixed that by making a small metal plate to spread the pressure of the screw on the wires. And then lots of glue for reinforcement, cable was tough in the end though, lasted at least a year before i sold it.
     
  15. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    ok, ok... so I've been doing a mental percentage based on something more like an HD600. I'm just not in the big leagues!

    I doubt if I'd "upgrade" a cable, but if I ever did have an HD800(S) then it is good to know what my options would be if the dog-in-law (who has been known to destroy earphones) ate the cable.

    And cosy and comfortable, not to mention affordable, would be good :)
     
  16. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    You probably would if you'd ever accidentally bought any of Dr. Da Bian's moist headphones; the stock cables are gruesome.
     
  17. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    Good honest write up.

    What seems crazy to me is that before the signal even touches the headphone cable it has to go through the internal wiring and/or copper in the circuit board from the internal amplifier to the headphone socket. Which will be of minimal thickness and not exotic in any way, so how could there possibly be any improvement. It's like sticking a fat pipe to the end of a water hose and insisting that it "makes-it-go-better".

    I'd be interested to see someone solder their exotic cables directly to the internal amplifier output stage, though I still would not expect any revelations.
     
  18. Torq

    Torq MOT: Headphone.com

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    If we assume, for a moment, that a headphone cable can have an affect on sound then "improvement" could simply be a change that is towards the listener's preference. That does not necessarily mean there is any objective improvement ... everything could measure worse, for example, but the person listening might still like the result better and, as a result, will describe it as an improvement.

    This is not to say that cables do, or do not, make a useful difference ... just that the definition of "improvement", as generally described by audio-types, is not, itself, always (or perhaps ever) an objective thing in the first place.

    If you come at it from an engineering perspective, things are entirely different of course. Though as an engineer, it's no particular feat to build a cable that will result in significant and entirely measurable changes in a headphone or IEM's performance. It just takes more than fancy connectors and expensive wire to do so.
     
  19. auri

    auri Facebook Friend

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    Have you ever talked to one of these people (true believers of high end cables/other snake oil product)?

    Did you know that a placebo can work even if you KNOW it's a placebo?

    You could produce an entire textbook of published, peer reviewed scientific articles specifically debunking improvements in audio quality with better quality cables or whatever else, and these people would just stare at you blankly and buy the thing anyway.

    This isn't so bad. Really. We're all playing the same game - trying to maximize the enjoyment listening to our music gives us. Can you just buy one thing and be guaranteed to have better sound immediately come out of your stereo? No? Me neither. I have to agonize for weeks over the exact volume and dimensions of the goddamn cabinets I'm building, then bust out my measurement setup and agonize over crossover points and EQ and and and... That kind of sucks. I would love to be able to do one simple thing and believe it made a huge difference, even if it cost money.

    It's all about that feeling of having nice things. Am I an idiot for carrying around a $250 Hinderer-designed Zero Tolerance pocket knife with a titanium handle, when I could carry around a $60 Spyderco or $20 Kershaw? Absolutely! But I love it every time I use it. How do you put a price tag on that?

    I would hope those with limited funds wouldn't be searching for "best HD650 replacement cable" and instead be searching for "do headphone replacement cables make a difference?", to find that at best, maybe they do, and you should definitely spend your money on an amp or DAC instead. But what can you do?

    Now on the other hand, if I was the CEO of HeadRoom I would sell the shit out of some replacement cables. That's free money, which in a niche market is usually unheard of. Want a great replacement cable? Well, the ArgaBlargh SuperX 9000 is our highest rated product! Because the people who do buy them usually do love them. It can't be denied that they usually look and feel amazing, and maybe it makes them feel a little better that their system is as good as it possibly can be.
     
  20. LauSing2

    LauSing2 Facebook Friend

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    @auri very well said. Sometimes, when people have the money to easily afford all these kind of things, it's so tempting for them to just purchase it since a $2000 cable to someone wealthy enough is not that big of a decision. He may feel more inclined to just try it, anyway, worst comes to worst, he would only be losing a small amount of money, based on his personal valuation. And, if he does end up perceiving a difference then well and good, money well spent for him. I mean, people buy overpriced stainless steel watches from name brands that's no more accurate in telling the time than any other stainless steel watch from another brand, right?
     

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