I just got 2 sets of “Skables” for my two best headphones–Verite Closed and Susvara–and they are amazing.
Before I go any further, let me preface the remainder of this post with a couple points:
First, I am not personally one to put a lot of stock in cables sounding different, so I’m not going to comment on potential sonic benefits. As long as cables are well made with tight-fitting connectors, I’ve yet to hear any differences that consistently rise above my threshold of doubt that other factors such as volume matching, listening memory, fatigue, placebo, etc. might be coloring my experiences. Over time I’ve simply accepted that whatever differences cables might make, they are lesser in magnitude than the differences due to basically everything else, and my time is better spent enjoying music than hunting for elusive cable sound differences.
Second, I own a lot of headphones and a lot of different cables, and these are the most expensive cables I’ve ever purchased. I bought them because I wanted to adorn my favorite headphones with the finest “jewelry” available, and to that end I could not be happier. Build quality and aesthetics are magnificent and feel well-suited to such pricy headphones as VC and Susvara.
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The term “Skable” is a portmanteau of “cable” with the creator of these particular masterworks–a fellow who goes by the handle Skedra. He regularly hangs out in Zeos’s $10 Patreon chat, which is where I engaged him about making me a couple sets of cables. He also runs the Viking Audio Blog, which includes a contact form where I assume it’s possible to inquire about his cables.
Both of my cables use an attractive 8-core Viking weave. Skedra likes to package his best cables in wooden boxes. It happens these are a good match for a set of pirate-style treasure chests that I already own and included in my photos for dramatic effect. In any case, the Skable chests are destined to be proudly displayed alongside these other chests.
The copper cable is for my VC, while the silver cable is for Susvara. I tend to terminate most of my cables in 2.5mm balanced and use various super-short adapters to convert to other connector types, but for Susvara there’s no point–you need a small nuclear plant to power them, so I’ll never use them directly with my Astell & Kern DAPs. So for my Susvara cable I opted for a sturdy XLR connector and a couple of custom pigtails–one with a standard 1/4" SE jack for use with my Pendant, and one with spades for speaker amps.
Both of my cables are 2m in length to allow for ample room to move while working at my desk. I chose from 2 different shades of copper to find a closer match for the more reddish hue of the pins in my VCs. What doesn’t translate from pictures is how luxurious these cables feel. They are unbelievably supple and well-behaved, and they have enough weight to them to feel high quality without so much as to cause ergonomic issues or cable strain.
The weave itself is stunning–both perfectly visually appealing and perfectly functional. Extra cable coils nicely without complaint or jankiness, and every link is perfectly symmetrical. The copper is mesmerizingly shiny, and the silver even moreso.
For my VC cable I wanted my usual 2.5mm termination, but there was a problem–apparently black 2.5mm connectors are out of fashion this year (who knew?). I didn’t want silver / shiny connectors for my VC; I wanted something that would better match the black yoke / headband of my headphones. But what I got was even better.
After essentially striking out on finding high-quality black 2.5mm connectors, Skedra began experimenting with applying blueing to stainless connectors. He developed a unique finish combining blueing with some kind of copper application. I love that the connectors are unique, organic, and distressed, much like the stabilized wood of my VC earcups.
The earcup-side mini-XLRs were a challenge as well. Furutech makes a 4-pole connector with a black sleeve and a 3-pole connector with a stainless sleeve. For my headphone, I paid for both, and Skedra blued the stainless sleeve for use with the 4-pole innards. The end result makes for a nice accent for the earcups.
Finally, Skedra’s trademark splitter got the same custom blueing job as the connectors. Pictures don’t do justice to how the sunken bits are a subtle matte tone while the raised portions are a glossy buffed finish that reflects a muted rainbow of hues depending on the angle and surface.
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I said I wouldn’t get into SQ, but I can offer this much: I set out to listen to “a few songs” last night on the new cables, and that lasted 4 1/2 hours. It could just be VCs and Pendant doing their thing again, but the audio flowing through my cable was as beautiful as the cables themselves.