Balanced XLR For HD650

[dstep259]

I'm looking to swap the SE cord that comes with the HD650 for a balanced 4pin XLR. There doesn't seem to be many options out there, and the prices vary greatly. Any recommendations? I tried looking for old posts on this, but I just kept finding posts about people making their own cables. I do not have the knowledge or equipment to do this. I was hoping to only have to spend around $100 tops, but I can go a little higher if needed. My purpose for the purchase is just for fun. I haven't used a balanced setup before, but I now have a DAC and amp that support it so I figured I'd try it out.

 

[Tatr76]

Think a lot of cheap balanced options out there, I paid a little more with going for modular design as can add cables for other headphone connection types. Purchased mine from Hart Audio, Multi-kit 6 ($41) that has 3 interconnects that terminate in mini xlr. A threaded 3.5mm with 6.35 adapter, a IC-3 4-pin xlr and then you can choose between 4.4mm or 2.5mm balanced so in effect 4 termination choices. Other kits and single connectors available. Then I just buy the appropriate headphone cable that attaches via mini xlr, the hd650 one costs $42 for 4.5ft but you can get custom lengths. Works for me and am prepared to pay extra for convenience as have a few sources with different jack input types and headphones.

 

[STF_YVR]

AliExpress has good affordable balanced cables.

 

[Tks]

The best option if you want a ready made one can be had for CorpseCables. Avoid paracord cables like the plague, microphonic garbage, virtually all of them.

Stock cable, rewired for balanced

Same cable, but $15 more for the XLR to 6.3mm adapter if you ever want to use unbalanced amps later down the line

Both well under your budget, and both with that lovely stock Sennheiser cable. Audiophiles (even the ones buying the balanced HD800 cable) are all literal morons putting up with those cloth/fabric/paracord sleeved cables. Literally getting their wallet finesed for a virtually inferior product purely driven by marketing psychology.

When I heard Sennheiser's consumer division got bought out. I got a sudden urge in my to go out and buy like 20 stock cables (their cost is minuscule compared to "audiophile" cables). Ive yet to use a headphone cable in my life that felt and acted batter than those stock cables.

Just be smart, and not one of those brainless folks that tie their cables in a tight weeve and permanently deform it. They're supply, but people seem to always trash them somehow (I honestly can't understand what these sorts of people are doing to destory a stock HD6-- series cable tbh).

 

[TunaBug]

The best option if you want a ready made one can be had for CorpseCables. Avoid paracord cables like the plague, microphonic garbage, virtually all of them.

Stock cable, rewired for balanced

Same cable, but $15 more for the XLR to 6.3mm adapter if you ever want to use unbalanced amps later down the line

Both well under your budget, and both with that lovely stock Sennheiser cable. Audiophiles (even the ones buying the balanced HD800 cable) are all literal morons putting up with those cloth/fabric/paracord sleeved cables. Literally getting their wallet finesed for a virtually inferior product purely driven by marketing psychology.

When I heard Sennheiser's consumer division got bought out. I got a sudden urge in my to go out and buy like 20 stock cables (their cost is minuscule compared to "audiophile" cables). Ive yet to use a headphone cable in my life that felt and acted batter than those stock cables.

Just be smart, and not one of those brainless folks that tie their cables in a tight weeve and permanently deform it. They're supply, but people seem to always trash them somehow (I honestly can't understand what these sorts of people are doing to destory a stock HD6-- series cable tbh).

First time post after lurking for a while. It's @Tks ' fault.

So you're saying NO to the Hart Audio cables? Their whole system seems quite nice, and not stoopid expensive either.

I assume that by "microphonic" you're referring to transmitting mechanical vibration into the headphone, as opposed to picking up electrical noise? I've certainly been subject to the former and it bugs the crap out of me.

As for destroying them... a month ago I was getting out of my zero gravity chair to discover that the music abruptly stopped. Apparently the cable fell into the mechanism and got sliced when I got up. Soldering iron fixed that. Good news is the thought of "maybe it's time for new headphones anyhow..." led me to a google result with "amirm" in the blurb (I used to work in his DMD), and that's how I found ASR. Or maybe that's bad news... I've spent way too much time reading threads here.

 

[TunaBug]

+1 for Hart Audio cables.

Wrt @Tks's comments about microphonics: I'm only using these with over-the-ear headphones, so I'm not nearly as susceptible to this as with IEMs. The Hart cables aren't bad. It's more noticeable than, say, the nice plain rubberized insulation on my HD6xx headphones. But it is _less_ noticeable than the stock cables supplied with my DCA Noire. I'm just using the basic stock red Hart cables, not any of their custom cables.

ETA: The main improvement I could think of would be a "breakaway" connector. I'm thinking of the original Xbox controller cables, for anybody that can remember that far back The mini-XLR connector in the Hart cables works well, but you have to press the button before the two parts will mechanically separate.

 

[Tks]

+1 for Hart Audio cables.

Wrt @Tks's comments about microphonics: I'm only using these with over-the-ear headphones, so I'm not nearly as susceptible to this as with IEMs. The Hart cables aren't bad. It's more noticeable than, say, the nice plain rubberized insulation on my HD6xx headphones. But it is _less_ noticeable than the stock cables supplied with my DCA Noire. I'm just using the basic stock red Hart cables, not any of their custom cables.

ETA: The main improvement I could think of would be a "breakaway" connector. I'm thinking of the original Xbox controller cables, for anybody that can remember that far back The mini-XLR connector in the Hart cables works well, but you have to press the button before the two parts will mechanically separate.

Sorry for not seeing your prior post. But it seems you caught my gist about the mechanical noise vibrations being more easily sent up. The Hart Audio seem okay. But I have no idea how bad compared to stock since I’d have to experience the weave of their paracord material.

Also welcome to the forum

 

[kchap]

I'm looking to swap the SE cord that comes with the HD650 for a balanced 4pin XLR. There doesn't seem to be many options out there, and the prices vary greatly. Any recommendations? I tried looking for old posts on this, but I just kept finding posts about people making their own cables. I do not have the knowledge or equipment to do this. I was hoping to only have to spend around $100 tops, but I can go a little higher if needed. My purpose for the purchase is just for fun. I haven't used a balanced setup before, but I now have a DAC and amp that support it so I figured I'd try it out.

What amp are you using? I purchased balanced cables for my HD650s. I thought I would get a little bit of extra drive but, the output power was the same for balanced and unbalanced. I have expensive cables that I do not use.