Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Headphones Extension Cable?

The Focal rep ‘thinks’ that the 3 metre Focal Clear (accessory) cable is to the same termination as Celestee, but he doesn’t know for certain. He’s seeking confirmation.

If it is appropriate, it will cost £199 inclusive: which is significantly cheaper than the 2 metre Nordost Blue Heaven alternative (£510).

While other Focal headphones might cost much more than Celestee (below £1,500), I’m sceptical about their perceived higher quality given their overall price of including 2 x sets of cables.

Hi spinaltap,

I'm currently using Cardas Clear Light. They were a step up from the standard cables that came with the headphones. Clearer sound. Haven't tested any other with these headphones.

Speaking of balanced cables. Was over at a friends house last week and tested to drive HD800s from the speaker terminals with a XLR cable on a Vintage Yamaha CR2020 receiver.
Improves dynamics quite a lot. So I have ordered a balanced cable from HartAudioCables and will make the end connecting to the amp myself.

I bit the bullet, and opted for a Focal 3m Headphone Cable (originally meant for the Focal Clear model) for £149. It took a month from ordering it to being delivered.

Instead of the expected checkered/braided material that comes with Clear, it was in a Plastic/PVC material. Plus, the actual insertion pins at their base are a different shape.

The problem is it that it doesn’t fit my Celestee Headphones. The plugs/pins are too wide. It was conveyed to me by the Focal rep that I should push the plugs hard into the Celestee (as they are supposedly a snug fit - and provided an illustrated video).

Brute force was required to push the right-hand side plug into Celestee, while the left-hand side wouldn’t insert at all (!). Only by rolling off each plug’s rubber-band red and black channel identifier rings would they then insert/latch into each ear. The problem with this is the plugs then ‘wobble’ within each aperture. This can’t be good in the long-term, and could in theory damage each connection.

I require both my existing 1.2m and the 3m length to easily swap between my iPhone/iPad and my Meridian Prime. Apparently, Focal only make sufficient cables to match the production run of the matching Headphones. They are somehow incapable of providing longer lengths for the same Headphone model.

On reporting my issue with the 3 metre Focal Headphone Cable to my local (PP) Focal dealer, he invited the Focal representative to his store to demonstrate that there wasn’t a problem with the Cable.

On arrival, I asked the dealer (rather than the Focal representative) to attempt fitting the Cable to my Celestee Headphones: he couldn’t insert the plugs at all.

Fortunately, the Focal representative had bought along a replacement Focal Cable: this inserted correctly into my Celestee on the first attempt. Both parties agreed that there was a visible difference in the width of the plugs between the 2 Cables.

The lesson is this: don’t just accept a dealer or manufacturer’s assertion that there is no fault with any product that you buy that is contrary to your own experience.