Has anyone updated Senn HD650 cable?

Joe,

Yes, I've upgraded the 650s with Cardas (10') and there is a definate improvement - most notably in the area of bass depth and delineation. While I haven't heard the other replacement cables (Zu, Equinox, et al), apparently all yield a distinct improvement over the stock cable.

As Frank suggested noted, you may find a lot more info / feed back on this over at HeadFi that will surely help you to decide whether it is worth it or not.

In my opinion, it was very much worth it. My 650s w/ Cardas are paired with a PS Audio GHCA and this is a great match. Power, crystal clear clarity, and quickness - just lovely. YMMV.

Cheers,
Garry

Check over at www.head-fi.org. Lots of information on which aftermarket cables to try. I have both the HD600 and HD650. I tried several cables, but not all. I've found the Cardas has better synergy with HD600, and the Zu Mobius work better with HD650.

FrankC

Yes - I heard a definate improvement. I am using the Headroom Bockhead amp which is a balanced amp, an Ayre preamp, which is also balanced,and therefore, I wanted a balanced XLR connection for the Sennheisers. The improvement was not at all subtle. I am not a fan of Cardas cables, however, Im leaving these cables attached to the phones.

...and the Sennheisers don't need the added warmth of the Cardas although it is an improvement in other ways.

Yes, I tried the Cardas which was an improvement but found the Moon Audio Blue Dragon V2, and later, the Black Dragon significantly better. The Cardas, like many of their wiring has a lower midrange, upper bass hump. The Moon cables were more balanced and still more revealing.

Yes, I did: Revelation Audio Labs cable. Some improvement was gained, like better resolution and increased dynamics. It's a much higher quality cable than what Sennheiser provides and worth the investment if you're a serious listener.

Are you thinking of upgrading to the Cardas replacements? I haven't convinced myself to pull the trigger on that one, but given the resolution level of the Sennheiser HD 580/600/650 series, I'd be surprised if you *didn't* hear an improvement. The Cardas is also supposed to be more rugged; George designed the cable for his daughter who's a DJ.

Once you get into that money, maybe you should look at http://www.headphone.com for their balanced headphone option