Just ordered a balanced cable for my HD800, am I wasting my money?

[rodrigaj]

I have the HD800S/HDVA600 combo. As you know the HD800S comes with both the 6.3mm and balanced cables.

 

I could discern no difference between the two.

 

I then decided to make my own shorter balanced cable using the best connectors (furutech) and wire (also furutech) and Cardas soldier. The tiny connectors at the headphone side are a bear to soldier. I have an resistance soldier station with fine needle tips which is the only way to realistically do this kind of work. 

 

The difference between the Sennheiser cable and my own was negligible - probably expectation bias. But I now have a 6ft cable with very cool connectors. ?

[rodrigaj]

38 minutes ago, Musicophile said:

Thanks. I was kind of afraid to hear that. I probably just spent $300 for a nicer set of connectors...

 

just to clarify: do you have a balanced or unbalanced source?

 

Balanced: PS Audio DS DAC (balanced) > W4S STPSE Preamp (balanced) > HDVA600

 

IMHO, the balanced headphone cable is worth the $300. You don't realize that until you build one yourself. I was glad that the HD800S included it.

[rodrigaj]

3 hours ago, austinpop said:

...My next change was to my current Cardas Clear, so I was going from Black Dragon balanced to Cardas Clear balanced. And this time, both to my Cavalli Liquid Gold amp.

 

The Cardas Clear upgrade was one of my most satisfying cable purchases. It's expensive, sure, but I lucked out with a good used deal, so it wasn't too bad. The Clear just adds a beguiling combination of smoothness, warmth AND resolution to the SQ. It's really hard to describe, but it was very hard for me to go back....

 

Cardas makes excellent cables.

 

The only time I have perceived a difference in cable swaps that was appreciably better/different was when I switched out a phono din to rca generic for a Cardas Clear phono din to rca. I got the cable at dealer cost because I bought the used TT from him and he threw in a DV cartridge at dealer cost as well. Now I would just build my own and use the money for music downloads.

 

Perhaps my system is not revealing enough, but the whole cable thing stupefies me. (I won't get into a cable debate).

[rodrigaj]

This has nothing to do with SQ, but balanced cables provide a much better mechanical connection. Those spring connections on SE sockets loosen up over time. On the back panel, balanced connections lock in place. I've never understood the appeal of RCA.