Strauss & Wagner Hagen Cable Review

May 14, 2024 2:19 pm

The Strauss & Wagner Hagen cable is now here! This company has been making a name for itself with it’s budget friendly yet high quality cables. Today I’m going to be taking a look at the Hagen cable, a silver Sennheiser HD600 replacement cable. This cable also works on the HD650, HD660S2, HD6XX, and HD58X models. Let’s find out how much of a difference these will make when listening to some classic headphones.

What’s in the Box?

Hagen Braided OFC Silver Braided Cable
2.5mm (Balanced), 3.5mm (Unbalanced), 4.4mm (Balanced) Swappable Terminations

Functionality

At 120cm (47.2 in) I was extremely comfortable using this cable plugged into different amps and players. I primarily tested the HD600 with the cable but also the HD650 for a short period of time. Both worked flawlessly without any problem. I used the Astell & Kern SP300T, Ikko Heimdallr ITB03, and Hifiman EF500, and Fiio Q7.

Notably, I got no static interference from any of these amps while using this cable. Sennheiser is a brand well known for their quality control, so the stock cables rarely conduct unwanted electrcical signal from a shirt or the ground. With that in mind, this didn’t happen at all while testing the Hagen. After hours of trying to get them to pop and hiss I was happy to say it didn’t happen.

The silver braided design does lend itself well to not bunching or getting tangled. I can see the OFC silver design and it’s obvious I’m getting better fidelity and conductivity from these than the stock cable. The 3-in-1 universal terminations made it really easy to switch from a 4.4mm balanced to a 3.5mm into the 1/4in Sennheiser adaptor. It’s a pretty ingenious design considering I won’t have to carry around 3 different cables and an adaptor in order to use the headphones at studios or at home.

The only complaint that I could possibly think of would be that the length is too short for working on a mixing desk with a separate amp in a rack or if I wanted to stand away from the desktop amp. At the same time, Strauss & Wagner have just introduced their Ennis cable (XLR Male to 4.4MM Female 366mm). With the addition of that cable extension, you’d be able to have a 15 foot silver braided cable for only $280. At $79.95 by itself, it’s hard finding any reasons to be unhappy with this extremely versatile cable.

Does the Hagen Change the Sound?

The HD600 is without a doubt the benchmark for mid-ranged open back reference/audiophile headphones. The neutral characteristic makes it great for listening to almost any genre. Because of Sennheiser’s proprietary 2-pin design, it’s hard finding upgraded cables that actually improve the quality of these headphones in a discernable way. The Hagen cable was able to fit the port snuggly without any play.

As I previously mentioned, the Hagen improved the fidelity while listening through every DAC/AMP. While testing each one of the amps, I made sure to keep the volume the same during the Hagen and stock cables back-to-back comparison.

When A/Bing the 3.5mm termination to the stock cable I was able to hear a slightly higher volume from the Hagen. The most notable improvements came from the 100-200Hz, 300-500Hz, and 4-5kHz ranges. The width of the soundstage also increased dramatically but I wouldn’t say that they felt more holographic. In my opinion the holographic properties of headphones generally come out more in bigger drivers, where the vertical shift of sound is more stated.

Testing the 4.4mm Hagen termination with the 3.5mm stock cable felt like night and day. All of the changes noted above felt even more dramatic, almost to the point where I thought I was listening to a different pair of headphones. As of now, the HD660S2 are the only pair of Sennheiser 600 series headphones with a 4.4 termination. When comparing prices, the HD600 with the Hagen cable comes out to $429.94 as opposed to $449.95 for the HD660S2. I got a bigger soundstage and better audio quality from the upgraded HD600 than the HD660S2. If I were choosing between both, I’d take the HD600 with the Hagen every time.

All of the clarity and definition I get from the HD600 and other 600 series headphones is still there. These are one of my favorite headphones to listen to and I was not disappointed in the changes made to this classic neutral sound. Everything felt enhanced when listening through the Hagen.

Should You Consider The Hagen

Audiophiles can often get wrapped up in purchasing more and more gear in order to chase the sound they’re looking for. DACs, amps, headphones, adaptors, IEMs and cables all make this hobby an expensive one. With that in mind, if you’re looking to upgrade from the HD600/650/660S2, a $79.95 could be a great way to get more from an already great pair of headphones. The option of listening through balanced outputs really brings these models to the next level. The 3-in-1 terminations also make this cable versatile for listening and for professional use. For all these benefits and virtually no criticisms, I have to give this cable the MajorHI-FI Gold Award.