Onixpected (DeFy Touch) those are helpful, but don't necessarily form a good argument that they sound the same unless you're stating only those measurements determine sound quality. Psychoacoustics is a major issue, but we certainly don't understand Audio measurements all that well because some gear with amazing specs sounds downright awful.
This is an an older video, but as an owner of the Axios, I can say it needs about 150 hours of playing time before it calms down. Then those highs are sweet, mid range smooth, bass tightens up. Well worth the upgrade on my Sennheiser HD600. 👌🎼✨
yeah dude same. i actually find that leaving your cable in a bowl of pepsi for around 63 hours makes the bass a bit tighter and the highs are more detailed, definitely worth trying out
Hello ☺whats the difference between the nighthawk cable and nightbird cable?, isnt it like the cable that comes with the nighthawk headphones is officially called night bird cable? , also you couldnt test the nighbird cable on the same output compare to the another cables because it is singleended right?
well i have the same question too.. making the detach-able cable, when people do a mod on their cable spending a sum of money on the jack, sleeve, soldering, and cable itself.. but in the end they're using cheap female jack on the housing to connecting the "three digit" cable to the headphone. then i ask him whats the point? why connecting diamon to a mud? what u get? audiophile or audiofool? the guy i ask just sit in silence.. do u have any suggestin or reference for female jack on the housing? or just uding that bigger hi-end 1/6 jack to inter connect it on the housing? please answer.. i need a guide here..
@@arnoldgerardy5855 an interesting point, I also don't see the point in expensive cables if you're going to use cheap adapters, ultimately I don't know what if any difference it's going to make, but I've always gone for custom cables that are made to fit the kit I'm using to ensure there are high quality joints and no adapters. I do agree that cables make a significant difference in higher end kit, I can instantly hear differences between speaker cables for example, but yes it does seem counter intuitive to add cheap adapters into the path....
I am not usually a fan of overpriced cable's anywhere in my audio system but I have a set of Kimber Kable Speaker cables and it makes a difference but I got mine for free with a speaker purchase . As far as Headphone Cables go I might make a custom set myself but it is more for making them a propper length rather than hearing Sonic differences
I’ll say it like this, those who experience an audible difference is because of the impedance difference between the cables and the headphones or speakers. If the impedance is below or higher than the audio device it’s plugged into, that’s what makes it “shouty” aka silver plated cables. The headphones are typically designed to use copper plated cables as it is the mainstream among cable manufacturers. If a headphone is bright and you pair it with an incorrect pairing impedance cable then it will sound different, better? Worse? Depends on your tastes and headphones.
I'm sure there's a difference between cables, what kind of interference bad cables can get if they are cheap, and overall build quality, as well as components used in making these cables. But when your cable costs more than $100, I feel like you're just throwing money away. There are way more things you can do with the money to make your audio to sound better for that kind of money. It's excessive for the sake of being excessive at that point.
When someone says silver plated copper sounds "dryer and brittle on the high end" compared to copper only, you know he'd listen with a tinfoil hat atop his head if marketing shoved the BS far enough down their throat.
Great job on the review as usual brother. We can all agreed that the Axios is over priced and the Z1R is awesome. There are many companies out there that make the same material using in the Axios (OCC Copper or OCC Silver Litz) for half the price. Same geometry if not more for cheaper. WTF Kimber?
Kimber - expensive. DHC - mid price. Norne - low price. All these companies are very good, use the same highest grade materials currently on the market, and using correct geometry. You know which company I'm heading for an OCC Silver cable right? :) My Z1R screaming that it needs one. And also, the NEW Silver OCC shouldn't be peaky on the high as compared to the old silver. This is what I heard. I'm in the process of getting one. Have you get any expereince with the old/new silver bro?
Hi people...a question..do using balanced cables kills bass?? I purchased a fiio 2.5 balanced cable for my shure se 535 and now they have less bass than before. Connected to a fiio M11and fiio x5iii players. Is this normal? Thanks very much.
If your amp is a balanced amp, you should certainly use balanced. Unfortunately Sony does not make a 4-pin XLR balanced cable for the Z1R but you can have the Sony Kimber cable custom terminated that way.
would this yield a good result? I was looking at the cables from Norne Audio, they look great, wonder who you would recommend aside from changing the Single Ended termination.
Hi, i watched your video. is it possible to make a video about NEW 3.5 mm audio jack, male to male cables ? i want to upgrade my 3.5 mm jack audio male to make cable. Dukabel 3.5 mm jack audio male to male. Thanks ! Glenn
I get the point made in the article that double blind testing for some audio setups won't be valid. The problem pointed out is that some audio systems can't be blindly set up and operated and with any reasonable confidence that the system performed as well as it was designed to. But you're just testing wires. If you use the same headphones and amps then there really isn't any set up involved and someone could easily administer a blind test with confidence. Even the author of the article states: "But we started off saying that Double Blind Tests have little place in audio testing. But it is the gold standard isn't it? Sure. If you are trying to test things that are very, very similar." These wires ARE very, very similar so this is the perfect situation for a blind test.
phototristan I think you meant to link these adapters instead a.co/d/hU5PQNp They are 2.5mm female to 3.5mm male to use those Nighthawk cables with the Z1R. The one you linked are 3.5mm female to 2.5mm male to perhaps use your Z1R cables with the Nighthawk headphone.
side topic: my gripe with extension headphone cables is they always give up at the soldering under the jack plug, cause when you use them theere is pressure on the neck and how they sit. i've had up to 50euro ones too. P.s : man those braided cables look like shit i dunno why they push that design these days also in chi-fi even
They definitely look awesome but I've never noticed a significant difference in sound all the way up to $1200 cables for my lcd4's. The elitist attitude is what turns people away for getting into audio.
Different headphones change more with different cables. Audeze LCD headphones don't change that much (only slightly) with different cables. HD800 on the other hand, can change drastically.
@@phototristan Yeah maybe for you they do and that's awesome. I have stock cables for my HD820's but have a custom cable on order from the UK so I guess I'll find out. What I wonder though is since the cable terminates at the ports and still has to travel through more wire to reach the actual drivers, wouldn't the end signal be the same?
@@phototristan it would be awesome if they improve the sound, the 820's are mind blowing so an improvement on that would be amazing! At the least the new cables will look great and are the length I want.
SE846's cost like a $G, I've seen cables for costing more than that?? You can buy an ounce of Silver bullion for $25... and that's the best conductor you can get. My qusetion is the more money you spend on a cable the better the sound you get? Or is there a limit? I think some of the $1000+ headphone cables are a scam personally, but what's the best cable?
@@fredriksvard2603 Assuming you have 2 ears and a brain, anyone is fully capable of listening for themselves and making the determination. No need to believe some random person on the internet. Or are you actually completely brainless? Because your comment certainly is.
@@phototristan What about differences on base ? I have dilemma between this - www.moon-audio.com/black-dragon-premium-cable-sony-headphones.html and that - www.moon-audio.com/silver-dragon-premium-cable-for-sony-headphones.html I 'm happy with original SONY balanced cable,but i need 3m instead of 1,2m !!! Maybe you know where i can get quality extension for balanced cable,thanks ?
i mean i have always thought that an upgraded cable would improve quality in music for sure but i have not tried upgrading any of my headphone or iem cables but i plan on doing a mid range uograde to see if it makes a difference and to have cables that last longer.
There is a point in any audio situation where the amount of improvement in the actual sound begins to severely diminish as you go higher and higher in price. Also, there is the question as to whether your ears are able to actually discern differences in the sound as the gear gets pricier and pricier. At some point highly sophisticated equipment may be capable of producing sound that is superior to your ability to actually hear and appreciate what is being reproduced. The other thing about ultra high end (ultra high priced) gear is that there is the natural tendency to listen to your rig and all the wonderful things it is doing (or is supposed to do) and not to listen to the music anymore..One more thing. There is also a natural tendency to psychologically "hear" a better sound when you have paid a fortune for equipment as a sort of mental justification for the purchase. After all, if you DON'T hear an improvement you've just wasted a lot of money. My advice, FWIW: Mid-point gear which is mid-point priced is probably all you really need. Listen to and enjoy the music not the gear.
i heard quite a big difference from a standard usb cable from amazon to a black dragon usb cable from moon audio. Didn't believe cables would actually make a difference but they definitely do, at least with my setup. But like phototristan said you probably wont hear a difference using some beats and running off ur phone lol. But seriously you probably do need a pretty decent setup to hear a difference. Btw my setup is a HD800-Valhalla2-Modi Multibit DAC.
A 3 dollar digital cable like USB or HDMI will always be the same quality as a 4 thousand dollar variant. Digital cables do not make a difference in terms of sound or video quality. Analogue cables can make a difference depending on the insulation and shielding etc but even that difference is quite minimal
they make the highs higher and the bass more textured and also the soundstage is about 20 degrees wider. either that or they don't change anything other than your bank balance
I think it really comes down to which cable is going to give you the most "Synergy" with whatever you're going to be using the headphones with....... according to your personal preferences for how you like things to sound....& that synergy changes whenever you decide to make changes to what your using, so always hang onto your original cable. This sounds pretty obvious, but some of us get carried away with our enthusiasm & forget something as simple as this.
your reviews are always objective, analytical and thorough.... the WyWires platinum cable is absolutely spectacular. contact alex for consultation if you may. they truly are breathtaking in my experience and i own some of the premium cable on the market.
A 'difference' ? Sure, but lets put it to DBT before making any proclamations. *700USD* worth of difference ? I'll pass, regardless of how purty that cable may be.
Cables absolutely do make a difference and the change is immediately noticeable. My system is very high end and therefore is probably easier to hear changes compared to someone's $1k setup. I have Forza Audioworks cables in my system. Great custom cable manufacturer based in Poland and makes it however you request although there's long delays in email responses. The owner Matt uses cryogenically treated 7N UPOCC copper wire in his Mk2 line. I have Forza XLR Mk2 headphone cable, Forza XLR Mk2 interconnects with Furutech connections, Forza Mk2 USB and everything powered with Cardas Clear M power cables. Main system: Sony Z1R, Cavalli Liquid Gold, Schiit Gungnir Multibit. The Gungnir not quite to my liking and while very resolving, the highs are brittle, thin, and harsh. I'll probably check out the new Hugo TT 2 in September along with perhaps Chords new Hugo M Scaler which is said to be remarkable. The changes to cables increased the bass and tightness, greater warmth, things previously recessed have been brought more forward, better dynamics, minimal microphonics.
So let's see what we've learned here: The (most expensive $750) kimber axios is "a brittle cable (that actually makes things worse in the high frequencies), and it's also the worst for microphonics - but it's the Koolest looking of the bunch" ! The next most expensive (the Nordost) is also "bright and brittle, and build quality is nothing special".
Mike is proof-positive that shilling expensive gear DOES pay - I hold you to a higher standard than that, Tristan, but perhaps that says more about my naivety than anything :(
what do you recommend as a headphone extension cable, for about 30-40 bucks? size not an issue 1/4 inch plug or 3,5 i can adapt
My favorite one currently is the Grado: amzn.to/37rGHfg
I buy an upgrade cable and see a HUGE difference in my pocket ….
🤣😂
Nice one
Here are measurements of stock vs premium custom cables: www.innerfidelity.com/images/130208_Blog_HeadphoneCableMeasurements_Graphs_PDF.pdf
Onixpected (DeFy Touch) basically, within margin of error. my guess is that you cannot conclude that they are statistically different
Onixpected (DeFy Touch) those are helpful, but don't necessarily form a good argument that they sound the same unless you're stating only those measurements determine sound quality. Psychoacoustics is a major issue, but we certainly don't understand Audio measurements all that well because some gear with amazing specs sounds downright awful.
$700 Jesus, is it worth that much really? Looks cool and all but shit
It's pricey for sure.
ConRon its bs
ConRon Jesus is awesome 👊
lol that's the baseline! The silver Kimber cable is over $6000! :/
700.00 should be made out of gold I call BS on these ridiculous wire.. WIRE!
$700 cable with a $5 adapter. I don’t know man.
This is an an older video, but as an owner of the Axios, I can say it needs about 150 hours of playing time before it calms down. Then those highs are sweet, mid range smooth, bass tightens up. Well worth the upgrade on my Sennheiser HD600. 👌🎼✨
yeah dude same. i actually find that leaving your cable in a bowl of pepsi for around 63 hours makes the bass a bit tighter and the highs are more detailed, definitely worth trying out
in my opinion, those pricy cable meant snake oil :-) If want to spend extra money to improve sound quality, I rather spend on Amp/DAC
"Snake oil!" -- the calling card of the intellectually lazy.
Here's why sliver plated copper cables are not really recommended (from Ray Kimber): ua-cam.com/video/qJ-XeE-2qhI/v-deo.html&t=40m14s
the assumption that cost equals a better cable is way off point
Hello ☺whats the difference between the nighthawk cable and nightbird cable?, isnt it like the cable that comes with the nighthawk headphones is officially called night bird cable? , also you couldnt test the nighbird cable on the same output compare to the another cables because it is singleended right?
Thanks 🙏 for your videos please keep reviewing your stuffs.
Thanks
Uses $5 adapters, talks about more resolving $700 cables.
Sure man. ;)
Troll- Sorry, I couldn't find any $2,000 adapters.
well i have the same question too.. making the detach-able cable, when people do a mod on their cable spending a sum of money on the jack, sleeve, soldering, and cable itself.. but in the end they're using cheap female jack on the housing to connecting the "three digit" cable to the headphone.
then i ask him whats the point? why connecting diamon to a mud? what u get? audiophile or audiofool? the guy i ask just sit in silence..
do u have any suggestin or reference for female jack on the housing? or just uding that bigger hi-end 1/6 jack to inter connect it on the housing? please answer.. i need a guide here..
@@arnoldgerardy5855 an interesting point, I also don't see the point in expensive cables if you're going to use cheap adapters, ultimately I don't know what if any difference it's going to make, but I've always gone for custom cables that are made to fit the kit I'm using to ensure there are high quality joints and no adapters. I do agree that cables make a significant difference in higher end kit, I can instantly hear differences between speaker cables for example, but yes it does seem counter intuitive to add cheap adapters into the path....
arnold gerardy bingo, you exposed the audiophile nonsense
They are cryo treated adapters that are dipped in unicorn tears.
Thanks for the comparison man!
I am not usually a fan of overpriced cable's anywhere in my audio system but I have a set of Kimber Kable Speaker cables and it makes a difference but I got mine for free with a speaker purchase .
As far as Headphone Cables go I might make a custom set myself but it is more for making them a propper length rather than hearing Sonic differences
I’ll say it like this, those who experience an audible difference is because of the impedance difference between the cables and the headphones or speakers. If the impedance is below or higher than the audio device it’s plugged into, that’s what makes it “shouty” aka silver plated cables. The headphones are typically designed to use copper plated cables as it is the mainstream among cable manufacturers. If a headphone is bright and you pair it with an incorrect pairing impedance cable then it will sound different, better? Worse? Depends on your tastes and headphones.
My issue with a lot of these cables is the overpricing is just exorbitant for often very little quality.
I'm sure there's a difference between cables, what kind of interference bad cables can get if they are cheap, and overall build quality, as well as components used in making these cables.
But when your cable costs more than $100, I feel like you're just throwing money away. There are way more things you can do with the money to make your audio to sound better for that kind of money. It's excessive for the sake of being excessive at that point.
When someone says silver plated copper sounds "dryer and brittle on the high end" compared to copper only, you know he'd listen with a tinfoil hat atop his head if marketing shoved the BS far enough down their throat.
Brighter means elevated treble in the frequencies. Try it on a darker headphone and tell me what happens.
Great job on the review as usual brother. We can all agreed that the Axios is over priced and the Z1R is awesome. There are many companies out there that make the same material using in the Axios (OCC Copper or OCC Silver Litz) for half the price. Same geometry if not more for cheaper. WTF Kimber?
Be leary of smaller and/or unknown companies. They often use inferior wiring and don't have the engineering behind them.
Kimber - expensive. DHC - mid price. Norne - low price. All these companies are very good, use the same highest grade materials currently on the market, and using correct geometry. You know which company I'm heading for an OCC Silver cable right? :)
My Z1R screaming that it needs one. And also, the NEW Silver OCC shouldn't be peaky on the high as compared to the old silver. This is what I heard. I'm in the process of getting one. Have you get any expereince with the old/new silver bro?
Hi people...a question..do using balanced cables kills bass?? I purchased a fiio 2.5 balanced cable for my shure se 535 and now they have less bass than before. Connected to a fiio M11and fiio x5iii players. Is this normal? Thanks very much.
Yes
a convincible review. Thanks for sharing.
Have you tried plugging the Z1r's to a 4 pin XLR? I have the Fostex HP-A4BL DAC and I'll like to use XLR as opposed to 1/4". Any recommendations?
If your amp is a balanced amp, you should certainly use balanced. Unfortunately Sony does not make a 4-pin XLR balanced cable for the Z1R but you can have the Sony Kimber cable custom terminated that way.
would this yield a good result? I was looking at the cables from Norne Audio, they look great, wonder who you would recommend aside from changing the Single Ended termination.
Does the company that makes the $250 cables make cables for other brands like HiFiman?
Those are made by Sony using Kimber cable. Kimber themselves certainly mades cables for HiFiMan headphones, but they charge like $800. or something.
phototristan Ah that's a shame. Might go with Impact Audio then since their stuff is pretty cheap in comparison.
Hi, i watched your video. is it possible to make a video about NEW 3.5 mm audio jack, male to male cables ? i want to upgrade my 3.5 mm jack audio male to make cable. Dukabel 3.5 mm jack audio male to male. Thanks ! Glenn
double blind testing done?
See why those are flawed: www.audioholics.com/how-to-shop/revealing-flaws-in-the-loudspeaker-demo-double-blind-test
I get the point made in the article that double blind testing for some audio setups won't be valid. The problem pointed out is that some audio systems can't be blindly set up and operated and with any reasonable confidence that the system performed as well as it was designed to. But you're just testing wires. If you use the same headphones and amps then there really isn't any set up involved and someone could easily administer a blind test with confidence.
Even the author of the article states: "But we started off saying that Double Blind Tests have little place in audio testing. But it is the gold standard isn't it? Sure. If you are trying to test things that are very, very similar." These wires ARE very, very similar so this is the perfect situation for a blind test.
@@sswpp8908 this
phototristan I think you meant to link these adapters instead a.co/d/hU5PQNp
They are 2.5mm female to 3.5mm male to use those Nighthawk cables with the Z1R. The one you linked are 3.5mm female to 2.5mm male to perhaps use your Z1R cables with the Nighthawk headphone.
side topic: my gripe with extension headphone cables is they always give up at the soldering under the jack plug, cause when you use them theere is pressure on the neck and how they sit. i've had up to 50euro ones too. P.s : man those braided cables look like shit i dunno why they push that design these days also in chi-fi even
They definitely look awesome but I've never noticed a significant difference in sound all the way up to $1200 cables for my lcd4's. The elitist attitude is what turns people away for getting into audio.
Different headphones change more with different cables. Audeze LCD headphones don't change that much (only slightly) with different cables. HD800 on the other hand, can change drastically.
@@phototristan Yeah maybe for you they do and that's awesome. I have stock cables for my HD820's but have a custom cable on order from the UK so I guess I'll find out. What I wonder though is since the cable terminates at the ports and still has to travel through more wire to reach the actual drivers, wouldn't the end signal be the same?
@@KWW0321 Well the longer length of the headphone cable matters more in terms of affecting performance with impedance and capacitance.
@@phototristan it would be awesome if they improve the sound, the 820's are mind blowing so an improvement on that would be amazing! At the least the new cables will look great and are the length I want.
So I got the cable for my 820's, looks absolutely amazing but I cant hear a difference but worth ever penny.
SE846's cost like a $G, I've seen cables for costing more than that?? You can buy an ounce of Silver bullion for $25... and that's the best conductor you can get. My qusetion is the more money you spend on a cable the better the sound you get? Or is there a limit? I think some of the $1000+ headphone cables are a scam personally, but what's the best cable?
What artists do you listen to?
A very wide variety.
Cables make difference. I have tested it myself better cables improve the audio. And I'm doing it for cheap
I don't understand all the hate. Thank you for this great video!
SNAKE OIL
Wrong
@Aron Gatt Could you make an argument please? You sound a little dumb now.
"Snake oil!" -- the calling card of the intellectually lazy.
phototristan He’s right. Burden of proof is on the ones claiming cables matter.
@@fredriksvard2603 Assuming you have 2 ears and a brain, anyone is fully capable of listening for themselves and making the determination. No need to believe some random person on the internet. Or are you actually completely brainless? Because your comment certainly is.
What about pure silver cables?
A lot of people like them. They make everything sound too bright to me though.
@@phototristan What about differences on base ? I have dilemma between this - www.moon-audio.com/black-dragon-premium-cable-sony-headphones.html and that - www.moon-audio.com/silver-dragon-premium-cable-for-sony-headphones.html I 'm happy with original SONY balanced cable,but i need 3m instead of 1,2m !!! Maybe you know where i can get quality extension for balanced cable,thanks ?
i mean i have always thought that an upgraded cable would improve quality in music for sure but i have not tried upgrading any of my headphone or iem cables but i plan on doing a mid range uograde to see if it makes a difference and to have cables that last longer.
what about the mdr-ex1000 cablewise?
Is ak240 gold + chord Hugo1 a good setup for Z1R ?
There is a point in any audio situation where the amount of improvement in the actual sound begins to severely diminish as you go higher and higher in price. Also, there is the question as to whether your ears are able to actually discern differences in the sound as the gear gets pricier and pricier. At some point highly sophisticated equipment may be capable of producing sound that is superior to your ability to actually hear and appreciate what is being reproduced. The other thing about ultra high end (ultra high priced) gear is that there is the natural tendency to listen to your rig and all the wonderful things it is doing (or is supposed to do) and not to listen to the music anymore..One more thing. There is also a natural tendency to psychologically "hear" a better sound when you have paid a fortune for equipment as a sort of mental justification for the purchase. After all, if you DON'T hear an improvement you've just wasted a lot of money.
My advice, FWIW: Mid-point gear which is mid-point priced is probably all you really need.
Listen to and enjoy the music not the gear.
😂 speak for yourself
hey i bought the kimber cable 4.4mm and can i use an adapter from 4.4mm to 3.5mm for my mp3?
Yes, you can use an adapter like this for that: amzn.to/2L4pTfl
Hi man, so I am trying the Denon d7200 headphones cables, pure copper 7N on my Z1R, but it's too early to say if I notice the difference. Thx.
+Jay Bizz FWIW I definitely prefer pure copper cables vs silver or silver- plated copper.
Any chance you can do a comparison between the this original Audioquest cable vs the new shorter version?
Soundizer If I ever obtain that one I certainly will.
Could you by chance do a review of the t5p gen2 or could I have your opinion on it if you have listened to it?
I've not heard that one, sorry.
Who made that braided cable?
thanks bro!!
i heard quite a big difference from a standard usb cable from amazon to a black dragon usb cable from moon audio. Didn't believe cables would actually make a difference but they definitely do, at least with my setup. But like phototristan said you probably wont hear a difference using some beats and running off ur phone lol. But seriously you probably do need a pretty decent setup to hear a difference. Btw my setup is a HD800-Valhalla2-Modi Multibit DAC.
Sorry got my sentences mixed up Tristan didnt say that about the beats but about needing a good setup.
Usb is digital. There is no benefit in buying expensive usb cables, you just got scammed.
A 3 dollar digital cable like USB or HDMI will always be the same quality as a 4 thousand dollar variant. Digital cables do not make a difference in terms of sound or video quality. Analogue cables can make a difference depending on the insulation and shielding etc but even that difference is quite minimal
What about $20 chi-fi cables?!
Most will not likely be any better than the cables that come with the headphones but there may be some gems out there.
the best cables are analysis plus
Whats the diference of 4 core cable? Thanx for the answer
they make the highs higher and the bass more textured and also the soundstage is about 20 degrees wider. either that or they don't change anything other than your bank balance
I think it really comes down to which cable is going to give you the most "Synergy" with whatever you're going to be using the headphones with....... according to your personal preferences for how you like things to sound....& that synergy changes whenever you decide to make changes to what your using, so always hang onto your original cable.
This sounds pretty obvious, but some of us get carried away with our enthusiasm & forget something as simple as this.
Steve Assante I agree
Nah, it comes down to how special the product makes you feel. Sonically it doesnt matter. Copper giving a smoother sound signature, lol.
Lol, Kimber has to be one of the worst snake oil brands out there. And ”tube-like sound”...
"Snake oil!" -- the calling card of the intellectually lazy.
your reviews are always objective, analytical and thorough....
the WyWires platinum cable is absolutely spectacular.
contact alex for consultation if you may.
they truly are breathtaking in my experience and i own some of the premium cable on the market.
I've heard them once although not extensively, and think they're okay.
+phototristan okay compared to what exactly sir
Sweet video Tristan, thanks for the comparison!
A 'difference' ? Sure, but lets put it to DBT before making any proclamations.
*700USD* worth of difference ? I'll pass, regardless of how purty that cable may be.
Cables absolutely do make a difference and the change is immediately noticeable. My system is very high end and therefore is probably easier to hear changes compared to someone's $1k setup. I have Forza Audioworks cables in my system. Great custom cable manufacturer based in Poland and makes it however you request although there's long delays in email responses. The owner Matt uses cryogenically treated 7N UPOCC copper wire in his Mk2 line. I have Forza XLR Mk2 headphone cable, Forza XLR Mk2 interconnects with Furutech connections, Forza Mk2 USB and everything powered with Cardas Clear M power cables. Main system: Sony Z1R, Cavalli Liquid Gold, Schiit Gungnir Multibit. The Gungnir not quite to my liking and while very resolving, the highs are brittle, thin, and harsh. I'll probably check out the new Hugo TT 2 in September along with perhaps Chords new Hugo M Scaler which is said to be remarkable. The changes to cables increased the bass and tightness, greater warmth, things previously recessed have been brought more forward, better dynamics, minimal microphonics.
Apex Predator No. Perception bias.
So let's see what we've learned here: The (most expensive $750) kimber axios is "a brittle cable (that actually makes things worse in the high frequencies), and it's also the worst for microphonics - but it's the Koolest looking of the bunch" ! The next most expensive (the Nordost) is also "bright and brittle, and build quality is nothing special".
the AQ cable with HD700 is a nice pairing.
shilly mcshillyson
Cool. Those use 2.5mm on the earcups too so no adapter required.
Nothing with a HD700 is a nice pairing and AudioQuest is shit.
I use Adamantium cables and are the best , Marvel approves .
Mike is proof-positive that shilling expensive gear DOES pay - I hold you to a higher standard than that, Tristan, but perhaps that says more about my naivety than anything :(
I don't know what you are talking... The Sony Z1R stock cable is identical to the Z7 just with different connectors (black and a bit different looks)