Would be interested to see which cable you used and how you mounted it for the 560s. I’ve been wanting to do it for those too but I can’t come up with a solution that’s as clear as the 6XX. They’re almost made for it with the way the 5K can clip right onto the band cleanly, etc. I’d rather not use adhesive or velcro or bands, etc to hold it onto the 560s.
Would be interested to see which cable you used and how you mounted it for the 560s. I’ve been wanting to do it for those too but I can’t come up with a solution that’s as clear as the 6XX. They’re almost made for it with the way the 5K can clip right onto the band cleanly, etc. I’d rather not use adhesive or velcro or bands, etc to hold it onto the 560s.
Utopia 2022 brand new for around $2,200 USD give or take this past Sept.
I just posted a very similar build for the 6XX here. It’s so freeing to not have to deal with wires. Being able to enjoy music while you wanna round the house and not worry about snagging cables or hitting buttons while it’s in your pocket is fantastic.
They have been this price on and off for a while apparently and were paired recently.
There is a long list of studies, experiments, and blind tests here. One of the best lists I’ve found.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/
The key takeaway after a meta review of all them is …
“The clear conclusion is that ABX testing does not back up many audiophile claims … Any change in sound quality comes from the listeners mind and interaction between their senses. What is claimed to be audible is not reliably so.”
There is a long list of studies, experiments, and blind tests here. One of the best lists I’ve found.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/
Honestly maybe the HD 660s2. I don’t even own it but I keep thinking about how much I liked it when I auditioned it. I love my Utopia 2022 but I have a nice little wireless mode for my 6XX and Qudelix 5K that just adds so much convenience that I’d almost rather just swap that over to the s2 for a nice middle ground and get great hi-fi but portable. The Utopia is not at all portable.
I think the answer is yes cables do make a difference but they also most likely do not matter to everyone (or a majority of people)
Unless you can measure a difference and confirm that difference is audible in blind tests that are properly setup (volume matched, all other variables removed, etc). Then all of this is meaningless in practical terms.
There is all kinds of low level theory about cables that explain that technically speaking there can be very minor differences in the signal via different cables but basically none of them have proven to be reliably audible in 99% of cases especially with every day setups during every day use.
Have a look here to see all the failed attempts at finding audible differences in all kinds of equipment. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/
Impedence and sensitivity are both important for power requirements for a headphone. While the 6X0 series has high impedance it also has high sensitivity making them not that hard to drive.
There are lots of calculators online that show you the actual amount of power required. I like the headphonesty one because it shows a list of devices that can drive the given headphone (though the list is a bit outdated) and you can link to specific input settings like this.
TL;DR you can literally drive the 6X0 line using an Apple dongle of most (though not all) modern smartphones. Basically any desktop amp unless it is strangely underpowered should run them fine.
As a side note if they currently get loud enough for you on whatever device you’re currently using you don’t need an amp unless you’re trying to remove background noise (say from a PC headphone jack) or add features (like a nice volume knob, more inputs / outputs, etc). An amp won’t change the sound in 99% of cases unless you get something specialized like a tube amp or something specifically designed to ‘color’ the sound.
Yup. $599 is the regular price and $400 is close to the all time low.
https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0BRT1ZN7Q
It’s either placebo or there is something different in the chain effecting the sound. There is no reason whatsoever that the dongle and RME should sound any different. Amps and DACs simply don’t effect soundstage, timbre, etc unless there’s something esoteric or weird in the chain or it’s a tube amp, but even then the differences are extremely minor.
Did you make sure they were precisely volume matched and have you done blind A/B testing (after removing any variables between the two setups)?
Thanks I’ll see if I can use some of these ideas.