Norne Audio Premium Headphone Cable Review

[Frank Dernie]

There is also an argument to be made for peace of mind. I use quad star XLR cables for my power amplifiers. Probably makes no difference compared to non quad star in terms of noise, but I just wanted to be sure it would never be an issue. So I spend €20-25 on a cable instead of €10. But I would never do the same if the difference was €10 vs €100+.

So far I have spent a total of absolute zero on headphone cables for any of the dozen or so pairs of headphones I own, I use the one that came with them.
However inexpensive a different cable is it is a waste of money IMO.

 

[Koeitje]

So far I have spent a total of absolute zero on headphone cables for any of the dozen or so pairs of headphones I own, I use the one that came with them.
However inexpensive a different cable is it is a waste of money IMO.

Oh I don't spend extra on headphone cables, there is no reason to do so. I just buy a new cable when they break. Actually prefer the cable on my HD25's because its not copper but steel so it is pretty much impossible to break

 

[HenrikDK]

A silver cable does it end with a silver termination?

 

[JSmith]

They are very soft

Fantastic, I'm going to buy $800000 worth to make a new mattress topper with...



JSmith

 

[CREMA]

I’m interested on this. You mean it because every time you put them over your head the fit will be slightly different ? Or because the pads wear off and the cushion springiness change over time ? Or because the drivers mechanical properties change/wears every time you use them ?

Pictures 1 and 2 are the left and right responses of the HD800S, measured with an external ear canal after wearing as close as possible. Subtle differences occur in the high frequencies.

And number 3,4 is the response of the HD800S, which I wore by changing positions back and forth. Significant differences occur.

If you don't pay enough attention to the fit of your headphones, wearing them makes a far greater difference than cables, amps and DACs.

 

[LearningToSmile]

@amirm would be nice to see a comparison the other way around - super cheap chinese-made cables. Sometimes you want an aftermarket cable for functionality(balanced) or just because the included cable is not practical, too long, stiff, etc.

Focal included cables are garbage so I'm using a single-ended cable I bought for $15 of aliexpress and perfectly happy with it, and balanced woven cables similar to these Norn ones(maybe with less fancy hardware) start around $40-$50 range.

 

[BDWoody]

@amirm on head-fi they are already claiming the differences cannot be measured. Is there a way you can do a null test with these cables?

As in, the differences are audible but can't be measured?

That's creative...

 

[Koeitje]

As in, the differences are audible but can't be measured?

That's creative...

Yes, more clarity and detail based on the cables material. But they cannot define what these terms mean. So we are at a stand still right now. It's like trying to argue with people who believe in homeopathy.

Somehow they also try to misconstrue the argument by bringing up transducers and differences between them. Its a wild ride.

 

[Matias]

Multitone?

 

[Wombat]

The one that came with your headphones.

The manufacturer won't be supplying one which degrades their performance, it would be foolish.
The only reasons to change would be for a different length or one which picked up less mechnical noise rubbing on clothing.
Buying an expensive one one liked the look of would be a justifyable extravagance as well IMO

Mechanical rubbing noise against clothing should not happen on a device where this is a usual occurrence in use. Microphone cables can obviate this affect, so no excuses for headphone cables at the popular price-points

 

[BDWoody]

Yes, more clarity and detail based on the cables material. But they cannot define what these terms mean. So we are at a stand still right now. It's like trying to argue with people who believe in homeopathy.

Somehow they also try to misconstrue the argument by bringing up transducers and differences between them. Its a wild ride.

That's easy then. All someone needs to do is demonstrate the claims. Course they can't, so they'll just insult Amir instead because that's all they've got.

In other words, they are meeting expectations.

 

[MDT]

Didn't expect to see Norne here, they've always been one of the less expensive boutique cable brands. I feel compelled to comment because I've been a customer of this brand and will continue likely purchase more in the future.

I didn't purchase for any claims of magic, I bought them because I think that the cables are genuinely well made and look nice. I am an objectivist at heart and these cables cost more than the well measuring amp and DAC I connect them to .

Considering how the business is located near the Bay Area, the owner handles all questions with detailed responses, and does all the braiding by hand, sometimes 24 wires for some models, I don't think the prices are outrageous. It's also a bit disingenuous to compare these to the ultra thin gauge Aliexpress stuff. Just know what you're getting yourself into.

YMMV

I see no issue with buying a new cable because it looks nice, or has some other useful feature. However, on their website, they do make clams about the ability of the cables to change the sound that is produced. These are demonstrably false. IMO, the owner of these cables, if they bought them to improve the sound of their headphones, should return them for a refund.

More to the point, doesn't the USA have laws against false claims about products for sale?

 

[martijn86]

The one that came with your headphones.

Thanks for stating the obvious but I'm more interested in speaker and interconnect cables. I should have probably stated that to begin with because my speakers didn't come with cables and when shopping around for cables, it would be nice to have some unbiased data on what it all really means and if you can go wrong.

I can imagine running 1.5 m of copper clad aluminium that's only 0.5 mm² thick is going to have a negative effect but wouldn't it be cool to know and see if there is a difference, where the boundary lies? And can you go wrong on the other end of the spectrum? 25 mm² of ohno continuous cast?

 

[Frank Dernie]

Thanks for stating the obvious but I'm more interested in speaker and interconnect cables. I should have probably stated that to begin with because my speakers didn't come with cables and when shopping around for cables, it would be nice to have some unbiased data on what it all really means and if you can go wrong.

I can imagine running 1.5 m of copper clad aluminium that's only 0.5 mm² thick is going to have a negative effect but wouldn't it be cool to know and see if there is a difference, where the boundary lies? And can you go wrong on the other end of the spectrum? 25 mm² of ohno continuous cast?

I would do a search, cables have been discussed ad nauseam here so plenty of detail around (probably too much!) and basically any with appropriate C, L and R for use will be fine if the connectors are good.

 

[sarumbear]

It is horrible, repetitive work. I don't know why they think this is what they should dedicate their life to.

Not much different to assembling an iPhone though...

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Burn the heretic!

 

[maxxevv]

In my opinion soundquality is not the only thing when it comes to cables. I bought a Forza Audio Works Noir Hybrid cable because i think it is the most beautiful cable out there and the ergonomics are just crazy good for me.

Does it sound better? I don't care

That aspect of aesthetic preferences is something I can live with. More often than not, I would pay a premium for a nicer pair of leather shoes or a wallet too. Although deep down inside, I know they don't make a difference to a cheaper one that's equally well made to serve the function of a shoe or a wallet.

As for differences, any difference would really be down how badly one cable is made instead. If comparative cables are at least of the competance level required not to alter the audio signal in any way, then, there really is no functional difference.

However, I have come across headphone cables with measurable differences in terms of resistance readings.

The original Drop HD6XX cable had almost double the resistance reading of a relatively cheap aftermarket balanced TRRS 2.5mm cable. (I paid US$22/- for it off Taobao ). This was measured using a very sensitive multimeter designed for measuring and matching battery cells, it measures down to 4 decimal points of an Ohm.

Subjectively, I couldn't hear a repeatable, quantifiable difference as it was pretty hard to compare a balanced output connected headphone and then a shared earth output while trying to match them objectively using voltage and SPL readings.

So as @amirm mentioned, as long as the "bandwidth" is fulfilled, the functional output alteration should not exist.

 

[Human Bass]

@amirm on head-fi they are already claiming the differences cannot be measured. Is there a way you can do a null test with these cables?

Well, they are right, it cant because it doesnt exist in any meaningful amount.

 

[Fernando]

Yes, more clarity and detail based on the cables material. But they cannot define what these terms mean. So we are at a stand still right now. It's like trying to argue with people who believe in homeopathy.

Somehow they also try to misconstrue the argument by bringing up transducers and differences between them. Its a wild ride.

 

[the_brunx]

As in, the differences are audible but can't be measured?

That's creative...

If tested against placebo, many audiophile products will fail the test.