Headphone Cables - Do we really need anything beyond copper, OFC at best?

[Roland68]

I took "we don't know exactly" to pretty much say that. It's ridiculous of course.

Maybe you should just read my disclaimer.
I said that we don't know because we haven't done the test yet.
According to my information, all cable tests so far, whether here in the forum or elsewhere, have been OFC against OFC tests with relatively small differences in quality.
As I said, even the cheapest speaker cables were OFC in our measurements (LIBS laser-induced plasma spectroscopy).
However, the question arises as to how relevant this is when the usual cables in the audio sector, regardless of price, are OFC with relatively small differences in quality anyway.

And we are still decades away from real monocrystalline copper cables, so there is no difference there either.

 

[Chrispy]

Maybe you should just read my disclaimer.
I said that we don't know because we haven't done the test yet.
According to my information, all cable tests so far, whether here in the forum or elsewhere, have been OFC against OFC tests with relatively small differences in quality.
As I said, even the cheapest speaker cables were OFC in our measurements (LIBS laser-induced plasma spectroscopy).
However, the question arises as to how relevant this is when the usual cables in the audio sector, regardless of price, are OFC with relatively small differences in quality anyway.

And we are still decades away from real monocrystalline copper cables, so there is no difference there either.

So how would such a small difference in oxygen content matter to conductivity? OFC is largely unnecessary audio bullshit.

 

[majingotan]

And we are still decades away from real monocrystalline copper cables, so there is no difference there either.

The stock Hifiman cables are real monocrystalline copper and monocrystalline silver cables BTW

Crystalline Copper Silver Cable (3.5mm-to-6.35mm TRS)

<p>3m/ 3.5mm-to-6.35mm TRS</p> <div>HIFIMAN only uses the finest cables for their headphones and each model features a cable specially designed for it.The crystalline is made with stronger, further improved materials (of crystalline copper and crystallin

store.hifiman.com

 

[Roland68]

The stock Hifiman cables are real monocrystalline copper and monocrystalline silver cables BTW

Crystalline Copper Silver Cable (3.5mm-to-6.35mm TRS)

<p>3m/ 3.5mm-to-6.35mm TRS</p> <div>HIFIMAN only uses the finest cables for their headphones and each model features a cable specially designed for it.The crystalline is made with stronger, further improved materials (of crystalline copper and crystallin

store.hifiman.com

No, that’s clear
Presumably these manufacturers have a time machine and get the material 15 or 30 years from the future.

 

[Chrispy]

No, that’s clear
Presumably these manufacturers have a time machine and get the material 15 or 30 years from the future.

They employ the time machine only to place ads.

 

[NTK]

The Ohno continuous casting (OCC) process can indeed manufacture single crystal copper wires. The benefits of the slightly higher electrical conductivity and other physical properties on audio reproduction quality (especially as it is always mixed with other non-monocrystalline copper in the electrical signal path), however, are not proven.

Continuous Casting of Single Crystal Ingots by the O.C.C. Process - JOM

To prevent the nucleation of crystals on the mold wall in the continuous casting of metals, a heated mold that maintained that temperature above the solidification temperature of the cast metal was used instead of the conventional cold mold. The cooling of the ingot was conducted outside of the...

link.springer.com

 

[VientoB]

Fancy cables are one of the biggest rip-off in consumer hifi. Companies like Audioquest and Nordost just rip people off.

What matters with a headphone cable are things like flexibility and feel. It will come down to personal preference. You might want to spend more on a cable you think looks and feels nice, and that's cool. Cables won't sound different, though. If you start thinking they do then the cable may have very obscure measurement characteristics or the old placebo effect is rearing its head again (surprise, this is consumer hifi after all!).

 

[OK1]

Wow

 

[Jimbob54]

Wow

Care to elaborate . We like a tldr for YouTube vids here .

 

[Ropeburn]

Care to elaborate . We like a tldr for YouTube vids here .

TL;DR: dude doesn't know the difference between resistance and impedance, freely admits he doesn't understand electricity, yet presents measurements in the video.

 

[OK1]

Care to elaborate . We like a tldr for YouTube vids here .

No audible difference between cables. 3 cables produced exactly the same FR, using teh chosen IEM. And 3 supposedly different cables, had the same measurable impedance, when tested with a multimeter., according to the video.

 

[solderdude]

silver versus copper cable.
You can't see the trace of the copper cable as it is behind the silver cable... meaning there is absolutely no difference in sound signature.

The most difficult part of this measurement was to not move the headphone when unplugging cable one and plugging in the other cable. Was a 2 person job.
Had the headphone moved even a millimeter one would see a difference but would not have been caused by the cable but the slightly different position.

Now... imagine someone taking off the headphone and changing plugs, remembering the sound and putting the headphones back on in the exact same position.

 

[OK1]

silver versus copper cable.
You can't see the trace of the copper cable as it is behind the silver cable... meaning there is absolutely no difference in sound signature.

The most difficult part of this measurement was to not move the headphone when unplugging cable one and plugging in the other cable. Was a 2 person job.
Had the headphone moved even a millimeter one would see a difference but would not have been caused by the cable but the slightly different position.

Now... imagine someone taking off the headphone and changing plugs, remembering the sound and putting the headphones back on in the exact same position.

Indeed, its impossible to place any head listening devices, in exactly the same position in the ear, or on the head. Good point., so hard to be exact on whatever difference would be heard, even if there was such a difference. Me I'm going back to common sense. No more buying the hype of silver coated cables.

This whole issue hit me cos, I'm new to hi-fi, and especially budgetish IEMS, I also work as an audio professional, and we never come across these coated cables in the professional side of things. Never. Never ever., and almost every thing we listen to, on CD's, vinyl, broadcast, streaming, was produced on cables without any kind of silver coatings !!!...

 

[solderdude]

3-wire and 4-wire cables can sound different when low impedance headphones are involved.
You won't see any of that when doing FR measurements but is audible.

 

[OK1]

Wow

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007131269687.html

 

[multichannel_guy]

Get a pure silver cable. It is a better conductor than copper.

Copper is for peasants.

 

[egellings]

The couple of milliohms' difference between a copper and a silver cable, both of identical physical dimensions, will be too tiny to notice with headphones. Other than R, L, and C, there is no other mechanism outside of magical belief that could cause cables to seem to sound different. It's just electricity, after all.

 

[mhardy6647]

Get a pure silver cable. It is a better conductor than copper.

Copper is for peasants.

Satire?

 

[Mojo Warrior]

Many of us are susceptible to marketing / propaganda. Just plant a"seed of doubt" in someones mind and let the imagination take over. Am I truly getting the maximum performance from my gear or is there some magic snake oil that is being hidden from the consumer ? If I spend more money can I actually hear better ?

Electrons passing through metal wire have no subjective opinions whatsoever. They are subject to the laws of physics which are immutable.

Personally, I have tried most every type of audiophile wire and never could detect an audible improvement. The marketers and their sponsored spokesmen quickly pivot to the argument that your system isn't good enough unless you spend a lot more money. It is a trap.

 

[VientoB]

Wow

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007131269687.html

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