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mcknig.k
83
Feb 27, 2018
Anyone considering this purchase: take the $530, buy a soldering station, roll of Cardas solder, any better quality connectors you would like (the Neutrik connector on this is less than $15, seriously?), a set of heat shrink and a heat gun. The only thing you should spend any significant amount of money on for good cables is the cable itself; the quality of the conductor does have an effect on the sound, in my experience. I have used Moon Audio Black Dragon cable in the past and noticed a significant improvement in sound quality compared to the much cheaper OCC wire I had been using. Goes for $14 per foot. If you want something more premium than that, you can go for Cardas headphone cable at $20 per foot, but I have not used it myself. Also, shoot for at least 26 AWG wire, impedance of the wire becomes negligible at this gauge (from my reading), I have rarely seen anyone use 32-34 AWG wire for full-sized headphones. If anyone knows differently, feel free to correct me.
Headphone cable makers are the biggest scam artists in the industry. Making your own cables is very simple to learn and do. The first couple will make you frustrated, but like anything, it is an investment and your efficiency will improve with time.
Here is a 6 ft Sennheiser HD6XX series cable I made, Moon Audio Black Dragon cable, Furutech connectors, Eidolic rhodium-plated 6.3mm plug. Cost for the materials was $130. Station, solder, heat shrink, and heat gun will run you around $100 total.
Best sites for parts: https://www.moon-audio.com/ http://www.norneaudio.com/litzheim/ http://www.partsconnexion.com/
I am a fan of both Eidolic and Oyaide for plugs. Furutech currently makes the most "premium" HD6XX series connectors available. DO NOT buy the Cardas HD6XX connectors; they are dirt cheap parts from China that melt into a goopy mess when you get a soldering iron anywhere near them.
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Also, for those that think cables make no difference in sound quality, I originally was of the same mindset. Until...I bought the HD660S right when it came out. I was at first using them with a custom cable I made, cheap parts. For some reason (I don't recall why) I had to temporarily use the stock cable that came with the headphones. I IMMEDIATELY noticed that the sound had changed. Listening to them side-by-side, I came to the conclusion that the stock cable sounded better than my custom-made cable, which was altogether a pretty annoying realization. That's when I decided to up my cable materials game and I made the cable above. Sure enough, compared again to the stock cable, this was an overall improvement, and I became a believer. Changes in sound-stage and airiness being the most noticeable from cable-to-cable.
cpl1
245
Feb 27, 2018
mcknig.kYou should go into business selling $500 cables :)
mcknig.k
83
Feb 27, 2018
cpl1Nah then I would be no better than "them". Just trying to help out my other headphone-obsessed homies :) honestly though, if you expect to be into this hobby for the long haul, learning to make your own cables is well worth it.
Curieux88
66
Feb 27, 2018
mcknig.kbut cables cant make sound any different. why even bother? people here argue that this drop is insane (or the entire audio cable bs) bc cables cannot make any difference. why do you even bother to make it unless its for the cosmetic improvement? most decent headphones come with decent cables already
mcknig.k
83
Feb 27, 2018
Curieux88In my experience, they can. I'm assuming you did not read the final paragraph.
Curieux88
66
Feb 27, 2018
mcknig.kOh I did. Im just getting mixed thoughts on the effect of cable in audio. Some say its just impossible. Some, like yourself, argue it does have some effect. I just wanted to be sure.
so can I interpret your statement as this drop might be worth the investment?
Zombie_X
83
Feb 27, 2018
mcknig.kI've found some headphones just have incredibly cheap wiring and it can degrade sound quality, but in most cases the cable does nothing.
mcknig.k
83
Feb 27, 2018
Curieux88No. My point was that cables, in my personal opinion and experience, do have some effect on the audio chain. Certainly not as significant as a DAC/amp/transducer, but a noticeable effect. However, charging $530 for a cable with 32 AWG conductors and dirt cheap connectors is criminal. AKA, this cable is a ripoff. As stated above, the Neutrik plug included on this cable costs $4 (link below as proof). Anyone who is looking to buy this cable would be better served using the money toward better materials and learning to build cables on their own. A better quality cable could be had for a fraction of this asking price.
Here is the 4-pin XLR Neutrik plug they are using, $4.24 on Full Compass: http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/216333-Neutrik-NC4MXX-B?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleps&gclid=CjwKCAiAoNTUBRBUEiwAWje2lvH9a_Ny1NgnZbrqS6luV_v8zN4K775Yz3UDhPJtu3MaajhEAQzXiBoC7r0QAvD_BwE
sadiq
253
Feb 27, 2018
mcknig.kDamn dude, I just bookmarked your comment lol.
mcknig.k
83
Feb 28, 2018
sadiqI'll take it as a compliment! I spent a lot of time a couple years ago modding various vintage Grados, making DIY headphones, and building cables. I ended up selling my collection along with some custom cables on Ebay/Head-Fi, at reasonable prices and with complete transparency about how much I spent on parts ;) I think it is a fun thing to learn and rewarding. I get frustrated when I see these types of cables being sold at outrageous prices with snake oil marketing schemes.
DasKey
26
Feb 28, 2018
mcknig.kCan anyone link me the sennheiser connector part? What is it call?
kwantenmechaniker
2
Feb 28, 2018
mcknig.kThanks for the tip about the Cardas connectors, that's worth more than this whole drop! And I want to add a bit of advice myself...
In my experience, there are two things that can affect signal quality towards the negative: the soldering points and the mechanical properties of the connectors.
For the latter, be sure male and female connectors fit firmly into eachother and are not loose in any way.
To ensure the former, a bit of sanding on the cable ends and a bit of flux agent can work wonders!
In any case, your money will be better spent on a decent soldering station and good quality materials. For the change you can still afford a lot of beer to wash away some frustrating moments that come with gaining experience ;-)
Uzuzu
1431
Feb 28, 2018
mcknig.k
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Dreams-Visions
50
Feb 28, 2018
mcknig.kReally cool insights. I might give this a try as I have several pairs of headphones and this sounds like a fun way to add a bit more ownership to the experience.
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