Cables aren’t the most glamorous aspect of audiophile gear, but they’re an easy way to upgrade an existing pair of headphones without shelling out money for Amp/DAC. Without a good cable, you’re inevitably losing out on signal and therefore volume. Resistance and dielectric loss mean that a bad cable will reduce the overall volume of your headphones while energy becomes heat. Resistance loss specifically reduces high frequencies even more. The Nyon cable claims to be an upgrade from the stock Sennheiser cables, but let’s find out if it’s actually an improvement.
Function and Design
First and foremost, the Nyon cable’s swappable terminations make these an upgrade right out of the box. The HD600/650/660S2 and the like all only come with single-ended options. The fact that you can easily swap out terminations means that you’ll now be able to use these and some other 2-pin headphones with a plethora of gear. Although they’re not advertised this way, I was able to change the cable to the new Fostex TH-808. If you do decide to use the Nyon with non-Sennheiser headphones, just be sure to be gentle when fitting the cable. Placing the 2-pin connection in the wrong way could cause them to break or damage the headphone.
At 120cm, this cable is the perfect length to use with a DAC or a laptop. These fit flush into Sennheiser headphones but there is a gap when I used it with the Fostex. OFC silver construction with a copper colored rubber shielding means that you’re getting premium materials. The braiding helps with cable tangling and fits nicely on clothes without feeling heavy.
I didn’t experience any unwanted interference from the cable while using the iBasso DC-Elite. I tried walking around with the DAC plugged into my phone, and no amount of movement or shirt-rubbing gave my any static interference. These cables are clear and fit well with 2-pin connections.
Listening Impressions – Strauss & Wagner Nyon
The most notable bump in the frequency range comes from the high-mids and the treble. I tested the Fostex TH-808 and the Sennheiser HD650 with the Nyon cable. Both of these benefited greatly from the 4.4mm and 2.5mm balanced terminations. The Fostex sound signature has always been a bit too warm for my taste. Adding treble to the TH-808 really took the headphone to the next-level, by mitigating for it’s booming bass. Even through the 3.5mm termination, I still got more of this frequency. The warmness is still present, but adding treble gives them a totally new character which makes them much more pleasant and versatile to me. The “neutral-V” of the HD650 also experienced the same bump in the treble range. This gave them a little more focus and definition in their sound. Basses got a little more punchy in their delivery. In summation, this cable is defintely an upgrade from both of these headphones stock options.
Get the Strauss & Wagner Nyon Cable from their website or from Audio 46
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