Upgrade Headphone cable or Buy completely new Model

[ID]

OK. I already own a pair of Sennheiser HD600 and have had them for about 18 years. Still going strong thanks to plentiful spares from Sennheiser. Thing is, I noticed an improvement when I purchased the HD650 headphone cable instead of the stock HD600 cable. This sent me on a trip around the web where it was evident there are a number of upgrade cables around.

So Question: if I upgraded the headphone cable for say £150 would it be better than splashing out on a brand new £400 headphone?

I am actually in the market for a new set of headphones in the £500 mark. But could I save myself trouble by going the upgrade cable route? Has anyone got a story to tell? Or just want to vent frustration! I'm listening....

 

[Matte]

Hi,

I own rather too many headphones for my wife's liking, one of them being the HD600's.

They are still my favourite go to headphones.

I would be wary of noticing difference with a different cable unless this test can be done blind, as an ABX comparison, confirmation bias is almost impossible to over come.

I can't see how a £150 cable upgrade could result in an improvement that would compare to shelling out £500 notes on a new pair.

The only thing to note is they all cans sound different and buying another may be a case of finding a pair that work better with different genres of music.

My Beyers sound quite poor with music but with the spoken word and my electronic drum kit sound great, as they are very neutral, wheras my AKGs sound good with acoustic music.

I've yet to find a pair that beat my Jeklin floats (for the money) but they have reached the end of. their useful life I fear.

I've also never heard a pair of cans that match the performance of Electrostatic headphones by Stax but they have always been out of my price range (unless I were to finally decide to remove my speakers and use headphones only).

I would search out some dedicated Heaphone forums for the best advice

I'd like some high quality wireless next but that's a chore for later in the year

For some reason I'm adverse to forking out huge sums on inner ear headphones as I have very small ear canals and made to measure seems to be the only way to go, but so much for so little physical size always seems a con.

It's a minefield of choice but can you really have too many!

Matt

 

[dalethorn]

OK. I already own a pair of Sennheiser HD600 and have had them for about 18 years. Still going strong thanks to plentiful spares from Sennheiser. Thing is, I noticed an improvement when I purchased the HD650 headphone cable instead of the stock HD600 cable. This sent me on a trip around the web where it was evident there are a number of upgrade cables around.

So Question: if I upgraded the headphone cable for say £150 would it be better than splashing out on a brand new £400 headphone?

I am actually in the market for a new set of headphones in the £500 mark. But could I save myself trouble by going the upgrade cable route? Has anyone got a story to tell? Or just want to vent frustration! I'm listening....

If you have a new or nearly new headband pad and ditto earpads, and you can be sure that the drivers are as good as new (or as good as current drivers, whichever is better), and that the earcup jacks are pristine with no hard (but possibly invisible) corrosion, then yes - an upgrade cable would be the thing.

 

[ID.]

OK. I already own a pair of Sennheiser HD600 and have had them for about 18 years. Still going strong thanks to plentiful spares from Sennheiser. Thing is, I noticed an improvement when I purchased the HD650 headphone cable instead of the stock HD600 cable. This sent me on a trip around the web where it was evident there are a number of upgrade cables around.

So Question: if I upgraded the headphone cable for say £150 would it be better than splashing out on a brand new £400 headphone?

I am actually in the market for a new set of headphones in the £500 mark. But could I save myself trouble by going the upgrade cable route? Has anyone got a story to tell? Or just want to vent frustration! I'm listening....

Whoa, it's like looking in a mirror. Nice user name.

New pair of headphones will make a far bigger difference. The impact of cables is pretty subtle.

 

[ID]

Thanks for your comments. I too was uncertain of the cable differences but I have gone back and forth several times between the differing cables and there is definitely a difference - not huge - actually quite subtle - but I find it hard to go back when I have an improvement, however small.

I did spend - about 3 months ago - around £60 on replacement earpads and headband padding to bring the comfort of the pads back up to scratch. So these still have plenty of life in them. However if they are comprehensively trounced by say Audioquest Night Hawk, Audeze EL-8, Hifiman He-560 or even Sennheiser own HD700 then I will take the plunge.