Headphones

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How much do headphone cables matter? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by Iceweasel1337_@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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Hey all, I'm a very very casual headphone guy so pardon my ignorance.

I'm currently using a pair of Audio Technica ATH-R70X with the Focusrite Scarlet Solo 3rd gen audio interface and Schiit Magni Heresy amp. I love these headphones but I want to try getting a different sound out of them. I'm thinking of trying the Schiit Valhalla 2 tube amp since I know tube amps sound much different from solid state amps. But first, I wanted to start small and see if there are different cables for these headphones that I can use that would alter the sound. Is that even possible? I was looking into Hart Audio Cables.

Thanks.

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[–] ReekyRumpFedRatsbane@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Headphone cables do not affect sound if they aren't damaged or defective. There are very few exceptions to that, but that only applies if you have a headphone with exceptionally low impedance, as in single digit Ohms. That neither occurs with any of the common driver types, nor with most uncommon types.

However, they can have a significant impact on the user experience. A cable that's too short is annoying if not downright unusable, a cable that's too long is just flopping about everywhere, a cable that's too stiff is unpleasant and can create microphonics, and a cable with a bad surface can feel and look unpleasant. Add all these factors together and cables do matter, just not for the sound itself.

And thus, I can wholeheartedly recommend Hart Audio Cables. They feel nice, they look good, they have very little microphonics, and their modular system allows you to use different outputs for your headphones with the same cable.

But if a different sound is all you're looking for, new cables are not the way to go.