As has already been mentioned, a certain amount will depend upon the configuration/quality of either XLR or SE implementation throughout the system...not to mention, as always, personal preference. As for balanced power and sensitive headphones, my easy to drive Empyreans (w/Angled Alcantara...

Yo bn...lost count of the times I thought it had reached its zenith lol, after tweaking to the nth degree! :). Naturally, much will depend on the rest of the system of course...that wonderful word - synergy. And here, luck also must surely be a factor very much underrated IMHO! :wink: Every time...

Although already highly impressed with OOR/Hypsos in bypass mode for a good while now (as described in depth previously), months into using Denon's flagship DCD A110 (SA)CD/DVD-R player's transport as source into mscaler/TT2 as DAC/preamp, and I'm even more impressed with the Ferrum combo's...

Coax digital out every time (with high spec DIY cable), even though most of the upgrades to the £3000 A110 were in the analog circuitry lol! Madness in the eyes of some to use it 'just' as transport, but digital out circuit is so good that, along with (albeit sometimes temperamental) DVD-R...

Yes G, fortunate indeed to afford the Chord gear, despite those who espouse R2R as the only way to go lol! ;) But I do firmly believe that TT2 & mscaler especially benefit greatly from mono crystal OCC based cables throughout the system...preferably silver :). Glad you too had a similar...

Hi j...I'd say all depends on what you call "decent" cables. From my own experience - and such as @Mediahound 's, I'm sure similar gains can be had for less cost (not to mention more user-friendly lol! ;)). However, I personally would advise careful research into their likely pedigree - viz the...

Never were truer words spoken, G....and, as is always the case, different systems will deliver (sometimes confusingly!) different final results, even when all sharing a good few similar components. For example, in my own case, balanced out from TT2/mscaler to my Ferrum OOR/Hypsos combo suffers...

Yes indeed k402...this kind of hum is also an interesting/frustrating one as, with my TT2/mscaler example, some folks have no problem and yet others are forced to separate them, even with full sized headphones let alone iems. I suspect the reason could often be the degree of shielding/EMI & RFI...

Re transformer (etc) hum, this is a facinating - not to mention frustrating! subject, and one with various causes. And usually it's not necessarily the transformer itself as such the main culprit...including Hypsos's. So often it will be down to electronic/electrical equipment within one's...

IMHO "musicality" is just one of OOR's (esp +Hypsos) star qualities, along with enough power to do justice to the likes of Susvara (according to most reviewers). And along with 'power', it's dynamic quality is also well documented...not to mention its dynamic range handling prowess. Apart from...

Agreed s3...and this goes for all power cables in my book, if one can stretch to it lol ;)... it's not just interconnects/headphone cables that benefit from mono crystal OCC silver wire (preferably solid), especially if combined with OCC copper (again solid) for the latter 2 :relaxed:

Best by far IMHO is to dispense with any such degradation to the signal and use OOR's deal-winner bypass facility, assuming good quality preamp feed (such as digitally controlled via 'AMP' out from my Chord TT2... albeit a rather expensive option lol :wink:). :)

Hi h350. I personally have the TT2/mscaler combo feeding OOR/Hypsos and OG Empys (with angled Alcantara pads and ultra high spec DIY UP-OCC solid silver and copper-wired cable). Using TT2's 'AMP' out as volume control and OOR in bypass mode, this combo in my own setup delivers everything...

Hate to keep beating the drum guys but I must amend my recent post re improvements going fully balanced. Much to my surprise, the difference is FAR more than just a measly "not slight" now the new connectors, and circuitry, have burned in nicely. Never expected to hear so much more detail coming...

Hi @Wladimir and @Ravenor . Although I have talked about cable wire and construction at some length previously, may I just recap the main points I personally regard as perhaps of interest to those hunting for good cables - headphone and, importantly, interconnect (analog and digital). After...