# The Complete Sennheiser Cable Review



## Ross

The title for this thread is a little provocative, because I know that many others do not share my views on some of the cables I review below. But hopefully, because just about every commercially available cable is covered in the review, along with other peoples' comments, the thread should represent a complete review of these cables.

 I should also add that the differences in sound these cables produced were noticeable and significant, and had a major impact on the enjoyability of the music played on the headphones. There is no doubt of this, and I am not interested in a debate on psychological effects or double blind testing. If you wish to raise these issues, please do so somewhere else.

 This review was intended to be a complete review of all available copper cables. This is because I don't generally like silver or silver/copper cables, and was not planning to buy or audition them. As it turned out, I ended up buying them anyway, although these cables have not altered my opinions of silver as a cable material.

 I have owned Sennheiser 580s, then 600s, then 650s, for years. I have two pairs of each. I like the Sennheiser sound; I think they are the best sounding and most versatile headphones around. I think they sound better than Grados, Stax (when driven by a very good amp), Beyer, AKG and every other headphone I've heard. I don't find them veiled, distant, lacking bass, impact or anything else. I don't expect everyone to agree with these opinions, but it will give you some idea of where I'm coming from.

 Amps I use include the Naim Headline/Hicap, Meier Prehead, Headroom Maxed Home, Ben Duncan Phones-01, World Audio Design HD83 (tubed), and Hart Linsley Hood Chiarra. Sources were my Naim CDS2 and LP12/Ekos/Lyra Clavis Evolve/Prefix/Supercap in my main, Naim system, and a Naim CD5, and Michell Orbe SE/SME IV/Ortofon Rohmann with Lehmann Black Cube SE in the second system. Music was mainly classical and opera, but some jazz, rock and dance.

 About a decade ago I owned Sennheiser's (then) top of the range headphones, the 560 II. They were dark sounding, but very good (I wish I still had them). One day, the cable broke. I rigged up a replacement cable using some cheap OFC speaker wire from an electronics store and used bare wire and electrical tape to connect to the earpieces. It wasn't pretty, but it sounded a lot better than the stock cable. It was then that I realised that the Sennheisers were capable of signficant improvement through cables (as was every other part of the hi fi chain). I then waited patiently for this realisation to dawn on others, and one day it did: I read on Headwize about the *Clou cables*.

 I bought both the *Red Jaspis* and *Blue Jaspis* almost immediately. These cables were a silver/copper hybrid, and used Sennheiser earpiece connectors spliced to the end of the cable. Although, as I've mentioned above, I don't like silver/copper cables, it was all that was available at the time, so I had to have them. Of course, at that time the 650s had not been released, so they were used with my 600s. The cables were noticeably more detailed and smoother than the stock Sennheiser cable. The Red Jaspis was a little fuller sounding, but there was not much difference between the Red and Blue versions. However, they were bright, with an exaggerated top end, as has always been my experience with silver/copper cables. Once the *Cardas* cable came out, I sold the Clous.

 I bought the first version of the *Cardas* cable, and later the second version. Again, this was with the 600s rather than the 650s. The Cardas cables represented a signficant improvement on the Clous, both in sound and construction. They were more flexible than the Clous, and used Cardas proprietary earpiece connectors, a much better solution than the spliced cable ends used by Clou. 

 The Cardas sound was warmer, better balanced, and without the brightness or shrill top end of the Clou cables. It was a little less smooth, but with a focus in the midrange which better suited the Sennheisers. I should add that the second version was significantly better than the first version, with better detail, and greater ability to distinguish tonal colours.

 I owned the Cardas cables for several years very happily, but the 650s had come out, along with a new generation of cables. I'd also bought a Meier Prehead, whose extraordinary sound quality and transparency made it even easier to hear the differences between these cables, especially as I had ordered mine with both sockets set at zero ohms, which enabled me to make direct comparisons of cables using my two pairs of 650s with different cables from the same amp.

 When the Prehead arrived, I'd also ordered the *Oehlbach* cable. The Oehlbach is a well-made copper cable, very like the stock cable in appearance and the most flexible of the after-market cables; also the cheapest. After I'd had it for a short time, I posted some comments on this forum about my disappointment with the cable. Although there were some improvements over the stock cable, there was also some downsides. Perhaps I was a little overly critical of the cable at the time, but my initial reservations remain. The Oehlbach improves on the stock cable in the midrange and in tonal colour, as well as the solidity of the sound. However, the image is flatter and smeared - the stock cable provides a better three-dimensional image - and while the Oehlbach goes deeper than the stock cable, it lacks deep bass compared to other cables and has a noticeably compressed top end. The Oehlbach cable is also a little grainy sounding, much like the stock cable. Despite this, I think it is a worthwhile upgrade on the stock cable for its better sense of tonal colour. For me, tonal colour is more important than spatial information, so the sense of spatial "flattening" that the Oehlbach produces is not of too much concern to me, but may be to others. I like the Oehlbach at its price, especially with the 580s, with which it is an ideal match. However, the Oehlbach cable does not compete with any of the more expensive cables I mention in this review.

 Looking around at the Sennheiser cable market, I was wondering which cable to try next. The Zu was standing out as the most highly rated, followed by the Silver Dragon, but I still had reservations about silver cables. That left the Equinox and Blue Dragon. The Equinox had some very positive reviews, but its spliced cable connections were of concern, but the Blue Dragon had had little significant comment - so I ordered both, which arrived within a few days of each other.

 The *Blue Dragon* from Moon Audio is an all-copper cable in an attractive blue sheath, relatively flexible (as these things go) and uses Cardas earpiece connectors. It is very well made. 

 The *Equinox* is equally well-made, but uses spliced connections from a stock cable to obtain the earpiece connectors. Stefan Art Audio give some reasons on their website as to why they believe that this is the best approach, but this strikes me as rationalisation rather than convincing logic. I know from experience that even a short amount of cable can transform the sound, so using a section of the stock cable (however miniscule) seems to defeat the purpose. 

 Both the Blue Dragon and Equinox cables were run in over a period of weeks through continuous connection to an amp connected to a tuner, with some testing during that period.

 It was interesting that the Equinox seemed to provide a couple of extra db of volume compared to the Blue Dragon. Straight out of the box, the Blue Dragon sounded muffled (as some have reported), compressed, and producing a lower volume of sound. The Blue Dragon continued to sound constricted and compressed for some time, with a fuzzy sound, and uncontrolled bass. This continued for a few weeks. Then it opened up and sounded bright for a couple of weeks. And then the brightness reduced and the cable started to produce its final sound. This took a couple of months, and I have never heard any cable change its sound so much during a break in period. In fact, I was thinking of returning it to Moon Audio at several times during the break in, as I kept thinking "surely _now_ it's run in", but no, there was still a lot of running in to do. I therefore suggest that anyone auditioning this cable allow a couple of months of continuous use before assessing it critically.

 The Equinox had no such issues. It improved with time, but its essential character remained much the same straight from the box.

 Once run in, the Blue Dragon had a slightly dark sound, with a strong emphasis on the midrange, deep bass, natural - ie unexaggerated - highs, and the most striking ability to resolve tonal colour that I have ever heard the Sennheisers produce. The Blue Dragon does make the headphones sound a shade "softer" both in terms of volume and impact, but they compensate with a vivid, lifelike character, and a warm, velvety, silkiness that I find very addictive. They also produce the most natural sense of space of any of the cables. Instruments have a fullness and occupy a real sense of space, while the ambience of the recording venue and around instruments is strikingly reproduced. In case you can't tell, I like this cable. In fact, the more I listened to it after its lengthy run-in period, I _loved_ this cable.

 The Equinox* disappointed in comparison, especially after its many glowing reviews. It is not a bad cable by any means, but while sounding subjectively louder than the Blue Dragon, it lacks the tonal and spatial richness that the Blue Dragon produces. It does have a fairly neutral balance, and produces excellent amounts of detail with smoothness, but lacks the Blue Dragon's ability to reproduce complex tonal colours. Had I not heard the Blue Dragon, I would probably rate the Equinox more highly. I suspect the Equinox would be a better cable if it did not use spliced connections, but it is impossible to know if this is true. I liked the Equinox, which is a clear improvement on the stock cable, but I was not blown away as I expected to be after some of the reviews, especially in comparison to the Blue Dragon.

 I was so impressed by the Blue Dragon, that I decided to flout my usual rule of avoiding silver cables and ordered the *Silver Dragon* from Moon Audio. This was partly based on Moon Audio's own claim that the Silver Dragon was a big improvement on the Blue Dragon. Once again, Drew Baird at Moon Audio provided excellent service, and I soon had a Silver Dragon running in. Knowing the break-in time that the Blue Dragon had required, I let the Silver Dragon run in continuously for at least 200 hours. Even so, it re-confirmed my preference for copper cables over silver.

 In my experience, silver cables tend to sound smoother and more detailed than copper cables, but usually have an exaggerated treble, are brighter and, more importantly (to me), have a metallic colouration which I do not like. (As may be clear from the above, tonal colour is the most critical factor for me in any hi fi equipment.) I have tried many silver interconnects, including some extremely expensive ones, and have always had the same reaction. 

 The Silver Dragon was no exception to this. While warmer sounding than many silver cables I have tried, the Silver Dragon was still brighter than the Blue Dragon and Equinox. As expected, it had greater detail and smoothness, but its metallic colouration ruled it out for me. Others with a greater tolerance for silver cables and a greater appreciation of their strengths will probably like this cable better than I did. 

 Having now listened to every cable I was aware of, there was of course only one remaining - the *Zu Mobius*. I was conscious that it was a silver/copper hybrid, which I have never liked in cables, but on the other hand it was receiving some rapturous reviews, and combined with the fact that it was the only cable I hadn't tried, I decided to buy it.

 The Zu has been running in for a few weeks continuously, although its sound has changed little over that time. As expected with a silver/copper cable, it has an exaggerated top end, and is bright. ("Brightness" is a difficult concept to pin down; there are many things I think of as "bright" which others have described as "dark" and vice versa; the Zu is an example, since many have described it as warm or dark, which is just not what I hear. It is possible, however, that what you and I mean by the term "bright" are quite different things; that is one of the pitfalls of writing about hi fi equipment.) To me, the Zu is umistakeably bright. It also has a noticeably exaggerated treble. It is fast, liquid, tight, and upfront, and it is these qualities which I suspect make it so popular. Certainly, if you think the Sennheisers are in any sense "veiled" or "distant" or "laid-back", this cable will pierce the veil, bring the sound closer and "wake up" the headphones. However, I don't consider the 650s veiled at all, and while I liked the smoothness, incredible detail and liquidity of the sound this cable produced, I didn't appreciate the tipped up treble (which is partly responsible for the increased detail) or brightness. This sense of brightness also reduces the cable's ability to resolve tonal colours. 

 Using the Zu with my HD83 tube amp produced some improvements. The rolled off treble of the amp was compensated to some extent by the bright sound of the cable. This was a better match than my Prehead or other solid state amps. However, the "silvery" sound was still not to my taste.

 I should add that the Zu is very well made, although the aluminium connectors are a bit of a nuisance - I developed blisters trying to get then into the earpiece sockets, although once connected, they remain connected securely.

 To summarise, the Blue Dragon was far and away my favourite of these cables. I love the sound of the 650s with this cable. There is a silky, velvety sound with a sense of tonal richness and a natural spatial presentation which I find produces the best sound I have ever heard with headphones. It surprises me that this cable has been so completely underrated, overshadowed as it is by the supposedly better Silver Dragon and the bright Zu. The Equinox was a good cable but a little disappointing compared with the Blue Dragon. The Oehlbach is an okay budget choice, especially for the 580s, but may not represent enough of an improvement for the 650s. The Cardas cable is excellent, and on a par with the Equinox. The Equinox is a bit smoother and more detailed, but the Cardas has a richer sound, although it is still a long way behind the Blue Dragon in that respect. The Silver Dragon was a good silver cable, and for those who like silver and appreciate the smoothness and detail it brings, the Silver Dragon may well be the best choice. But for those allergic to silver cables (like me), the Silver Dragon's metallic sound ruled it out. The Zu is well suited to those who like a bright sound or who find the Sennheisers "veiled", especially in combination with tube amps. Its speed, detail and smoothness, are obviously factors in its popularity. But for me, its brightness and increased treble - the expected results of using a silver/copper hybrid - outweighed its strengths.

 So my choice is the Blue Dragon, which I truly believe should be more popular with Sennheiser users than it is. I would, however, caution that it takes an unbelievably long time for this cable to stablise its sound, which may be a factor in its relative lack of popularity. 

 As mentioned earlier, all of the comments above are personal opinions, and I expect - and indeed encourage - different points of view, so if you disagree with anything I have said - apart from the self-evident fact that cables _do_ make a substantial difference - please feel free to comment.

 Ross

 *Please see revised comments about the Equinox below.


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## BrianS

Thanks for taking the time to review all these. I have experience only with the Zu.


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## emp

Nice review, but I miss a comment about the Zu Mobius' bass.


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## blessingx

Yes, thanks Ross. It's always nice to get a different opinion and it does seem two cables have overshadowed the others.


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## Wmcmanus

Thanks for your detailed review. I'm not going to read it, however, for fear that it may influence a similar review I've been trying to put together for the following: Zu Mobius, Silver Dragon, Equinox, Clou Red, Cardas, Ohelbach, Bayley Audio Diamondback (no longer in production) using the HD600 and HD650. 

 I did read the first bit you wrote about not wanting to field any questions about double blind testing and so forth and this is the same way I fell about the process. I've found that there are significant differences, and it's hard enough to find the time to do the listening that is required to differentiate these cables _on my own_! I can't imagine asking somebody to lift the headphones on an off of my head while I wear a blindfold for days on end, being ever so careful not to allow the cable to brush aginst my shirt or to touch my skin for fear that I'd be able to identify the cable by it's texture.


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## Patrickhat2001

Ross, you rock! Thanks for the great review. 

 I'm with you too about not being down with the sound of silver cables. With my Senns I much prefer the sound of the Equinox and Oehlbach over the Zu Mobius which I found to be too bright, thin, and metallic sounding (albeit very detailed yet in an unconvincing way--like the music flowed almost too fast).


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## purk

Ross,
 Great reviews and very informative. I believe you and I have slightly different opinion. I, too, have heard all of the Senn upgrade cables. I agree with you completely that the Oehlbach is the last on the list, then clou blue, then clou red. I also agree with you that the Blue Dragon does everything very well; however, I feel that the Equinox definitely sound more balanced and definitely more natural. I also discovered that the cardas cable while being balance, it sound dull and took the joy and fun factors out of my listening experience. The Zu is a great sounding cable with lots of energy, especially in bass department. And while not as detail as the Silver Dragon, the Zu is definitely an equaled of the Equinox. I also believe that the Zu is warmer souding than the Equinox, and Silver Dragon and has more emphasis in mid-bass region. The Silver Dragon is definitely the brightest but it offer amazing details and excellent sense of soundstage.


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## Patrickhat2001

Zu warmer than the Equinox? That is the complete opposite of my experience. I found the Mobius to much colder sounding than the Equinox--like most of the tonal character had been removed from the music. The Equinox is a much warmer cable to my ears.

 No offense, it's just funny because that's the exact opposite of what I heard when I tried these cables.


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## taoster

great post Ross, a most informative and interesting read. Just when I have decided to purchase a ZU for xmas, along comes another review that says otherwise!

 The after-market cable must be very subjective, there is not one cable that someone has not liked best. It gets even more confusing as each different cable seems to offer similar "best" performance for different people!

 Did you found the ZU's treble to be unnatural or just focused, increased. Where there any issue with fatigue with the ZU and how did it fair with extracting tonal qualities, especially with (female) vocals?


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## screwdriver

i have the silver dragon and zu mobius cable .

 its really hard to pick one over the other .
 the zu has a tighter bass , the silver dragon has more detail .

 either cable can excell in different songs really , at times i like the tight bass , other times i like the detail. 

 oh well...............


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## purk

Quote:


 Zu warmer than the Equinox? That is the complete opposite of my experience. I found the Mobius to much colder sounding than the Equniox--like most of the tonal character had been removed from the music. The Equinox is a much warmer cable to my ears. 
 

 First, we all hear differently. Second, your headphone is the HD-600 not HD-650. Even though I have my HD-600 in hand, 90% of my listening is done with my Senn HD-650. Third, your setup and mine are not the same. I use my SACDmods Sony SCD-C555ES w/ HG silver lace IC and PPA/RKV MKII as amp. Another thing, I also found out that the Equinox match better with the HD-600 in comparison to the HD-650 and we salso hare the opinion that the Mobius is not the best cable for HD-600.


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## purk

screwdriver,

  Quote:


 i have the silver dragon and zu mobius cable. its really hard to pick one over the other .
 the zu has a tighter bass , the silver dragon has more detail .

 either cable can excell in different songs really , at times i like the tight bass , other times i like the detail. 

 oh well............... 
 

I totally agree with you. When I first heard the SD and Mobius side by side all I can say was they were amazing cables. Both have their excellent sonics and it really hard to pick one over another.


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## Patrickhat2001

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *purk* 
_First, we all hear differently. Second, your headphone is the HD-600 not HD-650. Even though I have my HD-600 in hand, 90% of my listening is done with my Senn HD-650. Third, your setup and mine are not the same. I use my SACDmods Sony SCD-C555ES w/ HG silver lace IC and PPA/RKV MKII as amp. Another thing, I also found out that the Equinox match better with the HD-600 in comparison to the HD-650 and we salso hare the opinion that the Mobius is not the best cable for HD-600._

 


 True, Purk we do hear differently and have different systems. I'm sorry if it seemed like I railing on you in my last post. I should really stop posting in the early morning hours when I'm cranky. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 But while I agree that all people seem to hear differently (and have different systems) I find it really hard to believe that someone could think of the Mobius as a warmer sounding cable than the Equinox regardless of wether you use the HD600 or the HD650. Although I didn't state it in my post I owned the HD650 at the same time I owned both the Equinox and the Zu. To my ears the Zu did not become a warmer cable than the Equinox when used with the HD650s; it's tonal character stayed the same. The Zu did, however, pair a little better with the HD650 because the phones' slightly warmer tonal character (when compared to the HD600). But these are just my findings. I agree to disagree.


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## Soundbuff

EXCELLENT review, Ross. I had read virtually nothing about the Moon Audio Blue Dragon prior to your post and now I am very intrigued.

 I'm trying to decide which upgrade cable to get for my Bel Canto DAC2 / MPX3 / HD 650 combo. The way you describe it, the Blue Dragon sounds like an ideal choice, though I haven't eliminated the Zu Mobius or Equinox yet. I am pretty sure copper is a better choice than silver for my setup.

 Can you or someone else provide some additional info on these cables? How would you compare the Blue Dragon, Equinox, and Zu in terms of:

 Thickness & Weight
 Flexibility
 Microphonics

 Thanks again for the great review!


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## Ross

Quote:


 Nice review, but I miss a comment about the Zu Mobius' bass. 
 

 The Zu's bass is okay but nothing special. It didn't draw attention to itself as either excessive or deficient. Like the rest of the frequency spectrum of the Zu, its bass is fast and tight. However, unlike the other cables, the focus on the upper frequencies means that this is not a cable for those looking for a deep, fat bass as a first priority.

  Quote:


 With my Senns I much prefer the sound of the Equinox and Oehlbach over the Zu Mobius which I found to be too bright, thin, and metallic sounding (albeit very detailed yet in an unconvincing way--like the music flowed almost too fast). 
 

 Patrick, your experience is exactly the same as mine, and the words you use to describe the Zu mirror my own experience perfectly.

  Quote:


 I also agree with you that the Blue Dragon does everything very well; however, I feel that the Equinox definitely sound more balanced and definitely more natural. I also discovered that the cardas cable while being balance, it sound dull and took the joy and fun factors out of my listening experience. 
 

 Purk, after posting the review and reading the first few comments I decided to spend some hours listening to the Equinox again, since I had been mainly focussing my recent listening time on the Zu. On further thought, I think you are right: the Equinox ranks above the Cardas, which sounds a bit fuzzy and unfocussed by comparison. The Equinox sounds sharper, better focussed with better resolution and, depending on the amp, a more natural balance. The Equinox sounded just a shade bright with the Prehead, although with excellent detail and smoothness. With the darker Maxed Home, it has a warm, natural balance, although gives up some detail and depth (due to the amp). It also resolved detail better than the Blue Dragon, although I continue to think that the Blue Dragon has a lushness that makes it more musical and has a greater palette of tonal colours - but this is merely a question of preference. 

 After further listening, I therefore withdraw my earlier comment that I was "disappointed" in the Equinox, and rank it second in my review, ahead of the Cardas, but behind the Blue Dragon. Again, I can understand that others may prefer the greater resolution of the Equinox to the Blue Dragon. It's really a question of taste and system synergy. 

  Quote:


 I also believe that the Zu is warmer souding than the Equinox 
 

 I'm with Patrick on this one. I'm not quite sure why we are hearing different things (or perhaps hearing the same thing but using different words) but I guess that's what makes audio the interesting, inexact science that it is.

  Quote:


 Did you found the ZU's treble to be unnatural or just focused, increased. Where there any issue with fatigue with the ZU and how did it fair with extracting tonal qualities, especially with (female) vocals? 
 

 I did find the Zu's treble to be unnatural, as well as the focus of the cable's sound. While initially exciting, I did find it fatiguing over the longer term (although this was somewhat ameliorated with the tube amp), and its bnghtness does not - for me - suit female vocals. In fact, as I did some more experiments last night, I used the recent CD of Natalie Dessay singing Richard Strauss arias (highly recommended!), and found Dessay's bright voice almost unlistenable with the Zu, but it sounded wonderful with both the Equinox and Blue Dragon.

  Quote:


 Can you or someone else provide some additional info on these cables? How would you compare the Blue Dragon, Equinox, and Zu in terms of:

 Thickness & Weight
 Flexibility
 Microphonics 
 

They are all very similarly constructed, with similar outer sheaths and a similar thickness and weight. I noticed no microphonic issues with any of the cables, but then I usually sit (or lie) immobile while listening. The only ergonomic issue was with the Zu's aluminium connectors, which were a pain to use, but otherwise there is not much between these cables on any of these issues.


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## purk

Ross and Patrick,
 I've re-evaluated my Zu and Equinox too and "yes" I think the Zu is a brighter cable than the Equinox, but Equinox is definitely a more balance cable with more laid back presentation (in comparison to the Zu). I think I should withdraw my statement so sorry guys. After all, my previous comparison was a very brief one and the Equinox has one week time in my apartment. BTW, I recently bought the Equinox and now enjoy it very much.


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## Ross

Purk, it's always nice when we reach a consensus on these things!


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## blessingx

After reading this yesterday, I went back to the 6Moons review of July. Wanted to post the link in case anyone missed it.


> _Going from the silver to the blue dragon added both weight and -- dare I say it? -- a more copperish and warmer tint. While that part conformed to popular notions about copper vs. silver conductors and with it, the relative balance of weight vs. a leaner, more precise sound, the Silver Dragon failed to accede to expectations with its HF performance. Alternating between Equinox and Blue Dragon, I found the former to be more open and cohesive top-to-bottom and nearly suggestive of a smidgen more gain._


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## KZEE

Hey, ala the 6CG7 tuberolling pack, who'll put together a cable rolling pack to pass around of all the popular Senn cables that are available?! Now _that_ would be the ultimate!


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## saint.panda

Ross, thanks for the great review, I really enjoyed reading your story on going through the various replacement cables and have to admit that the Blue really does not get a lot of representation here on headfi mainly because of the "general consensus" that the Zu (and sometimes the Silver Dragon) are the best sounding cables. I agree that the Oehlbach is a very smooth cable and quite forgiving albeit perhaps overly so. However, could you maybe elaborate on what you describe as "bright" (humps at certain frequencies or rather a tonal thingie or ...)? 
 I think your review really provides a very much different perspective on the various HD 580/600/650 cables, which can't be bad thing


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## Bosk

First off, that's about the best review of Senn cables I've had the pleasure of reading and was incredibly informative - well done Ross!

 Oh, and of course it's always great watching an Aussie show the yanks a thing or two 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





 Ross if you have the time I wouldn't mind asking you a couple of Q's since you seem to be a pretty good judge of the Sennheiser sound. (these are slightly off the thread topic however, I hope this is ok)

 I own a pair of 580's with the Oehlbach cable and am planning to upgrade them in the new year - I do feel the 580's are somewhat "veiled" and this leads them to sound too relaxed and uninvolving for my tastes. (particularly with Rock or Electronica)

 Are the 650s much more forward with regards to this "veil" than the 580's Ross? 
 Or do you think a cable upgrade (Zu for example) would have more impact in lifting said "veil" perhaps.

 I also noticed you mentioned that the 580/600/650's surpass most of the other brands of phones including Stax.

 This is interesting to me since I've been playing with the idea of buying a Stax 3030 or 4040 system in the new year, but haven't auditioned any Stax phones yet. 
 I would love to hear your thoughts on how either of these systems (or any Stax combo you've heard) compares to your Prehead/650/Blue Dragon setup.


 Again, Well Done on the excellent cable review Ross, it makes for some great headphone-junkie reading


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## Soundbuff

I have another question about the Blue Dragon. It sounds like this cable has to go through a very long seasoning process before it can show what it can do. If I were to get one, and say I plugged the cable directly into a tuner 24 hours hours a day for a few weeks to accelerate this aging process (while using my 650 separately with the stock cable), would the "burn in" effect occur even though no headhone is connected to it? Or would you need to connect the 650 to the Blue Dragon the whole time for the burn in effect to occur?

 Sorry, I don't know a thing about electronics.


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## Ross

Quote:


 However, could you maybe elaborate on what you describe as "bright" (humps at certain frequencies or rather a tonal thingie or ...)? 
 

 There is a limit to what I can do with words. I know "bright" when I hear it, and I assume so do most other people. Certainly, an increase in treble can cause brightness, but paradoxically even components with limited treble can be bright. "Brightness" is primarily tonal, a particular coloration that gives everything a lightness of sound. It is hard to describe better than that - perhaps someone else can explain better than I have.

  Quote:


 I own a pair of 580's with the Oehlbach cable and am planning to upgrade them in the new year - I do feel the 580's are somewhat "veiled" and this leads them to sound too relaxed and uninvolving for my tastes. (particularly with Rock or Electronica)

 Are the 650s much more forward with regards to this "veil" than the 580's Ross? 
 Or do you think a cable upgrade (Zu for example) would have more impact in lifting said "veil" perhaps. 
 

 The 650s are a refinement of the 580s, although a major one. If you find the 580s too veiled, relaxed and uninvolving, I suspect you will also find the same true of the 650s, and a cable upgrade is not likely to cure this. You might look at trying some Grado 225s or Beyer 770s.

  Quote:


 I also noticed you mentioned that the 580/600/650's surpass most of the other brands of phones including Stax.

 This is interesting to me since I've been playing with the idea of buying a Stax 3030 or 4040 system in the new year, but haven't auditioned any Stax phones yet. 

 I would love to hear your thoughts on how either of these systems (or any Stax combo you've heard) compares to your Prehead/650/Blue Dragon setup. 
 

 When I say the Sennheisers surpass all other brands, including Stax, this is of course a statement of personal preference rather than one of objective fact. To me, Sennheisers convey the perfect balance of dynamic impact, tonal accuracy, timbral colour, bass depth and musicality. Other headphones surpass them in individual respects, but on balance the Sennheisers get most things right. The Stax headphones are good but a little analytical, and lack real drive and impact. They are certainly very good headphones, but I prefer the more substantial sound of dynamic headphones to electrostatics. For rock and electronica, I would have thought that the Stax were not the ideal choice. Again, Grados or Beyers may give you more of what you are looking for. The Grados are fun headphones which are very musical (and the 225s is, in my opinion, the best headphones they make at any price) and may suit your tastes. The Beyer 770s and 990s have deep, powerful bass and great impact, although they are not as tonally sophisticated as the Sennheisers. 

  Quote:


 If I were to get one, and say I plugged the cable directly into a tuner 24 hours hours a day for a few weeks to accelerate this aging process (while using my 650 separately with the stock cable), would the "burn in" effect occur even though no headhone is connected to it? Or would you need to connect the 650 to the Blue Dragon the whole time for the burn in effect to occur? 
 

 You need to connect the headphone for the cable to burn in.


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## saint.panda

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Ross* 
_There is a limit to what I can do with words. I know "bright" when I hear it, and I assume so do most other people. Certainly, an increase in treble can cause brightness, but paradoxically even components with limited treble can be bright. "Brightness" is primarily tonal, a particular coloration that gives everything a lightness of sound. It is hard to describe better than that - perhaps someone else can explain better than I have._

 

Thanks for your reply. Would you say this brightness could also lead to listening fatigue? Reason is that I found listening to the Silver Dragon more fatiguing compared to the for example the Zu cable.


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## Ross

Quote:


 Would you say this brightness could also lead to listening fatigue? 
 

 Yes, absolutely.


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## CRESCENDOPOWER

I rate this one 5 headphones! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	
















 I wonder what cable I am going to try next? I'll give you a hint, it starts with Blue, and ends in Dragon.


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## KZEE

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Bosk* 
_I own a pair of 580's with the Oehlbach cable and am planning to upgrade them in the new year - I do feel the 580's are somewhat "veiled" and this leads them to sound too relaxed and uninvolving for my tastes. (particularly with Rock or Electronica)_

 

I also own the 580's, and I recently made a cable change (rolled my own) and there was a major improvement in sound quality. To my ears there definitely was a veil on the 580's with the stock cable, and the new cable lifted that veil and made the phones a hundred percent more enjoyable with which to listen to music to. If you can't roll your own, it's a shame that it takes a two hundred or so dollar cable to really wake these phones up, but I'm afraid that's the price one has to pay to get good sound out of the 580's.


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## JaZZ

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Soundbuff* 
_...would the "burn in" effect occur even though no headhone is connected to it?_

 

The headphone needs to be connected. But as an alternative you could wrap the ends of say 30-ohm resistors around the cable contacts -- this would make even more current flow through the cable than with the 300-ohm drivers connected and theoretically accelerate burn-in. That's what I've done with the Silver Dragon.


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## JaZZ

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Bosk* 
_I own a pair of 580's with the Oehlbach cable and am planning to upgrade them in the new year - I do feel the 580's are somewhat "veiled" and this leads them to sound too relaxed and uninvolving for my tastes. (particularly with Rock or Electronica)

 Are the 650s much more forward with regards to this "veil" than the 580's Ross?_

 

I wouldn't call the HD 650 «much more forward», but to my ears it suits rock and especially electronica better because of increased transparency and liveliness. IMO it's a headphone for all genres, but you'll possibly find more excitement with Grados when it comes to rock. As to the «veil»: I don't hear any with my HD 600, but the HD 650 sounds more brilliant and clearer than the HD 600, if that helps you. 

  Quote:


 _Or do you think a cable upgrade (Zu for example) would have more impact in lifting said "veil" perhaps?_ 
 

I think so. But it won't be a day-and-night difference, and I don't consider the Zu Mobius an ideal match with the HD 600. 

  Quote:


 _I also noticed you mentioned that the 580/600/650's surpass most of the other brands of phones including Stax._ 
 

Although you weren't addressing to me... I'm in the same camp. I once was an electrostatic aficionado and still own three pairs, but since I've converted to the Sennheiser sound. I already preferred the HD 600 to my electrostats, and with the HD 650 the preference is even clearer. Also thanks to very good synergy with my amps -- HA-2 MkII and EMP. BTW, Prehead MkII and HA-2 MkII are the best amps for the HD 600 I've heard.


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## JaZZ

_Ross.._

 ...thanks for this fascinating review! Of the mentioned cables I have heard and own Oehlbach, Silver Dragon and Zu Mobius. While I more or less agree with your findings, especially on the former two, I don't perceive the Mobius' «tipped up» treble as exaggerated at all. Although it's impossible to say which cable is in fact neutral, to my ears the synergy between HD 650 and Zu Mobius is almost ideal. And I like sonic colors best with this combination, which to my ears provides the most natural sound. BTW, I really think the bass is especially tight and accurate with the Zu. 

 Otherwise I share your reservation against silver as conductor material. This may appear as an antagonism in view of the Zu Mobius, but I'm a pragmatist: If it works, it works.


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## maarek99

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Bosk* 
_I own a pair of 580's with the Oehlbach cable and am planning to upgrade them in the new year - I do feel the 580's are somewhat "veiled" and this leads them to sound too relaxed and uninvolving for my tastes._

 

I never had considered the 580's to be veiled until I tried the Oehlbach. It definitely did something strange and everything sounds muffled. Try the stock. It sounds better at least in my setup. No veil. Though the bass on Oehlbach is better.


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## Bosk

Cheers for all the great responses to my "veil" question.

 IMO with either the Oehlbach or stock the 580's are definately on the "dark" side, it's obvious when I listen to any kind of Rock with them that vocals are noticably quieter, less distinct & muffled compared to my other phones.

 The 580's seem to emphasise the instruments in the band (particularly drums) over vocals which works brilliantly for Jazz or Classical but isn't ideal for Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, Techno or Blues IMO.

 It almost seems like Sennheiser has engineered them with a built in "Classical" EQ preset, which I find disappointing because they're fabulous phones in terms of comfort, soundstage, detail and bass for everything else besides.


 Back on Topic:
 One question that's concerns me with the Senn cables is length: is it better to buy the shortest length you can (eg. 1 metre) to ensure maximum sound quality, in other words does the SQ fall off with longer cables?


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## Ross

Quote:


 IMO with either the Oehlbach or stock the 580's are definately on the "dark" side, it's obvious when I listen to any kind of Rock with them that vocals are noticably quieter, less distinct & muffled compared to my other phones. 
 

 Maybe you should try the Zu and take advantage of the 60 day return policy. The Zu cable definitely brightens the sound and may give you what you are looking for in the Sennheisers.

  Quote:


 One question that's concerns me with the Senn cables is length: is it better to buy the shortest length you can (eg. 1 metre) to ensure maximum sound quality, in other words does the SQ fall off with longer cables? 
 

 Unless you are running _extremely_ long cables - eg over 10 metres - the sound quality will be identical. Although I can clearly hear differences between cables, I generally cannot distinguish differences between different lengths of the same cable. The fact that I bought a 5m version of the Blue Dragon did not stop it from sounding better (to me) than the other cables, which were all 3m. Buy the most convenient length of cable, an extra metre or two will make absolutely no difference.


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## JaZZ

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Bosk* 
_Is it better to buy the shortest length you can (eg. 1 metre) to ensure maximum sound quality, in other words does the SQ fall off with longer cables?_

 

My experience is a little different. I've halved the stock cable, and this made a considerable difference: increased smoothness and clarity and slightly more treble. So I would recommend this tweak as a cheap alternative to an aftermarket cable. I've ordered the Silver Dragon as 4-feet cable with 6-feet extension cable; with the whole 10 feet it sounds a bit darker and rougher, although the difference is smaller than in the case of the stock cable. (And the additional connectors could have an impact as well.) I could compare my 1-m Zu Mobius with a 2.5 m version; the sonic difference is not very pronounced, but the sound is a little less smooth with the longer cable, especially in the midrange.


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## Bosk

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Ross* 
_Maybe you should try the Zu and take advantage of the 60 day return policy. The Zu cable definitely brightens the sound and may give you what you are looking for in the Sennheisers._

 

That's not a bad idea Ross, I must admit the Zu has been tempting me with all the great reviews it's been getting here.
 Must admit though, I was quite surprised at your thoughts on the Blue Dragon (particularly the hyper-long burn in), and you seem to be a bloke who can articulate the naunces of these cables as well as anyone.

 As for me, I should probably try to audition a few more brands of headphones before I invest more money in my 580's.

 I need to get a listen to some electrostats in the new year, as I find them conceptually pretty fascinating. "Fatigue-free-listening" is a very tempting hook.
 I'm also keen to hear how Sony's new range of "Mini-Qualias" sound, though I never really cared for Sony's brand of sound in the past. (but never owned any of their really high-end stuff to be fair)

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Ross* 
_Unless you are running extremely long cables - eg over 10 metres - the sound quality will be identical. Although I can clearly hear differences between cables, I generally cannot distinguish differences between different lengths of the same cable. The fact that I bought a 5m version of the Blue Dragon did not stop it from sounding better (to me) than the other cables, which were all 3m. Buy the most convenient length of cable, an extra metre or two will make absolutely no difference._

 

 Quote:


  Originally Posted by *JaZZ* 
_My experience is a little different. I've halved the stock cable, and this made a considerable difference: increased smoothness and clarity and slightly more treble. So I would recommend this tweak as a cheap alternative to an aftermarket cable. I've ordered the Silver Dragon as 4-feet cable with 6-feet extension cable; with the whole 10 feet it sounds a bit darker and rougher, although the difference is smaller than in the case of the stock cable. (And the additional connectors could have an impact as well.) I could compare my 1-m Zu Mobius with a 2.5 m version; the sonic difference is not very pronounced, but the sound is a little less smooth with the longer cable, especially in the midrange._

 

It's funny, but I somehow imagined that shorter cables would always sound best because the signal would have less distance to travel, thereby improving the "attack" of the music.. is this as crazy as it sounds?


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## e_dawg

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Bosk* 
_It's funny, but I somehow imagined that shorter cables would always sound best because the signal would have less distance to travel, thereby improving the "attack" of the music.. is this as crazy as it sounds?_

 

Sounds kind of funny to expect the shorter cable to get your music there a nanosecond quicker and thus improve attack, but shorter cables often sound better (other factors being equal) because they will usually have lower capacitance. Capacitance lowers the Fc of the low-pass circuit that is created between your amp and your headphones, which reduces HF extension and leaves more "glare" than "air".


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## s0lar

What cable can make my IE8 sound even better? Sweeter mids and brighter treble.


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