• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Norne Audio Premium Headphone Cable Review

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,697
I do not need to understand anything as long as I hear things and they make me joyous. Why would I try to make my life duller?

The differences in headphone cables are quite varied, there is no simple rule. With my current headphone cable instruments sound much more natural/authentic to my ears/brain, the sound stage has a much more "black background" and the instruments sound more agile as if the sounds started fluttering instead of being fixed. I can "see" the fiddlestick moving now in a way I had never been able with the old one.

Uh huh
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
Do you really think that knowing that Amir and his followers do not believe in сables will change the way I perceive my gear and cabling?

No I am 100% sure you don't.
But why try to convince ASR members you have superior hearing, gear and test methods ?
 

ReAlien

Active Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
105
Likes
17
I do hear differences in microphones, microphone position is super sensitive when recording too.
I hear the difference in record players (I have 4).
I hear a big difference due to loudspeaker position in the room and my listening position relative to them. I even hear a difference between chairs in my listening position, and how they are upholstered (the best sounding isn't the most comfortable so I have to decide if comfort is more important than the last iota of SQ before I listen).

I don't hear any difference between cables though.

It's OK with me. Whatever floats your boat! Of course, the gear change is more profound but finding a proper cable to open up gear's potential is a must in my book.
 

Frank Dernie

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
6,445
Likes
15,780
Location
Oxfordshire
Did I ever say that you are?
You wrote "Amir and his followers"

That is what I replied to.

Sadly I am concerned with equipment myself at the moment. I just decided to listen to an LP and my TT is running slow, so I am going to have to service it. Bummer.
 

ReAlien

Active Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
105
Likes
17
No I am 100% sure you don't.
But why try to convince ASR members you have superior hearing, gear and test methods ?
When did I try to convince any of you here to follow my path? My message was stated in my first comment. It amuses me how "cable non-believers" are eager to proselytize and make fun of those who are of a different opinion. How they think themselves superior. It is really quite a show. All the time)
 

ReAlien

Active Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
105
Likes
17
You wrote "Amir and his followers"

That is what I replied to.

Sadly I am concerned with equipment myself at the moment. I just decided to listen to an LP and my TT is running slow, so I am going to have to service it. Bummer.
OK, if you feel offended that my comment to another person somehow put you in the Amir's followers camp, I'm sorry.

And I hope you'll fix your gear problem soon!
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
When did I try to convince any of you here to follow my path? My message was stated in my first comment. It amuses me how "cable non-believers" are eager to proselytize and make fun of those who are of a different opinion. How they think themselves superior. It is really quite a show. All the time)

You avoided my question.

"But why try to convince ASR members you have superior hearing, gear and test methods ?"

You stated the following:
whether a person is able to hear it depends on various factors: level of audio gear, specifics of the audio tract, the ability of a person to hear minor details (it requires a lot of training), mood, weather, etc.
....But I listen to my cables in long term and I can hear cable's signature despite mood, weather changes.


You basically tell ASR members that can't hear cable differences that their audio gear is not up to snuff, they are incapable of hearing minor details and aren't trained enough, test incorrectly and then expect people not to react ?
 

bidn

Active Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2019
Messages
195
Likes
821
Location
Kingdom of the Netherlands
My personal view is that cables usually do make difference (and I did not know headphone cables can be questioned, as usually, the most aggressive discussions are about power and digital cables) but whether a person is able to hear it depends on various factors: level of audio gear, specifics of the audio tract, the ability of a person to hear minor details (it requires a lot of training), mood, weather, etc..

I find it quite honest that you mention "mood" in the factors you recognise as playing a role (and even the weather, I was not expecting that one...) .

If you look at a train track or at a road, from a perspective not perpendicular to them, your visual system will make you see that the rails or the sides of the road are not parallel, but intersect at the horizon. Your experience is real.
Now if you move to different positions, or follow the train track or the road, you will realize that in reality both rails or both sides of the road are actually parallel and not intersecting.
So your vision system can easily be fooled, but additional approaches can help in realizing this and discard authentic but illusory perceptions.
These examples are easy to verify and universally accepted.

The human auditory system is certainly not better than the human visual system (actually much more error-prone). It may make you really perceive clear differences when hearing through different cables. Most people here are not contesting that you do hear differences between cables.
What people want to convey is that these authentic experiences are illusory, just as the train rails intersecting instead of being parallel, and that you may just as well have authentic experiences of hearing differences with the very same cable: it's all happening in the brain, but only in the brain, there are no differences in the outer world.

Measurements such as those shown by Amir should call for a cautious evaluation of what one experiences with his auditory system, for critical thinking. Please look first at the measurements and take some time to think about it and let it sink and settle down.

Another thing which should make one suspicious is that there are companies and fake reviewers paid by these companies (directly or through ads or through giving expensive items for free which can be sold for a lot of money) that play on this subjective feelings to make a lot of money by deluding people into purchasing very overpriced products which are objectively bad or useless or not making any difference in the real world outside one's brain's illusory feelings.

Have a nice weekend,
bidn
 

Benaudio

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2020
Messages
36
Likes
25
Show's over.
That's enough.
Buh bye now.
Oh that’s too bad, I was just catching up on this thread and was starting to enjoy it.
for real though, this kind of discussion was to be expected. Our poor friend was at least courageous enough (or ignorant enough) to start an uphill battle here.
He was a bit alone in the task, but at least he had time to lay before us all the bingo arguments of golden ears audiophiles that grace the heavens above us. at least they dream and have magic in their world up there.

Now we’re back to boring scientific consensus.
 
Last edited:

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
Good reasons for changing a headphone cable:
  • The original cable is broken
  • The original cable is not of correct length
  • The original cable does not have the connector you need
  • The original cable is too (thin, thick, tangling, stiff ...etc.)
  • The original cable is too microphonic (touching the cable is audible my mechanical sound conduction)
  • You don't like the looks of it and feel that is important enough to justify the cost
  • You want to use the headphone on a 'balanced' amplifier
note 'tuning' a sound signature like; more bass, softer treble, tightening of bass, increasing realism, adding clarity, removing treble peaks is not among the list, yet, the vast majority of cable swappers is convinced cables do just that and expect that too from a cable swap.
 
Last edited:

AdamG

Proving your point makes it “Science”.
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4,636
Likes
14,918
Location
Reality
Now I know a possible line of business if I were to ever lose all sense of moral values.
Prerequisite to do this is to have never had any in the first place. Sorry that disqualifies you I’m afraid. :cool:
 

AdamG

Proving your point makes it “Science”.
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4,636
Likes
14,918
Location
Reality

AdamG

Proving your point makes it “Science”.
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4,636
Likes
14,918
Location
Reality
“I were to lose all sense of moral values”. My reply was a prerequisite to sell stuff like this requires that you never had any values to lose in the first place. It was lost in translation. My apologies. I was supportive of what you said and doubled down on it.
 

the_brunx

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2020
Messages
341
Likes
859
Put audiophiles who have an upgrade/improvement addiction, electricity you can't see and brains which can daydream together, and it's a recipe for disaster/scams.
 

A Surfer

Major Contributor
Joined
Jul 1, 2019
Messages
1,125
Likes
1,230
I actually own a lovely Norne Audio Solv X litz wire based cable, and I love it, but not for sound. Years ago I became frustrated that there was no way to use my NAD M3 integrated to drive headphones. I spent quite a bit of time researching speaker tap cables and after getting experienced guidance I took the plunge and had Trevor at Norne make me a 12 foot cable in two sections. It was terminated for SMC connectors at the time as I had the first production HE560. I have since had various small adapters made so that I can use the cable with headphones that take either dual entry 2.5 or 3.5mm cup connectors.

The cable is exceptionally well made and feels and looks lovely. I certainly do not hear differences in sound quality, but for me the cable has been worth every penny spent as I haven't needed to buy a headphone amplifier in years. What dedicated headphone amplifier is going to do better or even as well as a full sized, extremely well designed dual mono speaker amp?
 

Helicopter

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 13, 2020
Messages
2,693
Likes
3,944
Location
Michigan
I see many options.
Quite interesting. :)
This stuff arrived today and it is what I hoped. Basically the same type of stock as my TIN T3 and Audeze LCD-X cables. I would guess this is what everyone uses. I am still a little mind blown that all the insulation colors and plating options are the same price, and only the core diameter, core number, and length change the price, except for pure silver. Many cable assembly retailers tier the price substantially for things like gold plated, silver plated, bronze colored insulator, etc
 
  • Like
Reactions: RHO

izeek

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2020
Messages
386
Likes
193
Location
maryland
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 :D

72-432-thickbox.jpg
Finally, someone else admits they like eye-candy for their kit! Even if they're the only one who sees it and it does nothing but be a cable.
Hopefully rhis attempt works.

https://i.postimg.cc/c1PM2DDk/Fotor-162223516260173.jpg
 
Top Bottom