# Sennheiser HD 380 Pro cable options



## reticon

Best money I've ever spent on headphones and my ears are in heaven, but I hate this cable! Has anyone changed the cable on your HD 380 Pro? This thing is heavy! A non coily cable would rule. I worry if I am not super careful I could damage the jack on either my laptop or iPod ya know? Thanks in advance for any help!


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## suburbanite

bump


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## reticon

bump.


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## Mad Max

That looks like a 2.5mm plug on the headphone end.  You will probably have to build your own or have some DIY'er build one.  Judging by its bulkiness, the Radioshack 2.5mm right-angle plug should do with a little sanding down of its casing.
  Edit: I mean that the plug that I am recommending should be suitable for the cable if you build it yourself.


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## reticon

Quote: 





mad max said:


> That looks like a 2.5mm plug on the headphone end.  You will probably have to build your own or have some DIY'er build one.  Judging by its bulkiness, the Radioshack 2.5mm right-angle plug should do with a little sanding down of its casing.
> Edit: I mean that the plug that I am recommending should be suitable for the cable if you build it yourself.


 


  Where could I find some DIY people that would make me one? Or I guess another question, is it just a matter or soldering?I use old school ledded solder in the guitar amplifiers I build, and guitars I wire up, but the cables I use (Evidence) use special oxygen free this and that, silver solder, etc. I don't have any of that stuff, so not sure if I should make it myself.


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## Mad Max

Quote: 





reticon said:


> Where could I find some DIY people that would make me one? Or I guess another question, is it just a matter or soldering?I use old school ledded solder in the guitar amplifiers I build, and guitars I wire up, but the cables I use (Evidence) use special oxygen free this and that, silver solder, etc. I don't have any of that stuff, so not sure if I should make it myself.


 
   
  I use leaded solder as well.  Radioshack 2% silver, WBT 4% silver, or Cardas quad eutectic silver solder will do.  Order some Mogami 2893 microphone cable and solder the 2.5mm plug on one end and a Rean/Neutrik NYS231BG plug on the other.  If you do not mind spending a bit more, I recommend the Switchcraft 35HDBAU plug instead, it rules.  If you want a 1/4" plug instead, there's the Neutrik NP3XB.  There are guides on these forums on builing cables, complete with pics, and I'll bet you'll find video guides on youtube as well.


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## reticon

Quote: 





mad max said:


> I use leaded solder as well.  Radioshack 2% silver, WBT 4% silver, or Cardas quad eutectic silver solder will do.  Order some Mogami 2893 microphone cable and solder the 2.5mm plug on one end and a Rean/Neutrik NYS231BG plug on the other.  If you do not mind spending a bit more, I recommend the Switchcraft 35HDBAU plug instead, it rules.  If you want a 1/4" plug instead, there's the Neutrik NP3XB.  There are guides on these forums on builing cables, complete with pics, and I'll bet you'll find video guides on youtube as well.


 


  Wow! Thanks so much man, I can totally do the above. You rock!


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## suburbanite

Why not use something like this?
   
  Would that work?
   
  Of course, it would be held in place only by friction but it's my understanding that the HD 380's cable snaps into place rather than screws.
   
  I would've suggested using a HD 518 replacement cable since it starts as a 2.5mm male jack but I don't know if Sennheiser sells it. It sure doesn't show up here.


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## suburbanite

Quote: 





reticon said:


> Wow! Thanks so much man, I can totally do the above. You rock!


 
   
  What was your result?
   
  I'm considering the HD 380 but the cable is a major deciding issue for me.


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## reticon

I ended up keeping them. They are my favorite headphones. I bought many others in the $500 and under range, but returned them all. For my needs and sources (laptop, samsung tablet) these can't be beat. I love their sound, so I just deal with the cable.
   
  I briefly had a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-880's as well with a straight cord, and for what it's worth... it was like 11 ft long and even more annoying. I can honestly say coily cable is better than 11ft of straight cable going everywhere when the laptop is on my lap or my tablet is in my pocket.
   
  On the go I'll use my beyerdynamic dt-1350, I highly recommend those if you like the sound of the HD 380 pro's. The DT-1350's have a neutral sound with lovely mids, but they can't push that sub low bass like the HD 380 pro's can.


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## Jwalant87

Hi reticon,
   
  I just bought this 380 pro headphones and I love the headphones but similarly ...don't like the coiled cable... I wish it was a straight cable. Anyhow, I tried lots and lots of closed back headphone pairs and did trial and error and ended up returning them because they didn't couldn't come close to the sound quality of 380 pros.
   
  So, I also had open back Sennheiser 598 to compare how the closed back vs open back sound. I returned them because I don't need open back as of now. Anyhow, the point is that I was curious if the straight cable that came with 598 worked with 380 pros.... and it did...  only thing is it's not angled (as you see the cable that is attached in the left ear cup of the 380 pros) so you will have that little empty space remaining instead of that hole being completely filled but the wire fits perfectly.  I was thinking of buying an extra straight cable of Sennheiser hd 598 to use for 380 pros.   
   
  What solution did you come up with?


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## Mumlan

I use one of the cables that came with my Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones.
  Fits perfect. Straight and thin (2mm). Weighs like nothing.
   
  Bowers & Wilkins also sells them as spare parts.


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## gooky

That's some good to know.  Any information about the cost and part number?


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## Mumlan

P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ25453  P5 BLACK STANDARD AUDIO CABLE​ $17.38   P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ26441  P5 IVORY MFI REMOTE CABLE​ $22.78   P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ26468  P5 IVORY STANDARD AUDIO CABLE​ $9.20   P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ26611 ZZ25844P5 BLACK MFI REMOTE CABLE​ $24.25  
   
   
  MFI = the cable with inline iPhone/iPod remote and microphone.
  Standard = the clean straight cable.
   
  The only difference between these cables is the very small remote/mic, they have the same length and thickness.


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## Folex

Go to http://btg-audio.webs.com/
   
  Fair prices, quality product and he'll give you EXACTLY what you want 
   
  Any length, any jack, removable/not removable, single sided, dual sided.. anything you can think of.


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## stevienicks

Phoned sennheiser spare and they dont do one , a curly one is £20.  I bought the above
    1M Metre 2.5mm to 3.5mm Jack Audio AUX MP3 Cable Lead   
   
  £1.75 on amazon 
   
  Remove the concentric rings on the body of the 2.5mm plug , I used a woodworking rasp cos it was handy but a stanley knife or sandpaper would do .
   
  Fits very snugly in the socket have been using for an hour , works a treat


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## gooky

Well, I broke down and purchased the cable for the P5.  I'm sure there are other ones that work just as well, but I didn't want to deal with trimming plugs and such.  I knew the cable would be lighter and less likely to tangle, but I didn't realize how much more comfortable the headphones feel.  It feels very light on my head; I always thought of the HD380 as a heavy headphone, but it was just the cable.  I guess I should run down some pxc450 earpads, since it's supposed to be a nice upgrade over the HD380 pads...


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## Doc-holliday

So the p5 worked fine for u with no mods? Also if u cld pls post feedback if you get the pxc pads. I wld be interested in ordering them if you think it is worth it. Thanx. Oh yea and where did u order the p5 cable from?


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## gooky

I purchased it from http://www.custom-cable.co.uk; it's a simpler ordering process, and the cost is about the same.  I ended up getting the HD595 pads, because of the velour.  That takes me back to my hd650 days.  The new pads are more comfortable and the headphones feel less closed, but the sound is a bit more diffused than with the old pads.  The effect on the sound and the level of comfort probably has something to do with the fact the the old pads are pretty much flat now...  Maybe I should have gone for the PXC pads, because I think it sounds worse.  It's less closed though.


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## Doc-holliday

That helps. I was worried that using the velour would affect the bass response. Well if you try out the PXC pads let me know. Although the ones that come with it Im getting used to. Pretty compfy set of cans overall. Found that cable on the website. Not a bad price. Thanx.


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## gooky

I was going to ask you to tell us about the PXC pads when you get it...


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## Doc-holliday

Lol... We will see (I was thinking better thee than me in case they dont work out).  Ill have to see them in person to see if they r worth it. Ill post if i get em.


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## Doc-holliday

Thot this cld be useful for anyone looking at this thread. I emailed sennheiser and asked about putting pads from other models on the 380 and asked for model numbers. Here is the answer:

"Thanks for writing. You certainly can... Here is a table of compatible part numbers:"


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## gooky

The PXC pads are Japanese?  That's interesting.


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## Doc-holliday

Yes they grow better "pleather" in japan i guess.....

Back on the op topic - i ordered the hd 210 straight cable. Think its gunna fit. Tell yall when i have it.


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## Doc-holliday

Ok got the cable in today.... Finally. It fits in there just fine. 

It is much lighter without being too thin but its pretty long. About 10 feet!

Here is a pic of the headphone side (left) of the new cable along with the part number. The original coiled cable connector is on the right. 





Here is a shot of it inserted. I wish it were a bit shorter but it works for me. 





Cost me ten bucks including shipping at b&h. 
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/547683-REG/Sennheiser_091581_Replacement_Cable_for_HD.html


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## Owen Coffin

Thanks guys, your discussion really helped me.  I wanted to upgrade from my old 280's.  I had two pair of them and the sound was great but they had issues.  The first pair fell apart on me pretty early on and when it did I got out the electrical tape and made them work until they had to be replaced by pair number 2.  As soon as I got pair number 2 out of the box I taped them up knowing that if I didn't I'd regret it, and they lasted me several years but they never really stayed on my head very well.  I couldn't really walk around with them on which I know is asking a lot for a pair of over the ear headphones but that's what I like to do.  Part of the reason was the coiled cord but I think much of the reason was the weight and design of the 280's.  So today I got my new pair of 380's and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  THIS is how headphones are supposed to fit!   Now to deal with the coiled cord issue - I just ordered the cable that Doc-Holiday recommended.
   
  Thanks again everyone.


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## bziur

http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/sennheiser-replacement-lead-for-pxc450-3m.html
   
I'm pretty sure this cable should work great. The headphones-side with 2,5mm jack looks exackly like HD-380's.
It's straight. Just what one would look for HD-380
   
  It doesn't fit HD380 Pro. It includes mic line, and because of that it's an other jack. I did not notice this at first.
  Sorry for missleading. And thanks to Doc-holliday for correcting me.


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## Doc-holliday

bziur said:


> http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/sennheiser-replacement-lead-for-pxc450-3m.html
> 
> I'm pretty sure this cable should work great. The headphones-side with 2,5mm jack looks exackly like HD-380's.
> It's straight. Just what one would look for HD-380




Actually I called Senny and talked to one of their techs. He pulled one of those cables and tried it for me to see if it would fit. It does not per him. The piece does not fit both headphones....

Old thread but posting this so someone does not see it and order that cable and have a fit issue without checkng with Senny.


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## PhilW

How about a braided cable that fits?
   
  http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/black-sheep-b-and-w-p5-replacement-braided-lead-1.2-metre.html


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## Doc-holliday

That plug looks like it will fit. Most 2.5 mm to 3.5mm cables will fit but will need to have some rubber shaved off near the prong to go in all the way on the 3.5mm side. The cable in the pic there looks like it needs no shaving similar to the senny hd210 cable in my pics earlier in this thread. That being said i have never tried it.


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## bziur

I've tried various ways to straighten up the cable, including keeping the cable in boiling water and straightening it, baking the cable in oven, it will never fully straighten. I'd suggest you don't even try. Waste of time and a cable, that you might use sometime in the future (because the cable itself is quite good, the idea to use it for the headphones and don't give an alternative isn't).
   
  So after some battling I made the cable myself using 4mm cord, some japanese mini-jack plug (not sure about the brand), a spiral recycled from old cheap chinese jack plug, and the default micro-jack plug that's attached to headphones, I somehow managed to hide all the soldering inside of the part that's attached to headphones, made sure the cord won't be easily wrested out (using heat shrink tubing and some glue), and here it is.
   
  The cable is about 1.20m long.
  The headphones sound great, and look quite well imho.
   





   
  Good luck with your cables.


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## GonzoFar

They claim to be the "official" Sennheiser parts place and they have the coiled cord replacement.
http://headphonespares.sennheiser.co.uk/dj-headphones/hd-380-pro/coiled-cable-with-35mm-screwable-jack-plug-1m3m.html


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## fluse

Quote: 





mumlan said:


> P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ25453  P5 BLACK STANDARD AUDIO CABLE​ $17.38   P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ26441  P5 IVORY MFI REMOTE CABLE​ $22.78   P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ26468  P5 IVORY STANDARD AUDIO CABLE​ $9.20   P5 HEADPHONES ACCESSORIES ZZ26611 ZZ25844P5 BLACK MFI REMOTE CABLE​ $24.25
> 
> 
> MFI = the cable with inline iPhone/iPod remote and microphone.
> ...


 

 anyone knows where to get this in europe?
  or a similar light replacement without microphony? (1.5m would be perfect)


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## PhilW

It's available here for you!
   
  http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/b-and-w-p5-replacement-1.2-metre-lead-including-mic.html


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## weiran

Does anyone know if the B&W P3 replacement cable would work too? It's a few quid cheaper: http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/b-and-w-p3-replacement-1.2-metre-black-lead.html


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## Mad Max

Probably needs modification.


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## weiran

Do you think the P3 cable needs modding even though the P5 ones fit without mods?
   
  I'm tempted just to try them anyway.


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## Bonavon Vovo

I have the HD280 and the HD380 with the coiled cable. I thought it was cumbersome and a little annoying until I bought the ATH-M50s (straight cable). The M50 cable is about 3m long and is a massive overkill for day to day use. My solution was to plait it. Which brings it down to about 1.2m but it is now heavier and not as pliable. I wish I bought them with the coiled cable now. Never mind, my HD380s are better anyway.


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## Mad Max

Yeah, its better to cut it shorter and terminate the cable with a new plug.  You can turn the leftover into an extension cable with a female connector or use to make a new, shorter cable for other headphone(s).


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## alsimmons1982

I've had my HD 380's for 3 years now and the comfort and sound are perfect, but because of the cable i keep finding myself wasting money on other headphones and cables.
  For awhile i used a 2.5 to 3.5mm converter jack from ebay and a spare Dre Beats cable, this worked fine but i really want something that just one cable.
   
  So can anyone confirm if the HD 518 cable works?
  This is the one im looking at on ebay but im not sure if the 2.5mm part will fit, it looks slim but as its metal i wont be able to trim the size down like you can with rubber cables.
  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Cable-For-Sennheiser-HD598-HD558-HD518-Headphone-/261255113290?pt=US_MP3_Player_Cables_Adapters&var=&hash=item3cd404aa4a
   
  Thanks


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## Mad Max

That actually does look small enough.  Going by the photo, the 2.5mm plug's casing seems to be slightly smaller than HD380's.


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## Stuee

Here's a good option for a replacement cable for the HD 380 Pro. Good build quality, not too heavy, braided, different lengths available, sounds good, not at all expensive. It comes from China but didn't take long and the seller is very friendly and helpful.

Check it out: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261255113290


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## Mad Max

That one will probably be problematic to some degree for not having a right-angled 2.5mm plug like the stock cable.
 Unless you do some probably irreversible modification(s).


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## gabrielroth

Actually, I ordered that Chinese cable from eBay and also found that it works great with the 380 HDs with no modifications. After you remove the original cable, there's a long channel for the plug—the replacement cable's plug slides straight in at right angles to the headphones.
  
 Also I can confirm everything Stuee says: lightweight, well made, arrived in the US 10 days after I ordered. 
  
 And the Sennheisers are much more comfortable without that big heavy cable weighing them down.


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## opsdaddy

Thanks, Folex, for sharing the BTG-Audio link! However, I conducted a little research there and learned a couple of things worth sharing:
  
 1) Brian is no longer taking orders due to a backlog of pending orders.
 2) On his contact page, there's a list of headphones he does not service, which, sadly, includes the HD 380 Pro. 
  
 However, he also states that he does retermination (plug replacement) on all headphone cables. Hope this helps...


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## AtrafCreez

Yes, I was in hell with the twisted coil and spent so long finding ways to straighten it with no luck until finally I tried using a straight extension chord which fit right in not at an angle but no more problems of the twisted wire catching at everything.


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## Folex

opsdaddy said:


> Thanks, Folex, for sharing the BTG-Audio link! However, I conducted a little research there and learned a couple of things worth sharing:
> 
> 1) Brian is no longer taking orders due to a backlog of pending orders.
> 2) On his contact page, there's a list of headphones he does not service, which, sadly, includes the HD 380 Pro.
> ...


 
  
 I used to have BTG do my headphones but recently hes been too busy. So i looked around head-fi and found a gem in Casper. His work is as good as brians and since hes not nearly as big he can give better turnaround times and more personal conversations.  He modded my Beyer 990's twice because my first idea I wanted a microphone and then decided I didn't want it.


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## jberces

Finally, the Chinese made it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281365757947
  
 I have not ordered it yet but it seems OK...


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## darkdoorway

Thanks for posting this. An actual proper one.


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## Brian D

Thank you for the Ebay link.  I ordered one about 2 weeks ago and received it today.  It's very light, and seems to be well constructed.  The headphone end fits the HD380 earpiece perfectly!  It's a welcome improvement from the factory coiled cord.


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## jasondinh

I've been looking for a straight cable for my HD 380 Pro for a while, this one on eBay is really cheap and works great:
  
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/310729934016?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&var=610208201484&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
  
 How it looks (I can't attach photo): ]http://i.imgur.com/NwouumC.jpg
  
 I guess any car aux audio cable would work too.


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## Mad Max

So long as it has that 2.5mm stereo plug on one end, yes.  I do not like the lack of strain-relief on those cheap cables, which is why I would not recommend it to others.  You will probably wear it out early on the headphone end.


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## Zobel

There are some great replacement cables available for around 
 $30 at Amazon. I have the 1.2 meter length and it is excellent.
  
  
 This company offers three other lengths of the same cable, 1.5 M, 1.8 M, and 3.0 M. at Amazon. Search  "replacement cable for Sennheiser hd 380 pro" at Amazon.


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## wgb113

Any try some different pads on their 380s?


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## wgb113

Also - would the cable from the PXC450 be a direct replacement?


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## Mad Max

The PXC450 cable looks to be the same, hopefully it actually is.
  
  
 I'm using these Taiwanese pads off of the 'bay:

  
 Wow, the change in sound has been awesome.  It sounds more open with the drivers a bit farther away from the ears due to the thicker padding.  The bass is pretty incredible in its texture, solidity, and response.  The way sounds are projected around my head is a heck of an improvement from before.  On the downside, the plastic inner ring meant to secure each earpad to each cup is too big, so I have to use hot glue to keep the pads on.  Originally meant for PXC460.  Derp.
 Sicne the pads are thicker, the headphone ends up getting a little bit tighter grip on my moderately large head.  It's a bit close to bothering me, I figure someone with a very large head will not like it.


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## wgb113

FYI, the PXC450 cable doesn't work since the 2.5mm end is 4 pole.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## daberti

FWIW I used the cable from my own AKG Y50


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