Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Headphones

Del, if you actually meant to refer to the Sennheiser 280 for a closed-back phone, that would be a fine choice for situations where you had to use a closed phone. I also prefer an open-backed phone for use whenever it's possible and would suggest you consider the Sennheiser 595, excellent and considerably less than the 650. Possibly the best source for reliability and price for the 280 and 595 is J&R.

As to the cable, as Ken says, unless the included one is damaged and doesn't supply a stable connection, there's no good reason to replace it and this wouldn't actually be an "upgrade". A very thick replacement cable would have lower resistance and might be slightly louder at the same setting, giving the misimpression of better sound and leading to some of the stories we read about.

I own the 595 and agree with John in recommending it. For me, it was the best middle ground of the laid back Senn sound and the very forward Grado Sound. I also liked that you really don't need a headphone amp to power it adaquately.

Greg

I make my own cables for my Senny's more as a hobby than anything else. They are more burly than the stock cables, especially the ones on the HD212 and 280's. I don't really notice any "creamy-smooth richness" from the home-made cables. But I get the length I want plus a sturdier cable. Plus I put a 3.5mm plug on the end of a set for my old HD595's so I can use them without an adapter on computers, MP3 players etc. The HD-595 and HD-600's can be found for right around $220 or less if you look around. They are both great phones.