[Sonny]

Hi All,

Wanted to let everyone know that I am going to make some DIY Sennheiser headphone cables...and will use it on my HD650

I will be using 28 gauge silver coated copper stranded wires, teflon insulated with Cardas HPSC plugs, found here:  http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=oem&pagestring2=Headphone%20Connectors&pagestring=Headphone%20Connectors+(closeup)&content_id=33&part_id=178

I will let you know how these sounds compared to the Cardas Sennheiser cables and if I can get my hands on a ZU Mobius, I'd love to compare it against that as well.

So, STAY TUNED!!!!

ALso, is anyone out there doing their own DIY Sennheiser (650) cables???

[Sonny]

So, here it is...the all new DIY Sennheiser headphone cable...

Made with 28 gauge Silver plated copper, doubled up, so, in essence, 25 gauge.
Made with the same recipe of my magnet wire i/c, but using stranded silver plated copper.  Magnet wires would be too stiff for this application.  See pictures below.  17ft long, and so far, it sounds pretty darn good...more open, more details, faster and crisper than the stock so far, but only a couple hours on it...

The Cable/Wire


The connector (Cardas HPN connectors, rhodium plated)


Glued for secure connection so you don't pull it out... 


The Jacket with Neutrik gold connectors


The Finish Product

[grubyhalo]

Looking good there! I'll be very interested in your comparisons when you run in your cable a bit and have the time. Thanks! 


P.S: Any reason why you didn't consider going balanced?

[Sonny]

Looking good there! I'll be very interested in your comparisons when you run in your cable a bit and have the time. Thanks! 


P.S: Any reason why you didn't consider going balanced?

yes, I don't have balanced headphone amp...I am using Musical Fidelity X-can version 1.  I will be modding that as well. 

[grubyhalo]

OK, Thanks! 

[santacore]

Looking good Sonny! I've made my own out of some mini Belden microphone cable I got from a friends studio. I braided 2 runs and used 2 wires per side. It beat the Cardas and the few other aftermarket cables that I tried. It doesn't look pretty like yours, but it definitely made a positive difference when I owned the HD650's.

[BobM]

Cool, looking good. Now that these mini Cardas plugs are available to the public I wouldn't be surprised to read about more people making cables for their headphones. That was always the thing that held everyone back before.

[chadh]

One of my long list of aborted and failed DIY efforts is a cable for my Senn 580s.  I used the Cardas connectors, but screwed up the soldering.  Do you have any tips for successfully soldering the wires to the pins, for when I summon the enthusiasm to try again?

Chad

[Sonny]

One of my long list of aborted and failed DIY efforts is a cable for my Senn 580s.  I used the Cardas connectors, but screwed up the soldering.  Do you have any tips for successfully soldering the wires to the pins, for when I summon the enthusiasm to try again?

Chad

Chad, first off, make sure you use a cable that is small enough to get into the connector's opening... Then  ensure that the wires are "inside" the pins and put the soldering iron so that it touches both the cables and pin (just at the end of the pin opening, and feed solder into it.  It should take but a few seconds, as there's not much medal to heat up.  Leave it too long and you'll risk melting the plastic housing!  That's it!  Once it's solder, I would some some glue, in my case, hot glue, to fill in the opening of the connector and help isolate and secure the connection.  I am surprised that there's no cap to close over the opening of the connectors.  I then heatshrink it over to seal the opening.
T

[Sonny]

Cool, looking good. Now that these mini Cardas plugs are available to the public I wouldn't be surprised to read about more people making cables for their headphones. That was always the thing that held everyone back before.

yes, the are available, at $16 a pair, that's not bad, but well, that's sure a good margin for Cardas... but hey, they did make it available to us.  I know what the cardas sennheiser cable is 24awg as compared to my 25awg.  I would / will be doing an A/B against the Cardas soon.
T

[Sonny]

Looking good Sonny! I've made my own out of some mini Belden microphone cable I got from a friends studio. I braided 2 runs and used 2 wires per side. It beat the Cardas and the few other aftermarket cables that I tried. It doesn't look pretty like yours, but it definitely made a positive difference when I owned the HD650's.

All you have to do is buy some Techflex and put it over the exposed wire...it's nice and manageable....

[Sonny]

Looking good there! I'll be very interested in your comparisons when you run in your cable a bit and have the time. Thanks! 


P.S: Any reason why you didn't consider going balanced?

Here's a question to all...
Unless you have a balanced headphone output, I don't see how Balanced would help.  The Sennheisers don't have balanced connector nor are the connections balanced.  There's only a hot/cold no third ground or anything at the Headphone end.  So, would balance really do anything???  Anyone know or have balanced Senn cables to comment?
thanks

[eweitzman]

Balanced amps use two wires per per driver for a total of four wires. That way, they don't share a common ground wire as in the standard three-wire configuration. Balanced amp topology is also different so there may be less noise. There is even one three-wire (unbalanced) headphone amp that I know of using a separate amplifier circuit for the common ground.

If you're finicky about your insulating materials, even in small quantities, you may want to avoid hot glue. Personally, I doubt it would make any difference at all over a short distance.

- Eric

[Sonny]

Balanced amps use two wires per per driver for a total of four wires. That way, they don't share a common ground wire as in the standard three-wire configuration. Balanced amp topology is also different so there may be less noise. There is even one three-wire (unbalanced) headphone amp that I know of using a separate amplifier circuit for the common ground.

If you're finicky about your insulating materials, even in small quantities, you may want to avoid hot glue. Personally, I doubt it would make any difference at all over a short distance.

- Eric

Thanks Eric, for the information.
Regarding the hot glue, it was just at the connectors, specifically the connection between the cable leads and the connector leads...

Thanks
T

[djbnh]

HD 650 user here w/Stefan AudioArt Equinox 9' HD650 Headphone Cable. I'm interested in any comparisons you might make w/the above cable, which I find is in a league different from Cardas, etc.  YMMV. Please keep posting.

[Sonny]

So far, about 5 hours into the cable burn in and things are getting better.  At first, there was a sense of "brightness" for lack of a better word, and bass shy, however still wonderful over the stock.  But after a few hours, the bass is coming into it's own and the highs are sweet!  I listed to Coltrane/Hartman (Vinyl) and the sax and voice never sounded better on these 650 or any headphones I've heard...but my headphone experience is limited at best.  The space and details that it picks up is phenomenal, it sounds like I can hear the studio where Johnny and John are in!  I then put on some Patrica Barber (Companion) on MFSL sacd, WOW! 

Ok, more to come...wish I had a pair of Cardas or Zu Mobius handy to compare in about a week. 

Anyone in the Bay Area that has either cable to compare?

tuan