Cables - 3rd Party/Upgrades & Recommendations

Preface…this is a review about headphone cable…and I’ve never felt the need write one about a cable before. But the Danacable Nirvana is truly something so revolutionary, that it feels like your headphones disappear as you listen. The impact is immediate, and I would go far as to say reality altering. If you ever wanted to feel the music, the vocals pour into your ears as if you’re on stage with the musician…the Danacable Nirvana accomplishes it. (will cover technical details further down)

And yes, I realize there is much skepticism on whether cables make an audible difference in sound. I WAS THE ULTIMATE SKEPTIC…especially around digital cables (zeros, ones), but I promise you…they all make a difference. I love music…and I’m not the traditional audiophile trying to analyze my music…I listen for pure pleasure. This cable brings that pleasure, delight, and sheer surprise, WOW factor every time you put on your headphones.

Now, I have the Focal Utopia and Stellia headphones. In my opinion…they are the best sounding open and closed back headphones I’ve ever heard. I know there are many fans of Audeze, Hifiman, etc… all are excellent, but Focal top tier is where I landed for their crystal clarity, detail, low end bass you can feel (now MUCH more thanks to the Danacable Nirvana), and all while delivering a gorgeous sound stage, which again, thanks to the Nirvana, expanded and makes me feel like I’m on stage with every musician. I can’t emphasize enough how much it makes you feel the singer is right next to you…borders on butterflies in your stomach. And this effect occurs for anyone I’ve asked to listen to my Focals with Nirvana.

So how did it sound before the Danacable Nirvana? The stock cable sounded good…I ran it through the Chord Dave, Focal Arche, SPL Phonitor XE and ADI2DAC combo, Hugo 2, Mojo. But honestly, after starting on this “audiophile” journey, and buying all this top tier equipment, I expected more. I’ve loved music all my life, but always went mid-level products thinking the top tier wouldn’t be worthwhile or noticeable unless I was an ultra music geek. Well…it absolutely is…but something was still missing in my setup. I kept reading about cables making a difference, and got fed up guessing and reading the debates…so I bought them all to trial. For headphones, tried all top models from each: Kimber Axios (silver and hybrid), Nordost, Cardas, and Danacable of course. (btw, I also tried Shunyata Sigma and Audioquest Diamond cables for power/sources…and those also shockingly made a big difference, but that’s for another review). (Btw, a big thanks to @taronlissimore for opening my eyes to the difference cables can make…how the varietes of Audioquest cables change the sound and brightness. Thanks to headphones.com and his advice I have my dream setup now! His descriptions, guidance and support are always spot on, and have been invaluable! Headphones.com sells the entire catalog of Audioquest, and I highly recommend you order all AQ products through headphones.com. I should mention everything I have I happily brought from Headphones.com except these headphone cables, only because they don’t sell them)

So after trying Kimber, Nordost, Cardas…some took the sounds of my Focals in the wrong direction, or they had very marginal impact. The Danacable Reference cable (the lower-end model), was the best among them for a good, clean sound, that beat the stock cable, and all the top tiers from the big guys. Then we get to Dana’s Nirvana…and my god, it is like my Focals finally sounded like I always expected them to. Even BEYOND my wildest dreams. I have all the latest tech toys, and I work with many tech companies…but nothing wows me anymore these days. iPads, OLED TVs, laptops, VR glasses, iPhones, Airpods…are all the same every year…with marginal improvements. Granted…all excellent, but the wow factor is already there years ago. The same product every year with cool enhancements. I have them all, I love them all, but nothing that makes my jaw drop anymore. I must tell you, the Nirvana, made my jaw drop (still do every time I listen!). I never knew music could sound so gorgeous, enthralling, and immersive. I also love to go to concerts and clubs…this cable and my Focals have ruined those experiences for me. I can actually achieve a far superior and immersive sound as if I am the concert from the luxury of my own home. And lets face it…during this quarantine…home music setup is the best gift to ever come around. It’s as if MTV unPlugged is in my room sitting on top of me.

I know my statements are very bold, and maybe even extreme, so it’s hard to believe. But no matter how much I talk up Dana’s cable…when they try it in their setup, they are still blown away with a huge WOW. I bought 2…one for my Utopia and one for Stellia. The price is so hard to swallow…$3,500 per cable. Spending $7,000 on 2 headphone cables sounds insane…and I thought I was insane. I desperately wanted to not like it, but after hearing it…it was like I was ignorant to the true potential of music and my headphones, my DAC, Amp, etc… Nirvana releases the TRUE potential of what your headphones are meant to do. It’s that simple. And there is simply no going back to anything else. I honestly felt cheated by my stock cable and all the other high-end cables I demoed. Nothing compared. As I type this…I’m listening to my Utopias with the Nirvana…I am in pure awe ever minute…its been months, and it doesn’t get old, it doesn’t get stale, you don’t become desensitized. Also…the break-in period of the cable is 200 hours…and it only gets better with time. (I know also lots of skepticism on burning in cables, but for high quality and thick gauge cables, it is truly a must…again, don’t listen to me, listen your ears when you try it). I thought it was all BS, until I tried it first hand. I’m so grateful I did…because I spend thousands $$$ and was moderately satisfied until finally trying the Nirvana. So that little bit more and the time to test everything has educated me and shown me what I was missing.

Danacable is hand crafted by Dana Robbins and hand built by him. I honestly almost overlooked their site, www.danacables.com because they were so much smaller than the big guys like Kimber, Cardas, etc… Again, so lucky and grateful I found Dana because it transformed everything for me. My level of pleasure on a daily basis from my setup is priceless at this point. These cables will last me a lifetime.

Danacable is a boutique operation, and if I was Focal I would partner with Dana to bundle the cable with each Utopia/Stellia. They are not doing their stellar headphones justice by providing that stock cable…and everyone that has tried Nirvana on their headphones says…“My god…if I never heard this, I would have been ignorant and missing out on this experience”. That is what the Nirvana provides…it provides a true musical experience so that you are not listening to your headphones but to the true sound of the music as intended, uninhibited. It teleports you to the stage so you can be part of the music.

Side note…the craftsmanship of each cable is also beyond gorgeous. Dana’s workmanship rivals on art. The chrome, the carbon fiber, the Furutech connectors, the intricate weave with the thousands of copper and silver wires that create this formula for ultimate Nirvana harmony. Everyone that sees my setup, the first thing they ask about is the cable just because of how massive it is, stunning, and incredibly flexible and comfortable. I honestly look on them as a collectors items and art. They are stunning!

The service is also stellar. The cables are sold by Gingko Audio, Inc (run by Vinh Vu) who personally discusses your setup and needs in intricate detail. He knows music and knows audiophile level expectations. Between Vinh and Dana, their background speaks for itself ( http://danacables.com/about-us/ ), but I learned so much, and frankly they opened my eyes to the potential music can have. Truly been a pleasure since the start, and every single day I use my setup, I think of them and smile…because they changed everything for me. I have never listened to music for this many hours per day before…it’s so addicting that I am staying up till 5am many nights lol. I know it all sounds too good to be true, but I again recommend trying (they offer a 30 day trial, no questions asked), and you will hopefully see what I’m describing. No words can do it justice…you have to hear it.

The ultimate test was also sharing with my parents who barely care about this stuff…and listen at low volumes Bose and Beats. They were also floored, and had no idea how it was done. They asked if the headphones had some holographic module installed into them LOL. I had shown them some VR and AR stuff lately, so they assumed it was related. I said no guys…just my Focals and a new cable. They shockingly didn’t yell at me once I told them the price of each cable…they were already hooked :slight_smile:

It’s so rare these days to find true mastery and skill, and discovering something so special like this just doesn’t exist in our society anymore. Everything is mass manufactured and quality is secondary. So when you find a craftsman like Dana Robbins that truly has a gift for music, and an ear for it like no one else (since there is NO OTHER PRODUCT on the market that compares)…you have to give the ultimate respect and support. Not to mention, the sheer joy he brings to people’s lives who love music.

Sincerely,

Henry

Other reviews from true audiophile pros:

http://danacables.com/2019/04/03/lazuli-nirvana-reviews/

The Lazuli cable story:

http://danacables.com/news/

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The DanaCable Nirvana works very nicely with my Abyss Phi.
I also had the DanaCable Ultra before the Nirvana and if the Nirvana had not come along I’d still be using the Ultra. The only possible issue for some would be the weight of these cables, but its all that metal and quality connectors (dictated in part I think by the amount of wire used) that can make a difference in the sound.

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At that price Id expect to hear God talking to me. Im glad you feel they were that transformative. They definitely are an aesthetically pleasing cable at the very least.

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Your right, most cables are extremely overpriced but that goes hand in hand with the concept of hi-end.

Lol, I know what you mean, but I promise it warrants it once you try it. No other cable in the market that I could find makes such an uninhibited, pure musical sound.

Just wanted to share what I found and hopefully bring joy to others :slight_smile:

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Yeah, I imagine it probably would.

The last few months have made me appreciate what I enjoy in life a bit more and Im less reticent to hold off on a purchase of something that I like (within budget, of course).

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Same here! Kind of take minute to stop and smell the roses if you will. Especially plenty of time at home to enjoy it lol

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I’ve heard the DanaCable Lazululululuuii (spelling) super premium (I forget what the proper name is) when a friend loaned me his pair for nearly a month. I tried them on the Audeze lcd3 and a few ZMF headphones. It is one of the very few cables where I could consistently, with careful listening and comparisons, hear a difference in the sound of a headphone between cables.

Notice I said difference, not improvement.

Improvement in this case would subjective, and in my opinion, the changes the cable made could hardly be called transformative, and may not even be welcome with some headphones. The difference was less than what I’ve found when comparing different DACs, for example.

I feel there is an incredible amount of herd mentality and confirmation bias when it comes to cables. Some people call it hype.

The bottom line is, at that price you could have a Donald North or Eddie Current amplifier. Something that would benefit your listening far more than these cables would.

Do I believe cables matter? Yes. Do I think any situation exists where I would ever spend that much on a headphone cable? No way. Not when I can make something 98.5% as good sounding for under $200 at my workbench and a few hours time.

Just my opinion.

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I’d like to set up a blind test with these cables and others, but given the size of the Danacable Nirvana that would be a challenge. It would entail creating a custom massive set of “cable-chains” for all other products (with thin wires down the middle) to be a truly blind test.

Most critically, the size and weight of the massive cable would affect the tightness/fit of the headphones and therefore likely induce subtle changes in sound that have zero to do with the cable per se.

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That’s a point I usually stress more than anything. Ergonomics are the most important part of a cable, assuming everything is sound electrically.

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+1 to that. Differences on low-impedance signals are likely not to be perceived. And there’s always EQ to compensate any treble roll off due cheap’o cables (very unlikely).

Add to the equation: mood, energy, subjective metrics, etc…

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Just ordered this for my Anadas. Lord knows you need to upgrade that awful stock cable.

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Headphone cable impressions from @ProfFalkin handmade custom cables!

Hey friends! So, the professor was kind enough to build me some custom Balanced headphone cables! I have had them for a few months now and can give my impression of them! Immediately they became my favorite cables I own for a few different reasons. 1st ProFalkin built them and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and value his audio knowledge as well as his friendship. 2nd these cables are well built utilizing Canare L-4E6S star-quad cable with the PVC jacket removed, but the braided metal shield is kept intact. They are then re-sheathed with Paracord for a great look and durable feel. You can find some technical information about Canare here:

http://www.canare.com/ProductItemDisplay.aspx?productItemID=53

The connectors the professor use are Neutrik. Similar to some of my high-end pro audio recording cables. In fact, the cable I used when I recorded my most recent ZMF Aeolus YouTube Review utilizes Neutrik connectors. These connectors are durable and built tough for a very reasonable price. In discussing the cables with the professor, he states in his own words “The cables reflect my way of thinking in general. Function over fashion, cost-effectiveness, and practicality. Basically, no BS.”

The professor got into building cables because he wanted some for himself and wasn’t satisfied with the majority of headphone cables provided by most of the headphone manufacturers. Instead of cables that were the wrong length or didn’t have the proper flex to them, he decided he would build his own.

In my few months of using these cables, I can confirm that his thoughts behind his build show through. These cables have great flex, sound good and are the perfect length and don’t get tangled like many other stock cables I own. Rather than spending half the cost of a set of HD650 for an OEM balanced headphone cable the Professor has developed a custom cable building process in order to provide better quality for a better price.

The professor built me both a Sennheiser balanced XLR cables for my 6XX and Balanced XLR cables for my Hifiman Amanda. Included with them was an adapter to go from XLR to ¼” which is great especially for my LYR 3 and iFi IDSD Micro Black Label. I have thoroughly enjoyed using these cables and they hold a special place in my heart. Thank you again @ProfFalkin for these tremendous cables! Here are a few photos of the cables so you can see the great quality of them. Photos ©Marcello Rostagni 2020 for @ProfFalkin perosanl use

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Nice work on those cables @ProfFalkin

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Those are fantastic looking cables congratulations. Respect @ProfFalkin.

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Thank you for the awesome photos and kind words. I’m very glad you like them!

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I want a custom braided cable… :thinking:

They look awesome @ProfFalkin! Well done. :clap:t4::+1:t4:

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Those look great, @ProfFalkin

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That’s the problem when it comes to comparing / evaluating cable. Confronted with 2 different cables (or any device type) most listeners feel they must pick a loser / winner, (it’s not a horse race), instead of just identifying any differences they hear (or do not hear) and choosing to go with one or the other based on personal preference in sound, ergonomics, and possibly aesthetics, for use in combination with their other chain of ingredients. And as with all parts of the signal chain from the wall socket on, diminishing returns is in play big time as one climbs the dollar bill ladder. How much is a fraction of percent more of what you want to hear worth? And that will vary for everyone.

In my experience the HP cable (or speaker cable) seems to influence the sound more than choice of IC’s, and IC’s seem to influence the sound more than source cabling (RCA, coax, AES/EBU, etc., and it gets very difficult for me at that level to discern much if any difference). As far as AC cabling I go with the cheapest, well put together from decent materials with good flexibility to dress my installs, and a gauge that matches my Romex (14 in my case). The few different brands of after market AC cable I’ve tried I heard no differences I could verbalize. But, a good spike, noise and surge suppressor is a must for me. Who wouldn’t want to protect their investment in gear with a surge/spike suppressor and most come with some sort of noise suppression as standard so why not take advantage of it especially if your not sure if you need it or not. When I do hear any unusual noise I’m confident it will be problem past my AC cables.

Of course the rebuttal is usually that my equipment chain isn’t revealing enough, or my amps don’t require a 20 amp circuit and a gigawatt of power draw. And so on.

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Those are super cables … great job, Dr. Falkin. If you ever quit your day job, you have options. And MRphotography … thanks for sharing, you have skills too … a real glamor photoshot.

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