After concluding work on the original markl mod for the AH Series Denon headphones, we next turned our attention to finding a superior wire to replace their stock cables. This proved more difficult than we suspected…

 

We went through 3 markl-mod-ed Denons with 3 of the more popular and respected aftermarket headphone cables (and a half-dozen more wires since). In each case, on balance, none of them provided a sound that we felt was superior enough to the stock cables of the D5000 or D7000 to justify the cost of replacement.

Just as we were getting close to throwing in the towel, a friend of Lawton Audio, a hobbyist cable maker and fellow headphone nut, obtained some Jena Labs 22G pure copper cryo-treated wire and offered to put it on a Denon for us, after noting a positive effect on his own pair. The result was jaw-dropping. Finally, this was the sound we had been looking for!

 

We are pleased to announce that Jena Labs has authorized us to offer their wonderful wire for use on the Denons, as well as any other headphone you would like us to re-cable. All re-cabling is done by a skilled and trusted cable tech of many years experience, well-known in the headphone community.

 

Given the premium performance of the Jena Labs cable, it was crucial we find connectors that would not be a bottleneck on this extraordinary wire. So we selected the best and most expensive 1/4" headphone jack on the planet by Japan’s Furutech, and also offer the Furutech balanced plugs as an option for balanced users (though we will also happily install the less expensive but high-perfomance Neutrik balanced jacks as requested).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

 

                  

                      Furutech 1/4” Jack                                    Furutech Balanced Connectors                        Neutrik Balanced Connectors

 

The Sound of Jena Wire

In what ways is the Jena Labs cable superior to the stock cable? Chielfy, think "more and cleaner water through a bigger pipe". Then think huge, powerful dynamics with pitch-black background, more extension at both ends, and increased focus leading to better resolution of fine details. All with organic tone and body to die for. This is not your grandfather's overly warm, soft, mellow, rolled-off, syrupy-slow copper cable. It's incisive and bold, with great clarity and vivid imaging. As a great copper cable, it has none of the usual nasties you have to endure with a typical silver cable (that awful hollow, brittle, thin, grainy, etched and sibilant sound that grates on the ear). Despite its robust, full-blooded presentation, the Jena Labs is never fatiguing.

In short, the Jena is going to give you back exactly what you put into it, and show it to you with great clarity, rich tonality, full body, and amazing dynamics.

 

Inside Jena Labs Ultra Wire

The Jena wire itself comes housed in a thick, tough and durable (yet remarkably flexible) jacket that will easily withstand even rough treatment.  It can be stepped on, wound and unwound again and again, tugged at, etc., without risk of damage to the wire inside.

 

Here is what Jena Labs themselves has to say about the technical characteristics of this extraordinary wire:

 

“We start with exceptionally pure copper. Each ULTRA-WIRE strand is ultra high purity, linear crystal, stress-free, super annealed, micro-polished, ultra fine stranded copper. It is jacketed in a modified PE dielectric which offers dissipation and dielectric constant figures similar to TeflonTM, but without its mechanical stiffness and resonance problems. A special extrusion process allows the insulation to exert a high inward radial force on the wire strands, thus reducing audio smearing micro-vibration. 

 

ULTRA-WIRE is Immersion CRYO treated by our own proprietary process in our own 'in house' Cryo lab. The Deep Immersion Cryogenic treatment entails a cold chilling process culminating in immersion of the cables or electronics parts in Liquid Nitrogen. Exposing metallic objects to this extreme cold causes beneficial molecular changes to occur. As metallic objects cool, they shrink. With the extreme cooling and the shrinkage that follows in super chilled LN2 immersion, the crystal boundaries of metallic conductors align more closely with one another and become more conductive and ‘quieter’. Mechanical integrity is also improved. The improved molecular condition stays intact through the slow warming process and is stable at room temperature. When conducting an electric signal, treated wire will produce less micro-diode-effect noise, less impurity inclusion field disturbance and less transverse energy wave noise generation.”

 

Construction of Our Cables & A Word About Value

We recognize that the Jena cable is not inexpensive compared to a few of the other aftermarket headphone wires out there. It is also very labor-intensive to turn into a headphone cable, especially over long runs. In the year since we started offering the Jena cable, we have continued to search for a less expensive alternative, going through a half dozen more wires with no luck. We refuse to offer our customers a replacement cable simply for the sake of it; if the performance is not there, it goes in the bin. So far, nothing even comes close to the Jena.

 

The fact is, you get what you pay for with the performance of the Jena wire as well as the expertise of our cable tech and his meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail. We invite you to look at the quality of our work, and even compare it to that of other modifiers who use Jena cable. Look at the tightness of the weave of our wire compared to the loose spaghetti strands of the competition; our wire will not get snagged on furniture or other household items. Our cable expert does fine work, hand braiding the wire in a neat and uniform weave which yields an extremely supple and flexible cable. The Jena wire is by far the most flexible headphone cable on the market; we do not stuff our wire in a stiff plastic tube and then throw on an ugly and cheap techflex jacket like so many others do.

 

We recognize that not everyone finds the pink-ish Jena wire as pretty as we do, so we also offer an optional high-quality black nylon sheath. Compare the quality, softness, flexibility and attractiveness of our nylon sheath to the plastic tube with techflex offered by others. We painstakingly slip the naked pink Jena wire into the tightest, most form-fitting “little black dress” possible. Sexy! There is no flabby slack with the wire loose inside; our sheath is tough and durable yet soft and is also non-microphonic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are especially obsessed with providing the best strain relief for our cables. There are no solder joints on our cables; we give you 100% continuous 22G Jena Labs wire throughout the entire length. Anywhere there might be the potential for some stress and strain, we go out of our way to apply heat shrink or a spring, and even tie the wire in a knot and apply hot glue where it attaches to the frame, so even if you step on the wire while wearing the headphones, there is no risk the cable could become detached. We also encase all the exposed wire in a layer of hot glue to prevent air from contacting the wire and causing unsightly oxidation. We also use the adorable Qables splitter to keep the Y strands from twisting on your chest for maximum comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Stand By Our Cables

In short, we've carefully considered each and every aspect of this cable to make sure we are providing the highest quality product for you.

We also stand by our work. We warrant our headphone cables for a period of one year against any defects in manufacturing.

 

For a list of our headphone cable pricing and options, please click HERE.

 

FAQs

Q: Is the stock Denon cable detachable, and can I install the Jena Labs cable on my pair?

A: The Denon stock cable is hard-wired and must be removed by a professional; the Jena Labs cable must also be installed by a skilled professional. This means in order to get the Jena Labs cable for your Denon (or other headphone of your choice), you must send it to Lawton Audio to be worked on.

 

Q: Will you sell me a pre-made Jena-wire harness with connectors so I may install it on my own pair?

A: We will, however, any cost savings involved in soldering the harness on yourself will be minimal, and we can’t be held responsible for any mistakes or accidents!

 

Q: What is the turn-around time for my headphone with a new Jena Labs cable?

A: Since each order is a custom project, please expect 4 weeks turn-around time.

 

Q: Do you stock and sell brand new, completely mod-ed and re-cabled Denons?

A: Occasionally we do; eventually, we hope to reach a point where we can consistently carry stock, but for the moment almost all orders are a custom project done to the exact specifications of each customer.

 

Q: Do you offer the 18 guage version of Jena Labs cable?

A: We found that in an application such as a headphone cable, the 22G version was superior all around to the 18G. The fatter cable tended to roll the frequency extremes, and was a bit too warm and slow for our tastes. The 18G also a bit stiffer, heavier and more awkward than many customers might like in a headphone cable.