6' Sennheiser Headphone Cable HD 800 - CARDAS Charleston Cable Company

Elite Cardas Starquad Sennheiser HD-800 Cable

Add $10 for each additional foot.

Why Upgrade?

While Sennheiser is certainly known for making the best headphones in the world, most audiophiles agree that the stock headphone cables on their flagship models tend to leave a bit to be desired in the sound quality department. This cable will lift the "Sennheiser veil", bringing the typical laid back Sennheiser sound up close and personal. With this cable you can expect to hear better channel separation, a wider soundstage, as well as deeper and more articulate bass. If you are ready to take an already great pair of cans to the next level, then this is the cable for you!

Cable Overview
This cable is for the customer who is willing to put forth the money for top quality products, but doesn't want to pay for the smoke and mirrors so often present in the audiophile community. The build and ship time for this cable is usually a week from receipt of payment. However, I do not keep this wire in stock, so a delay on my suppliers end will delay my ability to get this cable built and shipped quickly. I will keep you updated should any delays occur. My aim is to provide the best possible sound by using components which will not inflate the cost for consumers. If you read ahead you will find detailed descriptions of all the components I use in my cable and my reasons for choosing them.

Interconnects
My headphone cable is terminated on one end with aftermarket Sennheiser HD-800 headphone plugs and on the other end with the Furutech FP-704 stereo TRS jack. The HD-800 plugs used are custom made to accept wire up to 18AWG and the Furutech is widely regarded as one of the highest quality TRS jacks available outside of expensive custom audio boutiques. I can also substitute the Cardas GRQ SS if you would like. Both of these plugs are cryo treated. This cable can be made in both four-pin and dual three-pin balanced versions as well. Aside from the wire used, these are the two most important components in the cable and consequently account for more than half the expense associated with building the cable.

Cardas 4x24 Copper Litz Cable
Cardas cable is used by professionals and audiophiles alike for the creation of custom cables such as XLR cables and high quality interconnects. It features four spiral bound 24 AWG teflon insulated copper wires. This spiral binding and teflon shielding help to reduce interference between channels. Many aftermarket headphone cables achieve their high sound quality by using highly conductive wires, such as those made from silver or featuring varistrand configurations. Alternatively, the simplest and most traditional method to increase the sound quality of a cable is to simply increase the gauge or thickness of the wire featured in the cable. Gauge measurment is typically notated as AWG with lower numbers indicating thicker wires. Some headphone cables feature highly conductive 26-28 AWG silver wire, whereas my Cardas cable features a theoretically less conductive but higher gauge 24 AWG copper litz wire. It is possible to achieve higher sound quality with more exotic forms of wire but even then it will be a 5-10% improvement at best. These improvements will also only be attainable if one is using the absolute highest quality audio source equipment ($2000 DAC/AMP combo). This is a true high end audiophile wire. While I do offer more expensive wires, I only do so for custom orders because I feel the Cardas wire offers the best price/performance ratio for those who are looking for something beyond my intro level cables. In my opinion many cables today are simply overpriced attempts to market a "different sound" as a "better sound". Roger Russel, a former McIntosh engineer, wrote an excellent article on this subject which you can view here: http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm. Just like my entry level cables, this product is all about sheer bang for buck!

Construction

This cable is constructed with three goals in mind: durability, affordability, and quality. All of the interconnects are hand soldered with absolutely no splicing whatsoever, using Cardas soldering. These soldering joints are also reinforced with a slow drying adhesive which offers much higher durability and impact resistance than hot glue or other quick drying adhesives. The entire length of the cable is covered in a nylon multifilament sleeving. This sleeving is very clothlike and has much lower microphonic conductivity than the expandable monofilament nylon sleevings typically used in aftermarket headphone cables. Covering the entire cable in this material reduces microphonic distortions related to movement while listening, and eliminates the stiffness associated with many aftermarket cables featuring expandable nylon and significant lengths of heat shrink tubing. The three small joints which do feature heat shrink are also double reinforced by the sleaving which redirects any cable tension away from soldered joints and onto the more durable cable jacket and interconnect housings. This is a cable designed with durability and ease of use in mind!

Packaging

All orders will ship by default in an unpadded manila envelope that is reinforced and sealed with packing tape. This allows me to keep my costs low and pass savings on to my customers. All of my cables are very durable and there is no risk of damage during shipment. Should a cable become damaged during shipment I will replace or refund any order no questions asked. Padded envelopes are available upon request at an additional charge of $5.

Purchasing

If you would like to purchase this or any other of my cables please send me a message with your desired specifications and your Paypal email address. You will receive a paypal invoice within 24 hours.Additional cables can be found here:

http://stores.ebay.com/Charleston-Cable-Company?_rdc=1

Consultations Available

If you have any additional questions I am more than happy to answer them via e-mail or telephone. Simply write me a message with your e-mail or telephone number and I will respond to you within 24 hours.

Custom Orders Available

Build and ship times on custom orders are usually around 1 week from receipt of payment. If you are interested in something special just shoot me an e-mail and I will get back to you with a quote within 24 hours. I have access to many wires and plugs from Cardas, Mogami, and Furutech. I also have access to extreme high end audio components such as cryogenically treated oxygen free copper and silver, however I prefer to do phone consultations before taking such orders. Here are some common custom order requests as well as their cost:

Balanced Neutrik Plugs = add $15

Balanced Rhodium Plated Cardas Plugs = add $90

International Buyers

Shipping

The default shipping for all international orders is USPS First Class international. The shipping cost on all orders is $15 flat rate. This shipping service typically can take anywhere between 10-14 days. I ask that all international customers be patient with the default shipping as it allows me to pass greater savings on to the customer. Priority International is available at a flat rate of $30.

Customs and Duties

Customers are responsible for all customs or duties which may be incurred.

Seven Day Money Back Trial Period

All of my products feature a 7 day money back guarantee. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your cable, simply send it back within 7 days of receiving it and I will issue a full refund(including your shipping cost) once I receive it. If you are not completely satisfied then I believe you should have your money back. However, there is no doubt in my mind that once you hear this cable you will want to keep it. I have a 100% lifetime feedback score and retaining this is very important to me, so you can bid with absolute confidence!