# What Cables for Audeze LCD-2?



## Frihed89

I know about ALO, Whiplash and Moon.  Are there other cables?
  
 The ALO cables are being well-covered on another thread.
  
 Has anyone tried and have any comments on other cables for these headphones?


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## thread

I don't know of any other offerings, but I might have to give a Whiplash cable a go with my forthcoming LCD-2's.


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## santacore

I bought one (Zeus) from Robert at Aphrodite Cu29 that I'm pleased with. It's a balanced shotgun configuration that uses Wireworlds DNA Helix cable. It's very light, comfortable to wear, and the construction quality is excellent. The sonics are far better then the stock cable, and at a great price to boot. 
   
  I haven't heard the ALO cable, one day I hope to compare them.


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## gknix

would love to know more about other cables than the ALo ones!


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## Frihed89

Quote: 





santacore said:


> I bought one (Zeus) from Robert at Aphrodite Cu29 that I'm pleased with. It's a balanced shotgun configuration that uses Wireworlds DNA Helix cable. It's very light, comfortable to wear, and the construction quality is excellent. The sonics are far better then the stock cable, and at a great price to boot.
> 
> I haven't heard the ALO cable, one day I hope to compare them.


 
   Thanks Santacore.  What is the wire material in yours?  I was hit with information overload an their web-site?
   
  How is the sound quality different from the stock cable?


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## santacore

My cable is made of Ohno Continuous Cast Copper. I agree his website is confusing, here is a direct link: http://aphroditecu29.com/Zeus/OCC_Copper_Headphone_Cable.aspx
   
  There is a noticeable difference between the stock cable. The new cable is smoother, more open, and has better bass. Basically a top to bottom improvement. Overall I find these headphones to be very revealing of any cable/equipment changes in a system.


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## Frihed89

Thanks.  It looks like it would be in the price range of the ALO cables.  I'll contact Robert.


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## Frihed89

My alternative is to use an 11' length of Audio Note (UK) AN-Vx IC cable.  Audio Note says this will work.  But that was pretty expensive cable, even used.


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## santacore

Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> Thanks.  It looks like it would be in the price range of the ALO cables.  I'll contact Robert.


 

 Mine was a less then the ALO cable. Give Robert a shout, he's usually quick to respond.
   
  Another option would be to build your own. I know at least one other Head-Fi'er built one out of pre-braided solid silver cable from Home Grown Audio. That would probably be a great option, as good quality solid silver would probably sound nice with these phones.


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## wower

My perference would be moon-audio's or a pure sound's cable. I want a bit of silver in it because I listen to a lot of classical music and am not searching to warm it up with copper at all. ALO's gets good reviews but I'm not sure the value is there IMO. (But considering custom 3rd party cables for headphones is already an insane topic for those outside the hobby to each his own!)


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## Frihed89

Since I already have 11' of Audio note Vx silver litz cable that is what I am going to try first.  Ill simply re-terminate it with 2 Mini XLR plugs at one end and a 1/4" headphone plug at the other.  This is an outstanding IC cable; so is the AN-Lexus cable which is copper litz and costs about 1/2 of the Vx, although neither is cheap. I have both, but they are not used with headphones.


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## santacore

Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> Since I already have 11' of Audio note Vx silver litz cable that is what I am going to try first.  Ill simply re-terminate it with 2 Mini XLR plugs at one end and a 1/4" headphone plug at the other.  This is an outstanding IC cable; so is the AN-Lexus cable which is copper litz and costs about 1/2 of the Vx, although neither is cheap. I have both, but they are not used with headphones.


 

 If the cable is not too heavy or thick it should work well. Just be aware that the mini xlr's are very small and difficult to wire. I re-terminated an old Moon Audio Silver Dragon a few weeks ago, and the mini xlr portion was a bit tricky. That said, if you're able to manage it, I'm sure it will sound good. You'll enjoy a nice step up from the stock cable for little money. Let us know how it turns out.


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## wower

@santacore So you're going with silver ICs with the LCD2? I'm leaning that way. APS' hybrid might hit the sweet spot price wise tho.


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## santacore

Quote: 





wower said:


> @santacore So you're going with silver ICs with the LCD2? I'm leaning that way. APS' hybrid might hit the sweet spot price wise tho.


 

 No. I re-terminated and tried the Moon Audio Silver Dragon while waiting for my Wireworld cable. The Moon cable was a step up, but the WW was much better. 
   
  My point was that judging by the Moons performance, quality silver could be a good option.


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## wower

WW is an all silver line IIRC? But I don't know how to reterminate these things myself (and learning to DIY is behind a long list of other things I'd like to take time to learn). I'll keep WW in mind tho since classical performance is a high priority for my rig.


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## santacore

Quote: 





wower said:


> WW is an all silver line IIRC? But I don't know how to reterminate these things myself (and learning to DIY is behind a long list of other things I'd like to take time to learn). I'll keep WW in mind tho since classical performance is a high priority for my rig.


 

 I got a custom cable made by Robert at Aphrodite Cu29. Here is the link:http://aphroditecu29.com/Zeus/OCC_Copper_Headphone_Cable.aspx
   
  The cable he used is the Wireworld Ohno Continuous Cast Copper. I don't know if WW makes a solid silver version of this cable. If they do, that could be interesting.


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## Frihed89

Thanks for the heads up about the mini-XLR.  I don't believe Drew has ever messed with an AN-Vx IC cable.  I think your're right about it being hard to terminate because of the litz construction (many woven strands).  I'll have to write AN(UK) and see if they have heard of anyone making that connection.  The cables are in the US, now, and it could be done there or here.
   
  Yes, it's quite light.  I think you can see it on http://www.audionote.co.uk if you look on products and then cables.


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## Cya|\|

Any cheap silver plated cable for the lcd 2? 125$ is the minumum i found, and it's way too much for me. I don't know why they don't offer silver plated cables for 25$ like hifiman 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





.
  Personally, i prefer a little bright sound, and it would be nice if they'd give choice between very neutral and a little more bright.


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## stang

Well the stock cable will most likely be enough unless you are wanting to spend at least $125 for a DIY cable. $125 is cheap for a custom cable anyway. You are usually looking at $250-$300 for a quality recable from a professional.


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## Frihed89

Quote: 





cya|\| said:


> Any cheap silver plated cable for the lcd 2? 125$ is the minumum i found, and it's way too much for me. I don't know why they don't offer silver plated cables for 25$ like hifiman
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 My own personal preference would be to get a good copper cable in preference to silver coated.  Save up.  I use Moon's Black Dragon cable on my K-701s. I am quite pleased.  They cost about twice what you have.


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## wower

Yeah $300 is more reasonable from a reputable manufacture like moon audio or APS.


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## Frihed89

I wanted to add about "bright".  Copper cables can be warmer than silver cables, but they are not usually bright.  With silver, I think one takes more of a gamble, because a) they can be more revealing and magnify the best and worst aspects of your source and b) they can range from very bright to neutral; in other words, there is more variability in their balance.


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## SP Wild

Quote: 





santacore said:


> Mine was a less then the ALO cable. Give Robert a shout, he's usually quick to respond.
> 
> Another option would be to build your own. I know at least one other Head-Fi'er built one out of pre-braided solid silver cable from Home Grown Audio. That would probably be a great option, as good quality solid silver would probably sound nice with these phones.


 

 Any more details, perhaps a link with the solid core silver cables - how they were constructed, etc?

  
  Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> I wanted to add about "bright".  Copper cables can be warmer than silver cables, but they are not usually bright.  With silver, I think one takes more of a gamble, because a) they can be more revealing and magnify the best and worst aspects of your source and b) they can range from very bright to neutral; in other words, there is more variability in their balance.


 

 The only experience I have is solid silver interconnects - I do not find them bright - they open up the treble, mid and bass, very neutral - very quick.  Perhaps strand silver is defferent.  Perhaps the reputation of silver has been tarnished by the numerous cheap silver plated copper cables - which I have never heard any that did not suckout and the midrange soundstage and slow sown the midrange transient as well - giving an illusion of boosted highs.  Better of with straight copper than silver plating I reckon.


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## wower

Actually I plan to by a silver hybrid from APS without worry. This is because the electrical charge travels along the outer edge of the cable (not it's core). So one can save a bit of money. I've heard of other high-end cable manufactures carefully polish the outside of their cables. This is a process borrowed from military-grade electronics (so even the military thinks cables make a difference).
   
  Multistrand versus solid core is the interesting debate. Multistrand is cheaper and has better geometry (more flexible etc.)-- I'm using a multistrand furutech now--but solid core only has one edge so gives slightly better quality (less interference), but it's more expensive to manufacture a high-grade pure core. Because headphone cables need to be more flexible than cables snuck behind a cabinet, they are almost universally multistrand designs.


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## hotubei

If making DIY, where to get and which particular connectors would you recommend? Mini-xlr to the cans (right?), 4pin XLR to my amp.


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## sokolov91

You should all try audiophile air as an upgrade for the LCD-2, instead of lesser upgrades such as cables.
  There is a great company, called Ripoffo Enterprises that provides this service.
   
  You need to supply your own compressed air tank, but they will come, with a truck, and deliver air that was harvested for the top of any mountain of your choosing, Everest, Kilamanjaro, Himalayas etc. (so you know it is pure). Then what you do is you release some of it into each cup of the LCD-2 before each listening session.
  Now, since this air is so much purer than the regular air found in your home, you will notice transient response like no other, as well as a very open and neutral sound. Because air is see-through, it is also very transparent, making it great for audio usage.
   
  They charge about 100$ a cubic inch, and you have to fill up a minimum of 1000 square inches at a time.
  I am sure you will all agree it is a great deal.
   
  Other than that, throwing 20$ at homeless people is a great way to use your money. It allows you to feel benevolent, which is a state that is very conducive to great listening sessions.


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## Gradofan2

Yeah... the stuff's great!  Incredible clarity and transparency!  And... bass you won't believe!
   
  I just got a 1000 cubic inches last week, and have plenty left to share with anyone that want's some for half that price. 
   
  Just let me know, and I'll ship a box full right out to you!


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## TigzStudio

Hey man looks like you believe in cables too however?
   
   
"I really like these cables, they are very well built and have a nice black background. The online review are very good."
   
  quote from here:
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/486009/fs-black-sand-z1-violet-and-mkv-silver-reference
   
   
  Quote: 





sokolov91 said:


> You should all try audiophile air as an upgrade for the LCD-2, instead of lesser upgrades such as cables.
> There is a great company, called Ripoffo Enterprises that provides this service.
> 
> You need to supply your own compressed air tank, but they will come, with a truck, and deliver air that was harvested for the top of any mountain of your choosing, Everest, Kilamanjaro, Himalayas etc. (so you know it is pure). Then what you do is you release some of it into each cup of the LCD-2 before each listening session.
> ...


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## sokolov91

>


 
  Quote: 





tigzstudio said:


> Hey man looks like you believe in cables too however?
> Â
> Â


 


> "I really like these cables, they are very well built and have a nice black background. The online review are very good."
> Â
> quote from here:
> Â
> ...


 


 Yeah I have openly stated I used to be in cables serveral times around these forums. Earlier today too, if you must know...
   
  I am also trying to SELL these cables if you haven't noticed... Just repeating the same words that people use to describe them.
   
  and FWIW I do feel a little guilty selling them when I no longer believe in cables, but I need to free up funds for a new source.


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## TigzStudio

ahh, so do they have a "nice black background"?    just messin with you, its all good.


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## sokolov91

Quote: 





tigzstudio said:


> ahh, so do they have a "nice black background"?    just messin with you, its all good.


 


 Heh no it was a good point, and it did sting a little, but I have righted my past wrongs and I am hopeing someone will want to buy them eventually. Plus, if the cables make you believe your system is better than it was, then they have done their trick, so it is not a total waste of money .


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## Frihed89

Well, I got the Audio Note AN-Vx 20 strand silver litz cable terminated for the LCD-2s, without any problems.  I've been listening for extended periods of time to both cables.  There's no doubt in my mind that the AN cable is "better" in every respect than the stock cable.  It clearly adds more detail and tightness to the bass and opens up the treble.  The mid-range is smoother, but more detailed.  All in all, these cables are more relaxing to listen to than the stock cables and yet at the same time can really wrap their hands around the music.  These cables are just more enjoyable and more like music.
   
  That said, they would be terribly expensive these days.  I haven't the latest price sheets in the US, but i think a 3 meter piece of this cable would cost over $3000, probably not worth it, or within the reach of most of us.  I was fortunate enough to get a used pair for a very reasonable price.
   
  Off-subject: The only criticism I have about these headphones is that a) they are head crushers, and b) they do not give the same amount of spatial separation as some much lower-priced headphones.  I have never heard the HD-800s, which have been consistently rated as the cat's meow to end all meows.
   
  But I am happy with what i have.


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## DannyBuoy

I am on waiting list for LCD2 and thought I would look at cabling options. Saw the Zeus OCC cables mentioned in this post for under $400 which look good but as looking over site, noticed they had an OCC Silver version of the same cable: http://aphroditecu29.com/Zeus/OCC_Silver_Headphone_Cable.aspx
  For those not interested in clicking link, I just wanted to point out $1,299 for the silver version. Now this reminds me of a Steve Martin Short story about shoes that in this case will translate to, look honey I bought LCD2, and the reply, I had to sell the LCD2 to buy you these cables you wanted. Short version, price on cables is a little more than price of headphones, ouch! That hurts, but secretly I wish I could buy them...I will probably order the sub-$400 set though...


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## sperandeo

I would really love to truly try a A/B test with some of these cables. I just can't justify $300-$600 for wire.


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## grokit

Double Helix Molecule OCC custom Headphone cables starting at $210 for the LCD-2; I've had good luck with these.
   
  They are lightweight, of great quality, and sound very nice.
   
  I have three of them


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## SebastianL

Anybody tried this new cable from Audez'e ADZ-5?
  How is it compaired to the original stock cable especially soundwise?


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## HeadphoneAddict

Quote: 





sebastianl said:


> Anybody tried this new cable from Audez'e ADZ-5?
> How is it compaired to the original stock cable especially soundwise?


 

 I don't even know if those are shipping yet.


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## SebastianL

Quote: 





headphoneaddict said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 In an email Sankar of Audez'e promised to send me one once the're ready. Maybe I will be one of the first customers to try it out?
  To quote Sankar "The new cables are completely different." It will be interesting though I for one wasn't at all unsatisfied with the SQ of the original stock cable. In fact I preferred it by a slight margin to a high priced all silver cable from Artisan Silver Cables with my Little Dot tube amp. The stock cable brought out a fuller and more meaty yet still transparent sound.
  The upper nylon outer sleeve and the overall comfort bugged me though.


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## SebastianL

Quote: 





headphoneaddict said:


> I don't even know if those are shipping yet.


 


  According to this Audez'e website they have been shipping since the first week of February. Selling price for customers who bought the LCD-2 in 2010 is $40+ shipping but only till the end of february. That's a very fair deal so hurry up!
   
_"For customers who bought the LCD-2 in January from us and want to get the new cables, we will send the new ones, if you cover the shipping charges. You do not have to return the old cables."_
   
   
  Specifications:
   
  Cable:
 Overall Length – 2.5 meters or 8.2' with 8" split
 Weight: 119 grams
 Wire Construction
 140 strands of high purity audio grade copper
 20AWG for very low impedance, high current capacity with extended high frequency range
 Low inductance and Capacitance
 Maximum operating voltage 500V AC or DC
 Very flexible, tangle free cable
 Non-Microphonic
 Connectors:
 Professional ¼" gold plated stereo plug for input signal
 Professional gold plated latching 4 pin mini XLR connectors
  Electrical Specifications
 Dielectric strength:  500V AC
 Resistance: 170 milliohms for returned path of 2.5m long cable; this includes the contact resistance of our mini XLR connector on LCD-2 housing
 Capacitance: 250 pF, including mini XLR connector on LCD-2 housing
 Response: -3dB @ 12.7 MHz
 Inductance: 1.8 microH


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## pcf

I ordered mine in Dec 2010 and they were shipped in the beginning of Feb 2011 with the old cable.


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## budx3385

Mine arrived on Feb 9, five days ago -- pre-order was placed on Dec 6.  The cable is an 8 ft Canare Starquad 4S6 4-lead speaker cable, terminated with a 1/4" phono plug, even though I had asked for balanced 3-pin XLRs.  I can't tell from this thread whether that is old or new.
   
  I have had no reply from Alexander or Sankar to follow-up emails.  I guess I just don't have the clout you ppl do.
   
  IMHO, it certainly deserves a better cable.  I ordered one today from Jeremy at Twisted Cables, one of two OEM's that Lee at Cryoparts supports. It will have all of the shielding features I want to combat RFI at this location, less than 1 mile from a hilltop with 20 huge commercial antennae.  I received SUPER customer service. His email addr is
qusp@optusnet.com.au
   
  I wish I could say the same for customer service at Audez'e.
   
  I wish I could get softer pads, too. The stock pads are hard and uncomfortable. And I'd love to try pads with a greater forward slant, which would improve the soundstage and eliminate the feeling that I and many others have reported that they are wired out of phase.


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## mophead

Hi guys,
   
  out of curiosity?
   
  Anyone tried Stefan ArtAudio's Endorphin line of cables?
  was actually looking at the full suite of Endorhpin cables as Im seriously considering pairing the Audeze with Eddie Current BA.
   
  Most of my references are based off 6moons, might be too restricted to form any good opinions.
   
  If anyone has pit the ALO (8 wire 22awg Round Chain Mail) vs Endorphin vs Moon.
  Your feedback will be very much valued and help towards making a wise purchase
   
  My set up will be PC music Server -> tube DAC -> Eddie Current BA -> preferably Balanced Audeze LCD2
   
  PS: is there a significant increase in performance btw Single ended vs Balanced termination of LCD2?
   
  Thank you guys for taking time to share


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## Currawong

If you want a touch more zing in the treble, pick silver. If not, pick copper.


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## kwkarth

There's copper, then there's copper, and then there's copper, then there's silver, and silver plated copper.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  4n purity
  6n UP OCC
  4n, ultra fine litz type 2
   
  They all sound different to my ears.  The sound is also affected by weave & insulator used, to my ear.
   
  Besides cost, the biggest downside to silver is fragility.  It is not as ductile as copper and fatigues more quickly than copper.  These are bad attributes for a "cable" which by definition, will be constantly moved around and flexed.


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## pp312

There's a very simple answer: put your head in a vice. I know I do.
   





  
  Quote: 





> Besides cost, the biggest downside to silver is fragility.  It is not as ductile as copper and fatigues more quickly than copper.  These are bad attributes for a "cable" which by definition, will be constantly moved around and flexed.


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## kwkarth

Quote: 





pp312 said:


> There's a very simple answer: put your head in a vice. I know I do.


 

 Ahh!  Why didn't I think of that?


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## pp312

Because you're not as smart as me...I...me...whatever.


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## SebastianL

Quote: 





budx3385 said:


> Mine arrived on Feb 9, five days ago -- pre-order was placed on Dec 6.  The cable is an 8 ft Canare Starquad 4S6 4-lead speaker cable, terminated with a 1/4" phono plug, even though I had asked for balanced 3-pin XLRs.  I can't tell from this thread whether that is old or new.
> 
> I have had no reply from Alexander or Sankar to follow-up emails.  I guess I just don't have the clout you ppl do.
> 
> ...


 

 You've got the brand new and according to Audez'e 'better' cable. I just received mine and yes it's a Canare speaker wire:
http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=63

 As it takes quite a while for a cable to settle in or burn in I think your judgement on the new cable is premature. You should give it _at least _100 hours before complaining about it and buying an aftermarket cable. Maybe even 2-300 hours. My headphones started to really open up after a couple of months of intense use. And you have had yours for five days. You need to have more patience before you start worrying about the cable. Your RFI problems might not come the headphone cable and if they do I honestly don't think you can blame Audez'e for that. Their stock cable, at least the old one, is no worse or no better than those of their competitors.
 Only one thing annoyed with the 'old' stock cable. The braided outer sleeve on the left/right cable split. If they touched each other it resonated all the way up to the earcups. But that problem has been solved now with the new cable because the guys at Audez'e listen to their customers.

 After three months I bought a Zeaus aftermarket copper cable myself to go with my balanced Violectric amp. Robert at Aphroditecu29 told me that burn in would take at least 100 hours peaking at 300 hours. So hold your horses.

 Also I don't recognize your complaints about the generel customer service at Audez'e. Personally I have had excellent customer care. Alex and Sankar take the time to email me personally and they listen to my responses. They tell me they take customer feedback seriously. They automatically send out new replacement blocks once they detect that some of the batches _might _be faulty.  I'm sure you can swap your unbalanced cable for a balanced cable at Audez'e - just mail them. Be sure to use support@audeze.com or info@audeze.com. Keep in mind that Audez'e is a small company run by just a couple of enthusiasts putting time and effort into further improving their product.
  
  I've come to appreciate the hard leather pads of the LCD-2. The soft velvet pads of my HD650 get flat rather quickly thus pressuring my ears onto the domes. Also my ears start to sweat after half an hour with the HD650. Not so with LCD-2. Try to stretch out the headband a little. That will help.
  As far as I'm concerned Audez'e are the only ones that actually studied the anatomy of the head discovering that the sides of head are not parallel. Therefore the pads on the LCD-2s are sloped. I haven't seen that elsewhere but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway I haven't any problem with lacking soundstage or phase problems whatsoever. On the contrary. Phase is so correct I could swear someone is playing in my room with stereo mike recordings. Phase problems must stem from elsewhere. On top of that I experience a vertical soundstage which I rarely get with other cans.
  How do you know that '_greater forward slant....  would improve the soundstage_'. Have you tried pressing on the sides to get that effect?


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## ex0du5

I'm pretty sure the pads are sloped to angle the drivers.


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## DefectiveAudioComponent

Quote: 





sebastianl said:


> You've got the brand new and according to Audez'e 'better' cable. I just received mine and yes it's a Canare speaker wire:
> http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=63


 


  Is that written on the cable (or how do you know)?
  By the way, do you have a nice close-up photo of your new cable?


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## SebastianL

Quote: 





budx3385 said:


> Mine arrived on Feb 9, five days ago -- pre-order was placed on Dec 6.  The cable is an 8 ft Canare Starquad 4S6 4-lead speaker cable, terminated with a 1/4" phono plug, even though I had asked for balanced 3-pin XLRs.


 

 It says clearly on the Audez'e website: "At this time we are only offering the ADZ5 with 1/4” input connectors but will also offer balanced and mini inputs in the upcoming months." So...?


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## SebastianL

Quote: 





defectiveaudiocomponent said:


> Is that written on the cable (or how do you know)?  By the way, do you have a nice close-up photo of your new cable?


 
  It is written or printed on the cable: 'Canare' logo and '4S6' and '009'. All of a sudden I get confused when examing my original stock cable as it has the same printing although somewhat washed out and difficult to read. Same printing except for '809' in stead of '009'. It doesn't have the Audez'e logo engraved as in the picture below. Nor does it have the red ring on the right mini XLR jack. But the annoying outer sleeve has been replaced by a more flexible and less noisy isolation. Is it the same cable with a different isolation at the split?
  
  Audez'e has a picture here: http://www.audeze.com/ppal/cable2.html 
  It's a little different from mine as mine doesn't have the engraved Audez'e logo as far as I can tell.
   
   
  EDIT: Exact printing on the new cable, well at least the cable Audez'e just sent me is _Speaker Cable  4S6  CANARE  009  MADE IN JAPAN_


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## Danz03

Cool, thanks for the link, just ordered the cable, wonder how long it'll take for them to deliver. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  
  Quote: 





sebastianl said:


> It is written or printed on the cable: 'Canare' logo and '4S6' and '009'. All of a sudden I get confused when examing my original stock cable as it has the same printing although somewhat washed out and difficult to read. Same printing except for '809' in stead of '009'. It doesn't have the Audez'e logo engraved as in the picture below. Nor does it have the red ring on the right mini XLR jack. But the annoying outer sleeve has been replaced by a more flexible and less noisy isolation. Is it the same cable with a different isolation at the split?
> 
> Audez'e has a picture here: http://www.audeze.com/ppal/cable2.html
> It's a little different from mine as mine doesn't have the engraved Audez'e logo as far as I can tell.


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## DefectiveAudioComponent

Quote: 





sebastianl said:


> It is written or printed on the cable: 'Canare' logo and '4S6' and '009'. All of a sudden I get confused when examing my original stock cable as it has the same printing although somewhat washed out and difficult to read. Same printing except for '809' in stead of '009'. It doesn't have the Audez'e logo engraved as in the picture below. Nor does it have the red ring on the right mini XLR jack. But the annoying outer sleeve has been replaced by a more flexible and less noisy isolation. Is it the same cable with a different isolation at the split?
> 
> Audez'e has a picture here: http://www.audeze.com/ppal/cable2.html
> It's a little different from mine as mine doesn't have the engraved Audez'e logo as far as I can tell.


 


  But does it have the "new" jacks? I wonder if the 009/809/709 numbers mean anything, or if it's the same cable.
  EDIT: The photos on the Audeze site are a bit fuzzy I noticed, so its impossible to say what the other text on the cable is.


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## SebastianL

On the 'new' cable Audez'e just sent me all the jacks are the same. They removed the red and black isolation from the mini XLRs and just put a little red spot on the right jack. This makes it a little more difficult to tell the difference if you change cables frequently as I do.
  Perhaps the 009/809/709 numbers indicate which production batch they come from. I'm just guessing.
  I'm still uncertain if it's the AZD5 cable I got since it's so similar to the old one. This is what Sankar told me in his email:
   
 _The new cables are completely different. _  _http://www.audeze.com/2011/02/_http://www.audeze.com/2011/02/cables-adz-5/_cables-adz-5/_ 
 _It is a much better cable_   
  However I just emailed Audez'e to clarify.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





sebastianl said:


> On the 'new' cable Audez'e just sent me all the jacks are the same. They removed the red and black isolation from the mini XLRs and just put a little red spot on the right jack. This makes it a little more difficult to tell the difference if you change cables frequently as I do.
> Perhaps the 009/809/709 numbers indicate which production batch they come from. I'm just guessing.
> I'm still uncertain if it's the AZD5 cable I got since it's so similar to the old one. This is what Sankar told me in his email:
> 
> ...


 


 From your description, it seems like you may have gotten the old new cable rather than the new, new cable.  Tell us, is the insulation covering the two conductors between the Y in the cable and each earphone, covered with heat-shrink or a smooth round sheathing?


----------



## kwkarth

By the way...
   
   

[size=small]For the past several weeks I've messing around with with two new after market cables for the LCD-2s. One is the new R8-C 4.5' 8 conductor cable from ALO audio (aloaudio.com) and the other is the 10' balanced Black Magic cable from Q-Audio (q-audio.com). IMHO, they both blow away the stock cable sonically and astetically. (more about that later)[/size]

   

   
*The ALO R8-C is a new product from ALO.* The R8-C is an 8 wire 22awg round chain mail, LUX-FEP OCC 22awg LCD2 Headphone Cable @ 4.5 feet - terminated with a gold SwitchCraft mini plug on the business end and the Audeze compatable mini-XLR plugs on the other. This cable is made with portability in mind. It is so much lighter than ALO's original “Chain Mail” flat weave cables. ALO claims that *“**The new ALO Round Chain Mail cable is light and flexible. Because it utilizes a perfectly symmetrical geometry it naturally articulates in any direction with ease, yet has all the dynamics and bass as its larger 18awg flat weave version!”*
   
   
[size=small]They seem to be telling like it is. This cable sounds awesome! [/size]
   
[size=small]The sparkling clarity, depth of image, and openness that I fell in love with on the original Chain mail ALO cable is present with this new R8-C with the benefit of improved flexibility and lighter weight over the original ALO Chain Mail.[/size]
   
[size=small]More about the sound coming up. Stay tuned.[/size]
   

   
[size=small]*Q - Black Magic cable for LCD-2. *Q Audio's first entry into the headphone aftermarket cable arena.[/size]
   
[size=small]This new cable's construction is unique as far as I know in the aftermarket headphone cable arena. The cable is constructed of type 2 Litz wire. They do a great job of describing its construction on their web site so I've lifted the description from their site (q-audio.com)[/size]
   
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   

[size=small][size=large]Type 2 Litz Wire[/size]



Type 1 litz wire utilizes a number of individually insulated wires twisted together. This is what most people think of when they think of litz wire and have been led to believe that such a litz wire is effective at reducing skin effect.

 Unfortunately such is not the case.

 The problem with Type 1 litz is that although the individual strands are insulated, when simply twisted together, each wire retains the same position radially from the center from one end to the other. Just as at higher frequencies more current flows toward the outer surface of a solid core wire, more current flows in the outermost strands in a Type 1 litz wire.

 To be truly effective against skin effect, each individual wire must, on average, occupy all radial positions from the center to the outermost position. This is effectively accomplished in Type 2 litz wire.

 Type 2 litz wire is made by taking a number of Type 1 litz wires and twisting them together. This "twist of a twist" results in each of the individual wires-on average over the length of the wire-occupying all of the radial positions from the center outward.

 Each of the four litz wires used in our cables are made up of 165 strands of 46 gauge wire, equivalent in cross sectional area to a 24 gauge solid core wire.

 To give some perspective, the nominal diameter of a 46 gauge wire is just 0.00157 inches, less than that of a human hair. Further, each wire is insulated with an extremely thin film of polyurethane just 0.00008 inches thick.

 It's construction is 5 by 3 by 11. This means it starts out by taking 11 strands and twisting them together. Then taking three bundles of those and twisting them together. And finally taking five bundles of those and twisting them together. A twist of a twist of a twist if you will, further enhacing the benefits of Type 2 litz wire.

 The final construction is then finished with an ultra thin wrapping of filament silk.

 While there is much debate as to whether or not skin effect is a problem at audio frequencies, but there is no debate that skin effect is effectively non-existent in our cables. And skin effect aside, the ultra fine stranding, combined with its cotton jacketing, results in a cable with unparalleled flexibility.

[size=large]Milloit Braid[/size]

[/size] 

[size=small]Named in honor of Henry Albert Milloit who invented this self-shielding design for the Perfection Mica Company back in 1958 (the patent, 2,958,724, was issued two years later in 1960).

 The construction is of two interwoven twisted pairs of wires oriented at 90 degrees to each other. It is terminated at the ends by pairing a wire from one twisted pair to a wire from the other, forming the two legs (i.e. "hot and "ground") of the cable.

 This geometry is more effective than twisted pairs or star-quad when it comes to reducing noise pickp from magnetic fields which are the most common source of noise pickup in audio cables (largely due to the magnetic fields radiated by power transformes).

 The braiding also has the benefit of allowing for a self-constrained cable that doesn't require additional jacketing or shielding.[/size]
  
[size=small][size=large]Cotton Jacketing[/size]



 What can we say? We're not big fans of plastic.

 While plastic has its uses, and is sometimes the only practical solution (such as insulating individual strands of 46 gauge wire), we found cotton much preferable as a jacketing material for each litz type 2 bundle.

 In addition to its excellent dielectric properties, we also have an appreciation for its connection to the past. The first cables used to connect the first audio components were made using cotton jacketing, carryover technology from the telephone and telegraph industries which had been using it for decades previously.[/size]

   

   

[size=small]*Further thoughts and observations:*[/size]
   
[size=small]I'm one of those converted skeptics about interconnects/cables. I was trained to believe, particularly at audio frequencies, that basically, cable was cable...[/size]
   
[size=small]In spite of the encumbrance of that mindset, my real world experience began to take me in a different direction.[/size]
   
[size=small]To my ear, subjectively, cable makes a very audible difference. We'll leave it at that and save that debate for the sound science forum.[/size]
   
[size=small]The Black Magic cable was configured as a 10 foot balanced cable wih an industry standard XLR4m on one end and the requisite mini XLR3Fs on the other end. In addition, the cable comes with a 1 foot adapter that is terminated with an XLR4F on one end and a standard 6.35mm TRS plug on the other.[/size]
   
[size=small]If the new ALO cable is light weight, and it is, the Black Magic cable is weightless. Think about it; This cable consists of 4 black cotton braid insulated bundles, inter 8 weave, [/size]litz type 2. That's 165 strands of 46 gauge wire for each of the 4 bundles. That's 330 individually insulated strands of copper for each earphone channel, and *660 total individually insulated conductors for complete headphone cable*.
   
[size=small]The 24AWG equiv. Cable is 25.7 ohms per 1000 feet of wire and has a 3.5A safe current carrying capacity in free air, In cable, worst case, a 0.6A capacity. (0.6A at 50 ohms equates to 18 watts of power, so I think we're safe!!) For 100% skin depth, 68KHz upper FR if a non litz wire, and 2.5Ghz as configured.[/size]
   
[size=small]WOW![/size]
   
[size=small]The word flexible is not really adequate to describe this cable. It is so light, flexible, and non microphinic, it's almost like being wirelessly connected! Aside from running out of length or steping on the cable, there is no sensation of any cable at all. The comfort factor is to die for![/size]
[size=small]The sound is very detailed, but not in the least overly bright. Very open and organic sound. Bass seems very ample... Soundstage and imaging, spot on.[/size]
   
[size=small]I suspect the fact that they're using litz wire has more than a little to do with the purity of sound, and obviously responsible for the awesome ergonomic comfort. No signal jumping from strand to strand. The super small diameter of the wire maximizes the surface area to cross-sectional area ratio which is good for the signal propagation. [/size]
   
[size=small]Ok, so I'm listening to the Black Magic now and comparing it against the R8-C. I think I like the sound of the ALO radial cable slightly better, but to be sure I need to listen more. I still would like to see the Black Magics have better strain relief at all of the connector ends. [/size]
   
[size=small]Wait, wait; OK! I've been doing a lot of listening to my FLAC files, going back and forth between cables, listening at low volume, medium volume, and life like level (orchestra).[/size]
   
[size=small]Subjectively, the bass is may be more solid and the treble cleaner in the Black Magic over the ALO wire. The ALO seems slightly more dynamic, but there seems to be some slight congestion in the highs during very busy pieces and crescendos.[/size]
   
[size=small]The Black Magic is far more human friendly. It's soft, non microphonic, etc. It's so unobtrusive as I said, that it's almost as if the headphones are connected wirelessly.[/size]
   
[size=small]The verdict? Overall, I like the Black Magic very slightly better in the mids, highs, and imaging, but it's very, very, very close, … so very subjective. It will take some time to further evaluate the "tightness"/controll of the bass. Some attributes in the bass region go to the ALO, and some go to the Black Magic.[/size]
   
[size=small]I would need to do a double blind test to be more sure, that's how good both of these cables are.[/size]
   
   
[size=small]The cable's designer and I talked some about strain relief and here's what went down:[/size]
   
[size=small]K: We'll have to talk more about strain relief. Strain relief not only buffers the cable connections from pulling strain, but also from sharp angle bending strain. The way this cable bends at 90 degree angles coming out of the connectors makes me cringe. Seems like it needs more strain relief. It doesn't seem like it will hold up too long this way.[/size]
   
[size=small]Q: As for strain relief, 90 degree bends? Piece of cake. When designing for surviving severe repeated bends, this sort of ultra fine wire construction is precisely what you'd use. About the only thing that would likely surpass it in that regard would be tinsel wire where you have fine ribbons of copper wrapped around thread cores which are then twisted together.[/size]
[size=small]With this ultra fine litz wire combined with the cotton covering, the last thing you'd need to worry about would be repetitive 90 degree bends. And it has the added advantages of virtually eliminating skin and proximity effect as well as the ultra flexibility that makes it so "human friendly" as you put it.[/size]
   
[size=small]K: Well, add all of those attributes up and throw in the fact that it's probably the lightest, most flexible, least microphonic, least obtrusive cable on the planet, and you've got one the best cable solutions since sliced bread.... Hearing and using is believing!![/size]
   
[size=small]Anyway, something like that... [/size]
   
[size=small]What's it gonna cost?[/size]
   
[size=small]Q: Price would be the same as my interconnects and speaker cables for a given length.[/size]
   
[size=small]1.0M - $325[/size]
[size=small]1.5M - $350[/size]
[size=small]2.0M - $385[/size]
[size=small]2.5M - $425[/size]
[size=small]3.0M - $475[/size]
[size=small]3.5M - $525[/size]
[size=small]4.0M - $600[/size]
   
   
  [size=medium]*Edit 4/9/11:*
*Good news!  Looks like Q-Audio has revised their prices a lot lower than they were at introduction.  They're balanced and terminated in an A4M, with TRS unbalanced adapter included.*
   
*New pricing is:*
   

 *1.0M - $200*
 *1.5M - $215*
 *2.0M - $230*
 *2.5M - $250 *
 *3.0M - $275 *
 *3.5M - $300 *
 *4.0M - $340*
[/size]

   
[size=small]As for availability, I could start making cables using stock mini-XLR's as soon as I get the new batch of black cotton braid, which shouldn't be much more than a week, so I guess you could say around the first of March.[/size]
   
[size=small]And last but not least, yeah, I guess I can throw in a balanced/TRS adapter[/size]
   
[size=small]What more can I say?  In true Head-Fi tradition we need to run out and buy both! [/size]


----------



## budx3385

kwkarth - many thanks for the nice photo of Ken's new creation!  He emailed me about it today, and I can't wait to hear it.  He didn't tell me the price yet. How much did it cost?
   
  SebastionL - here's what it says on the LCD-2 webpage on my computer
   
*"2.Do we offer a balanced cable?*
 Yes we do make custom cables for you our balanced cable. If you specify you would like a balanced cable please just email us and we will send you the ink to that order page."
   
  Like I said, I emailed them saying I would like to have a balanced cable - twice.  I never received a reply.  Maybe you can get them to reply to me - maybe you have klout.  I would appreciate your effort.
   
  In the meantime, I am looking forward to receiving the cable I have ordered, which I believe will be a major improvement, as others here have reported.  If I can get a new ALO 8-wire 22awg piece of gold, balanced, I am sure that I will enjoy it immensely!!!
   
  Ken, oh Ken, do You hear me?


----------



## Danthrax

So why don;t you guys just make your own cables... way cheaper and you can have whatever ends you want.


----------



## mtntrance

Quote: 





budx3385 said:


> kwkarth - many thanks for the nice photo of Ken's new creation!  He emailed me about it today, and I can't wait to hear it.  He didn't tell me the price yet. How much did it cost?
> 
> SebastionL - here's what it says on the LCD-2 webpage on my computer
> 
> ...


 

 Yeah I have e-mailed twice asking for a balanced cable too with no reply yet.


----------



## Currawong

It is trivially easy to replace a TRS plug with a 4-pin XLR.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





budx3385 said:


> kwkarth - many thanks for the nice photo of Ken's new creation!  He emailed me about it today, and I can't wait to hear it.  He didn't tell me the price yet. How much did it cost?
> 
> SebastionL - here's what it says on the LCD-2 webpage on my computer
> 
> ...


 


  His prices are posted on his web site, that's why I didn't post them.  For the one I tested, the price was $399.00 USD.  Great cable!


----------



## kwkarth

Here's a couple of pics I snapped with my cell phone of the Black Magic cable;


----------



## SebastianL

Quote: 





kwkarth said:


> From your description, it seems like you may have gotten the old new cable rather than the new, new cable.  Tell us, is the insulation covering the two conductors between the Y in the cable and each earphone, covered with heat-shrink or a smooth round sheathing?


 


 I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean but the conductors in the Y or split part has a thin heat-shrink insolation on left and right side respectively. Very flexible though I personally would prefer a smooth shoelace type of insulation.
  Btw Audez'e is checking what kind of cable they sent after they requested some photos.


----------



## SebastianL

Quote: 





budx3385 said:


> Like I said, I emailed them saying I would like to have a balanced cable - twice.  I never received a reply.  Maybe you can get them to reply to me - maybe you have klout.  I would appreciate your effort.


 

 To budx3385 and others Be sure to use this email address: support@audeze.com
  The info@audeze.com is not likely to get any responds.


----------



## DefectiveAudioComponent

Quote:


kwkarth said:


> By the way...


 


> [size=small]For the past several weeks I've messing around with with two new after market cables for the LCD-2s. One is the new R8-C 4.5' 8 conductor cable from ALO audio (aloaudio.com) and the other is the 10' balanced Black Magic cable from Q-Audio (q-audio.com).[/size]


 
   
  Have you tried the Norse cable? If you have, I'd be interested in your thoughts about it versus those more expensive cables.


----------



## caracara08

i think if i do end up buying the LCD2 that i would put whiplash at the top of my list.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





defectiveaudiocomponent said:


> Quote:
> 
> Have you tried the Norse cable? If you have, I'd be interested in your thoughts about it versus those more expensive cables.


 

 Nope, but it sure looked intriguing in the reports around here.


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





sebastianl said:


> I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean but the conductors in the Y or split part has a thin heat-shrink insolation on left and right side respectively. Very flexible though I personally would prefer a smooth shoelace type of insulation.
> Btw Audez'e is checking what kind of cable they sent after they requested some photos.


 





   Sounds like you didn't get their very newest cable but instead, got the one previous to that.


----------



## budx3385

kwkarth, I'd like to hear more about the sound comparison you are making.
   
  AFAIK, Ken's wire is cryo-treated. In fact, he told me that he is doing cryo treatments on this new 8x22awg cable after the whole cable is built, by way of Lee at Cryoparts.  That means that the solder joints and connectors are all cryo'd too.
   
  Now, I'm aware that there are skeptics who love to razz and flame, but I am a BIG believer in the effects that a good cryo treatment can have on audible sound quality, especially listening over headphones.  And some of your comments about the ALO cable sound like the comments often heard about cryo effects. More open, smoother, better low AND high extension, less harshness, more signal, more coherence.
   
  what do you think?


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





budx3385 said:


> kwkarth, I'd like to hear more about the sound comparison you are making.
> 
> AFAIK, Ken's wire is cryo-treated. In fact, he told me that he is doing cryo treatments on this new 8x22awg cable after the whole cable is built, by way of Lee at Cryoparts.  That means that the solder joints and connectors are all cryo'd too.
> 
> ...


 

 Yes, Ken and I discussed the difference between cryo treating the wire in bulk vs. cryo treating the finished assembly, solder joints, connectors, etc.  Ken said it really seemed to make a difference to treat the whole shebang.  Seems like soldering, etc. somehow undoes some of the goodness obtained by cryo treating the wire alone prior to assembly.
   
  Whatever, the new R8-C sounds wonderful.
   
  Back to the Black Magic...  I am thinking (totally conjecture on my part) that the ultra fine strand litz wire construction, coupled with the type 2 twist, and further cotton bundle isolation, creates some major advantages for clean signal propagation, that in many ways is as good as or better than the benefit one derives from cryo treatment.  Some literature I found recently indicated that actually doping the copper wire with certain impurities actually improved its ability to conduct.  I found this info in one of the copper foundries...might have been New England wire, but I don't remember for sure.  
   
  In any event, bottom line is how something sounds, the the Q cable has it going on.
   
  When you add the extreme comfort factor, the Q cable is a real winner to my ears and other sensibilities.  What would be fun to try if it were ever possible, would be to create the same 156 strand type 2 litz using UP OCC copper, and cryo treat the whole enchilada once the cable was built.
   
  Ah well, one can dream...  Anyway the Black Magic has to be experienced for one to fully understand what I'm hearing and feeling about the aesthetics of the cable.
   
  The openness and attack of the Q seems even better than the R8-C incertain passages, but the difference is so subtle than it seems only evident on the most complex passages.  By comparison, there is almost a stridency and collapse of soundstage in the R8-C in those places.  I spent a lot of time listening over and over again to the biphonic stuff on the Ultrasone demo CD.  I ripped the CD lossless, put it on my MacBook Air with SSHD and play back with VOX and no signal alteration into my tweaked Music Hall 25.2 DAC which drives the Schiit Asgard, driving the LCD-2s.  I interspersed listening to the Ultrasone demo material with several listens to a bunch of HD stuff from Chesky downloads and RR downloads. To my ears, it gets the job done.
   
  Either new cable is very much better than the sound and aesthetics of the original stock cable, and to my ears, the difference is not subtle.  On the other hand, the difference between the two new cables is very subtle to the point that I would really feel better doing a double blind test to more clearly see if I can repeatedly identify the differences.


----------



## Steve Eddy

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *kwkarth* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Some literature I found recently indicated that actually doping the copper wire with certain impurities actually improved its ability to conduct.  I found this info in one of the copper foundries...might have been New England wire, but I don't remember for sure.


 


 Hmmm...
   
  Are you perhaps thinking of ETP copper, where a controlled amount of oxygen (which is technically an impurity) is introduced in order to scavenge impurities and take them out of solution, which has the result of increasing the conductivity versus what it would be if the impurities were left in solution?
   
  se


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





steve eddy said:


> Hmmm...
> 
> Are you perhaps thinking of ETP copper, where a controlled amount of oxygen (which is technically an impurity) is introduced in order to scavenge impurities and take them out of solution, which has the result of increasing the conductivity versus what it would be if the impurities were left in solution?
> 
> se


 

 Yup, that was it.


----------



## Steve Eddy

Quote: 





kwkarth said:


> Yup, that was it.


 

 Ah, ok.
   
  ETP copper is just your basic Plain Jane copper that's found in most everything, as opposed to the oxygen free coppers such as Oxygen Free High Conductivity copper (OFHC).
   
  If ETP copper is heated in a reducing atmosphere, such as hydrogen, the hydrogen atoms can combine with the oxygen atoms and cause the copper to become embritted. Using oxygen free copper prevents this.
   
  However because OFHC can't use oxygen to scavenge impurities, it has to have a higher intrinsic purity in order to achieve the same conductivity as ETP copper.
   
  So electrically speaking, there's no real difference between the two in terms of conductivity. Both are rated at 101% IACS. Just that one can be heated in a hydrogen atmosphere and the other can't.
   
  se


----------



## Frihed89

Hi kwharth,  Yes, I have the thicker Norse cable.  It's tough to nail this one.  On my favorite chamber music, which feature cello or violins, it sound balanced and extended, but on single small group pop music, it sounds dark (Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Prince Billy, Bill Callahan, Jason Collette, etc).  Have cables become this specialized.  Over-all, it is not bright, not microphonic, and has reasonable bass.  It has good grip on the music and does not sound analytic.  But, over all, I have been having trouble appreciating the LCD-2s and am not sure where the problem lies> me, the amps, the cans, the cables.  I've been too busy to go over to Sabastian's and have a listen to his rig, as he is -- like most other LCD-2 owners -- thrilled.
   
  Sorry, not to have a more detailed or incisive review!!


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> Hi kwharth,  Yes, I have the thicker Norse cable.  It's tough to nail this one.  On my favorite chamber music, which feature cello or violins, it sound balanced and extended, but on single small group pop music, it sounds dark (Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Prince Billy, Bill Callahan, Jason Collette, etc).  Have cables become this specialized.  Over-all, it is not bright, not microphonic, and has reasonable bass.  It has good grip on the music and does not sound analytic.  But, over all, I have been having trouble appreciating the LCD-2s and am not sure where the problem lies> me, the amps, the cans, the cables.  I've been too busy to go over to Sabastian's and have a listen to his rig, as he is -- like most other LCD-2 owners -- thrilled.
> 
> Sorry, not to have a more detailed or incisive review!!


 
  It's always possible, that the LCD-2s are just not the can for you.  This is neither good nor bad.  We all have our individual HRTFs and preferences.  The voicing chosen by Audeze may simply not match your HRTF or preferences that well.  What can currently wows you?  It would be a good idea to get together with other LCD-2 owners and compare notes and sounds to further refine your understanding of how you hear and what best suits your needs.  I've found great improvement to my enjoyment of the LCD-2 by using certain aftermarket cables.


----------



## grokit

It's been discussed that classical music generally has more dynamic range due to less compression than popular music does, so if you don't find another heaphone that solves the problem the quality of the recording could be the culprit.


----------



## Frihed89

Thanks to the both of you. I've been trying to take the time to hear Sabastian's rig, but my schedule is just too busy. The 701s have always been my preference. Yes, many factors are probably at work. I just need a confirmation from another Audeze owner that my rig + phones sound OK to him technically. I also want to play my cans on someone else's rig, because I have some doubts about them. The overwhelming thing about the LCD-2s that I hear is bass. It's almost too much. On classical music that goes away. Now an interesting thing happened yesterday on my speaker amps I switched from GL KT66 to GE6550A and, because I have been listening to the KT66 fro so long, I was astonished by the bass tilt (dark) and strong bass of the GEs. So I listened to both at the same time through the same type circuit (the preamp and head amp output stage on my Blue Circle are identical (and not connected), and I heard exactly the same sound, but now -- coming from speakers -- it sounded good. Both Bonnie Prince Billy, Beware and Bach's unaccompanied Cello suites and Partitas. WE humans are complicated. Thanks again.


----------



## SebastianL

Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> Thanks to the both of you. I've been trying to take the time to hear Sabastian's rig, but my schedule is just too busy. The 701s have always been my preference. Yes, many factors are probably at work. I just need a confirmation from another Audeze owner that my rig + phones sound OK to him technically. I also want to play my cans on someone else's rig, because I have some doubts about them. The overwhelming thing about the LCD-2s that I hear is bass. It's almost too much. On classical music that goes away. Now an interesting thing happened yesterday on my speaker amps I switched from GL KT66 to GE6550A and, because I have been listening to the KT66 fro so long, I was astonished by the bass tilt (dark) and strong bass of the GEs. So I listened to both at the same time through the same type circuit (the preamp and head amp output stage on my Blue Circle are identical (and not connected), and I heard exactly the same sound, but now -- coming from speakers -- it sounded good. Both Bonnie Prince Billy, Beware and Bach's unaccompanied Cello suites and Partitas. WE humans are complicated. Thanks again.


 

  
  Last time I heard your Single Power and Blue Circle amps they sounded magnificent. But I hear you had problems with your Single Power lately, right?
  Concerning the bass I don't it's too much at all. They're the most linear cans I've heard to date. Perfectly balanced no boosted upper mids or anything. No listening fatigue. But they do respond to every tiny link in the chain so synergy is important - as always. It took me some time to get into them as well. Now I can't live without them.
  But maybe they're just not your cup of tea as kwkarth pointed out.


----------



## Frihed89

Thanks, Sebastian. I disabled the high power feature on my MPX3 because of the unsafe switch and because I wasn't convinced that the 6BL7 and 6BX7 sounded any better with 450V than 300V. I also added some AN copper foil coupling caps and silver signal wire. It sounds better. Some time after April, I'll connect with you to see if the cans are OK and it's just my equipment or personal preferences. I heard these at RMAF two years ago and they floored me listening to an Eddie Current, ZDT. So, I am really keen to find out what has happened, or if I actually have a bad set. Thanks for your experience. Do you still have the Mapletree?


----------



## Frihed89

One more, if you don't mind. I wrote to Ken at ALO regarding my confusion about his products. He wrote back: One is all copper 8 wire in a round weave and it uses an all Teflon jacket. The other is also a 8 wire but all the returns are silver plated copper (in a PE jacket) and the signals are copper in a Teflon Jacket. But both are new, correct? So my questions are 1. Which of these new ones is better than the old "one" (directed kwkarth, i think) 2. Can anyone comment on the sonic differences between the two new cables? Thanks


----------



## kwkarth

Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> One more, if you don't mind. I wrote to Ken at ALO regarding my confusion about his products. He wrote back: One is all copper 8 wire in a round weave and it uses an all Teflon jacket. The other is also a 8 wire but all the returns are silver plated copper (in a PE jacket) and the signals are copper in a Teflon Jacket. But both are new, correct? So my questions are 1. Which of these new ones is better than the old "one" (directed kwkarth, i think) 2. Can anyone comment on the sonic differences between the two new cables? Thanks


 
  I have not heard the cable with SPC returns yet, so I can't comment on it.  From past experience, Ken has a good ear and if he said A sounded better than B, I can't think of an instance where I didn't agree.  I will listen to it when I get the chance, but you can take Ken at his word.


----------



## budx3385

My LCD-2 has arrived and is breaking in, and now that I have two different balanced cables, I can report that both are quite an improvement on the stock cable, but they are surprisingly different. Neither brings the LCD-2 up to the level of my LA7000s. I can still hear far more detail and greater coherence and presence with the LA7000. Maybe that is insufficient power for the LCD-2?
   
  The first cable is a silver Double Complement from Double Helix, the second is a TWcu twisted and shielded cable from Twisted cable.  Both are terminated with the new rhodium carbon fiber XLRs from Furutech. Both are clean and much more open than the Canare Starquad stock. But the copper cable produces greater detail retrieval - to me that is very surprising.
   
  I'd like to have a direct comparison with another LCD-2 as well.


----------



## SebastianL

Quote: 





frihed89 said:


> Thanks, Sebastian. I disabled the high power feature on my MPX3 because of the unsafe switch and because I wasn't convinced that the 6BL7 and 6BX7 sounded any better with 450V than 300V. I also added some AN copper foil coupling caps and silver signal wire. It sounds better. Some time after April, I'll connect with you to see if the cans are OK and it's just my equipment or personal preferences. I heard these at RMAF two years ago and they floored me listening to an Eddie Current, ZDT. So, I am really keen to find out what has happened, or if I actually have a bad set. Thanks for your experience. Do you still have the Mapletree?


 

 Yes I still have the Mapletree Ear+ but I'm afraid it can't keep up with my Violectric HPA V181 or my modded Little Dot MKIV SE. Especially my LD knocks me over with the LCD-2s.


----------



## rgs9200m

What cables for Audeze phones would tone down (reduce, avoid any glare in) the upper midrange and/or lower highs while keeping the bass firm and controlled?
  Thank you.


----------



## pp312

Is there glare in the upper mid/lower treble?


----------



## jackiedh

Just got a couple of cables and Balanced adapters from Q cables--absolutely great!!
   
  Jack


----------



## redcat2

Hi,All i just purchased today Q cable from Q-Audio 3.5 meter in brown, they are having a sale.


----------



## Skjervesbu

Tested a pair of LCD-2 rev 2.5 today and they picked a lot of noise when receiving a phone sms. I believe this was the original cable. Can this be caused by the cable? Will better shielding or balanced cables help?
  
 Playing through a Macbook Pro and Alo PanAm dacpre.


----------



## redcat2

Answer to you question , yes it can be, i used to have a car that could do that some times when the radio was playing just change to better cables.
  
 I can tell you that the Q cable is great been using that cable now for 2 years fantastic.


----------



## Gerzom

Hi, I'm about to upgrade my Schiit Asgard 2 to a Mjolnir in combination with my Audeze LCD 2.2 this means I need to upgrade my cable as wel. Currently I'm using the stock Audeze cable and a 15 ft Grado extension cable.
 For my new set-up I need a balanced cable (4-pin xlr connection) 
 I was looking at the Alo cables, but the only one going to 15 ft is the Reference 16 and this would set me back around 1.200 euro's and that's a bit too much right now.
 Other option within my price range would be the Alo Greenline with 2 (!) extensions.
 My question is if this would be a no go, to add 2 extensions to an Alo Greenline cable?
  
 Thanks !


----------



## HeadphoneAddict

gerzom said:


> Hi, I'm about to upgrade my Schiit Asgard 2 to a Mjolnir in combination with my Audeze LCD 2.2 this means I need to upgrade my cable as wel. Currently I'm using the stock Audeze cable and a 15 ft Grado extension cable.
> For my new set-up I need a balanced cable (4-pin xlr connection)
> I was looking at the Alo cables, but the only one going to 15 ft is the Reference 16 and this would set me back around 1.200 euro's and that's a bit too much right now.
> Other option within my price range would be the Alo Greenline with 2 (!) extensions.
> ...


 
  
 I've very happy with my balanced Moon-Audio Silver Dragon V3.  And they are affordable.  I thought the Blue Dragon sounded a little dull in comparison with my LCD-2 rev 2, even though cables make the smallest differences when compared to the big changes with source and amp.  Still, I prefer the Silver Dragon for my LCD-2 and HE-500, and Black Dragon on my HD800.
  
 I've tried many ALO cables and many are excellent but too expensive for most. I liked the SXC a little better than the Jenna Labs Cryo, but I don't know much about the more recent cables since I switched to Moon-Audio for recent purchases due to the costs.  I still have my old ALO SXC interconnect cables, but I haven't been able to afford new designs from them with 2 kids in college.


----------



## Gerzom

Today I received my first cable upgrade for my LCD 2.2's
 I ordered some Entreq Konstantin 2012 balanced cables from Sweden. They look really nice, now all I have to do is head home and listen to them 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 Nice box

  
 Cool cable


----------



## markheadphonium

Anyone have impressions yet on the WyWires Red for the LCD-2?


----------



## Sound Eq

I got my audeze lcd2 rev 2.2 and i only have the stock cable. I was wondering which cable around 200 usd instead of brightenning the sound signature can offer more dark sound and tighten more the bass, if u can send links i will appreciate it


----------



## Jpbas1

Moon Audio Silver Dragon V3.

One and done. Start enjoying your music collection....

http://www.moon-audio.com/moon-audio-silver-dragon-v3-headphone-cable.html


----------



## Crashem

markheadphonium said:


> Anyone have impressions yet on the WyWires Red for the LCD-2?


 
  
 Happy so far with my wywires with LCD X.


----------



## Justin_Time

gerzom said:


> Hi, I'm about to upgrade my Schiit Asgard 2 to a Mjolnir in combination with my Audeze LCD 2.2 this means I need to upgrade my cable as wel. Currently I'm using the stock Audeze cable and a 15 ft Grado extension cable.
> For my new set-up I need a balanced cable (4-pin xlr connection)
> I was looking at the Alo cables, but the only one going to 15 ft is the Reference 16 and this would set me back around 1.200 euro's and that's a bit too much right now.
> Other option within my price range would be the Alo Greenline with 2 (!) extensions.
> ...




I spent about a year experimenting with various cables for the LCD2/3.

I used OFC, UPC and OCC copper, Silver coated copper and pure OCC silver.


I tried wires from bulk suppliers, then various cables from Cardas, ALO, Moon and many other vendors.

In a nutshell, I found out that price is no guaranty for good results. The key was to compensate for the voicing of the headphones with the right cables. The LCD has a dark, caramel coating sound that is appealing to many but is still a coloration. The bass is a little loose and the soundstage virtually non existent. I found that silver OCC cables has strengths in the very areas where the LCD2/3 were weak. But not all silver cables reached the same performance with the LCD. 

I finally selected the Silver Widow from Toxic Cables (England), which outperformed all other cables In addition to being reasonably priced and very well made. Frank uses OCC silver, with rectangular wires (?). There is some gold added and surface treatment that are proprietary. The wires are cryogenically treated. I selected 8 wires and XLR connector with silver pins. With the LCD/Silver Widow pairing (and the right amp) the caramel coating is removed leaving a more transparent sound with a tight and more dynamic bass, a slightly less forward-some call it "in-your-face"--center image, and a sufficiently large sound stage to make orchestral music more enjoyable. The Silver Poison produced a slightly lower performance for less money.


----------



## Sound Eq

anyone tried the black dragon cable for lcd 2
  
 did the toxic cable increase brightness, as i look for a cable that adds more warmth and tightens the bass


----------



## Justin_Time

sound eq said:


> anyone tried the black dragon cable for lcd 2
> 
> did the toxic cable increase brightness, as i look for a cable that adds more warmth and tightens the bass



Yep. The Black Dragon made the LCD sound way too dark for my taste.

No, none of the silver cables I tried ever increased the brightness of the LCD enough to be objectionable for me, least of all the Silver Poison and the Silver Widow.Think of these cables as being transparent in that area. Unless your DAC, amp or headphones are themselves ultra bright, don' t worry about this area.


----------



## Sound Eq

justin_time said:


> Yep. The Black Dragon made the LCD sound way too dark for my taste.
> 
> No, none of the silver cables I tried ever increased the brightness of the LCD enough to be objectionable for me, least of all the Silver Poison and the Silver Widow.Think of these cables as being transparent in that area. Unless your DAC, amp or headphones are themselves ultra bright, don' t worry about this area.


 
 did the black dragon tighten the bass
  
 my hugo is the dac/amp i use with the lcd and i need to make sure that the mids and highs are not affected at all by the cables u mentioned and which of the u really prefer
  
 do u really feel a difference compared to stock cable


----------



## Justin_Time

sound eq said:


> did the black dragon tighten the bass
> 
> my hugo is the dac/amp i use with the lcd and i need to make sure that the mids and highs are not affected at all by the cables u mentioned and which of the u really prefer
> 
> do u really feel a difference compared to stock cable




The impact of the cable will be smaller that that of the DAC and amp but you will hear it.

The difference is that the impact of the DAC and amp is active. The cable will merely transfer the signals with mostly reactive impact. But this impact is still big enough to hear. Think of cable as another component. With their costs, they might as well be.


----------



## commtrd

Using Silver Widow with LCD2, LCD3, and will be using with LCD-X. Has worked nicely with both the 2 and 3. I expect will do likewise with the X as well.


----------



## Sound Eq

maybe i am perceiving the black dragon as a good choice for me as i like to add drakenss and warmth and tighten the bass
  
 i really would like to hear more about which cable can give me what i look for in means of sound signature


----------



## Justin_Time

sound eq said:


> maybe i am perceiving the black dragon as a good choice for me as i like to add drakenss and warmth and tighten the bass
> 
> i really would like to hear more about which cable can give me what i look for in means of sound signature




With Copper, which is what the Black Dragon is, you are getting a re-Enforcement of the upper bass, which adds weight not tightness to the bass, exactly the opposite direction of what you want.

So far you are the first person who wants more darkness to the LCD sound. May be we are not talking about the same thing because with any more "darkness" and the LCD will not sound any more musical, just less transparent and muddier. But if that is what you want....


----------



## Jpbas1

justin_time said:


> I spent about a year experimenting with various cables for the LCD2/3.
> 
> I used OFC, UPC and OCC copper, Silver coated copper and pure OCC silver.
> 
> ...


 
 Thank you for that....  unfortunately they're sold out on a number of those designs....


----------



## Justin_Time

jpbas1 said:


> Thank you for that....  unfortunately they're sold out on a number of those designs....


 
 I am not sure I understand.
  
 Frank (Toxic Cables) has been making these cables for a few years now  and will do so in many years to come.
  
 How did you come up with the information that they are sold out? ALL the cables he makes--there are probably a dozen varieties--are still available for order as far as I know. 
  
 There is a thread (Toxic Cables Appreciation) that you can read about various cables he makes then you can PM him for the order--his website is useless as he has no time to work on it. It usually take a few months for an order because there are hundreds of orders just from Head-Fiers and Frank will not compromise on wire quality or workmanship.  He still does a lot of the work himself. 
  
 Frank will deliver the last batches of orders this month and will go on vacation with his family for a few weeks--he has been working non-stop  without vacation for 3 years!  He will be back.  He just won't take any order until he gets back. You can read about all this on the Appreciation thread.


----------



## Jpbas1

I was thanking you for the education. At the time I went to the toxic cable website several of their silver cable designs for the Audeze LCD series were sold out or out of stock.

This just taken today..... http://www.toxic-cables.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_61&product_id=68

I am willing to buy now.

Thanks again, Justin.


----------



## buson160man

sperandeo said:


> I would really love to truly try a A/B test with some of these cables. I just can't justify $300-$600 for wire.


 

  I know what you mean the pricing on these aftermarket cables is ridiculous. Beside that for the price that audeze is asking for their headphones they should include a decent cable with their phone .


----------



## DefectiveAudioComponent

buson160man said:


> I know what you mean the pricing on these aftermarket cables is ridiculous. Beside that for the price that audeze is asking for there headphones they should include a decent cable with their phone .


 
  
 What's wrong / indecent about your cable?


----------



## buson160man

justin_time said:


> I am not sure I understand.
> 
> Frank (Toxic Cables) has been making these cables for a few years now  and will do so in many years to come.
> 
> ...


 

  I don,t know about you but a year ago I ordered one of his copper based headphone leashes for my lcd2 v2s . I waited for three months and I got an email letting me know my order was cancelled . At least I got my refund for my order . But I did not initiate the cancellation . In the end I guess I was happy with the refund but after waiting in anticipation for three months and then get my order cancelled that sucked.
   I guess he preferred filling orders for his more expensive cables which were a lot more .
   But that closed the book on me for ordering any toxic cable products in the future .


----------



## buson160man

defectiveaudiocomponent said:


> What's wrong / indecent about your cable?


 

  I just purchased a aftermarket cable and with no time on it all it just embarrassed the stock cable . The difference was like between a decent sounding stereo and a transistor pocket radio . I think that for a thousand dollars the cable they include should be at least decent sounding.


----------



## DefectiveAudioComponent

buson160man said:


> I just purchased a aftermarket cable and with no time on it all it just embarrassed the stock cable . The difference was like between a decent sounding stereo and a transistor pocket radio . I think that for a thousand dollars the cable they include should be at least decent sounding.


 
  
 Really? What new cable was that, and what happened more specifically?
 ( I should admit I do not use the stock cable either, but my stock cable is not of the latest version.)


----------



## Jpbas1

I agree. Outrageous.... But I wanted different sound signature and silver cables by brand X made a difference.


----------



## Justin_Time

buson160man said:


> I don,t know about you but a year ago I ordered one of his copper based headphone leashes for my lcd2 v2s . I waited for three months and I got an email letting me know my order was cancelled . At least I got my refund for my order . But I did not initiate the cancellation . In the end I guess I was happy with the refund but after waiting in anticipation for three months and then get my order cancelled that sucked.
> I guess he preferred filling orders for his more expensive cables which were a lot more .
> But that closed the book on me for ordering any toxic cable products in the future .


 
 I was trying to help you with possible cable choices for LCDs.  Please do not get me caught up in any transaction mess.
  
Having recommended Toxic Cables, however, I am now obligated to support my recommendations by saying that after three years of transactions, I have nothing but the highest praise for Frank and his company (Toxic Cables).
  
  
 I do not have the facts of your transaction with Toxic Cables but personally, I have not experienced or heard of any preferential treatment due to the costs of the cables.  The long wait is normal and expected due to the large number of orders and the one-man operation.
  
 But if you have any grievance I suggest that, to be fair to the vendor, you post it on the appropriate place--I think it is Toxic Cables Appreciation--so that they can respond appropriately. 
  
 I do vaguely recollect reading about this case a few months ago on the Toxic Cables Appreciation thread but the complete story seemed to be different from what you described.  
  
 But that's not really relevant here.  This is not the right place to resolve the issue and we should not derail this thread any further with it.


----------



## buson160man

defectiveaudiocomponent said:


> Really? What new cable was that, and what happened more specifically?
> ( I should admit I do not use the stock cable either, but my stock cable is not of the latest version.)


 

  The headphone cable I am trying (30 day trial period) is the cable pro reverie headphone cable for the lcd2/3  headphones. I was considering the cheaper freedom cable which was a lot cheaper .
 I have had some experience with cable pros power cables . I bought a couple on closeout from his site .I think they could have been prototypes but they did sound pretty good and were reasonably priced . I did eventually buy two of his reverie power cables for a pair of emotiva stealth 8 active monitors . These were outstanding sounding power cables . While they were his best at the time they were only around 300 usd each. After they were broken in I thought they were better sounding than my two most expensive power cables that I had bought before them . One the kubala sosna emotion which were the better part of a grand and the other my nordost brahma which retailed for 1400 usd and I bought on a close out for 700 usd.  After I had broken in my cables they did sound better than either of those two more expensive cables. I called ted paisley at cable pro and talked with him and decide to give the reverie cable a shot. But at almost 640 usd which is more than I wanted to spend on a headphone cable this is a bit of a stretch for my budget . I am retired and that is a substantial sum for a headphone cable(almost 2/3 the price of the lcd 2) . But after my experience with his power cables I thought I would give them a shot .I am in the process of breaking in the cable so any further observations at this point are meaningless . This will have to be one awesome cable though for me to buy it . I will see if I do not think it is worth the investment I will return it .But so far so good but I have to give it at least twenty five hours of use before I am going to make any judgements about the cable . I actually should give it a hundred  hours but that is a bit of a stretch in thirty days I just do not have the time for that much listening in a thirty day trial period. I have maybe 10-12 hours on the cable so far . I just put a cd in and pressed repeat just now I am going to let the cable burn in  some more today . We shall see .


----------



## buson160man

Well I have been pounding the cable pro reverie lcd2 headphone cable for about a week now. I have perhaps  40 to 50 hours on the cable now . The cable is sounding very promising now it has developed a clarity that is very noticeable . That clarity seems to be across the board from the highs through the midrange and the low frequencies as well. The soundstage presentation has also improved considerably . The cable also seems to reproduce low level detail with aplomb . If you can tell I am liking the headphone cable a lot .The bass definition is spot on and I am hearing a clarity in the bass that I have not heard with my lcd2s before . I am definitely thinking the reverie is a keeper at this point.
   I called ted paisley at cablepro to let him know what I am thinking about this cable and he added that he felt 200 hours of use was the point he considered the cable should be pretty much broken in .
  I am at approximately the 50 hour point at this juncture. I do not know how much better things will get but as I had mentioned this cable looks to be a keeper .I am hoping it gets even better the closer I get to the 200 hour break in point . While I had rather hoped that the headphone sounded like it does now with the stock leash I am happy with the cable pro reverie lcd2 headphone cable .
   While the cable is not exactly inexpensive the improvement is definitely worth the extra scratch. It brings the lcd2 a long ways and makes it  into a definite contender for the best sound from the lcd 2.


----------



## Sound Eq

paying about 500 bucks man for a cable is never ever ever in my book of things I will ever do. I heard the sound of a 600 USD cable and compared to stock and no difference to my ears
  
 we did blind tests and never passed that a 600 USD cable is better than stock
  
 sorry for 500 USD or more I would just buy a new headphone


----------



## Justin_Time

sound eq said:


> paying about 500 bucks man for a cable is never ever ever in my book of things I will ever do. I heard the sound of a 600 USD cable and compared to stock and no difference to my ears
> 
> we did blind tests and never passed that a 600 USD cable is better than stock
> 
> sorry for 500 USD or more I would just buy a new headphone




My view: 
Live and let live.


----------



## Justin_Time

headphoneaddict said:


> I've very happy with my balanced Moon-Audio Silver Dragon V3.  And they are affordable.  I thought the Blue Dragon sounded a little dull in comparison with my LCD-2 rev 2, even though cables make the smallest differences when compared to the big changes with source and amp.  Still, I prefer the Silver Dragon for my LCD-2 and HE-500, and Black Dragon on my HD800.
> 
> I've tried many ALO cables and many are excellent but too expensive for most. I liked the SXC a little better than the Jenna Labs Cryo, but I don't know much about the more recent cables since I switched to Moon-Audio for recent purchases due to the costs.  I still have my old ALO SXC interconnect cables, but I haven't been able to afford new designs from them with 2 kids in college.



 


I completely agree with your statements regarding the pairing of Moon's Dragon cables with the HD800 and LCDs.

I had the same experience with the excellent and relatively affordable OCC copper and OCC silver cables from Toxic Cables (England).

I found that the Silver Widow cable (OCC pure silver + gold + cryo) works great with the LCD2/3, but not as well with the HD800--though some like that match. To my ears, the HD800 sounds much better with the Copper Venom cable (OCC copper; rectangular wires; cryo). That seems to be identical results with similar (not identical) "type" of wire materials used in the Silver and Blue Dragon.

That's comforting.


----------



## levinhatz

sound eq said:


> paying about 500 bucks man for a cable is never ever ever in my book of things I will ever do. I heard the sound of a 600 USD cable and compared to stock and no difference to my ears
> 
> we did blind tests and never passed that a 600 USD cable is better than stock
> 
> sorry for 500 USD or more I would just buy a new headphone


 
  
 To this- I feel the need to reply with a recommendation for the $525 K-works Clearheart cable. To me it makes as much of a difference (or more) than switching from LCD-2 to LCD-X. I'm like you and I don't typically hear differences in cables. But this one, to me, is obvious. I've blind tested several cables and this one is the only one I've consistently identified correctly 100% of the time.


----------



## blackcatSVK

Is there anyone using Q french silk cable for LCD-2?
 How is your feedback?


----------



## Steve Eddy

blackcatsvk said:


> Is there anyone using Q french silk cable for LCD-2?
> 
> How is your feedback?




I am (listening to _Car Talk_ while waiting for _Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!_), but that's all I can say. 

se


----------



## levinhatz

blackcatsvk said:


> Is there anyone using Q french silk cable for LCD-2?
> How is your feedback?


 
  
 I've had it. It's a good cable. The sound is smooth and pretty but I ultimately went with something more energetic. 
  
 I also like the way the Q cable looks/is built. Very classy.


----------



## Synergist969

To Whomever Might be Interested in Helping:
  
     I own pair of balanced headphones, connected to the 4 Pin XLR output of my headphone amplifier, and need to move my headphone amplifier further away from my listening chair, such that I will need:
  
 1. A new/replacement, minimum 3 meter length, 4 pin XLR headphone cable to connect my LCD-2 headphones to my Ragnarok amp., 
                                                                                        OR
 2. An audiophile grade, 2 meter minimum length, 4 pin male to 4 pin female XLR extension cable to insert between the amp and the current headphone cable,
                                                                                         OR
 3. A pair of 4 pin to 3 pin "Y" XLR adapters, (one with a 4 pin male connector to dual 3 pin female connectors, to connect to the Ragnarok), and another one with dual 3 pin male connectors to a single female 4 pin connector, to connect to the LCD-2's headphone cable),     AS WELL AS a pair of audiophile grade standard 3 pin XLR cables to connect both "Y" adapters together to "complete the circuit" between said headphones and amplifier...    ...
  
   Should a great 4 pin XLR extension cable exist, I would like to try THAT solution first, so I do not have to pay for an entire, new dedicated, extra long headphone cable, if in fact high quality extensions exist... 
   
   Alternatively, who would manufacture the XLR 4 pin to 3 pin "Y" adapters I would need in order to utilize audiophile grade standard 3 pin XLR cables between them, and what manufacturer of audiophile grade 3 pin XLR cables would one recommend? 
   My brief attempt at research has yielded nothing particularly helpful thus far, so please do not hesitate to attempt to assist, you can only be helpful by suggesting things... 
  
 Thank you in advance for your input/suggestions/direction! 
  
 Sincerely,
 T. A. Kogstrom


----------



## buson160man

sound eq said:


> paying about 500 bucks man for a cable is never ever ever in my book of things I will ever do. I heard the sound of a 600 USD cable and compared to stock and no difference to my ears
> 
> we did blind tests and never passed that a 600 USD cable is better than stock
> 
> sorry for 500 USD or more I would just buy a new headphone


 

  If you heard the cable pro reverie you or anyone else that is not legally deaf could definitely hear the difference .And that difference is not subtle. I know it is a lot of money for a headphone cable but there was no way I was going back to the very ordinary sounding stock cable. I am much happier about my lcd2s now but it is a shame it took a cable that costs two thirds the price of the headphone to do it. I really feel that audeze should supply a better performing cable with their headphone . Really the lcd2 is a much higher performing headphone than I originally thought it was . I feel the only weakness of the lcd2 is the stock leash they supply with their headphone. With a suitable replacement the lcd2s performance ratchets up significantly.


----------



## porridgecup

To start off with, I know nothing of after market cables, especially balanced setups.
  
 What would you recommend for a pre-Fazor LCD 2.2 that's ideally under $350? I'm in need of a balanced cable. Ideally I'd like to use the cable for future non-Audeze phones without having to buy a whole new cable (is it possible to swap out the connection type without buying a whole nwe cable?), but if not I understand.
  
 Additionally, what terminator type would you recommend? I don't know or understand the differences between any of them.
  
 Second, is there any other consideration I need for a fully balanced setup? If I have a balanced DAC and amp (haven't decided on which yet) and use stock cables for both of those, and a balanced cable from the amp to the LCD 2, is there anything I'm missing there?


----------



## levinhatz

porridgecup said:


> To start off with, I know nothing of after market cables, especially balanced setups.
> 
> What would you recommend for a pre-Fazor LCD 2.2 that's ideally under $350? I'm in need of a balanced cable. Ideally I'd like to use the cable for future non-Audeze phones without having to buy a whole new cable (is it possible to swap out the connection type without buying a whole nwe cable?), but if not I understand.
> 
> ...


 
  
 For under $350 I can recommend Q cable french silk. I had one but traded up for something more energetic. In retrospect I liked the smooth sound sig of the Q though. 
  
 Another thing to consider is that you'd benefit from a quality balanced interconnect cable in between your DAC and amp. This does make a discernible difference.


----------



## monkeysixtysix

I recently purchased this cable from Venus Audio:
  
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Furutech-Audeze-3m-Headphone-Cable-Cardas-Balanced-Gold-Furutech-1-4-/121612288197?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c50a840c5
  
 I'm very pleased with the build quality, and I can definitely can hear an improvement in the soundstage width and imaging of my LCD-2's...


----------



## LancerFIN

210€ shipped for 2m copper cable from Forza Audio Works. They ship from Poland. Their normal cables are cheaper if you are not fan of sleeving.
  

  
 That one loose part straightened out when I slightly pulled the cable. Nice craftsmanship and really cheap compared to competitors. Only ebay can match in price but they certainly lack in quality. Comes with 3 years of warranty.
  
 http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/


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## BassDigger

I've been an 'alternative' type for a while now; ever since a friend introduced me to kit speakers, modified electronics and home-made cables. I'm also quite partial to a Chinese 'bargain' or two (I'll be ordering a Gustard H10 quite soon BTW). I'm now well aware that the established hifi industry is a business, first of all.
  
 My speaker cable, constructed from category 5 (cat5) networking cable, has served me very well. It uses 3 runs per channel. As it's essentially the same stuff as telephone cable, (which once ran low quality audio over very long runs), but with twice the cores, it makes sense. There's a whole lot of info about it, but the idea originally came from TNTaudio. The individually teflon insulated conductors are supposed to be quite optimal for high fidelity audio use.
  
 I have always wanted to experiment with a single run, for headphones. As I've now got the LCD2f (my most expensive ever single hifi purchase, because there isn't a diy alternative to good headphones), and they seem to be 'keepers', I thought that it's high time that I start my cable experiment:
  
 A current ebay cable seller was good enough to knock a 1.5m cable together for me. I'll see how my experiment turns out; if there's some interest, maybe I can ask him if he wants to make some more.
  
 Cat 5 is a solid core cable, so anybody who's bothered by microphonics or who wants any kind of free movement whilst using it, won't be choosing this. But to me, the lcd2 is definitely a 'sitting down at home' type phone. And I don't fidget so much (yet; the Parkinson's hasn't kicked in), so I can put up with it. I'm more concerned about the SQ.
  
 I'll always remember that the speaker cable took a good 48 hours of high volume running (I was outside working on my car, and the neighbours were (already) deaf) before the sound filled out. It had replaced some budget Monster biwire and, after 48 hours, it was a huge step up.
  
 I connected the cat 5 hp cable. To start with, it sounded quite tinny and a definite step down from the standard cable; although the bass impact and transients seemed a little better. But that may have just been an effect of the leaner overall sound.
 Now, I've got about 30 hours on it, the sound has definitely started to fill out; there's reasonable bass and the treble is more natural. I haven't yet switched back to the original cable, for a fresh comparison (I'll do that after the cat 5 has had its 48 hours), but my memory tells me that, at the moment, the original cable would still have an edge; a more transparent sound.
  
 I'll carry on 'burning' the cable in, and hopefully I'll be posting about a 'eureka' moment in the near future. Fingers crossed.


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## BassDigger

Part 2:
  
 I guess the cat 5 cable must have 70+ hours now. I've done a couple of quick comparisons with the stock cable:
  
 On both occasions I was listening to Michael Jackson's greatest hits collection cd3 (not my usual listening, but I occasionally enjoy some MJ).
  
 On the first test I just briefly switched back to the stock cable, after listening to the whole 'cd'. My immediate impression was of the stock cable sounding slower, kind of laid back. This substantiated my initial impressions of the cat 5 cable; the stock cable definitely seemed smoother and 'unhurried'. I just listened to the intro of 'Bad'. I noticed that the treble seemed different. So I focused on a sort of synth high hat percussion noise, towards the left channel, that continues throughout.
 When I switched back to the cat 5 (same music, same volume, same everything), the sound was immediately faster, with more impact and faster transients. The high hat seemed clearer with a clearly metallic sound, that I hadn't noticed with the stock cable.
 Not a proper, serious test, but it seemed like a 'clear' (pun intended) win for the cat 5. I didn't want to switch back, again.
  
 A few days later, with the same album, I carried out a more serious assessment. This time, with just carrying out comparisons rather than listening, I found it much harder to notice any difference!
 I kept switching back and forth, repeatedly listening to the same sections of different tracks, and it took quite a while before I was sure of a difference between the cables.
  
 Part of the reason may have been because I hadn't done any listening and the equipment was still coming up to temperature; I always switch everything off, 'stone cold', when not in use.
 This time I didn't really get a sense of the transients; the speed sounded the same between cables. But, I definitely felt that the cat 5 cable was clearer; it had more treble energy. The rest of the freq. spectrum was the same; bass extension, power and impact, and the mids, all seemed identical, but the treble was 'hotter'.
 I use the word 'hotter' on purpose; at that time, listening to that album, the sound was definitely a little too edgy, at times, through the cat 5. This is something that I'm very sensitive to, hence the purchase of lcd2. But, switching to other music, the balance seemed right, and I got the feeling that I was missing some details and clarity with the stock cable.
 So, another win for the cat 5. But this time, just!
  
 These comparisons have been with an amp that is surely underpowered, for the Audeze phones. I'll be getting a more representative amp soon, the Gustard H10, and then I'll post back and update, with hopefully some more seriously tested and conclusive impressions.
  
_Still digging for the bass._


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## Bellasperson

I have 2 Q Cable French Silk. One for home, one for office. I have used them with LCD2s but I am currently listening to LCD3fs and Oppo PM2s. I have tried a half dozen other cables  but found the French Silk to be the overall best combination. I am slowly changing over to French Silk connector cables. The two words best describing the sound is clear and clean. They are also very well built.


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## Audiogalore

Try the new WireWorld nano Platinum Silver Eclipse7 The silver cable lets the details of the phone sound come through and tames the lows nicely.


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## Cardiiiii

Anyone have any experience with the Van Damme Blue Studio wires for the LCD2?


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## ExistentialEAR

If the beatles used basic guitar chords, the mic chord on (insert band) was basic copper and the mixing desk use POTENTIOMETERS!!! what in hell is a cable gonna do besides be a resisitive load!?

Yes I'm aware of the wars over cable.

If you can afford some of those cables...ENVY


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## ExistentialEAR

I bought those single strand copper cables for my LCD-2 I'M HAPPY


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## sikki-six

Is there a reason Audeze used Canare's speaker cable (4S6 009) for LCD-2 back in the day? I'm pretty sure those are supposed be used in different applications.


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## BassDigger

sikki-six said:


> Is there a reason Audeze used Canare's speaker cable (4S6 009) for LCD-2 back in the day? I'm pretty sure those are supposed be used in different applications.


 
  
 I don't know, but I've got the impression that they've down-specced; Canare cable is supposed to be quite respectable.


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## BassDigger

existentialear said:


> I bought *those single strand copper cables* for my LCD-2 I'M HAPPY


 
  
 Pray, do tell?


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## PilotNorman

also wondering this question, thanks for the reviews


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## Odium Child

So I'm getting my 2nd replacement cable from Audeze, my cables are going in and out due to the cable. I really don't want to spend a lot on a cable and I just want a solid well built cable, I also haven't been a fan of the ribbon style. Is there a cable that is solidly built and not too expensive? To be quite frank I don't really believe in spending a ton on a cable, anything over $200 is too much. Anything that you would recommend? I'd also prefer that it is braided or something so it's aesthetically pleasing, I saw Toxic had some but it looked like it was all copper and I'm not sure about the build quality.
  
 As to why my cables keep getting messed up, I'm not sure. I have a Woo Audio stand, the headphone cable that enters the headphone doesn't touch anything so there is no pressure on it so I'm not sure why these cables keep going bad on me. This will be the 2nd within a year.


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## discodelico

frihed89 said:


> I know about ALO, Whiplash and Moon.  Are there other cables?
> 
> The ALO cables are being well-covered on another thread.
> 
> Has anyone tried and have any comments on other cables for these headphones?




I've got Nordost & be sure they sound great with my LCD 3...


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## Lappy27

To all of LCD-2 owners who still listen to their phones with the stock cable, I will say this: You have absolutely no clue of what these marvelous headphones are capables of. NO JOKE!
  
 I bought a used pair of LCD-2v2 used about three years and a half ago. I instantly ordered a Norse Audio (now Norne Audio) Norn V2 8 conductors balanced cable for around 240$ at the time. The cable was made of OCC copper. The difference with the stock cable wasn't really subtle but to be fair, the aftermarket Norse was balanced and the stock SE. For the next three years I never looked back. Until about six months ago when I started to look for a longer cable as I was moving my set-up from my room to the living room (no more desktop system). I saw a nearly new Audiosensibility Statement cable of 11 feet for sale on a canadaian audio site. The cable is made of 7N OCC silver. I know Audiosensibility products and the owner Steven Huang as I had previously had the chance to try and now own As IC's and USB cable. Fortunately, the seller was a guy living close from my house. He accepted to land me the cable to try and compare with the Norse copper cable.
  
 Wow!!! What a revelation it was! All the comments about recessed soundstage, slight treble drop off, fat bass often heard about LCD-2 are no more valids here. It's absolutely incredible how much the sound opens wirth the silver cable. It became much faster too and as you can guess, the détails and resolution jump in your face as never before. But all that with the same smooth and non fatiguing presentation if that make sense. The PRaT was immensely improved too. It's really like I was listening to a LCD-3 Fazor but even more open (I had the chance to compare the 3F to my 2v2 for two weeks last year).
  
 LCD-2 owners, do yourself a favor. Try a good silver cable with your 2. I'm absolutely convinced that you will be really impressed by the result. I should have done that three years before!


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## Audiogalore

lappy27 said:


> To all of LCD-2 owners who still listen to their phones with the stock cable, I will say this: You have absolutely no clue of what these marvelous headphones are capables of. NO JOKE!
> 
> I bought a used pair of LCD-2v2 used about three years and a half ago. I instantly ordered a Norse Audio (now Norne Audio) Norn V2 8 conductors balanced cable for around 240$ at the time. The cable was made of OCC copper. The difference with the stock cable wasn't really subtle but to be fair, the aftermarket Norse was balanced and the stock SE. For the next three years I never looked back. Until about six months ago when I started to look for a longer cable as I was moving my set-up from my room to the living room (no more desktop system). I saw a nearly new Audiosensibility Statement cable of 11 feet for sale on a canadaian audio site. The cable is made of 7N OCC silver. I know Audiosensibility products and the owner Steven Huang as I had previously had the chance to try and now own As IC's and USB cable. Fortunately, the seller was a guy living close from my house. He accepted to land me the cable to try and compare with the Norse copper cable.
> 
> ...


 
 That is so true. I have also experimented with various cables of high grade copper and when I went to the Wireworld Platinum silver it made my LCD2 completely different. highs were sweeter and much more transparent.
  
 Enjoy music!


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## mgard

I'm using the Q Cable which is made up of ultra-fine stranded Type 2 copper litz. It has a pure silk wrapped chocolate brown case which is very flexible.  They certainly sound  and look better than the stock cable. I haven't tried silver with my LCD 2.2's. 
  
~Mike


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## Pingupenguins

mgard said:


> I'm using the Q Cable which is made up of ultra-fine stranded Type 2 copper litz. It has a pure silk wrapped chocolate brown case which is very flexible.  They certainly sound  and look better than the stock cable. I haven't tried silver with my LCD 2.2's.
> 
> ~Mike


 
  
 Thanks for the positive review Mike! I hear a lot of comments about the Audeze stock cables being "garden hoses". Glad to hear you like the flexibility of the Q!


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## Sound Eq

anyone interested in Moon Audio Black Dragon V2 for Audeze with RSA/ALO Connector 5 FTm
  
 http://www.head-fi.org/t/794634/moon-audio-black-dragon-v2-for-audeze-with-rsa-alo-connector-5-ft
  
 i am selling it because i sold my audeze lcd2 and bought oppo pm1


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## IMSTuner

I read a couple of post in this thread and I'm so confused. Can some one recommend me a fairly priced balance cable for my LCD2 to go along with my Grace Design m920. I'm not looking to break the bank on this one. Thanks head for the newbie question.


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## DaemonSire

I have two Audeze (mini-xlr) cables for sale that terminate to 4pin XLR.  PM if interested.  I will be posting in the F/S forums soon.
  
  
 - Audeze Terminated (mini-xlr) Canare cable to 4pin XLR
 - Audeze Terminated (mini-xlr) silver plated cable to 4pin XLR


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## grrorr76

lappy27 said:


> To all of LCD-2 owners who still listen to their phones with the stock cable, I will say this: You have absolutely no clue of what these marvelous headphones are capables of. NO JOKE!
> 
> I bought a used pair of LCD-2v2 used about three years and a half ago. I instantly ordered a Norse Audio (now Norne Audio) Norn V2 8 conductors balanced cable for around 240$ at the time. The cable was made of OCC copper. The difference with the stock cable wasn't really subtle but to be fair, the aftermarket Norse was balanced and the stock SE. For the next three years I never looked back. Until about six months ago when I started to look for a longer cable as I was moving my set-up from my room to the living room (no more desktop system). I saw a nearly new Audiosensibility Statement cable of 11 feet for sale on a canadaian audio site. The cable is made of 7N OCC silver. I know Audiosensibility products and the owner Steven Huang as I had previously had the chance to try and now own As IC's and USB cable. Fortunately, the seller was a guy living close from my house. He accepted to land me the cable to try and compare with the Norse copper cable.
> 
> ...


 

 I just ordered a audio sensibility cable on your recommendation for my LCD-2 . I am hoping for big things.


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## Shooter41

lappy27 said:


> To all of LCD-2 owners who still listen to their phones with the stock cable, I will say this: You have absolutely no clue of what these marvelous headphones are capables of. NO JOKE!
> 
> I bought a used pair of LCD-2v2 used about three years and a half ago. I instantly ordered a Norse Audio (now Norne Audio) Norn V2 8 conductors balanced cable for around 240$ at the time. The cable was made of OCC copper. The difference with the stock cable wasn't really subtle but to be fair, the aftermarket Norse was balanced and the stock SE. For the next three years I never looked back. Until about six months ago when I started to look for a longer cable as I was moving my set-up from my room to the living room (no more desktop system). I saw a nearly new Audiosensibility Statement cable of 11 feet for sale on a canadaian audio site. The cable is made of 7N OCC silver. I know Audiosensibility products and the owner Steven Huang as I had previously had the chance to try and now own As IC's and USB cable. Fortunately, the seller was a guy living close from my house. He accepted to land me the cable to try and compare with the Norse copper cable.
> 
> ...


 

 Sure hope you're right, I just ordered a silver Statement.  I'm loving my LCD-2's so far, even though I'm only about 30 hrs in (on everything, I also bought a Mjolnir 2 and put iFi 6922's in it, and a Cambridge Audio azur 851D DAC).  I do sometimes sense a "veil" with some recordings that I hope to eliminate.  I use the Amarra playback software on mac mini that is now a dedicated music server and it has a pretty good EQ ability, so I can dial the "veil" out many times, but I would prefer a more organic method.  The EQ even has an LCD-2 preset, though it doesn't sound like the best preset to use on every recording.  My current cord is the Audeze balanced one.  Excited to try out the Statement.


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## dawalsh

shooter41 said:


> Sure hope you're right, I just ordered a silver Statement.  I'm loving my LCD-2's so far, even though I'm only about 30 hrs in (on everything, I also bought a Mjolnir 2 and put iFi 6922's in it, and a Cambridge Audio azur 851D DAC).  I do sometimes sense a "veil" with some recordings that I hope to eliminate.  I use the Amarra playback software on mac mini that is now a dedicated music server and it has a pretty good EQ ability, so I can dial the "veil" out many times, but I would prefer a more organic method.  The EQ even has an LCD-2 preset, though it doesn't sound like the best preset to use on every recording.  My current cord is the Audeze balanced one.  Excited to try out the Statement.



So how was it?


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## Shooter41

Won't know for a while yet.  Haven't received it.  I'll update once I've had sufficient listening time to form an opinion.


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## franzdom

I just wanted something quality and shorter than stock. I ordered from Chris Lacour, www.c3audio.com
 5 foot AUDEZE LCD HEADPHONE CABLE -- UPOCC
 Very happy with them!


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## cedstrom

Thinking about ordering the Noir MK2 from forzaaudioworks.com 

Should I go for the Pure Copper or the hybrid with silver? Is it worth the extra Cash for the silver?


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## Shooter41

lappy27 said:


> To all of LCD-2 owners who still listen to their phones with the stock cable, I will say this: You have absolutely no clue of what these marvelous headphones are capables of. NO JOKE!
> 
> I bought a used pair of LCD-2v2 used about three years and a half ago. I instantly ordered a Norse Audio (now Norne Audio) Norn V2 8 conductors balanced cable for around 240$ at the time. The cable was made of OCC copper. The difference with the stock cable wasn't really subtle but to be fair, the aftermarket Norse was balanced and the stock SE. For the next three years I never looked back. Until about six months ago when I started to look for a longer cable as I was moving my set-up from my room to the living room (no more desktop system). I saw a nearly new Audiosensibility Statement cable of 11 feet for sale on a canadaian audio site. The cable is made of 7N OCC silver. I know Audiosensibility products and the owner Steven Huang as I had previously had the chance to try and now own As IC's and USB cable. Fortunately, the seller was a guy living close from my house. He accepted to land me the cable to try and compare with the Norse copper cable.
> 
> ...


 
  
  


shooter41 said:


> Sure hope you're right, I just ordered a silver Statement.  I'm loving my LCD-2's so far, even though I'm only about 30 hrs in (on everything, I also bought a Mjolnir 2 and put iFi 6922's in it, and a Cambridge Audio azur 851D DAC).  I do sometimes sense a "veil" with some recordings that I hope to eliminate.  I use the Amarra playback software on mac mini that is now a dedicated music server and it has a pretty good EQ ability, so I can dial the "veil" out many times, but I would prefer a more organic method.  The EQ even has an LCD-2 preset, though it doesn't sound like the best preset to use on every recording.  My current cord is the Audeze balanced one.  Excited to try out the Statement.


 
  
  


dawalsh said:


> So how was it?


 
  
  


shooter41 said:


> Won't know for a while yet.  Haven't received it.  I'll update once I've had sufficient listening time to form an opinion.


 
 Ok, so still early but I'm already hearing exactly what I'd hoped for.  The "veil" is already much lighter and I only have 5 or 6 hours on the new cable.  I should say that the first time trying it, giving only 30 minutes to heat the amp up before I started listening, I was horrified.  It truly sounded much worse than the stock Audeze balanced cable I had been used to.  Grainy and strained is the best way I could describe it. I was kicking myself for spending so much.  But I knew I had to give it time to burn in before making any decisions on what to do.  I had no idea the burn in would start happening so quickly.  I let it play for 3 hrs, turned everything off to cool down, then later started back up again.  I started hearing some incremental improvements already and listened for a couple of hours.  Today I again gave the amp the usual 30 minutes to warm up (while playing music), then started listening, with both my old cable sound and the previous night's "new" sound fresh in my mind.  I was kind of shocked at how much better it sounded already, only 5.5 hrs in.  I thought maybe it was just the recording so I started skipping around to others.  Nope, not just the recording, so far they all sound much better.  Now, again, my main goal was to eliminate the veil and to a lesser extent tighten the bass just a bit.  Well, we're off to a great start on the veil elimination and I think it can only get better as I go.  I'm not hearing as much difference yet in the bass response, maybe just very slight, but I'm already sold on the cable so we'll see if that also improves over time.  Overall, I've gone from being pretty unhappy to pretty satisfied in short order.  Props to Steven Huang at Audio Sensibility for helping me with a slight issue with my order.  He really went above and beyond to help me out and make me happy.


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## cedstrom

I am about to purchase the Noir Hybrid HPC from Forza Audioworks, with XLR termination and a extender with XLR to 3.5mm ViaBlue. Will use it with the balanced Schiit Jotunheim in the future, and with a Dragonfly Red until then.
  
 This retails for about €400, and this a absolutely crazy amount of money to spend on a cable, I think, at least as a student.
  
 I can not find any cheaper alternative, nor any used ones on the marketplace (import from the US is expensive). Any thoughts on this purchase?


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## darkninja67

Just got a Q Cable for my LCD-2 Fazors and love it so far. Seems to make the soundstage more open. 
 Paired with a Micca OriGen+ DAC/amp
 How much of a difference will adding a Schiit Jotunheim DAC/amp to replace the OriGen make?


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## MStager

A few months ago a customer ordered a 2.5 meter long silver headphone cable, 1/4" to mini XLRs, for Audeze LCD-3 headphones.
 Pure siilver, cost $270.00.
  
 His comment after he used it a few weeks: "The silver headphone cable you sent for my Audeze LCD-3 headphones are superb sounding.
 Another few layers have been unmasked. I wanted to thank you for the quality of your product, the value and sound. Wonderful".
  
 These are not listed in my main menu which consists of interconnects, but I also make many other types of cables as special orders.
 Several have been for headpphone cxables, plus I made some for my own modified (with mini XLR jack) A-T ATM 50's which I use
 with my Astell-Kern  AK-120.
  
 Marc Stager
 Stager Sound Systems,
  
 New York City
  
 http://stagersound.com/silver


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