I think this review was balanced, informative and helped address the limitations about graph measurements being absolute and free of error. Enjoyed it!
i bought a custom cable for my sa6 and i believed whole heartedly that there would be no sonic difference. then when i got it in the mail i had been using the stock dunu sa6 cable and i swapped to my custom (japanese copper and silver blend) and it sounded brighter! i still dont know if im imagining things or not but i definitely enjoy the clarity it brings, and it looks stunning! cables are definitely a nice luxury purchase and pairing for any iem enthusiasts
I select cable by connectors/terminations, without too aggressive/stiff hooks, lightweight, color matching earphones (optional) in that order. Works every time. I have several modular cables. Many either have bulky connectors or not secure ones (shallow, easily fall out). Dunu DUW-02 is the best of them. But usually for the easily driven earphones it is 3.5 mm fixed connector and for the harder to drive it is 2.5 mm balanced (not all of my DAPs have Pentacon and it is easier to convert from Pentacon to 2.5 with an adapter). Pure practicality.
Thanks for sharing your experience, my selections previously have also been based on practicality and while it still remains largely the same, now through this experience I'm questioning what would pair well with an IEM sonically but I think look and feel plays a huge part for me as well.
This is such a ridiculous topic.... and so many of you *think* you hear differences in more expensive cables - the manufacturers LOVE YOU ! Here's the FACTS... with every IEM, you have a plug that you hook your cable onto. That plug is connected to (usually) two very tiny/thin copper wires inside the IEM - wires that usually cost about 0.2 cents - that send the 'expensive' power to the driver/BAs/boards etc... That very thin copper wire(s) I just mentioned, is the ONLY true transmitor of power from your ridiculously overpriced cable, onto the plug, then through to the drivers/boards etc... Having a 'more powerful' or 'exotic' or 'thick' cable does absolutely NOTHING to the actual amount of 'power' - nor variances in the overall sound signature - being sent from your $600 cable, through that ultra cheap, thin set of wires inside your IEM to the drivers... It's no different than buying a whole bunch of expensive 'go fast' upgrades for your car's engine but then doing absolutely nothing with the actual components that sends/determines how much power is being sent to the driven wheels... And yes, I've done this sound 'test' with expensive cables and there is no difference in 'warmth' with a copper cable nor did a silver-plated cable make an IEM sound 'colder' or with 'more emphasis on the vocals' etc.... You are merely justifying your expense by parroting the exact descriptive/marketing words from the manufacturer... THINK ABOUT IT LOGICALLY - THINK ABOUT THE CHEAP TINY WIRES INSIDE YOUR IEMS THAT ACCEPT/DISPERSE THE 'EXPENSIVE POWER'. EXPENSIVE CABLES SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES TO DO WHAT YOU CLAIM THEY DO. Head-shakingly hilarious...
Not to mention the quality of the solder used to put the IEM's together. My bet they are using nothing special when they assemble their products and it is part of the signal path from source to driver.
OFC, Silver plated, just your usual copper, crystal something something, you name it I probably have tried it. Worst money I've spend on this hobby. Now I just use whatever that comes with the iem, or if the cable is really bad or broken I just buy cheap $10 cable that looks and feel decent.
Thing is, why would any competent manufacturer send IEMs with a cable that's insufficient for the earphones? Sure it'll happen but I bet it's very rare. I'm sure they test all this stuff.
Premium cables make a difference in sound quality to me and it's not even very subtle, but not very drastic either. Sound signature changes are usually not huge but clarity, soundstage, imagining, and details usually improve from stock cables. You can't measure technicalities with a coupler. Graphs only tell half the story about IEMs and headphones, which is why I don't put too much weight into graph readings. There is so much more to how IEMs and headphones sound besides its frequency response.
It does have a bit of change in sound. Especially if you use very revealing IEM . Slight impedance change from cable can change the sound. I have experience this impedance change in cable A/B ing the cable with the same song. One of the cable actually need more volume by a lot 10 clicks to sound normal. When i change to the other cable with the same song same jack it was too loud so i need to reduce 10 click. Impedance change sound is what i believe. Material wise... i think material also affect impedance. Which mean there is a possibility that the ares 8w have around the same impedance as the code23 the price differnce then is the look and external material . I done this test for 1 hour listening session.
I would normally say that cables have no impact on sound, but about a month ago that opinion completely changed. I was using the 7hz Legato cable on my Penon Fan2s for a while because I didn’t have the original cable, so I decided to grab a nicer feeling cable. I went with the NiceHCK copper 16c cable ($11). With this upgrade on its own, I experienced a change so drastic that I could not believe it! The soundstage was SO much wider and the bass presence was “rounder.” Every aspect of the IEM was better with that cable! So if you’ve got a crappy cable, spending a bit of money on a nicer cable can absolutely be worth it.
@@flipgrassier oh keep your fancy $500 cables to yourself and let me enjoy a decent cable for once. All I said was that it’s a huge upgrade to the Legato cable, which is true. Now please get a life
@@flipgrassier the whole point of my comment was that cables do have a difference. I was using the Legato cable. I switched to a better one. Nowhere did I say that the C16 is even close to the best cable you can buy
The price doesn’t carry much importance, its all about the pairing with the source and the transducer. Personally cable differences are the most obvious in the vocal range, e.g. not perfectly recorded sharp vocals can bring meaningfully different experience on different cables
Hearing, like seeing, differs from one person to the other. Many people can't hear the difference in sound, but many other do. I can hear, luckily, the differences, even from an upgraded 20€ cable, but I believe the more expensive the cable , the less the upgrade in sound. But it might be important and much more pleasing for more sensitive and trained ears!
Premium cables = Hyper Speed , cheap cables = Snail Speed , it's my experience , it improve everything for sure , you need a set of premium IEMs for testing them ! you will get faster response , drum hit faster , cleaner tone , better separation and smoothness etc....etc..... Premium IEMs may come with Premium cables , sometimes it's no needed and all depends on your wallet Thank You !
I hear the difference in cables. Similar to the sound differences between the DD and BA drivers in the bass department, although measured same in fq graph (dB), but totally different bass texture, decay and accuracy from DD and BA bass drivers. Personally, I'm still hunting down the best cable for MEST MK2, currently have PW audio monile shielding, PW audio Soronous and other cables. Cables is a very hard subject as it needs to be well sync with a particular iem. No single cable that can sync well with all iems. The best matching synergy cable to iems in my collection currently are: 1) UM MEXT x PW Audio Monile Shielding 2) Fearless X Crinacle Dawn x Dunu Hulk Pro 3) Thieaudio Legacy 5 x PW audio Soronous.
Based on my experiences, cables do matter and sound difference may not be even subtle. However, there are many factors affecting the result, e.g. how good (or bad) the original stock cable is, how good is the IEM itself (usually better IEM has higher potential to have sound quality improvement with "better" cables). Also, cable matching could be tricky even though there are some rule-of-thumb (e.g. silver plated copper cables usually have better treble than pure copper cables), i.e. a cable sounds great with one IEM doesn't mean it will bring the same improvement to other IEMs.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree but it also proves that there's no definitive way to prove cables change the sound as it's based on user experiences and some may hear it, some may not. For those who can hear the difference, it's both a blessing and a curse
Wow, obviously, this is not for people who are new to the hobby and/or on budget. Because the improvements (if any) are so minor, boutique cables should be the very last thing anyone should be concerned about for their audio chain. Imo, better invest that amount of money for a better audio player or source, or... continue to hoard more IEMs 😂
I agree this aspect of the hobby shouldn't be taken as a priority for those entering the hobby or on a budget, even for me personally, I still go in the order of eartips>>source>>cables in terms of sound impact and I'd typically purchase a cable for its look and feel predominantly but it does have it's pairings with certain IEMs but eartips are the cheapest investment for sound impact at least for me.
I think part of the problem is that if you care deeply about music, you want to be able to appreciate even the finest changes to the audio experience, whether or not you can. It's like the statistic that says 90% of drivers think that they are above average - we can't all be above average. Personally, my excuse is that I grew up playing drums, and I know that I do not have great ears. However, hobbies and passion are about going deep into a subject, and audio is very ripe for this kind of endeavour. And while I personally believe that expensive cables are snake-oil, I would also say, who cares? It does provide a point of inflexion, where you can form your own opinions and follow your own path. Maybe expensive cables are for wankers with too much money, and maybe they probably don't matter but you might as well be sure, or maybe you really can tell the difference... discovering these things and having opinions, and searching for truth is what makes passions interesting.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts while still being impartial and for willing to accept other opinions. This is what I feel is missing from this hobby that's preventing people from truly enjoying it for what it is. It's the journey and the discovery that makes this hobby truly interesting and enjoyable. Some may be able to hear it, some may not, and from either side, that's okay. Everyone will hear things differently, and that's just the truth about this hobby.
Well I had that feeling of something feeling different and enhanced when I used Hulk cable with se846. I couldn't put a finger on it but it sounded fantastic
The cadmus is said to have the same materials as the hifigo griffin, which I also reviewed. Spot on with the smoothened out treble and more note weight, tho at times, I feel they are a bit veiled on certain iems.. 😇
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, pairing it with the right cable would be like pairing with the right source. Once it's right, it's good~ Though a little expensive to experiment
Great content bro, thanks. Personally I do think that cables provide minor refinements to the sound, but I'm only willing to pay $100-200 max. Have heard good reviews about the monarch mk3 x Cadmus combo.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Glad to hear I'm not the only one liking that combo and I hear you, I was initially not willing to spend more than $100 but with this hobby, that cap keeps increasing the more I test gears 😅 the black hole~~~
Electrically different metals and metal alloys have different resistance to electrical signal, however, the sound signal is often so tiny and the cable themselves so short that the different resistances form the variety of cables may only make a very noticeable difference over longer distance than those experienced in audio. However, the quality of terminations and shielding may have marked difference much more than the materials the cable are made of. For IEMs, I have bought aftermarket cables a lot, for their hand feel, aesthetic and flexibility. The most I have paid for a single cable not including shipping has been US$32, I don't see myself ever spending over a US$100 for any cable. And I have not spent more than US320 on an IEM either, so I'm the cheap skate 🤣
Here's my experience with cables I have bought quite a few and have noticed some differences mainly on the components in the cable I tend to find a pure copper cable to be richer for iems that have a slightly brighter sound they can definitely soften it a little. For cables that are silver plated copper I tend to find they are very good at cleaning up treble but tend to pack in giving warmth in the bass so for iems that have a big bass that is a bit too bassy I can see them making it less bassy and make things more neutral. Then you have hybrid cables which have both copper and silver cables they tend to provide the best of both worlds for a well balanced iem they keep it well balanced. This is all based off of the moon drop blessing 2 which is a bright flat iem with decent bass. It's stock cable is a copper cable and it makes the whole iem sound right. I thought I'd try a different cable which was siover plated copper and it just didn't sound the same it sounded more shouty and honestly made it worse. My final thoughts on cables is like this the components that make up the cable are the only think that make it sound different. Once you start spending over a certain amount all you are paying for is asthetics and build the sound different is nil. Hopefully this clears up some confusion for everyone as I know how it feels to get a cable expecting things and it doesn't work with the iem you have very well.
Hey thanks for your video! This is great and I am glad you were able to do this kind of comparison. My budget does not allow for any of these kinds of cables so I appreciate it when I can get someone else's insight into things that I can only wonder about! lol. So for me in my experience I can only compare cheap stock 4 core cables that come with an IEM to upgraded 16 core $20-30 cables and in my experience, yes I can hear a difference there all the time. To the point where I everytime I get an IEM I get a new cable. To me the sound is flatter, less rich and subdued. Even when using the same sound amp/dac and source.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the video, and thanks for sharing your experience! I hope to be able to make a test between 4 core vs 16 core someday just to see if there's anything discernible
I'd love to see cables tested with copper that's as old and impure as possible, as musicians tend to swear by the sound of vintage instruments like electric guitars, from the tone of the wood and finish to the wiring inside.
I bought about 7 cables with different terminations on Black Friday sales. I found a silver cable that indeed enhances treble on my Legato while keeping the bass. Another silver cable enhanced treble but lost bass. Read reviews, try things out. The cables I bought were not expensive. Cables can indeed improve/alter sound but you may have to try out a few..
I changed aful performer 5 cable to faeel hibiscus cable, it reduces sub bass, sounded more open and better. Difference was there. I haven't heard this difference before
Sony sold headphones & an amplifier which had 2 cable options. The upgrade was "balanced" with 2 wires per side. That noticeably improved sound quality but I would bet that was due to improved amplification vs the actual cable materials.
This was a fair view. Frequency responses vary depending on fit. The harman IE target is itself a subject of much discussion. So i agree that measurements prove this or that. As for "our very own ears", it is also our very own money, haha
Taking a dump makes you 'feel' better....you carry that 'good feeling' into your next listening session...that's what differences in hearing are: How one 'feels' about what one hears; which is impossible to measure, other than measuring brain waves in response to differences we hear. We all 'feel' differently and 'hear' differently. Listening biases are just that: biases. Nice review BTW.
Nice video i enjoyed it a lot ..nice camera, lighting and awesome set ups .. BUT .. the address of it is misleading i opened it to see if actually some one finally is measuring these cables .. but ended up with your subjective opinion so i dislike it for that
Hi there's thanks for sharing your feedback. I did try to measure them however what I was trying to show in the video was that trying to measure sonic differences in cables is quite difficult due to the many variables, which also makes it hard to make a conclusive and objective opinion as also shown from the different outcomes even from the same cable, hence the only other available outcome would be a subjective matter which I also understand may/may not be accepted because it's based on sharing my own personal experiences however thank you for watching the video 😊 still appreciate it
The only thing that can actually change the sound in a cable (considering they are all made of decent conductors) is the impedance. People seem to be annoyed about electricity being too easy to sent with practically no losses over very short distances lol
Thanks, that is a very Good Video. Yes, I have over 15 Different really Good IEMs, IEM Earphones, and I would have to say Yes that IEM Cables do make a Difference in Sound Quality. Right now I have about 16+ Different purchased IEM Cables, from Different Manufactures including Kinera, Tripowin, QOA, KBear, Noble Audio, SYRNARN, XINHS, IvipQ, AFUL, and ThieAudio. I am always looking for the BEST sound that can come from an IEM. I am always testing/swapping different IEM Cables and I see that some IEM Cables do really sound Better than others on IEM Cables. Some IEM Cables go well with Certain IEMs, and it is a FACT. I have learned this from Akros video on RUclips. I have found that especially ThieAudio, Kinera, and Tripowin that ThieAudio, Kinera, and Tripowin make some of the Best Sounding IEM Cables from my testing. I have not tried Tried Effect Audio IEM Cables yet, but I sure Effect Audio sound good too.
You mean stock cables for IEMs? Did Akros ever give any comments on the ThieAudio Monarch Mk2's and V16 Divinity's stock cable (the brown modular one)?
As far as stock cables for IEMs, I do not keep any of stock cables in IEM Boxes, and I do not ever use any Stock Cables other than ThieAudio , Kinera, or QOA IEM Cables. In an IEM Box the only IEM cables I do keep are just ThieAudio , Kinera, or QOA IEM Cables. All of the other $50.00 to $100.00 IEM 4.4mm Cables, that I mentioned earlier I have bought separately. Akros has not mentioned anything on ThieAudio Monarch Mk2's or V16 Divinity stock Cables. But ThieAudio always includes Good IEM Cables on all of their ThieAudio IEMs.@@Viewer13128
6:57 Placebo is the right word, psychoacoustics is like for example, less sub bass contributes to more soundstage, even though it's not really wider soundstage it feels that way. 7:35 Yeah now take into account the fact that i can hear diferences without changing virtually anything on my setup(same iem, cable, tips, fit, source, track, volume) for no reason and realize why doing this is completely pointless. Also another big factor to take into account is that different cables will affect the fit, due to the earhook/connector shape, so the nozzle might be deeper/shallower or pointing at a different angle inside the ear canal, which might create these differences. If people spent that money on eartips than on cables it would be more sane.
You forgot about headphones. The cables don’t change the fit and blind tests are performed easily. IEM blind cable testing doesn’t make sense cause you have to take it out everytime which requires time
@@kajetan9550 Easy A/B test would be to have both plugged in and flip a switch, while making sure it's volume matched. Auditory memory is really bad, , and besides if there were obvious differences they would come up on measurements, which is very rare to see.
Thank you for the video and have subscribed! I have a question, currently my main IEM is the Monarch MK3 and which cable Ares S or Cadmus is best matched for my IEM?
Hi there, my testing of the cables was with the Monarch MkIII so from 7:15 onwards it should explain how it sounds like but it ultimately comes down to what you prefer; Touch fuller bass and vocal notes >>> Cadmus Leaner bass but a touch more clarity >>> Ares S
@@rnarexperience thank you for your response. What do you think of Monarch MK3 with Eros S sounds like? Because Im stuck between Cadmus and Eros S before deciding on my purchase.
This feels like a shill post for Effect cables. "measuring the differences is impossible so I'm not gonna try 😏😏😏. I'm just gonna tell you what I subjectively think"
from my experience, copper cable tend to sounds "warmer" than the SPC cables. But the things is the Copper quality also made the sound differences. for example My custom OCC 6n copper vs cheap copper cable like Hibiscus, the hibiscus sounds darker, has cramped soundstage, way less open sounding, it's so bad even the EW200 stock SPC cable sounds better, But the hibis cus kinda got that bass rumble goin tho.
your ears are far less inferior than the mic you are measuring with. placebo and psychoacoustics are the stronger than your ears ability to actually hear
Yeah, just by changing nothing on your setup you can hear differences, what makes people confident in saying that the difference they heard(which i don't deny) is due to the cable being switched. Or also not a part of the actual fit changing with different earhook/connector designs(because i have experienced that)
A better cable only effects speed of the sound reaching the speaker. There was a study done about it. You can’t measure speed with a graph. You’ll notice a slight SOMETHING happening when you attach a better cable.
Yes these things make a difference. But so minimal that only if you've spent relatively huge amounts of money on very high end gear do these miniscule differences matter. N.B. IMO!
Yeah through my testing the differences are really small and as of now if I were to buy a cable it'll still be mostly about the look and feel but I do wonder it's pairing with IEMs now
@@rnarexperience Sure am :) Also got my Falcon Ultra recently thanks to your reviews. Such a great IEM. EQ'S really well too which suits switching genres like I do. I've got the bug now. Curious where I go with next IEM haha.
It's not snake oil because I remember returning a PWA silver cable due to being too bright even before I knew about materials' audio properties and started reading audio reviews online (including that some call it snake oil!). The ones that call it snake oil have either only judged by reading reviews or simply aren't audiophiles to be able to hear a difference ;)
Thanks for sharing your experience, though I wouldn't go that far as I believe not everyone would be able to tell the difference and that's okay and being an audiophile doesn't mean one can tell the difference, being an audiophile is simply ones appreciation and enjoyment for the sound or music that's being played. Of course I feel people may disagree with this statement also 😅 so we should all just sit back and enjoy the music 🎶🎵
Yes the differences are great if u compared a $30 cable with a stock cable from a cheap iem. The $30 cable is thicker and with better copper will sound louder, cleaner, wider, more details,,,in fact better in every aspect. It's a big difference 😮. But I don't believe in purchasing very expensive cables. They are beyond my budget anyway.😅
@@Alepap. I hate to spend my $30 on a cable. But I am glad I did. I am even tempted to spend $100 on the Effect “Cadmus cable”. It’s a beautiful cable and well made, and allows u to swap between 2 pins or mmcx. Just one good cable for the next 10 years for all my iems. It’s a good deal. 😘😄👍
Lol 😂 Anyone who thinks cable changes sound they can sod off. The snake oil is unbearable. Most audio nerds or audiophile peeps don't do one thing with their gear is to listen to music and enjoy it rather they try to search the next big thing and want it like a Pokémon. Cable this cablr that and other 1000 if dollars of useless stuff which they will barely use. It's a similar situation in the car hobby where multi millionaires buy cars and do 0-100 and their car at the end of the day is tarmac princess. Sorry if its a rant, but this what I feel. As much as I hate KZ I do agree with what they write on top of their box.
different cable types sound different so no need to discuss that. my interest is in whether the same cable type, brand-name vs cheap chi-fi brand, sound the same, which you can hopefully test in a followup video. Would actually help if we can find lots of aliexpress equivalents of brand-name cables. these are mid-priced cables right? I would be relatively confident to use well-made aliexpress cables over these. Please, for our wallets, in a followup video, compare these to well-made aliexpress cables (because just comparing Eletech cables between each other doesn't really help tell me if I can skip these for cheaper cables.). And if able to go the extra mile, then in addition, compare the flagship cables. i feel even chi-fi makers need to go many extra miles to (attempt) to replicate flagship cables (and those are rare and they charge a lot). Btw, by flagship level cables, I mean... -PWAudio Le Jardin cable - Meet Agains with Shielding -Eletech Ode To Laura -PWAudio Orpheus with Shielding -PWAudio First Times with Shielding Would be great if we can match aliexpress alternatives to brand-named cables.
Thanks for sharing! I'll definitely put that into consideration for a future video if and when I have the opportunity to talk about more flagship cables.
I don't hear a thing, but the feel is different, I hate the cheap plastic cables so I upgrade to a nice feeling one.
I agree and have yet to "hear" a difference after trying a couple of different cables.
I think this review was balanced, informative and helped address the limitations about graph measurements being absolute and free of error. Enjoyed it!
Thank you 😁 Glad to hear you enjoyed the video!
i bought a custom cable for my sa6 and i believed whole heartedly that there would be no sonic difference. then when i got it in the mail i had been using the stock dunu sa6 cable and i swapped to my custom (japanese copper and silver blend) and it sounded brighter! i still dont know if im imagining things or not but i definitely enjoy the clarity it brings, and it looks stunning! cables are definitely a nice luxury purchase and pairing for any iem enthusiasts
This! Monarch mk3 + cadmus 4w. I thought I was imagining it but the difference is there
I select cable by connectors/terminations, without too aggressive/stiff hooks, lightweight, color matching earphones (optional) in that order. Works every time. I have several modular cables. Many either have bulky connectors or not secure ones (shallow, easily fall out). Dunu DUW-02 is the best of them. But usually for the easily driven earphones it is 3.5 mm fixed connector and for the harder to drive it is 2.5 mm balanced (not all of my DAPs have Pentacon and it is easier to convert from Pentacon to 2.5 with an adapter). Pure practicality.
Thanks for sharing your experience, my selections previously have also been based on practicality and while it still remains largely the same, now through this experience I'm questioning what would pair well with an IEM sonically but I think look and feel plays a huge part for me as well.
This is such a ridiculous topic.... and so many of you *think* you hear differences in more expensive cables - the manufacturers LOVE YOU ! Here's the FACTS... with every IEM, you have a plug that you hook your cable onto. That plug is connected to (usually) two very tiny/thin copper wires inside the IEM - wires that usually cost about 0.2 cents - that send the 'expensive' power to the driver/BAs/boards etc... That very thin copper wire(s) I just mentioned, is the ONLY true transmitor of power from your ridiculously overpriced cable, onto the plug, then through to the drivers/boards etc... Having a 'more powerful' or 'exotic' or 'thick' cable does absolutely NOTHING to the actual amount of 'power' - nor variances in the overall sound signature - being sent from your $600 cable, through that ultra cheap, thin set of wires inside your IEM to the drivers... It's no different than buying a whole bunch of expensive 'go fast' upgrades for your car's engine but then doing absolutely nothing with the actual components that sends/determines how much power is being sent to the driven wheels... And yes, I've done this sound 'test' with expensive cables and there is no difference in 'warmth' with a copper cable nor did a silver-plated cable make an IEM sound 'colder' or with 'more emphasis on the vocals' etc.... You are merely justifying your expense by parroting the exact descriptive/marketing words from the manufacturer... THINK ABOUT IT LOGICALLY - THINK ABOUT THE CHEAP TINY WIRES INSIDE YOUR IEMS THAT ACCEPT/DISPERSE THE 'EXPENSIVE POWER'. EXPENSIVE CABLES SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES TO DO WHAT YOU CLAIM THEY DO. Head-shakingly hilarious...
Not to mention the quality of the solder used to put the IEM's together. My bet they are using nothing special when they assemble their products and it is part of the signal path from source to driver.
OFC, Silver plated, just your usual copper, crystal something something, you name it I probably have tried it.
Worst money I've spend on this hobby.
Now I just use whatever that comes with the iem, or if the cable is really bad or broken I just buy cheap $10 cable that looks and feel decent.
Thing is, why would any competent manufacturer send IEMs with a cable that's insufficient for the earphones? Sure it'll happen but I bet it's very rare. I'm sure they test all this stuff.
Premium cables make a difference in sound quality to me and it's not even very subtle, but not very drastic either. Sound signature changes are usually not huge but clarity, soundstage, imagining, and details usually improve from stock cables. You can't measure technicalities with a coupler. Graphs only tell half the story about IEMs and headphones, which is why I don't put too much weight into graph readings. There is so much more to how IEMs and headphones sound besides its frequency response.
Yeap i agree with you there which was the intention of the video
Just the fact that you see some cables as "premium" already supplies plenty of bias to your brain.
@@humanbass Just the fact you don't think there are ways to tell if any product is premium already supplies plenty of stupidity to your brain.
🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓
I don't really hear any difference. Reasons I buy cables is to color match them with my iems and to buy a cable that is soft and easy to deal with.
It does have a bit of change in sound. Especially if you use very revealing IEM . Slight impedance change from cable can change the sound. I have experience this impedance change in cable A/B ing the cable with the same song. One of the cable actually need more volume by a lot 10 clicks to sound normal. When i change to the other cable with the same song same jack it was too loud so i need to reduce 10 click. Impedance change sound is what i believe. Material wise... i think material also affect impedance. Which mean there is a possibility that the ares 8w have around the same impedance as the code23 the price differnce then is the look and external material . I done this test for 1 hour listening session.
I would normally say that cables have no impact on sound, but about a month ago that opinion completely changed. I was using the 7hz Legato cable on my Penon Fan2s for a while because I didn’t have the original cable, so I decided to grab a nicer feeling cable. I went with the NiceHCK copper 16c cable ($11). With this upgrade on its own, I experienced a change so drastic that I could not believe it! The soundstage was SO much wider and the bass presence was “rounder.” Every aspect of the IEM was better with that cable! So if you’ve got a crappy cable, spending a bit of money on a nicer cable can absolutely be worth it.
ahahhah nickehck 16 is pure trash
@@flipgrassier oh keep your fancy $500 cables to yourself and let me enjoy a decent cable for once. All I said was that it’s a huge upgrade to the Legato cable, which is true. Now please get a life
@@isaiahschell I have this cable and its no good, i prefer black cat ad xinhs cable ;)
@@flipgrassier the whole point of my comment was that cables do have a difference. I was using the Legato cable. I switched to a better one. Nowhere did I say that the C16 is even close to the best cable you can buy
@@isaiahschell ok man ;)
The price doesn’t carry much importance, its all about the pairing with the source and the transducer. Personally cable differences are the most obvious in the vocal range, e.g. not perfectly recorded sharp vocals can bring meaningfully different experience on different cables
Thanks for sharing!
Hearing, like seeing, differs from one person to the other. Many people can't hear the difference in sound, but many other do. I can hear, luckily, the differences, even from an upgraded 20€ cable, but I believe the more expensive the cable , the less the upgrade in sound. But it might be important and much more pleasing for more sensitive and trained ears!
Premium cables = Hyper Speed , cheap cables = Snail Speed , it's my experience , it improve everything for sure , you need a set of premium IEMs for testing them !
you will get faster response , drum hit faster , cleaner tone , better separation and smoothness etc....etc.....
Premium IEMs may come with Premium cables , sometimes it's no needed and all depends on your wallet Thank You !
Thanks for sharing your experience :)
I hear the difference in cables. Similar to the sound differences between the DD and BA drivers in the bass department, although measured same in fq graph (dB), but totally different bass texture, decay and accuracy from DD and BA bass drivers. Personally, I'm still hunting down the best cable for MEST MK2, currently have PW audio monile shielding, PW audio Soronous and other cables. Cables is a very hard subject as it needs to be well sync with a particular iem. No single cable that can sync well with all iems. The best matching synergy cable to iems in my collection currently are: 1) UM MEXT x PW Audio Monile Shielding 2) Fearless X Crinacle Dawn x Dunu Hulk Pro 3) Thieaudio Legacy 5 x PW audio Soronous.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hello Dear Audio Friends !!!!!!!!
Do you have HAKUGEI cables ? Can you say something about them ? ❤
What changes the sound most for me: 80-90% IEMs, Headphones / 10% tips, earpads / 10% sources / 0% cables. I just can't hear it.
Thank you! I’ve been waiting for a video on this topic.
Hope you enjoyed the video!
Based on my experiences, cables do matter and sound difference may not be even subtle. However, there are many factors affecting the result, e.g. how good (or bad) the original stock cable is, how good is the IEM itself (usually better IEM has higher potential to have sound quality improvement with "better" cables). Also, cable matching could be tricky even though there are some rule-of-thumb (e.g. silver plated copper cables usually have better treble than pure copper cables), i.e. a cable sounds great with one IEM doesn't mean it will bring the same improvement to other IEMs.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree but it also proves that there's no definitive way to prove cables change the sound as it's based on user experiences and some may hear it, some may not. For those who can hear the difference, it's both a blessing and a curse
Wow, obviously, this is not for people who are new to the hobby and/or on budget. Because the improvements (if any) are so minor, boutique cables should be the very last thing anyone should be concerned about for their audio chain.
Imo, better invest that amount of money for a better audio player or source, or... continue to hoard more IEMs 😂
I agree this aspect of the hobby shouldn't be taken as a priority for those entering the hobby or on a budget, even for me personally, I still go in the order of eartips>>source>>cables in terms of sound impact and I'd typically purchase a cable for its look and feel predominantly but it does have it's pairings with certain IEMs but eartips are the cheapest investment for sound impact at least for me.
I think part of the problem is that if you care deeply about music, you want to be able to appreciate even the finest changes to the audio experience, whether or not you can. It's like the statistic that says 90% of drivers think that they are above average - we can't all be above average. Personally, my excuse is that I grew up playing drums, and I know that I do not have great ears.
However, hobbies and passion are about going deep into a subject, and audio is very ripe for this kind of endeavour. And while I personally believe that expensive cables are snake-oil, I would also say, who cares? It does provide a point of inflexion, where you can form your own opinions and follow your own path. Maybe expensive cables are for wankers with too much money, and maybe they probably don't matter but you might as well be sure, or maybe you really can tell the difference... discovering these things and having opinions, and searching for truth is what makes passions interesting.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts while still being impartial and for willing to accept other opinions. This is what I feel is missing from this hobby that's preventing people from truly enjoying it for what it is. It's the journey and the discovery that makes this hobby truly interesting and enjoyable. Some may be able to hear it, some may not, and from either side, that's okay. Everyone will hear things differently, and that's just the truth about this hobby.
Well I had that feeling of something feeling different and enhanced when I used Hulk cable with se846. I couldn't put a finger on it but it sounded fantastic
The cadmus is said to have the same materials as the hifigo griffin, which I also reviewed. Spot on with the smoothened out treble and more note weight, tho at times, I feel they are a bit veiled on certain iems.. 😇
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, pairing it with the right cable would be like pairing with the right source. Once it's right, it's good~ Though a little expensive to experiment
Great content bro, thanks. Personally I do think that cables provide minor refinements to the sound, but I'm only willing to pay $100-200 max. Have heard good reviews about the monarch mk3 x Cadmus combo.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Glad to hear I'm not the only one liking that combo and I hear you, I was initially not willing to spend more than $100 but with this hobby, that cap keeps increasing the more I test gears 😅 the black hole~~~
Electrically different metals and metal alloys have different resistance to electrical signal, however, the sound signal is often so tiny and the cable themselves so short that the different resistances form the variety of cables may only make a very noticeable difference over longer distance than those experienced in audio. However, the quality of terminations and shielding may have marked difference much more than the materials the cable are made of. For IEMs, I have bought aftermarket cables a lot, for their hand feel, aesthetic and flexibility. The most I have paid for a single cable not including shipping has been US$32, I don't see myself ever spending over a US$100 for any cable. And I have not spent more than US320 on an IEM either, so I'm the cheap skate 🤣
haha wouldn't say cheap skate man everyone's got different reasons for spending different amounts on a gear, thanks for sharing your thoughts
Here's my experience with cables I have bought quite a few and have noticed some differences mainly on the components in the cable I tend to find a pure copper cable to be richer for iems that have a slightly brighter sound they can definitely soften it a little. For cables that are silver plated copper I tend to find they are very good at cleaning up treble but tend to pack in giving warmth in the bass so for iems that have a big bass that is a bit too bassy I can see them making it less bassy and make things more neutral. Then you have hybrid cables which have both copper and silver cables they tend to provide the best of both worlds for a well balanced iem they keep it well balanced. This is all based off of the moon drop blessing 2 which is a bright flat iem with decent bass. It's stock cable is a copper cable and it makes the whole iem sound right. I thought I'd try a different cable which was siover plated copper and it just didn't sound the same it sounded more shouty and honestly made it worse. My final thoughts on cables is like this the components that make up the cable are the only think that make it sound different. Once you start spending over a certain amount all you are paying for is asthetics and build the sound different is nil. Hopefully this clears up some confusion for everyone as I know how it feels to get a cable expecting things and it doesn't work with the iem you have very well.
Hey thanks for your video! This is great and I am glad you were able to do this kind of comparison. My budget does not allow for any of these kinds of cables so I appreciate it when I can get someone else's insight into things that I can only wonder about! lol. So for me in my experience I can only compare cheap stock 4 core cables that come with an IEM to upgraded 16 core $20-30 cables and in my experience, yes I can hear a difference there all the time. To the point where I everytime I get an IEM I get a new cable. To me the sound is flatter, less rich and subdued. Even when using the same sound amp/dac and source.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the video, and thanks for sharing your experience! I hope to be able to make a test between 4 core vs 16 core someday just to see if there's anything discernible
I'd love to see cables tested with copper that's as old and impure as possible, as musicians tend to swear by the sound of vintage instruments like electric guitars, from the tone of the wood and finish to the wiring inside.
I bought about 7 cables with different terminations on Black Friday sales. I found a silver cable that indeed enhances treble on my Legato while keeping the bass. Another silver cable enhanced treble but lost bass. Read reviews, try things out. The cables I bought were not expensive. Cables can indeed improve/alter sound but you may have to try out a few..
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I changed aful performer 5 cable to faeel hibiscus cable, it reduces sub bass, sounded more open and better. Difference was there. I haven't heard this difference before
Sony sold headphones & an amplifier which had 2 cable options. The upgrade was "balanced" with 2 wires per side. That noticeably improved sound quality but I would bet that was due to improved amplification vs the actual cable materials.
I own Monach mk3 too, does the cadmus really bring out the bass more than the stock cable?
It is the same with human ears. Depending on the weather and day my IEMs sound different and sometimes better.
Thanks for your introduction!
Thanks for watching!
This was a fair view. Frequency responses vary depending on fit. The harman IE target is itself a subject of much discussion. So i agree that measurements prove this or that. As for "our very own ears", it is also our very own money, haha
Taking a dump makes you 'feel' better....you carry that 'good feeling' into your next listening session...that's what differences in hearing are: How one 'feels' about what one hears; which is impossible to measure, other than measuring brain waves in response to differences we hear. We all 'feel' differently and 'hear' differently. Listening biases are just that: biases. Nice review BTW.
Nice video i enjoyed it a lot ..nice camera, lighting and awesome set ups .. BUT ..
the address of it is misleading i opened it to see if actually some one finally is measuring these cables .. but ended up with your subjective opinion so i dislike it for that
Hi there's thanks for sharing your feedback. I did try to measure them however what I was trying to show in the video was that trying to measure sonic differences in cables is quite difficult due to the many variables, which also makes it hard to make a conclusive and objective opinion as also shown from the different outcomes even from the same cable, hence the only other available outcome would be a subjective matter which I also understand may/may not be accepted because it's based on sharing my own personal experiences however thank you for watching the video 😊 still appreciate it
that blue & grey cables looks like my electrical cable at home mate
What a dark plot twist if they actually are...
You should put a 2 pin and a 4.4mm termination and you have yourself an EA Gaea cable ... sort of?
Four cores, 12 gauges, and it'll be perfect. I can bend the earhook section however I like. Sadly, the two-pin parts can be hard to find.
The only thing that can actually change the sound in a cable (considering they are all made of decent conductors) is the impedance.
People seem to be annoyed about electricity being too easy to sent with practically no losses over very short distances lol
you can try to compare it with some cheap cable like kz/xinhs/yinyoo.
the quality is more subtle.
Thanks, that is a very Good Video. Yes, I have over 15 Different really Good IEMs, IEM Earphones, and I would have to say Yes that IEM Cables do make a Difference in Sound Quality. Right now I have about 16+ Different purchased IEM Cables, from Different Manufactures including Kinera, Tripowin, QOA, KBear, Noble Audio, SYRNARN, XINHS, IvipQ, AFUL, and ThieAudio. I am always looking for the BEST sound that can come from an IEM. I am always testing/swapping different IEM Cables and I see that some IEM Cables do really sound Better than others on IEM Cables. Some IEM Cables go well with Certain IEMs, and it is a FACT. I have learned this from Akros video on RUclips. I have found that especially ThieAudio, Kinera, and Tripowin that ThieAudio, Kinera, and Tripowin make some of the Best Sounding IEM Cables from my testing. I have not tried Tried Effect Audio IEM Cables yet, but I sure Effect Audio sound good too.
You mean stock cables for IEMs? Did Akros ever give any comments on the ThieAudio Monarch Mk2's and V16 Divinity's stock cable (the brown modular one)?
As far as stock cables for IEMs, I do not keep any of stock cables in IEM Boxes, and I do not ever use any Stock Cables other than ThieAudio , Kinera, or QOA IEM Cables. In an IEM Box the only IEM cables I do keep are just ThieAudio , Kinera, or QOA IEM Cables. All of the other $50.00 to $100.00 IEM 4.4mm Cables, that I mentioned earlier I have bought separately. Akros has not mentioned anything on ThieAudio Monarch Mk2's or V16 Divinity stock Cables. But ThieAudio always includes Good IEM Cables on all of their ThieAudio IEMs.@@Viewer13128
Thanks for sharing your experience :)
"Its a fact". A fact based on baseless information. Audiophiles are addicted to taking L's.
Hello Dear Audio Friends !!!!!!!!
Do you have HAKUGEI cables ? Can you say something about them ? ❤
Hhhhhhhmmm so in saying this, should I try a balanced cable (4.4)? Those pouches are awesome.
6:57 Placebo is the right word, psychoacoustics is like for example, less sub bass contributes to more soundstage, even though it's not really wider soundstage it feels that way.
7:35 Yeah now take into account the fact that i can hear diferences without changing virtually anything on my setup(same iem, cable, tips, fit, source, track, volume) for no reason and realize why doing this is completely pointless.
Also another big factor to take into account is that different cables will affect the fit, due to the earhook/connector shape, so the nozzle might be deeper/shallower or pointing at a different angle inside the ear canal, which might create these differences.
If people spent that money on eartips than on cables it would be more sane.
You forgot about headphones. The cables don’t change the fit and blind tests are performed easily. IEM blind cable testing doesn’t make sense cause you have to take it out everytime which requires time
@@kajetan9550 Easy A/B test would be to have both plugged in and flip a switch, while making sure it's volume matched. Auditory memory is really bad, , and besides if there were obvious differences they would come up on measurements, which is very rare to see.
@@Alepap. do you also measure IEMs/headphones based on what amp/dac they’re plugged in? Or that also doesn’t change the sound?
only difference i noticed is with fiio cables , they are so shitty that they mess up your sound
Is the treble more accurate on the ares or Cadmus?
Thank you for the video and have subscribed! I have a question, currently my main IEM is the Monarch MK3 and which cable Ares S or Cadmus is best matched for my IEM?
Hi there, my testing of the cables was with the Monarch MkIII so from 7:15 onwards it should explain how it sounds like but it ultimately comes down to what you prefer;
Touch fuller bass and vocal notes >>> Cadmus
Leaner bass but a touch more clarity >>> Ares S
@@rnarexperience thank you for your response. What do you think of Monarch MK3 with Eros S sounds like? Because Im stuck between Cadmus and Eros S before deciding on my purchase.
Meanwhile the most jank thinnest piece of copper wire between the connector and the driver
точно есть разница между медью с серебром и чистой медью без серебра, все виды где уже есть серебро не так критичны.
Big ares fan here 🔥
I've recently became a Cadmus fan
This feels like a shill post for Effect cables. "measuring the differences is impossible so I'm not gonna try 😏😏😏. I'm just gonna tell you what I subjectively think"
Damn! I should've been more shilly and just said "don't bother about all these and just get the EA Centurion NOW" 🤣
from my experience, copper cable tend to sounds "warmer" than the SPC cables. But the things is the Copper quality also made the sound differences. for example My custom OCC 6n copper vs cheap copper cable like Hibiscus, the hibiscus sounds darker, has cramped soundstage, way less open sounding, it's so bad even the EW200 stock SPC cable sounds better, But the hibis cus kinda got that bass rumble goin tho.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
your ears are far less inferior than the mic you are measuring with. placebo and psychoacoustics are the stronger than your ears ability to actually hear
Yeah, just by changing nothing on your setup you can hear differences, what makes people confident in saying that the difference they heard(which i don't deny) is due to the cable being switched. Or also not a part of the actual fit changing with different earhook/connector designs(because i have experienced that)
Hello bro, May I know what DAC you are testing with?
Tested with a few sources
>>> Topping D90LE hooked up with a A90D
>>> Hifiman EF400
>>> Fiio KA13
A better cable only effects speed of the sound reaching the speaker. There was a study done about it.
You can’t measure speed with a graph. You’ll notice a slight SOMETHING happening when you attach a better cable.
Thank you for sharing, can you share that study?
Yes these things make a difference. But so minimal that only if you've spent relatively huge amounts of money on very high end gear do these miniscule differences matter. N.B. IMO!
yeah if these things change the positioning of the iem in your ear you will hear differences.
Yeah through my testing the differences are really small and as of now if I were to buy a cable it'll still be mostly about the look and feel but I do wonder it's pairing with IEMs now
Yo, are you based in Australia?
Yeap :) Are you as well?
@@rnarexperience Sure am :)
Also got my Falcon Ultra recently thanks to your reviews. Such a great IEM. EQ'S really well too which suits switching genres like I do.
I've got the bug now. Curious where I go with next IEM haha.
Sad that we have to test for this ourselves.
Yeah i guess that's how it goes with this hobby, it would be the same as IEMs or even source gear
Do you have a 4 door Buick? #ForzaAW.
It doesn't make a difference tho
why cant you prove it ?? thats so weird lol
It's not snake oil because I remember returning a PWA silver cable due to being too bright even before I knew about materials' audio properties and started reading audio reviews online (including that some call it snake oil!). The ones that call it snake oil have either only judged by reading reviews or simply aren't audiophiles to be able to hear a difference ;)
Thanks for sharing your experience, though I wouldn't go that far as I believe not everyone would be able to tell the difference and that's okay and being an audiophile doesn't mean one can tell the difference, being an audiophile is simply ones appreciation and enjoyment for the sound or music that's being played. Of course I feel people may disagree with this statement also 😅 so we should all just sit back and enjoy the music 🎶🎵
The OP is a kown troll. Please don't engage with him.
Yes the differences are great if u compared a $30 cable with a stock cable from a cheap iem. The $30 cable is thicker and with better copper will sound louder, cleaner, wider, more details,,,in fact better in every aspect. It's a big difference 😮. But I don't believe in purchasing very expensive cables. They are beyond my budget anyway.😅
gotta get that detailed votltage do you know a good electrical company that sells high res volts?
Thanks for sharing! I'll put that into consideration in a future video
@@Alepap. I hate to spend my $30 on a cable. But I am glad I did. I am even tempted to spend $100 on the Effect “Cadmus cable”. It’s a beautiful cable and well made, and allows u to swap between 2 pins or mmcx. Just one good cable for the next 10 years for all my iems. It’s a good deal. 😘😄👍
Lol 😂
Anyone who thinks cable changes sound they can sod off. The snake oil is unbearable.
Most audio nerds or audiophile peeps don't do one thing with their gear is to listen to music and enjoy it rather they try to search the next big thing and want it like a Pokémon. Cable this cablr that and other 1000 if dollars of useless stuff which they will barely use. It's a similar situation in the car hobby where multi millionaires buy cars and do 0-100 and their car at the end of the day is tarmac princess.
Sorry if its a rant, but this what I feel.
As much as I hate KZ I do agree with what they write on top of their box.
What is the problem to record a demo, like Dan’s audio review did? Dumb…
different cable types sound different so no need to discuss that. my interest is in whether the same cable type, brand-name vs cheap chi-fi brand, sound the same, which you can hopefully test in a followup video. Would actually help if we can find lots of aliexpress equivalents of brand-name cables.
these are mid-priced cables right? I would be relatively confident to use well-made aliexpress cables over these. Please, for our wallets, in a followup video, compare these to well-made aliexpress cables (because just comparing Eletech cables between each other doesn't really help tell me if I can skip these for cheaper cables.). And if able to go the extra mile, then in addition, compare the flagship cables.
i feel even chi-fi makers need to go many extra miles to (attempt) to replicate flagship cables (and those are rare and they charge a lot). Btw, by flagship level cables, I mean...
-PWAudio Le Jardin cable - Meet Agains with Shielding
-Eletech Ode To Laura
-PWAudio Orpheus with Shielding
-PWAudio First Times with Shielding
Would be great if we can match aliexpress alternatives to brand-named cables.
Thanks for sharing! I'll definitely put that into consideration for a future video if and when I have the opportunity to talk about more flagship cables.