shiro
quite active
Posts: 109
|
Post by shiro on Aug 23, 2016 20:40:46 GMT
I'm looking for some nice cable to make my own headphone cables, since replacement aftermarket cables are insanely priced. Plugs I can easily find in decent quality, but cable is a different matter (no local brick and morter stores anymore, so I'd have to buy blind). Should be black, nice and supple, non/minor-microphonic. Any suggestions for an internet store and product, that will ship to Europe?
Thanks!
|
|
solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,882
|
Post by solderdude on Aug 24, 2016 6:12:33 GMT
I would have a look at microphone cable. Thomann sells them by the meter. Doesn't cost that much, at least when you reach the 'free shipping' pricing. I would look for flexibility and colour and for the thinnest diameter. Then order 2 or 3 meters of each cable you want to try. Maybe I will do this myself one day. The only cale I want replaced at the moment is the HD800 cables but I would either have to buy very expensive connectors or have to remove the original sockets and use cheaper ones. www.thomann.de/ie/microphone_cables_cables.html
|
|
shiro
quite active
Posts: 109
|
Post by shiro on Aug 24, 2016 8:37:02 GMT
Excellent idea, microphone cable should be the least microphonic! I'll give it a try! Thanks!
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Aug 24, 2016 9:39:11 GMT
Excellent idea, microphone cable should be the least microphonic! I'll give it a try! Thanks! I agree, headphone cable prices are totally daft!! At some of those prices, I'd be expecting solid gold!!
|
|
|
Post by dmcrimson on Aug 28, 2016 8:33:09 GMT
Jumping the boat a bit, but apart from cables, what would you suggest for connectors and Y-splitter?
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Aug 28, 2016 8:36:14 GMT
Also another boat question .... Has anyone seen a dual entry cable for an m-100 in the UK? It's a stupid arrangement in that it's not two monos into the cups.........
|
|
solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,882
|
Post by solderdude on Aug 28, 2016 8:57:55 GMT
For dual entry either use a 'stereo' cable of which 2 wires can be pulled apart (a bit like the old RCA cabels that comes with some equipment) and 'stop' it from tearing apart further with some heat-shrink tubing. This kind of cable you mean ? Where would you leave the needed little socket-seal-rubber-plug-thingy ?
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Aug 28, 2016 9:05:40 GMT
That's the kind of thing Frans. It has quite a thin entry point into the cups as well. I think the arrangement is two stereos into the cups with left connected in one side and right in the other. Not sure.
I'd like to lose the iPod volume control and also see whether anything is affected. Some are claiming better stereo width with one. That might be just losing that volume connector. I was also after a long and short one since they only supply shorts.
It seems that there is no one around in the UK that supplies them. Could have got one in the USA while I was there!!
The plastic plug just screws out. It was put there to balance the cups apparently.
Two mono plugs into the cups doesn't work apparently!!
I wouldn't be getting anything fancy, like Silver Dragons. Stupid money for a piece of wire!!
|
|
jello
extremely active
Posts: 1,569
|
Post by jello on Aug 28, 2016 9:09:43 GMT
I think I might have a few spare cables of that type from when I ran a pair of Minirigs in stereo. Length might be wrong but I'll have a check. Moon Audio living in the real world I see. $249 (or more) for a cable for the M-100? www.moon-audio.com/v-moda-crossfade-m-100-headphones.htmlI think the dual stereo inputs isn't a bad idea myself. On a portable I suspect many prefer a single entry cable and having the option to choose left or right cup is not a bad option to have. Out of interest Ian can you have 2 sources (e.g. ipod and laptop) playing at once or does one input mute the other when both are used? Edit: forgot about the M-100 3.5mm inputs being quite low profile (and hexaganol shaped). Suspect mine will be too 'fat' but I will take a look.
|
|
jello
extremely active
Posts: 1,569
|
Post by jello on Aug 28, 2016 9:28:59 GMT
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Aug 28, 2016 10:25:16 GMT
Thanks Mark. That's exactly the problem. Both sides are stereo not mono and the entry point is also restricted. I just don't understand the greedy 'you know whats' charging that amount for a cable. Even worse, the daft nitwits buying them and supporting the trade. If the buggers didn't sell any, they'd either stop making them or lower the price.
The entry is just narrow, not hexagonal. That's just the surround. Thing is, it's easy to find a stereo lead with narrow plugs but not these leads where there's a stereo Jack at one end with two stereos at the other, but one is wired for left and other for right!!!
It's only because I'd like to test out what these people are claiming. They are saying that the stereo width widens if you do this. I have my doubts but you never know. If anything, that is probably the m-100 weak area. It pinpoints instruments well, but doesn't sound as wide as it could to me.
|
|
solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,882
|
Post by solderdude on Aug 28, 2016 10:31:06 GMT
The M100 is a bit weird in plugs. Not only the shape, but above all that one can use a single sided cable with the entry point being either on the left or right. The rubber plug seal thingy has to go in the 'empty slot' to prevent leakage. This means that each cup has a stereo connector (TRS) which is essentially duplicated. The idea is fine and not exlusive to the M100, but you cannot use 2 mono cables (TR) as L and R channels will be shorted and play 'combined' on the left ear only. The M100 has a normal impedance. As it uses a combined return wire there can be some slight differences in 'stereo' effect when different cables are used but this depends on the electrical resistance of the cable (actually ony that of the combined return wire). In a dual entry cable (and most y cable) each return wire is separate and thus the resistance has no effect on stereo width. The return wires are combined in the connector which is 'better'. For the stereo image to change dramatically (and improve with dual entry) the stock cable would have to be really crappy and high resistance which I doubt is the case. Some headphones have a narrow soundstage, others a wide one. I think rarely this is caused by wiring though. A lot of it will be due to placebo/expectance because when a cable is changed that is reported to sound wider your brain will make it so. Just a few days ago I was playing with the Kameleon in-line where you can switch the filter in and out. Have 2 of those here... Was playing with the HD800 and expecting a difference in bass levels and treble peak. So flipped the switch and heard the bass increase and the treble peak be smaller, but less than I thought it would do. Switched back and forth a few times and heard it every time. Then I wondered if the HD800 didn't require much compensation (the new HD650 doesn't) but it kapt nagging. Opened up the lid... damn no filter inside and used the 'bypass' module I had made for testing in that one. It did NOTHING to the sound but clearly heard a difference when there could be one. The HD800 module was still in the other Kameleon Switched modules and now it did sound much fuller and not 'peaky' any more. With the bypass module I heard 'some' of the effect but wasn't there. I can't say I am not particularly noob, but placebo and expectancy bias still can fool me every time where I would expect this not to be the case and would have immediatly heard the sound would be the same. Yet it didn't... the differences were there to me but very small scale... while flipping an AB switch of which I knew which position would do what and the indicator LED showed it did. So .. you may want to take some of the perceived differences in stereo width for what they might be .. unless the cable is really crap, which I suspect is not the case.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Aug 28, 2016 10:42:30 GMT
Yes, it's a pain!!! Well, if you don't want a single lead....... I suspect what the guys have been saying might well be placebo in any case, but I like to try myself so I know what I'm describing then. (Even if it's placebo with me!!! )
|
|
jello
extremely active
Posts: 1,569
|
Post by jello on Aug 28, 2016 12:10:43 GMT
The V-Moda cable is decent so don't think that would be the culprit. Bought mine to replace the Fidelio X1 cable which despite looking the part had a rather high resistance. The V-Moda measured a lot lower iirc. I don't fully understand how cables are wired up but if you were to send the exact same stereo feed (both L & R channels) into each cup would the M-100 be able to handle it? If it would then you could maybe cobble together something using two 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo cables and plugging them into one of these splitters? www.startech.com/Cables/Audio-Video/Audio-Cables/6-inch-PC-Speaker-Y-Splitter-Cable~MUY1MFFNot a tidy solution but if it's only for experimentation purposes perhaps it'd suffice? If I'm missing something blindingly obvious though please just ignore me
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
|
Post by Rabbit on Aug 28, 2016 13:04:08 GMT
No, I think only one channel can be connected on each side, Mark.
As Frans was saying, I could split a stereo lead and wire up two stereo plugs at the other end and shrink wrap where I pull the lead apart.
On Headfi, someone mentioned resistance being a factor and I also think that came from VModa!
I could even run two mono cables with a stereo on the other end, one wired to left and one wired to right. Almost like a balanced cable ......
Or run two monos from a stereo and wire them to two stereos at the other end and then wrap the two separate cables into one Python cable.
No one seems to make the blasted cable for the VModa in the UK. Not even EBay!!!
|
|