Sennheiser 650 Headphone Cable Upgrade

I'm using 650s with Cardas Cable in balanced mode with its dedicated balanced amp....  great sound.

Found this olde thread when I was searching for whether or not Lavricables are worth it. I bought some C3 Cables for my HD650 that I use at home and it blew my mind how much of an improvement they made, so I thought about springing for the Lavricable Grands for the LCD-3s I'm using at work... just so so pricey. 

https://www.c3audio.com/store/p2/Sennheiser_HD-650%2F600_Headphone_Cable_%7C_High-Grade_UPOCC_Wire.html

I'm running those from the balanced outputs on a Sony PHA-3 and they are clearly superior to the stock Sennheiser cables. I was expecting a marginal difference, but I am no longer a cable skeptic now. 

I'm a longtime fan of the HD650 for its coherent, non-fatiguing sound, and great value for the price. I've had most of the legendary headphones at one time or another. I've used the Equinox, Cardas, Blue Dragon, Silver Dragon, and Zu Mobius cables with the HD650. The Zu was the clear winner, and it wasn't even close. I currently use the 650 with the Equinox (it was what I could get at the time), and keep wishing it was the Zu cable (recheck every morning; nope, still a bloody Equinox) -- I've let a couple of those Zu's go and always regretted it later. The Zu is unique in that it does the following:

* boosts the treble & sparkle (the 650 needs it) without broaching the point of harsh or fatiguing
* doesn't dry up the 650's nice midrange, like pure silver seems to
* tightens up the bass without making it leaner in the process
* excellent, pinpoint imaging

All the other cables fail on 1 or more of those points.

Thanks, David.

The Stefan Audio Art is a very nice cable for the Sennheiser 650. With the limited music quality to be had directly from an iPod, I do not think you will hear a decrease with the adapter.

Well, I ended up purchasing a USED Stefan Audio w/ 1/4" plug headphone cable for a great price. I typically will only listen through my Marantz receiver, but I may also want to plug it directly into an iPod. With that being said, will the Sennheiser adapter suffice or would that degrade the sound?

https://app.audiogon.com/listings/over-ear-pure-solid-silver-sennheiser-hd580-hd600-hd650-upgrade-cable-by-lavricables-2014-02-10-headphones-europe

With my budget, I think this is my best bet.

ANyone tried any cable upgrades with Sennheiser Momentum phones? Any results?

Thanks.

I've got Senn 600's with the cardas cable and it's quite an improvement.

I've got Senn 600's with the cardas cable and it's quite an improvement.

Another vote for the Stefan Audio Arts cable; I've been using the Equinox (now cryo'd) cable with the 600s for many a year.

Anybody try these -

https://app.audiogon.com/listings/over-ear-pure-solid-silver-sennheiser-hd580-hd600-hd650-upgrade-cable-by-lavricables-2014-02-10-headphones-europe

For the price and the fact its silver, it's very appealing compared to dropping $300+ on the other manufacturers.

I have Sen 650's and have Cardas replacement cables. The difference is quite striking ...everything gets better. I think its so odd, since Cardas cables are the very worst on my system using interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords.

I had good experiences with signal cables for my HD 580s. There is a 30 day return policy.

Check out Stefan Audio Arts (SAA)9 I have found their cables (endorphine and equinox) to be excellent for both the HD600 and the HD650. Their construction is excellent and they sound absolutely stunning. Check the threads on Head fi for SAA and Sennheiser and see what I'm talking about.

Thank you for responses. I'll look into those brands as well.

I've had good luck with Moon-Audio's Black Dragon Cables. The pins at the headphone end are a bit flimsy and had to be replaced after 2yrs ($40). But I would wager it would be the same for other cables as well.

I've got the Senn HD600 and a cable upgrade made a very very significant improvement. The same would definitely hold for the HD650 too, since the differences between them are relatively minor. I used a Moon Audio Blue Dragon for $185, IIRC. Any of the premium cables will definitely improve the sound, e.g. Moon Audio, ALO, Cardas and others.

I have upgradded my 650's using Double Helix Audio cables. Very good sound. He knows Sennheisers.