# COMPARISON: Clou Red, Stefan AudioArt Equinox, Cardas Prototype



## jude

[size=medium]*Clou Red Jaspis, Stefan AudioArt Equinox, Cardas Prototype:*[/size]*
[size=small]Audiophile-Quality Headphone Cables for the HD-580/600[/size]*

_ Well they say that time loves a hero
 But only time will tell.…_
 -- Little Feat in "Time Loves a Hero"

 The last time I performed a search of the "headphones" field of the member profiles at Head-Fi, the Sennheiser HD-580 and HD-600 headphones (together) were listed more than any other headphones by a pretty wide margin. These headphones (especially the HD-600) have earned their place as audio legends, not just in the world of headphone hobbyists, but in the hi-fi world in general. A lot of new headphones will be tried, praised, loved and then discarded as trendy models whose times have passed -- few will earn the longstanding stature accorded the HD-580/600's.

 < _looks around and sees a bunch of people with other headphones on leaving the room with disgusted expressions on their mugs_ >

 Okay, HD-580/600 fans, by now we're the only ones left reading this review, and we're the specific target audience of the products I'm reviewing here: replacement cables for the HD-580/600 headphones. On hand are the Clou Cable Red Jaspis, Stefan AudioArt Equinox, and a prototype cable by Cardas that should be available within a month or two.

 When you consider how much research, time and money we put into our audio systems -- source component, interconnects, headphone amp, power conditioning, power cables, tweaks, and, of course, headphones -- it seems sorta silly that headphone enthusiasts are pretty much always stuck with whatever cable the manufacturer decided to include with the headphones. For reasons obvious to audiophile types, many of us refuse to settle for the interconnects that come wrapped with wire ties, and bundled with our components. And, c'mon, how many of us would be thrilled about buying a set of speakers with captured speaker cables? Not me. And my headphones are essentially my primary speakers.


 [size=small]*Look & Feel*[/size]

*Clou Red Jaspis.* Last year I started my aftermarket Sennheiser HD-600 cable adventure with what was then one of only two choices on the market, the Clou Red Jaspis (the other choice was the Clou Blue Jaspis). Constructed of 99.7% pure copper conductors plated with 99.99% pure silver, and triple-shielded, the Clou Red seems well constructed; but the fit-and-finish, though good, is not up to the standards of the Cardas or Stefan AudioArt cables. Both the Clou and the Equinox use the Sennheiser earpiece plugs from a stock cable, which means there's a splice just aft of each of the two earpiece plugs. On both of these cables the splices are covered up with heatshrink. Whereas the Equinox has a nice, straight flow through the splice, with what feels like a very clean soldering job underneath the heatshrink, the Clou is more bumpy underneath the heatshrinked splices, and the juncture doesn't flow as straight as on the Equinox.

 Aesthetically, the Clou Red Jaspis is definitely an attention-getter. The first thing I noticed was the _shocking_ red color of the outside jacketing -- I mean, it's about the _reddest_ looking red I've ever seen. This red jacket is also somewhat grippy, which is far from ideal to me for a headphone cable. This grippiness means the Clou tends to snag on things that a more slippery outer material might mercifully slide out of. But the red color and the grippy outer surface are tolerable. What isn't tolerable to me is the stiffness and weight of the cable. The best analogy I can think of is one that Head-Fi member/moderator Apheared shared with me -- physically, the Clou feels like one of those stiff gag "invisible dog" leashes. This stiffness and weight would be acceptable for an interconnect, but for a headphone cable it's just not practical for this HD-600 owner. At the end of the day, it was the stiffness and weight that had me selling my Clou cable, despite the fact that I preferred it sonically to the stock HD-600 cable. Luckily, Head-Fi member roll-man was kind enough to offer to let me borrow his Clou Red (since I sold mine almost a year ago) to compare to the Equinox and Cardas directly (thanks again, roll-man).

 The Clou Red retails for US$119.00.

*Stefan AudioArt Equinox.* The Equinox is _far_ more flexible than the Clou, not quite as floppy-flexible as the stock cable, and a bit more flexible than the Cardas. In addition to being the most flexible of the three aftermarket cables, the Equinox is clearly the looker of the bunch. Yowza. It is significantly better in terms of fit-and-finish than the Clou Red to my eyes and hands, and at least the equal of the Cardas in this regard, with one exception. As I mentioned earlier, the Equinox, like the Clou, currently uses the earpiece plugs from the stock Sennheiser HD-600 cable. In other words, they have to splice in order to connect their cables to the pig-tailed ends of the stock earpiece plugs. Given that this was likely Stefan AudioArt's only option, they did a good job with the splices. The heat-shrinked connections feel much smoother, and look significantly straighter and neater, than the Clou's.

 The Equinox's black woven Techflex outer jacket is downright gorgeous to look at. It's also very slippery, making the Equinox far less likely to snag on objects like drawer pulls, chair arms, etc. The white heatshrink accents and white Teflon insulation on the twisted earpiece cables combine with the black outer Techflex covering to give the Equinox a decidedly classy appearance. I can't imagine anyone objecting to the way this cable looks. Unlike its two competitors, the Equinox is not shielded. It uses a quad-braid design for RFI rejection. The braid feels very tight and uniform underneath the Techflex covering, breaking into a pair of two lightly twisted conductors per side.

 The Equinox that Stefan AudioArt sent to me came terminated with a nice mini-plug, with an included ¼” adapter. I would have personally opted for ¼” termination, and may order a custom length Equinox configured just this way.

 The Stefan AudioArt Equinox retails for US$ 189.00 in a standard 9-foot length.

*Cardas Prototype.* The Cardas prototype is very flexible (though a bit less so than the Equinox), and has the smallest overall diameter of the three. It comes covered with a smooth blue outer jacket that is neither slippery nor grippy -- it’s smooth enough that it doesn’t snag easily. This cable is much easier to manage and handle than the Clou. Though not as pretty as the black Techflex-covered Equinox, I find the Cardas cable much more attractive than the obnoxiously red Clou.

 The Cardas cable uses Cardas’ famous and patented Constant-Q construction and Golden Ratio conductor configuration in a shielded design. It came terminated with a Switchcraft ¼” plug, but is expected to come to market with a new plug developed by Cardas to specifically help eliminate crosstalk.

 Build quality of the Cardas cable is superb. This cable trumps its competitors in at least one very significant build aspect -- Cardas used their resources and know-how to come up with custom earpiece plugs. These custom plugs obviate any need to splice factory connectors from a stock cable onto the conductors. As is the norm with Cardas, the fit-and-finish impresses, despite the fact that the unit I have is just a prototype.

 The Cardas cable for the Sennheiser HD-580/600 is expected to be priced around US$ 149.00.


 [size=small]*Sonically Speaking*[/size]

 I should first establish a quickie opinion about the stock HD-600 headphones. To me, the stock HD-600s have a superb tonal balance, with deep bass extension not typically associated with headphones of open design. In the rigs I've tried them in, the HD-600s are almost invariably smooth, laid back, and reproduce soundstage in a way only a couple of headphones I've heard can top. In stock mode, plugged into a good rig, the HD-600s are highly resolving to my ears. They give vocalists and instruments alike a concrete sense of physical space if the recording does (and if the equipment earlier in the chain passes it along). In stock mode, microdynamics are an overwhelming strength of the HD-600s. Macrodynamics are better than average with stock Sennheiser HD-600s to my ears, but certainly not the biggest strength of these headphones.

 So how is the Clou Red sonically to my ears? Good. Better than the stock Sennheiser cable overall, in my opinion. Bass weight was subjectively improved, though bass control didn't seem to be much improved (if at all) versus the stock cable. I didn't experience much midrange improvement with the Clou Red through my rig, which, given the midrange strength of stock HD-600s, is a tall order anyway. High frequency reproduction is significantly altered, and to me this is where the both-blessing-and-curse syndrome afflicts this cable. Treble extension is subjectively higher with the Clou Red, compared the stock cable. The problem to me is that, at times, treble reproduction with the Clou Red Jaspis can be "splashy" (a word typically reserved for the domain of professional reviewers, but the most appropriate audiophile adjective I could think of to describe it). I made a few comments about the Clou’s sonic characteristics in an earlier preliminary Cardas review, and those comments still stand. The Clou (to my ears) has a slight sense of tonal disjointedness -- as if the highs are takin’ off and leaving everything else slightly behind. Though I prefer the Clou to the stock cable, its performance is clearly not as refined as its newer competitors to my ears.

 The Equinox sounds to me like the cable the Clou Red aspired to be. Bass extension seems subjectively better, and so does overall bass control and solidity. Treble extension seemed to improve after a couple of weeks of use, but still not much further to my ears than the stock cable. What has happened to the treble, though, is that it is now significantly more refined than the stock cable, and also much smoother than the Clou -- it _never_ gets splashy. As I stated in my preliminary impressions of the Equinox, triangles ring clearer, cymbals hold on to their shimmer better versus the stock cable and the Clou. I do wish, however, that the Equinox provided more treble extension to go with the increased treble resolution. Unlike the Clou, the Equinox also provided notable midrange improvement. The tonal balance of the Equinox is definitely more “together” than the Clou to my ears. This is a _very_ smooth-sounding cable.

 Whereas the Clou neither hurt nor helped the HD-600’s already excellent soundstaging, it is without question an Equinox strength. Stefan AudioArt brags about soundstaging on their web site, and it's not fluff -- it is noticeably better and more room-filling (or should I say "head-filling") than the stock cable. This is something I noted in my preliminary impressions, and thankfully something that has remained consistent since then.

 The Cardas is the least like any of the other cables, including the stock one. As I stated in my preliminary review: on a scale with “warm and soothing” on one side and “hyper-revealing/unforgiving on the other”, I’d place this prototype headphone cable squarely between the midpoint and “hyper-revealing”. I think it’s maybe the perfect foil for the HD-600’s laid-back presentation -- perfect in that it opens up the detail across the audible spectrum, but with such even-handedness as to keep the wonderful, very musical HD-600 character intact. To my ears, there is absolutely no sense of tonal disjointedness with the Cardas headphone cable prototype. With it installed, my HD-600’s aren’t overly bright, and not overly warm -- they’re _so_ just right with most of my recordings.

 Upon first listen, the first specific sonic thing I noticed about the Cardas cable’s sound was the increased treble extension. While I wasn’t previously of the opinion that the stock HD-600 was in any way treble deficient, I’d have a hard time going back to it now. The Cardas cable really manages to convey greater high frequency extension than any of the other cables, reaching in and scooping out treble information I had no idea my HD-600s were capable of delivering. And it’s good treble -- not hissy or splashy in any way. I will go so far as to say that the Cardas cable coupled with my HD-600s in my rig sound somewhat -- dare I say it? -- electrostatic in their ability to flesh out the most finite details.

 For the purpose of this review, I listened to several CD’s with all four cables.

 David Gray's _White Ladder_ CD (RCA 07863 69351-2) is one of my favorite recent pop/rock albums, and is a good recording with mild, smooth treble, and an unmistakably chesty sound (a bit too chesty on some tracks). On the slightly mid-bass-thick track (and the album’s biggest hit), “Babylon,” the Clou booms a bit too much (particularly at the beginning of the song), and poor David gets pushed back a little too far as a result. However, the album's already smooth treble (maybe even rolled off at times) actually plays well with the Clou. The Equinox exhibits better bass control with this track, reining in much of the boom the Clou presented. It also projects a much fuller soundstage than the Clou or stock cable, and maybe even a wee bit bigger than the Cardas. The Cardas cable goes even further than the Equinox in terms of keeping this track together. This recording’s overly soft treble is allowed to pass more freely and effortlessly through the Cardas cable. The Cardas cable also did the best job of moving David Gray’s vocals closer to the front on this track. Overall, this track sounded best to me by a significant margin through the Cardas cable.

 Maybe my favorite pop/rock album of all time, Radiohead’s _OK Computer_ (Capitol CDP 7243 8 55229 2 5) is, unfortunately, not a reference quality recording. It’s a _good_ recording, but it definitely has an edge that isn’t screaming for cruelly unforgiving playback. Phil Selway’s cymbals in “Subterranean Homesick Alien” and “Let Down” can sound ill defined at times, almost completely smearing on some of the notes. These tracks certainly don’t benefit from the Clou’s concomitantly splashy treble -- I actually preferred the stock cable to the Clou for these tracks. The Cardas cable wasn't particularly friendly to this recording either, opening the door wide open to this recording’s mild (and sometimes more than mild) faults. However, the Cardas never lost its composure like the Clou did. The milder, more forgiving Equinox favors recordings like this, and also recordings that are downright bad (like at least half of the pop/rock CD’s from the 80’s I’ve got).

 Miles Davis’ _Kind of Blue_ SACD (Columbia CS 64935) is, in addition to containing great music, a phenomenal album for evaluating audio gear. I’ve heard the version of “So What” on this album countless times, so I know it well -- _very_ well. How beautiful is that opening with Bill Evans’ piano and Paul Chambers’ bass greeting each other politely before they walk lock-step together very briefly afterwards? In that very brief passage at the beginning, after the “greeting”, when the piano and bass are taking the exact same steps, the Clou seems to let loose the bass just a little too much, resulting in a light masking of each instrument’s space, when compared to the Equinox and the Cardas (but still bettering the stock cable). The Equinox does a superb job of keeping them separated. It also adds a bit of sweetness to an already sweet Coltrane sax, and puts an even softer leading edge on Miles’ horn. Whereas this might be good to some, detail freaks might want just a little more reed and spit. If that’s what you want, the Cardas is probably what you’re looking for. In that brief passage, the Cardas makes it easier to mentally pick out and isolate the piano and the bass if you want to, as they’re carved out individually with much precision, but still flow well together when listened to as a whole. The Cardas cable also pays the most respect to the full life cycle of a Jimmy Cobb cymbal touch -- I’ve never heard such lovely decay of that instrument in this recording as I have with the Cardas cable between my Max and HD-600s. As far as conveying the band’s space and soundstage, the Cardas and Equinox seemed about equal, both besting the Clou and stock cable. Overall, this track sounded best to me through the Cardas cable. But there are times I could see myself wanting the softer side of this recording, and I’d favor the Equinox when experiencing one of these moods.


 [size=small]*Summary*[/size]

 The Clou Red and Blue used to be the only choices in town if you wanted to replace your HD-580/600’s cable. Despite the fact that I found the Clou Red to be a sonic improvement over the stock cable, it wasn’t enough of an improvement to my ears to make dealing with its stiffness, weight, and tacky outer covering worth it. Faced with what I feel are two much more able competitors in the Stefan AudioArt Equinox and the Cardas cables, I can’t recommend the Clou Red Jaspis in its current version. 

 Based on my preferences and my experience with these cables in my rig, I’d recommend the Equinox for those who listen to a lot of poorly mastered CD’s -- yeah, I’m talking to you, 80’s pop/rock fans. I also recommend the Equinox to those who simply prefer their music with a warmer, more polite presentation. Let’s face it -- some folks just don’t dig the brutal honesty of totally revealing. The Equinox also presents a large, open, airy soundstage if the recording and the rest of the equipment permits. I will likely buy a custom length Equinox for my second set of HD-600s for when I need the soft, forgiving touch of this cable.

 Overall, the Cardas cable is my first choice of the three for my main rig. It is _very_ revealing without sacrificing musicality. It also throws a mighty soundstage, if not quite as cavernous as the Equinox. The Cardas' treble extension is truly something to behold -- it really takes the HD-600s to the another level in terms of high frequency extension and timbre. The Cardas would be my first recommendation to those listening mostly to good to reference quality recordings. I also think HD-580/600 owners who listen primarily to classical and jazz should give the Cardas a try first. I've already got my name in the hat to buy a production model the moment it’s available. Keep in mind that the prototype I reviewed did not have the new, fancier crosstalk-fighting plug that Cardas is developing, so Cardas fully expects production models to be even better still -- I'll report on the production version soon after it arrives.

 If you’ve read this lengthy review this far, you must be a dedicated HD-580/600 owner. Just remember, friends, that the cable comes off our headphones, and you do have choices.

*Associated Equipment*
 *Digital Sources:* Sony SCD-C333ES SACD/CD player
 *Headphone Amplifier:* HeadRoom Max (2001 model
 *Headphones:* Sennheiser HD-600
 *Cables:* Interconnect: Cardas Neutral Reference, Acoustic Zen Silver Reference. AC: Acoustic Zen Tsunami, BPT C-7, Tara Labs RSC Air
 *Miscellaneous:* Price Wheeler Brick Wall PW8R15AUD series mode surge filter / power conditioner. BPT (Balanced Power Technologies) BP-3 dual balanced power isolator.

*[size=small]Photographs[/size]*
 HD-600s and Equinox (slightly blurry)
 Equinox earpiece lead
 Equinox earpiece lead up close
 Equinox Y-juncture (slightly blurry)
 Equinox 1/4" plug up close
 Equinox plugged into HeadRoom Max. The Cardas logo plug over the right headphone jack is a Cardas Signature XLR Cap that I purchased from Music Direct.
 Equinox and Cardas plugged into HeadRoom Max
 HD-600s and Cardas (a little dark)
 Cardas 1/4" plug up close (a little blurry). Please note that this plug is a Switchcraft plug used on the prototype. The production model is expected to have a custom 1/4" plug by Cardas, designed to eliminate crosstalk.
 Cardas earpiece leads (a little dark and blurry). Note, these were hand-shaped prototype plugs, and are therefore different than what will be on the final production model.


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## jude

Tomorrow I'll post some pics I took of these cables. Keep in mind that my digital camera is sub-par by today's standards, but still decent.


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## DarkAngel

Thanks for your impressions of the 4 cables, great info. I must say I love the bright red color of the Clou (just like a bright red porsche) but these matters are individual taste.

 The real issue I guess is since you can buy Senn 600 for $250 or less does it make sense to spend $150-190 for the connecting cable? (I am afraid I know what the answer is for me)


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## Audio-Me

First, I'd like to represent Team Sennheiser HD600 and thank you jude for the relief we've all been waiting for. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Excellent shootout.

 I'm leaning heavily on the Equinox cable, however, I have a question to ask. Do you think that the Equinox would benifit at all if Cardas were to sell their proprietary earpiece plugs to outside cable builders and Stefan utilized them into say Equinox version2? Are there any side-effects of splicing? Oh and would the Equinox be suitible for portable use (light enough, flexible enough) as well? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. BTW, 9-foot length is fine for me. I'd like to add that I'd opt for ¼" plug as well.

 Also, could you post close up pictures of the earpieces of both the Equinox and the Cardas prototype?


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## Hirsch

Jude,

 Thanks for the excellent review. 

 However, it's just what I was afraid of. My wallet said "ouch" as soon as I heard that Cardas was coming out with a cable for the Senns


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## Driftwood

great review!

 being in the market for some cables (once I get the money!) this has been very thought-provoking. I look forward to the pictures, that will probably be the decision-maker for me (I unfortunately have too many badly recorded cds!)

 Driftwood


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## shivohum

In his review of the Sennheiser hD600, Wes Phillips claims that "female singers" and "solo instruments" "tended to sound a tad distant throughout their lower ranges. ... In fact, wide-ranging instruments such as piano ... sounded slightly bigger and warmer than life in their lowest registers (a seductive additive coloration) and then sounded slightly less present throughout the midrange and presence region, before popping into sharp relief for their upper octaves and overtones." 

 Judge, do you agree with this observation? And if so, do any of these cables correct the situation?


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## Beagle

Quote:


 _Originally posted by shivohum _
*Judge, do you agree with this observation? And if so, do any of these cables correct the situation? * 
 

Judge. A Freudian slip? Actually quite appropriate here


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## DanG

Quote:


 _Originally posted by shivohum _
*In his review of the Sennheiser hD600, Wes Phillips claims that "female singers" and "solo instruments" "tended to sound a tad distant throughout their lower ranges. ... In fact, wide-ranging instruments such as piano ... sounded slightly bigger and warmer than life in their lowest registers (a seductive additive coloration) and then sounded slightly less present throughout the midrange and presence region, before popping into sharp relief for their upper octaves and overtones."* 
 

This is what made me dislike both the HD580 and HD600 when listening through a number of headphone amps, including the Wheatfield HA-1, Holmes Powell DCT-1, Headroom Max, and Headroom Blockhead. When I heard about the new Cardas and Stefan cables (mainly the Cardas) and that the Cardas was more revealing and honest to the signal than the stock cable, I went out and purchased a used HD600. Should be coming my way soon -- can't wait for the Cardas to come on the market!

  Quote:


 *Judge. A Freudian slip? Actually quite appropriate here * 
 

 Freud didn't wear no stinkin' dresses!


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## ddriveman

Jude,

 Thank you for a good posting. Very helpful. I was considering the Clou Red cable until I saw your posting. Can't wait for the Cardas cables to be available. I am basically a tweak freak and upgrading the cables for my HD-600 and HD-580 seems like the next logical step.


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## shivohum

Quote:


 Judge. A Freudian slip? Actually quite appropriate here 
 

Heh. Whoops. 

  Quote:


 Freud didn't wear no stinkin' dresses! 
 

Lol. My sentiments exactly.


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## pigmode

Quote:


 Freud didn't wear no stinkin' dresses! 
 

I don't get it.


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## dhwilkin

Very nice review, jude. Have you found any songs where the singer still seems too distant, no matter which cable you used?


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## Neruda

jude, great review! I'm actually not even done with it yet, but I'll finish reading after my classes. I just wanted to point out what appears to be a sight mistake:
  Quote:


 Cardas cable really manages to convey greater high frequency extension than any of the other cables, reaching in and scooping out treble information I had no idea my HD-600s were *cable* of delivering 
 

an understandable mistake given the subject matter and a profound lack of sleep 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. that should be "capable" right?


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## shivohum

Quote:


 I don't get it. 
 

It's a pun on slip, where slip in one context means mistake and in another means a woman's undergarment.


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## bootman

Great review.

  Quote:


 The real issue I guess is since you can buy Senn 600 for $250 or less does it make sense to spend $150-190 for the connecting cable? (I am afraid I know what the answer is for me) 
 

How about if you got a pair of 580s for $60!
 (long story but it worked out in the end)
 Does it still make sense?


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## nebuchadnezzar

Thank you Jude! great review!
 I ordered the Equinox (still en route) and will look forward to the Cardas...I agree, that owning both may be the way to go
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 unless, of course, I am not at all curious after hearing the Equinox(ha-right)

 thanks again for making the decisions we are faced with less confusing


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## Ross

Very nice review, Jude. Looks like George Cardas might get quite a rush for these cables. I'm certainly going to get one as soon as they're available.

 Ross


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## Neruda

I just hope they refine the looks of their next cable..although, admittedly, looks are not very important. still, pride-of-ownership level drops.


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## RickG

_Jude said:_ 
  Quote:


 To me, the stock HD-600s have a superb tonal balance, with deep bass extension not typically associated with headphones of open design. 
 

Wow, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who likes the stock cable. After buying and selling the Red Jaspis twice, the stock cable just sounded better to me. (man I took a lot of heat for saying that last summer!)

 I think I'm going to get the Cardas. Based on Jude's comments, it seems to have the attributes I'm looking for.


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## jude

Thanks for the nice comments, guys.

 Multiple responses follow:

*DarkAngel:* I bought one set of HD-600's in perfect condition from another Head-Fi'er for only $160 used, and I know that I'd gladly spend the money on a good replacement cable (sounds like you would too). My opinion is that the HD-600s perform at a level far higher than than the _full retail_ price would suggest (but, admittedly, having a bunch of good stuff ahead of them in the signal change carries them a long way). I have a pretty good rig -- whether or not it means anything at all, everything in it is essentially _Stereophile_ Class A (again, I could see where someone would consider such rankings meaningless). But my take on the HD-600s is that I _know_ my rig isn't up to the full potential of these headphones. In my opinion, and for my tastes, they're _that good_ regardless of the relatively affordable price, so for me the cables are worth it.

*Audio&Me:* I'm not sure what the side effects would be of splicing, but it's a practice that, in my opinion, should probably only be used when absolutely necessary. To obtain the proper plugs made this absolutely necessary for Clou and Stefan AudioArt. Cardas, of course, has the resources to manufacturer or source custom plugs. As far as Cardas' 1/4" plugs -- yeah, if they're as good as they're intended to be, then I imagine other cables could benefit from them too. It's just a question of whether or not Cardas will make them available outside of their own headphone cable. As far as photos go, I already took pictures, but didn't take pics of the earpiece plugs unplugged. I do have pics of the cable as they enter the earpiece.

*Neruda:* Nice catch. Thanks for finding that. It's all fixed.

*bootman:* Sixty bucks, eh? Good buy! Yes, even then, if fully exploiting their capabilities is of interest to you, I think you'd find it worthwhile to explore your options with these cables.

*nebuchadnezzar:* Congrats on your purchase of the Equinox cable. I think you'll like it a lot, if my experience with them is any indication. And, yes, owning both would be ideal. I actually have two sets of HD-600s, so it works out particularly well.

*Ross:* I agree, Ross. I think Cardas is going to move a lot of these cables. They have good distribution from what I can tell, and I'm finding out that their products are superb.

*Neruda:* Are you referring to the Cardas cable's appearance? It actually looks very nice, and very well constructed. 

*RickG:* Yes, the HD-600s with the stock cable is definitely not a slouch setup -- it still performs amazingly well when properly driven. But I feel pretty certain that the stock cable won't touch your HD-600s again after installing the Cardas. I had to send the prototype back, and it was one of the hardest audio-related actions I've ever had to take!


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## shivohum

Jude: you forgot my post re: Wes Phillips above. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Would you be so kind as to answer that? Thanks.


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## dngl

yeah, I agree that the stock cable has a sublime tonal balance... that cardas is looking mighty fine...


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## RickG

Quote:


 _Originally posted by jude _
*RickG: Yes, the HD-600s with the stock cable is definitely not a slouch setup -- it still performs amazingly well when properly driven. But I feel pretty certain that the stock cable won't touch your HD-600s again after installing the Cardas. I had to send the prototype back, and it was one of the hardest audio-related actions I've ever had to take! * 
 

'Nuff said.....


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## jude

Quote:


 _Originally posted by shivohum _
*In his review of the Sennheiser hD600, Wes Phillips claims that "female singers" and "solo instruments" "tended to sound a tad distant throughout their lower ranges. ... In fact, wide-ranging instruments such as piano ... sounded slightly bigger and warmer than life in their lowest registers (a seductive additive coloration) and then sounded slightly less present throughout the midrange and presence region, before popping into sharp relief for their upper octaves and overtones." 

 Judge, do you agree with this observation? And if so, do any of these cables correct the situation? * 
 

"Judge"? LOL.

 Sorry I missed this one initially, shivohum.

 While the HD-600s are laid back, I haven't experienced what Wes is describing with the vocalists, but I do understand what he means with the piano. The lowest notes of piano can indeed be mildly emphasized with the HD-600s. As much as I love what they do, I don't think I would ever argue that the HD-600s are perfectly neutral (especially after buying the Etymotic ER-4S's). But its their lushness-and-detail combination that makes them so ultimately inviting to me. To answer your question about correcting the situation -- the Cardas does do a lot for this, particularly with piano music. One of the CD's I was going to mention was Hamelin's playing of Godowski's studies on Chopin's Etudes (Hyperion CDA67411/2), which can bring this particular tonal quality out of the HD-600s. By improving bass control, the Cardas cable was the best at bringing the HD-600s closer to neutral in this regard. I left mention of this CD out because, well, look how long the review is already! And I also wanted to stick with music that might be more familiar to more people.

 Maybe the best way to put it is that if you think your HD-600s could use a mild attitude adjustment, and maybe even some tonal tweaking, the Cardas is likely the best choice in my opinion. This describes me. I love pretty much everything about the stock HD-600s, but as a recent Etymotic buyer, I wanted to squeeze more neutrality and detail out of them without over-changing them.

 Based on my time with it, the Equinox seems perfect for those who feel like they might not want to change a thing about the stock HD-600s, but also want to explore a higher level of performance along the lines of what they're already used to tonally. Though the Equinox does more than this, it's truer to the original chesty tonal balance of stock HD-600s than the Cardas, which takes them significantly further down the road to neutrality. Even with the Cardas cable, the HD-600s don't become Etymotic ER-4S's, but, then again, I don't want them to be. I own both, and the HD-600s are still my favorites.


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## eric343

Now WHY on earth did you have to go and review the other HD600 replacement cables?! And give the Clou cables the LOWEST score?!!! Don't you know that I just recently convinced my parents to let me get the Clou Blues, and I can't possibly ask them for some Cardas cables now, meaning I have to sit tight with the unhappy knowledge that there's a cable out there that solves my one dislike with the HD600s and I CAN'T GET IT? Grrrrrrr...

 Otherwise, great review


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## Audio-Me

Wholey crap, I'm not the only HD600 lover who owns two of them. :high fives jude:

 I think the stock cable is great too, I just liked the bass improvement of the Clous, the forward highs (everything else delayed) effect and weight isn't too hot, but was still worth the price. I'm very tempted to try the Equinox, and seriously plan to get one soon. 

 jude - do you feel that the splicing hurts the Equinox cable at all? Also, do you think the Cardas earpiece connector would improve the Equinox at all?


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## msjjr

Jeez...I've got the Equinox and the ETY 4S with the fixup upgrade cable, and now I want the Cardas cable...probably on a second pair of HD 600's. If my wife were to read this, I'd really be in...cripes, she just walked in!


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## Huck

Sorry< I don't think I caught the length of the Cardas. Anybody know how long they are? Thanks, Huck


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## kwkarth

Great review Jude!
 I will be getting the Cardas for my HD-600's for sure!

 Cheers!

 -kevin


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## jodokast

Say anybody know where we can buy the cardas cables in the next month?


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## chych

So, anyone want to convince Cardas in making some Etymotic ER-4 replacement cables?


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## TimSchirmer

hehehe, now, everyone upgrading their cables sell me your old clous for cheap


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## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Huck _
*Sorry< I don't think I caught the length of the Cardas. Anybody know how long they are? Thanks, Huck
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 
 


 I think Jude has the exact same cable that I saw and touched at CES Las Vegas where this cable debuted.The prototype was around six feet long and was shorter than the stock cable.The plug was also VERY large.I didn't get to hear it but I wore the headphones it was attached to and got to compare them physically to the clou red jaspis.As Jude says they were much more flexible than the Clou.I hope the final production version is longer.They should be at Headroom and Music Direct next week.Other dealers will get them later(when?).


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## kelly

Thanks for the awesome review, Jude.

 The HD600 is a finicky one. It seems sub par on anything less than a dedicated amp. It seems mediocre on anything less than an extremely high powered amp. And here I am checking it out through the RKV thinking, "Man, if only it had a little better resolution and imaging" when I read Jude's comments about the Cardas. I guess I'm still not at a point where I can judge these things.


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## jude

Okay, first of all, I'm no Imogen Cunningham, so don't expect photographic greatness from me. My digital camera is also sub-par, at best. Also keep in mind that I'm colorblind, so I'm not sure how accurate the colors are, and my wife's not home to tell me right now.

 That being said, go back to the review, scroll down to the end of it, and you'll find links to the photos there.


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## Neruda

thanks for the pictures jude. The cardas looks nicer in your pictures than it did in the soundstage (?) picture I had seen previously. The Stefan is still the winner in the looks department though, IMHO. Can't wait to hear the cardas!


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## MacDEF

<Homer>Mmmmm.... Cardas..... </Homer>


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## Neruda

by the way mac, i guess we can answer your question now: the clou _is_ chopped liver!


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## NathanJM

The pictures look good enough to me. The Cardas cable looks very well-built. I may just have to scrape up some more $ and get me one.


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## Hirsch

Quote:


 _Originally posted by jodokast _
*Say anybody know where we can buy the cardas cables in the next month? * 
 

There are a large number of Cardas dealers out there (the list is on the Cardas website). However, I believe that two that carry the full line (not all do) are Music Direct (www.amusicdirect.com) and Welborne Labs (www.welbornelabs.com). These were the dealers that George Cardas referred me to to place a special order with him.


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## jodokast

thanks dude!


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## kaiwei

Seriously when is a company like Cardas gonna release a replacement cable for the Etymotic earphones? I mean, fixup's cable is nice & all but I'm afraid of destroying my cable. I'm willing to pay for a cable of Cardas's finish(with their connector) & for a service to replace the cable.
 Hell, anything to get rid of the microphonic noise!


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## darkclouds

anyone knows exactly when we can actually start purchasing the cardas? I'm getting a bit impatient now and really do not want to end up paying for something I don't particularly want (equinox) just because it's available now.


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## Neruda

I recently heard one to two months


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## lextek

That's what they said over in the Headroom forum. Anybody actually talk to them?


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## jude

Based on my conversation with Brian at Cardas, that information (one to two months) seems accurate.

 It also seems that HeadRoom will be among the first (if not the first) to have them available for sale.


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## Hirsch

As of this morning, Music Direct is expecting the Cardas cable in next week. Whether it will actually get there next week or not is another question...


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## Tuberoller

I was told By Mrs Cardas(first time I've talked to her since she got her voice back)to expect the Senn cable in three weeks.She said the first to get them would be Music Direct,next week.Call yourself and see.


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## jude

Just spoke with Cardas Audio again today, and the word is today that they are indeed at least a couple weeks away from final product release.

 A bit confusing, yes. As Tuberoller said, we just have to wait and see when they formally hit the market.


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## KR...

Well, I might as well be the 1st one to post this, but will there be a Blockhead Cardas cable?


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## Neruda

good question! I've been wondering that myself.


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## lextek

Yeah I'd hate to get "stuck" with just the "stock" cable on Block. Althogh if it is made by Clou it will be out of fashion now.

 Lextek


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## Neruda

well you can't use a stock cable with the blockhead. it needs a special cable.


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## DanG

I think that's the point -- the only available option, currently, is the Clou balanced HD600 cable. I think it would make sense to have a top-of-the-line balanced cable with a top-of-the-line amp! Don't you think?


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## tanfenton

This is torture, Cardas, it really is. You should never have given Jude a prototype with which to tempt us.

 "When can we expect them?
 Oh, oh, next week, you say?
 Fine, fine."

 We wait anxiously, then. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 NGF


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## TimSchirmer

I dont want to arouse any riots or anything, but I spoke for someeone in R&D at monster, and he said they might consider a headphone cable in the future that would cost around 50-60$


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## dngl

yeah, but Monster sucks.

 (I purchased some of their cables for my parents' home theatre system four years ago and they really sucked... if only I knew about DIY back then...)


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## kwkarth

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Jon Beilin _
*yeah, but Monster sucks.

 (I purchased some of their cables for my parents' home theatre system four years ago and they really sucked... if only I knew about DIY back then...) * 
 

And just about everyone else's entry level interconnects suck too, compared to their higher end stuff. 

 Case in point: The Monster M400MkII and the M950i cables perform very well in their respective proce ranges and in fact at least equal the perfermance of IC's twice their price.


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## eric343

Hey, I replaced my Interlink 400mk2's with Audioquest Copperheads (1.5') for $40. Big improvement.


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## dngl

But soundstage's magnet wire DIY ICs are cheap, easy to make, and sound so much better than monster. I also prefer Acoustic Research's low end... I am biased, though.


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## daycart1

This is my first post! This group is really excellent; I haven't been able to do any listening for a week while reading the archives here.

 Great review of cables; I'd never have been able to audition them all--now I want the Cardas!

 I was interested to see that some of you have multiple 600's and some have both 580's and 600's. For years, I had a great time listening to the 580's though the jack on my Rotel RA-930-AX. Recently I started upgrading--got a Linn Classik. That headphone jack needs to go to 75/100 to drive the 580's to a decent volume.

 Recently saw new 600's for $210 new so I picked them up and they do sound slightly more focussed than the 580's to me. Just last week, I got a used x-canv2-cum-x-psu and am back in business bypassing the Classik's jack.

 {Thanks, Nick, for the superb tutorial on rolling the x-cans tubes; I look forward to doing that once I'm used to how they sound now.}

 Question: Does anyone listen to their 580's if they also have 600's? I find myself doing it just for fun (and to convince myself that the 600's are indeed slightly better). Are there some applications for which the 580's are superior? My wife tsk-tsked me for getting phones that "look just the same" 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 (Actually, my 600's are black/white marbled--I thought they were all that way and was surprised to see Jude's looking bright blue!)


 daycart1


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## kwkarth

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jude's 600's look blue from a color (white) balance/color temperature anomaly in the photograph. They're same color as yours Daycart1. Welcome to Head-Fi BTW!


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## daycart1

Thanks for the welcome. Say, what do you use to drive those k1000's?

 Here is a better question for this thread. 

 Suppose you had 580's and about two hundred bucks. Which would be the better purchase for sound quality--upgrade cables, or new 600's. (Ignoring that buying a new cable will leave you with a useless cable, while buying the new cans will leave you with a nice spare)?


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## Nick Dangerous

Cables.

 Glad you liked the tube rolling tutorial. It was fun to make. By the way, I am NOT wearing PJ's in those images. My still-80's wardrobe is to blame.

 I also have a pair of AKG's coming and will power them with a Bottlehead Foreplay preamp and a Parasound HCA-1000A SS THX amp.


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## Neruda

If I may be so bold as to answer (
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




), Kwkarth uses a SAC amplifier to drive his K1000s. it sounds great!


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## ai0tron

So uh, heh, *twitch*, I haven't listened to my hd600's for a few weeks now *twitch*. Uh, heh, uhmmm, *twitch*, uh, when th-, when the heck is the cardas going to be released?? *twitch* *twitch*


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## dngl

preorders will hopefully start april 1st.


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## msjjr

How and where can we pre-order?

 Thanks.


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## Driftwood

huh.

 black and white marble you say?
 my HD-600 is definately blue and black. very dark blue.
 there is no white anywhere.

 I'd be interested to see a picture of yours, daycart1.

 Driftwood


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## dngl

Quote:


 _Originally posted by msjjr _
*How and where can we pre-order?

 Thanks. * 
 

I was reading that somewhere in the headroom forum, I'll be darned if I can recall which thread... (there are about five cardas threads there).


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## daycart1

I'm embarrassed; I listen at night in the dark and never looked at them in bright light before. I guess they ARE black and a contrasty dark blue.


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## kwkarth

Quote:


 _Originally posted by daycart1 _
*Thanks for the welcome. Say, what do you use to drive those k1000's?

 Here is a better question for this thread. 

 Suppose you had 580's and about two hundred bucks. Which would be the better purchase for sound quality--upgrade cables, or new 600's. (Ignoring that buying a new cable will leave you with a useless cable, while buying the new cans will leave you with a nice spare)? * 
 

Depending on what you source and amp are, I personally would be tempted to go for cables.

 I see you have Linn Classik and Xcansv2 w/ Psu, so you should be able to resolve cable differences quite well, although, not knowing the tara's I can't tell which way to go for cable upgrade...
 How about saving for an even better headamp?

 Cheers!


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## jude

I just received an e-mail from Cardas confirming that the first batch of Cardas headphone cables has been sent to HeadRoom, and should be there by this Friday.


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## Driftwood

yay! this is excellent news!
 looks like I'll be getting my cable sometime next week...

 Driftwood


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## msjjr

I'm also on the list for one!


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## TimSchirmer

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Jon Beilin _
*yeah, but Monster sucks.

 (I purchased some of their cables for my parents' home theatre system four years ago and they really sucked... if only I knew about DIY back then...) * 
 

True...they seem to be the MacDonald's of the audio world. They're everywhere...taking the space of quality stuff.


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## jodokast

Hehe. They're becoming the "Sony's" of audio cables eh?


 Sony - in a relatively term meaning for the masses really. _quality components_ in the eyes of the masses, not the hobbyists.


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## jude

By George (Cardas), he's done it again!

 I’ve been using the Cardas headphone cable for about a year now, and it has served as a key component of my rig, and my favorite of the available Sennheiser HD-580/600 replacement cables. As my above review might suggest, the Cardas headphone cable has been one of the most sonically successful cable-related upgrades I’ve tried, and it seems like many at Head-Fi have had similar experiences with it.

 Lately, word has sprung up ‘round these parts that Cardas is now shipping a new version of the headphone cable (that replaces the previous version), and that is indeed the case -- my new-version cable arrived about two weeks ago. While the conductor and cable geometry remain the same, there are a few notable changes to the product with this new version, and one very key change. To start, the earpiece plug bodies are larger, and now more similar to those that come with the stock Sennheiser cable, resulting in a snugger fit within the earpiece receptacles than the previous version's plugs. The cable's outer jacket makes for a slightly thicker cable, but one that is also more flexible than the previous version, thanks to a softer, more pliable jacketing material. The most noteworthy improvement with the new version is the new 1/4" stereo plug -- plated with silver and then a rhodium flash -- designed by George Cardas to significantly reduce crosstalk.

 Sonically, what does all this mean? Well, I have two HD-600s, and have tried both the old and the new Cardas headphone cable in each, with the same results: the main difference, sonically, appears to be in the treble region, with the new cable subjectively allowing still a _touch_ more treble energy through to the headphones than the old cable. Also -- and I don’t know if it’s primarily due to the aforementioned treble thing, or something else I can’t put a finger on yet -- the new cable lends the HD-600 a slightly improved sense of overall clarity versus the already-excellent first generation Cardas headphone cable.

 I asked Brian at Cardas what he thought would be the most likely cause(s) of the sonic differences between the two, and he answered that it’s most likely the new Cardas-designed 1/4" plug, as the rest of the cable is, for the most part, the same as the previous version.

 However mild the sonic differences between the two cables, the new one is the better of the two to my ears. Would I recommend those with older cables pay ~$150 to land the new version? Probably not. I don’t plan to replace the previous version Cardas headphone cable I still have with another new version one -- I'll continue to run one of my HD-600s with the old, and the other with the new. However, if you haven’t pulled the trigger yet on a replacement cable because you’ve been sitting on the fence about which of the cables to buy, Cardas has, in my opinion, just given you another nudge in their direction.


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## Ooztuncer

OK, quick question > how does "clou balanced" cable sounds on the hd650? 

 Any experience?


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## Kees

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Ooztuncer* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_OK, quick question > how does "clou balanced" cable sounds on the hd650? 

 Any experience?_

 

If I remember correctly Clou got some not-so-good reviews. I haven't heard from them in quite some time and I think there are not very many users here.

 You do realise this is a five year old thread don't you?


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## java

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Kees* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_If I remember correctly Clou got some not-so-good reviews. I haven't heard from them in quite some time and I think there are not very many users here.

 You do realise this is a five year old thread don't you?_

 

Does the age of the thread change it's relevance?


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## Kees

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *java* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Does the age of the thread change it's relevance?_

 

Possibly.
 A lot can change in 5 years.
 Opinions too. Also because other products come along and can change your view of the field.


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## java

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Kees* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Possibly.
 A lot can change in 5 years.
 Opinions too. Also because other products come along and can change your view of the field._

 

A lot also stays the same, to quote some one "The more things change the more they stay the same"

 With regard to the subject, has anything changed, and if so, in what way or manner ...


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## Kees

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *java* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_A lot also stays the same, to quote some one "The more things change the more they stay the same"_

 

To quote someone else: "Nothing is ever the same"
  Quote:


 With regard to the subject, has anything changed, and if so, in what way or manner ... 
 

Good question. I'm glad you see it is relevant to investigate that.


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## java

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Kees* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_To quote someone else: "Nothing is ever the same"


 <VBG> , that as well, ...

 Good question. I'm glad you see it is relevant to investigate that._

 

Might well be worth starting a new thread to ascertain what has changed if anything ...


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