Cables can indeed influence the sound of headphones—although usually in relatively subtle ways. Even a headphone such as the Audeze EL-8 can benefit when a standard replaceable connection is used.
Electrical properties such as resistance, capacitance, and inductance can lead to a small loss in signal level and may slightly affect sound fidelity, especially with long cables. In high-quality cables, however, the resistance is usually very low, making this effect largely negligible.
Capacitance and inductance influence how the signal travels through the cable. Headphone cables with very high capacitance could slightly attenuate high frequencies, theoretically resulting in a somewhat darker sound signature.
Regarding materials, it is often claimed that pure silver or silver-plated cables contribute to a clearer sound because silver is more conductive than copper.
Good shielding can prevent external electromagnetic or electrical interference from affecting the audio signal. In environments with many electronic devices, poorly shielded cables may introduce audible noise such as hum or hiss.
Another factor is mechanical noise. With some cables, friction against clothing can be transmitted into the signal. Higher-quality cables are often better insulated to minimize such microphonic effects.
My opinion on this:
I have often had the opportunity to compare identical products using different cables, but this year brought a particularly interesting experience.
A customer wanted a gold-plated cable for his headphones. I was somewhat skeptical about the acoustic properties of gold, and one of our partners confirmed that skepticism.
Instead, we convinced the customer to choose a high-quality 4-pole balanced cable with OCC copper and silver plating, as pure silver would have exceeded the budget. I requested such a cable from two suppliers, and both offered the same material combination and construction.
However, one of the companies asked an unusual question:
How should the cable influence the sound?
I explained the kind of tonal “equalizer effect” I was looking for, and they produced a prototype. After extensive listening tests and measurements, our eyes were opened once again.
Even two cables with apparently identical construction can sound noticeably different. When the customer tested them, he came to the same conclusion.
In this case, it was not audiophile “voodoo”, even though it might sound that way if you have never experienced it yourself.
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