[#90] Thorough explanation of "Recable"! A detailed report from basic knowledge to how to choose and compare listening (1/9) - PHILE WEB

■A thorough explanation by Atsushi Takahashi! Recently, the recommendation of the absolute domain earphone re-cable, “Rike Woman = Science Girl”, has attracted attention. The desire to be coldly beaten by a science-oriented beauty must be common to all boys. It must be! However, as an earphone & headphone fan, if it comes to "Rike", it is "Recable". When I heard the news, I thought, "Rike woman? Rike... Rike... Recable! I was interested, but I haven't tried it yet. What kind of effect can I expect from that, and how should I choose?" There must be many people. It must be! So this time, let's summarize the basic knowledge of recable. I will explain from the very basics, so you can mercilessly skip the part that says "I know that" and just take a quick look and check only the parts that interest you. ・#a1">What is Recable?・#a2">What can be improved by Recable?・#a3">Product Selection Tips: Sound Quality ・#a4">Product Selection Tips: Usability ・#a5">Product Selection Tips: Types of Terminals (Plugs) ・#a6">Product Selection Key points: Balanced connection/drive/#a7">Try to actually try re-cable products ■What is re-cable? "Re-cable" is "re" + "cable". "Re" is the English prefix "Re" and is the same as "recycle". It means something like "again". "Recable" means something like "redo the cable connection". It is a method of adjusting the sound quality by removing the cable originally attached to the product and replacing it with another cable. However, the term "recable" is not a cool term for stationary audio equipment, where cables are naturally detachable and cable replacement has been a common practice for some time. It's usually called "cable replacement". “Recable” can be said to be a new word and a new method in the area of ​​earphones and headphones. I wrote "new words" and "new techniques" just now, but it is only in recent years that the recycling of earphones and headphones has taken root. The double-page spread article written by Takashi Iwai published in the 2011 edition of Ongen Publishing's biennial magazine "Cable Encyclopedia" should be the first time that recables have been treated extensively. At that point, it was treated as a “notable genre that is rapidly gaining popularity.” The reason why re-cables started to attract attention at that time was, first of all, the premise of the “popularity of earphones and headphones”. And in addition to that, of course, "the number of earphones and headphones that can be re-cabled has increased." In other words, at that time, the number of products with "cables that can be easily replaced with detachable terminals" increased. Such products have existed for some time (such as the Sennheiser “HD 650” and AKG “Studio” series), but it was around that time that they began to increase at once. Along with that, the number of re-cable products targeting it has also increased and attracted attention. For example, Shure's ear monitor "SE" series adopted the cable exchange function with the MMCX terminal, which is probably one of the factors that created this trend.

Shure SE series MMCX cable replacement function Many of the cable attachment/detachment functions were originally designed to facilitate repairs, especially for professional use. The aim was to be able to quickly fix cable disconnection (contact failure), which is the most frequent failure of earphones and headphones, so that they can be used for a long time. However, from an audiophile point of view, "Can you replace the cable? ... Then you can change it and adjust the sound quality!"