Cables - 3rd Party/Upgrades & Recommendations

I haven’t listened to Moon Audio Dragon cables, but I have a set of Arctic Cuprum (OCC copper) and Double Helix Molecule Elite (OCC silver) and I can say that both Arctic and Double Helix make excellent cables in terms of build quality and looks. They both offer upgraded connectors (Furutech, Oyaide etc).

Note that the Arctic copper cable doesn’t add warmth, and the Double Helix silver cable doesn’t add brightness. They sound remarkably similar to each other, in that they don’t impact the sound at all, as far as I can hear. I’d be wary of buying a cable that is marketed as a tone control.

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Do you notice a improvement in sound quality at all?


Hakugei, Han Sound Audio, DHC. Any of these are better than this (cable included with the HE6se v2):

PXL_20210105_201802250

And better than this (cable included with the Stellia):


(the one of the left being Norne)

I also have an Arctic Cable Magnus on the way (speaker tap).

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When I was auditioning the HE6SE, I didn’t really notice an audible improvement over the stock cable, but the build quality was 1000% better than the medical drainage tubes that came with the HE6SE, which seemed to develop kinks every time I moved them. I also agree with @deafenears’ comment that they are both better build quality than the stock cables that came with my Stellia.

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Well i was told that the Susvara is very sensitive and detailed headphone. And a better cable can help to open it up and make it sound better. If it doesnt do that id rather not bother, i’ll just use the stock cable.

I’ve made a bunch of Black Dragons now.

They are susceptible to microphonics from the split to he cup, rubbing and bumping.

The Furutech XLR are nice. About $25 a piece.

I really like the Artic Cables website. It has a lot of information on their site and tell so much about what youre buying. What the properties of the cable metal means. I also really like the fact you can upgrade to Rhodium plated Furutech connectors for both the 3.5mm to the headphone and the XLR. Rhodium seems to be the ultimate in a plating you can get. I also like that they use such premium solder also. Although i’m not sure what the different options of solder give. I would think the silver/gold was best. The prices seem pretty good too. I was thinking i might get the Signum Series silver cable, with the options it comes out too 600$ lol. not sure yet though

First, cables don’t make a huge difference.

But.

Generally if you want to reduce brightness, you should aim at pure copper, large guage (lots of metal). Non-litz if its sleeved, litz if its clear jacket (or it’ll go green).

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Is it too much to ask for a silver 8 braid IEM cable in black TPU?

Speaking of Arctic cables, my delivery just came.

I received a review sample of a new cable. Here is my opinion of it:

I would like to thank Kimberly from Fedai for supplying this item for review.
Product link:

Version tested: 2-pin, 2.5mm balanced.

The Fedai 16 core cable comes simply packaged in a small envelope.

The cable is silver plated OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) but the purity is not specified. The sheath is black plastic and the closely-braided cable is very slim for a 16 core and therefore light and supple. It has a straight plug with a carbon fibre patterning and a similar design on the metal Y-split and there is a black spherical chin slider. The 2-pin plugs are plain black metal with channel identification in a plain white font. The clear plastic ear guides are fairly tightly curved but are comfortable.

The cable was tested with a variety of IEMs in the $20 to $50 price range and although this meant that the cable in some cases was more expensive than the earphones, the improvement in sound justified this approach. Copper cables are considered to produce a warmer tonality whereas silver-plated or pure silver cables tend to increase the brightness.

The first IEM I tested was the new Geek Wold GK10. It has a well-balanced sound but I found that the treble region was a little subdued using the stock cable (which is of good quality). The Fedai cable managed to bring out a bit more sparkle and life into the high frequencies. Piezo drivers do need a lot of power and I used a Hifi Walker H2 DAP as the source. The change of cable also produced a bit more impact and improved the soundstage.

The CCA CSN also benefited from the change of cable. The CSN is a very good performer at its price and has a more mature tuning than many of its competitors. Its stock cable is fairly basic and typical of CCA/KZ designs. Using the Fedai cable improved the transient response and attack and brought an extra feeling of space and excitement to proceedings compared to the stock cable. It revealed the true potential of the CSN and was probably the most successful of the three tested here.

The HZ Sound Heart Mirror is another remarkable IEM with a performance well above that expected for the price. It has a neutral/bright profile with copious detail and transparency. The stock cable is of high quality. In this instance, the change to the Fedai cable was not so successful. The Heart Mirror’s already bright tonality was enhanced and became sharper. There was a minor improvement in the tightness of the bass, and a slight expansion of the staging but there was a touch of extra brightness in the treble which unbalanced the overall profile.

The Fedai cable brought improvements in earphones which benefited from an increase in treble resolution and also helped to improve separation and detail, and for these it can be thoroughly recommended. However, I would not recommend the Fedai cable if you have a bright IEM, as the balance will be affected as described above.



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I’m soon getting short adapters for my headphones (DHC triple threat). I have two cables that I use regularly. One with mini-XLR (ZMF) and one with lemo connectors (Focal).

My question is which connection is sturdier and can handle more connects/disconnects?

Thanks in advance!

I don’t know about sturdiness or durability in terms of connects/disconnects. But maybe consider weight and size as well? Which of the two are smaller and/or weigh less?

Also, the mini-XLRs seem easier to source and from looking at the DHC site, would cost less if you were to get additional adapters in the future - anything with the LEMO input on the bottom side is an additional $60.

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Question: I just bought Focal Utopias (love them) and decided to see what the hubbub was about Silver Dragon cables. Just received them and some quick impressions before my question:

  • I hear some extra detail (not night-and-day, but for real), and a little extra in the bass, as compared with the stock cables.

  • The negatives for me (aside from the obscene price) are the feel of them. I don’t love the plastic-like casing and the very, very thin cables leading to each ear.

For those of you with more experience with cables than me - can I expect comparable positives with comparable, silver-wire cables from the third-party vendors discussed here (I have great experience with Arctic Cables, for example)? Put another way, is there anything that you find that’s unique/particular to the Silver Dragons that makes it worth putting up with the aesthetic/feel problems I have?

Thanks for any help, free advice, etc.

With the exception of obviously faulty cables that negatively impact sound, I found that the most important thing about a cable is it’s ergonomics and comfort. Any perceived changes in sound are usually so small as to not justify the expense. I also particularly hate the dragon cables because they are not ergonomic or comfortable. I think they are pain in the ass.

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Let me ask a different, additional question - does anyone have a particular recommendation for a cable to pair with my Utopias? (I don’t think I’ll last with these Silver Dragons.)

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What’s your budget? Cables get pricy real quick.

No kidding! I think I have to draw the line at $1,000, and I’m only going that high because I’m gonna need a 15-ft cable for optimal enjoyment where I listen.

I think it’s a jump to silver that’s going to make this an expensive proposition, so I’m wondering if silver is actually the best pairing with the Utopias and, if so, then looking for a particular recommendation for a maker.

I’m getting sufficient bass from these silver dragons with the Utopias and I value detail over slam, if that helps.

So: silver or no? And what brand?

Thanks!

Silver = brighter to my ears.

Utopia = too bright already to ears.

You like Arctic?

I do - any particular Arctic brand you’d recommend for this pairing?