Replacing the IE80 Balanced Cable

Originally I was using a balanced cable I bought on Taobao with the Walkman ZX300A.

But after half a year or so, that balanced cable gave out. Not that it stopped working — it split.

I figured I’d just buy another balanced cable, but given how much audiophile mysticism surrounds cables — some want 800+ from you, some want 30 — I thought it over and went with a finished cable.

Bought some Zefeng cable off Taobao, no idea where it came from. Dirt cheap, cheaper than having one made myself, so I bought it.

Felt decent once it arrived. Soundstage noticeably wider, mids tightened up, highs a touch more transparent but didn’t float too far up, bass didn’t tighten much but reaches deep enough. And then I ran out of things to make up…

Anyway, I couldn’t hear a difference. But I do understand why the cable was so cheap: it’s stiff as hell, like fence wire…

Not unusable though. Pretty sturdy, honestly — you could hang yourself with it. Good enough. I’m too broke for anything better, nowhere near as loaded as Old Wu.

Broke people just make do.