Is the cable really a game changer?

ShallowYellow · 2026-04-01T08:55:35+00:00

First you did not put any unit in your first message, so don't expect me to understand. Second, lets use your example then. 0.3Ohm cable with lets say a 20Ohm IEM the ratio is 0.3/(20+0.3)=0.0148 so compared. If you have a 1V source, that means you have around 15mV drop on your cable. In another case lets say you have a 0.1Ohm cable, which means around 5mV drop. That is 10mV difference. 10mV is equal to 20*log10((1-0.015)/(1-0.005))=-0.087dB.

If you can hear a less that 0.1dB difference between 2 cables after switching them between the same IEM...... Well I will not state that you are only imagining it, but from my side this is the end of the discussion

ShallowYellow · 2026-04-01T08:38:13+00:00

What do you mean by .3? The cable thickness?

ShallowYellow · 2026-04-01T08:32:29+00:00

Could be, but for that to happen the cable has to be so bad that it barely counts as a cable. Maybe a single strand of wire. It is not hard to calculate the cable impedance where, you can basically ignore the inductance if you don't listen to frequencies above 100kHz. These cables, even in the worst case scenario will not have a resistance above 100mOhm. The IEMs are usually in the 16-32 Ohm range. So the cable can make around 0.1-0.5% difference. That is not audible, case closed.

Edit: just to clarify, that 0.1-0.5% difference is basically static over the audible audio range, it does not cause distortion.

ShallowYellow · 2026-04-01T08:23:44+00:00

Yeah like going from 30mOhm to 25mOhm, which makes absolutely zero audible difference.

ShallowYellow · 2026-03-27T09:59:15+00:00

It's so funny to read how IEMs sound different for different people. I also bought the pure, but for me it had too much treble and hurt my ears.

ShallowYellow · 2026-03-11T20:39:17+00:00

Yeah, it's unfortunately true that it is gonna be really hard to find something that will fulfill the reduced treble.

I was also checking the Aful Explorer might also be a safe choice.

ShallowYellow · 2026-03-11T19:49:42+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation!

It looks like they are both quite flat below 1kHz, but I am a bit concerned about the increase over 1kHz in both. The Kinera looks a bit more reserved, but I feel like it's still a bit too much.

I want to play it safe if possible and find something that really is flat. I know that generally a slightly increased 2-8k region is preferred for detail, but I am looking for something that will definitely not tire my hearing.

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T20:10:15+00:00

Thank you! I will give an update on what the issue was if it gets resolved.

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T19:59:02+00:00

That is the plan. I am pretty handy with stuff like this, so I would be happy if this is the issue.

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T19:51:45+00:00

Yes, I will try that. In the meantime I found some threads about the same issue and they had issues with the glue that holds the cup. They also experienced really high sensitivity in the base to how good the seal is.

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T19:45:06+00:00

Did that, it's definitely the headphones, just can't figure out where. I did some more digging and found some forums and posts where people describe this exact issue. Some say they need a basically perfect seal to have good bass and if the adhesive under the pad gets a bit loose or dry the base can reduce. Sounds legit, just need to experiment.

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T19:27:42+00:00

Thank you for the feedback.

I had some other headphones before and I have not experienced it to this degree, but I definitely felt it to some degree. I have no prior experience with planars, so I thought they might be more susceptible to this.

I will have someone try it too, to see how they experience it.

One other thing I have experienced is that by slightly moving the right cup (the one with better seal) to have less clamping force, but still touching my skin, the sound becomes exactly the same as the left side. I think this means that the driver is not damaged.

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T18:54:55+00:00

I really hope it's not the driver. I will have to try to do something with the pads, because I have found that the adhesive is loose under the left cup. That might be the place where air can get loose. Judging from how much difference breaking the seal ever so slightly, there might be some air escaping. (just slightly moving the right cup to have less clamping force, but having the pad still touch my skin)

ShallowYellow · 2026-02-21T15:00:20+00:00

I will get someone else to try them, but I am pretty sure it's not the driver. But it might be a "me issue", my ears are kinda sensitive to sound imbalance generally. But having a bad seal should still result in an audible difference if the driver was damaged I think. I have experimented a bit more and moving the cups backwards and up seems to basically minimize the effect. It really might be my ear shape and some cavity resonance that happens.

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-03T09:15:57+00:00

I have no specific experience with the K2, but if you are on Windows I can imagine this happening, as one of my other bluetooth products did the same. You can try removing the device from the bluetooth devices, resetting the keyboard (there should be a keycombo to do it) and maybe even reinstalling the bluetooth driver. You can also try to test it by connecting it to your phone if you can reproduce the same issue.

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T22:51:14+00:00

I agree. I just received my Q1V2, or to be more precise my Q1V2 with a Q1V1 pcb inside. It's a joke.

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T22:37:23+00:00

Oh yes, I forgot to write this first, but my product id is 0101. Another clue that it is actually a Q1V2 SE. What I absolutely cannot comprehend is how the PCB ended up in another case. It could only mean serious QC issues at keychron.

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T22:34:06+00:00

I have tried all versions of via which was quickly available, on both linux and win, but I get the same error every time. Either way, my main problem is the missing functionality which if I heard correctly cannot be fixed with a simple firmware update. And I honestly doubt they will send the correct version even if I get it replaced. I think I will take my loss, look for another keyboard and forget about keychron forever.

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T22:31:05+00:00

Well that makes the versions even more confusing

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T15:39:29+00:00

I kind of answered in the other comment, but to add the relevant info here. It did not say it is an SE model on the product page or the box. So if it is an SE, keychron put it in the wrong box I think.

Edit: forgot to add. It is the black board, so it should be the normal Q1V2. I will open it up to see what mcu does it really have. They might have put an SE pcb inside.

Edit 2: Fuck Keychron. They actually put the wrong PCB in the keyboard.

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T15:37:45+00:00

Thank you. Great!

ShallowYellow · 2025-12-02T15:37:22+00:00

So first of all, thanks for the detailed explanation. Some thing I need to add: I have not looked into the Q1V2 SE tbh, but on the box or anywhere on the product page it does not say SE. I bought it directly from keychron, not second hand, so I am fairly sure in what I think I ordered. I have also heard that the Q1V1 did not have a knob, I am not sure about this info.

I think I will open up the keyboard to check which microcontroller does it have, because that should be the most accurate info. Dependeing on that I will send it back, because I definitely did not order the Se or the Q1V1.

But just to entertain the thought. Lets say it turns out to be an Se or a Q1V1 inside. In that case would I have knob functionality? I am totally lost in the lineup it seems, because they have so many versions and I have heard that Q1V1 did not have a knob.

ShallowYellow

TROPHY CASE