Check out the thread & review on Head-Fi here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/602237/review-thor-iem-cable-by-beat-audio
 
Intro
Stephen over at Custom-IEM.com has been kind enough to let me audition the "Thor" cable by Beat Audio. This is Thor's review of the Thor cable. (Yes, we do indeed have matching names).
 
With regards to the whole "does cables affect the sound of an IEM" I would like to clarify my opinion. I'm one of the people who believes cables are not just for looks and ergonomics but may and will alter the sound of the IEM used. I'm not talking a complete change of the signature but small differences that may or may not be noticeable to everyone and may or may not be to the users liking. I also do find that while some cables don't affect say the JH16 much others have a much more drastic effect on the sound.
 
Equipment used for the review:
MacBook Pro -> Yulong D100 -> FLAC (100% and some 24/96) converted to ALAC -> JH16
iPhone 4 -> TWag V2 LOD -> Arrow 4G -> FLAC (100% and some 24/96) converted to ALAC -> JH16
 
Note: While I eventually plan on adding my thoughts on the cable combined with my Heir Audio 8.A and TF10 reshell I won't be doing so yet, as I do not feel I have spent enough time with the CIEMs in question to be able to share an informed opinion. I do hope I get to have the cable around long enough to do so.
 
Product Description
The "Thor" cable is manufactured by Beat Audio. It's one of their current "Elite" models meaning that it is among the top of their product line. It retails for $399 and can be configured with a variety of sockets such as JH/UM, TF10, IE8, SE535, EX1000 and others. Should you need a socket not listed on the website, there's always the ability to contact Stephen to clarify whether using a specific socket would be possible. The default length of the cable is 1.2 meters which is the equivalent of a bit more than 47 inches and custom lengths appear to be available upon request. Finally, the cable uses a mini ViaBlue 3.5mm connector by default.
 
Here is the direct link to the product on Custom-IEM.com
 
While on the subject of Custom-IEM.com I'd like to say that Stephen is an excellent guy and has been answering my mails promptly at all times of the day even on weekends. I have not done business with Stephen before, but I gather from several UM threads that most people are more than happy to place their business with him again. I hate to sound like a commercial, but I just thought I'd give my credits to Stephen.
 
Design
Not much information regarding cable materials were to be found on the website and when I asked Stephen about this I got the following response: "Beat Audio do not believe in the material of the cable to reflect the sound. But obviously the material is high quality and high purity. Material information is often misleading, and customers should not make judgement on sound based on material, but the sound they hear instead."
 
While I do believe Stephen is making a valid point regarding the fact that many potential customers would disregard a silver cable if they associate copper cables with automatically being more to their liking, it could also result in people not wanting to take a dive into a $399 cable without knowing anything about it. I've never encountered any place where I could actually audition aftermarket cables which is something most potential buyers would prefer to be able to do before they commit to a product. While cable materials won't tell you exactly what the specific cable will be like, many consider knowing whether a cable is made from say silver or copper to give them a hint as to what it will be like.
Project86 covered this matter as well in his review on the "Cronus" and "Supreme Rose" cables, which can be found here.
 
Getting back to the cable in question I'll refer to the photos that can be found below. However, what I would like to mention is the fact that rather than using memory wire to keep the cable in place the cable jacket is "bend" in place. This allows for a much more comfortable experience as I was never too fond of memory wire but at the same time have never been able to stand cables that do not stay in place around my ears. Also worth mentioning is the look of the y-splitter and the part of the cable just above the pins, which are all done in a seductive copper/orangey piece of metal.
 
While I hate to admit it, the looks of cables matter to me. Given the fact that I am able to customize my custom in-ears with most companies makes them unique and allows for them to look just how I want them to. When you've finally gotten an IEM that you find to be looking just perfect having a boring old Westone-style cable can be a bit annoying. In this regard I do find the "Thor" cable very beautiful and extravagant with all the attention paid to the details.
 
Build Quality
While I haven't had this cable for long, I do get the impression that the build quality is top notch and that this will last a lifetime if treated well. The jacket around the cable seems very durable and is made of some kind of rubber with a bit of a gooey and durable feel to it. The cable is quite flexible and not nearly as stiff as I feared initially.
 
Compared to a stock Westone-style cable this does not tangle quite as easily and again, the idea of the pre-shaped cable that stays in place rather than the traditional memory wire is just genious - a very elegant solution indeed.
 
The Sound
As I've stated above these are merely my thoughts on the cable when used with the JH16s.
 
The day I received the cable was unfortuneately a busy day for me. I had to go pick up some books at a fellow students house, I had to do some shopping and finally I had to go down to have my ear mold impressions taken only to return later and do some serious marathon reading. I hated the idea of not getting to listen to the cable straight away, so I decided to quickly just hook it up to my JH16's, into my iPhone and leave the house to run all the annoying errands that keeps one from getting to sit back, relax and enjoy the music.
 
I had barely finished walking down the stairs when I found myself impressed with what I found to be a bit of an added warmth to the sound. The JH16s have always been quite bright to me so this really suited them well. Obviously, I didn't think too much of it considering I was running the whole thing out of an iPhone and not really paying all that much attention to details so I figured it was probably just placebo.
 
When I finally had some time to listen, I decided to do a little A/B'ing with a stock Westone cable. To my surprise the added warmth a bit more body to the sub-bass as well as slightly more forward mids were still evident. I was also noticing a more 3-dimensional sound, which is where the JH16's really lack in my opinion. Not willing to rush to any conclusions, I had my girlfriend help me blind test the cable a few times and sure enough, I was able to pinpoint whether I was using the Westone or the Beat Audio Thor.
 
A/B'ing to some of my favorite songs, I found the added 3-dimensionality of the Beat Audio Thor to really show itself with acoustic tracks as well as on a few songs by The Raveonettes I felt like listening to again, and their excessive use of reverb suddenly sounded a whole lot better.
 
While these aren't huge differences, they're still prominent enough to make me reach for the Beat Audio Thor way more often that I reach for any of my other cables at the moment.
 
Conclusion
Obviously, $399 is quite a lot of money - especially for a cable. While I found there was certainly a gain on several levels using the Beat Audio Thor, it isn't the first upgrade I would recommend. But once you feel you have the source, amp and CIEMs you want to be with, then this beautiful cable will certainly help you make the most of it. Don't get me wrong, I definitely find it to be an upgrade, but the fact that cables will bring small improvements makes it less of a priority than say a nice source. But once you have that, do go ahead and see if you're able to have a listen with this cable and I'm sure you'll end up loving it just as much as I do. The added 3-dimensionality and warmth makes the JH16s sound much more coherent in my opinion so for me this cable is definitely a keeper and very easy to enjoy. Heck, I'd buy it for the looks and great ergonomics alone!
 
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Check out the thread & review here as well: http://www.head-fi.org/t/604971/the-starkey-hf-2-thread-affordable-custom-iem-for-your-phone
 
Intro
 
Not long ago Starkey launched their canal-sized custom in-ear monitor HF-2. I've been lucky enough to get to review it and share my thoughts with the rest of the Head-Fi community.
 
The Starkey HF-2 utilizes a 2-way TWFK driver (single-case dual balanced armature) and a passive 1st order crossover at 2,7kHz.
This is the same driver used in a variety of IEMs such as the UE 700, Jays q-Jays and it's part of the driver setup in several high-end custom in-ear monitors.
112dB/mW sensitivity and 30 ohm impedance.
It comes with a non-detachable cable in either black or white with handsfree functionality such as microphone and an answer button.
 
There's a variety of different faceplate colours available. However, the shell is only available in clear. Obviously not much customization can be done at this price point but it is possible to have something engraved. I went with my name (I know, not very creative)
 
The introductory price of the HF-2 is:
NOK 1490,- excl. tax, incl. std shipping to Scandinavia & Germany (1-2 weeks delivery)
NOK 1590,- excl. tax, incl. std shipping worldwide (1-4 weeks delivery)
NOK 1690,- excl. tax, incl.  2-day UPS shipping (worldwide)
 
The taxes vary depending on where you live and I imagine Americans won't have to pay much if anything.
(The 1590 NOK for non Scandinavians & Germans is roughly $275 the time of writing this) and a cable change would cost 300 NOK (roughly $52). This is where it gets really exciting - where else would one find an entry-level dual CIEM for a mere $275? Not to mention the fact that this product provides the phone controls that many of us crave when we're out and about.
 
I for one am very curious about this product and how well it performs. If there's finally an affordable CIEM providing the isolation that many of us enjoy without setting one back a fortune, that would definitely make for a great CIEM for first timers. Sure, people often want something that scales well with amps and what not, but despite having owned numerous portable amps, I often found myself going without one. Let's face it, how many of us do any serious and critical detailoriented listening when we are out for groceries or walking to work?
 
More information about the product can be found here and here. The last link refers to Starkeys page in Norwegian.
 
Here are some photos of my set that Alf over at Starkey sent me:

 
Packaging and Accessories
The HF-2 arrived in a simple cardboard box filled with those little pieces of polystyrene - in other words, safely packaged.
Besides the HF-2 there was a small carrying ziplock pouch, cleaning tools (a double-sided wax removal-thingie and a wax removal brush), a manual that I seem to have dislocated in all of my mess (exams are coming up so papers are everywhere), 2 sealed alcohol swaps for cleaning and finally a little gray box full of plastic sticks which can apparently be used to help clean around the bore of the HF-2. Quite a decent bunch of accessories for a CIEM at this pricepoint.
 


 
The IEM (build quality etc, isolation.)
The HF-2 is canal sized which means it's a lot smaller than your average custom in-ear monitor and will only cover your ear canal. At first I was a little worried about this as I figured it would be tricky to insert and pull out without just pulling the cable, but I've found it's not an issue and the proces is quite easy once you get used to it.
 
The build quality of my set is great and I haven't seen any bubbles which is usually the case with clear IEMs. Heck, even my $1099 Heir Audio 8.A has a lot of bubbles, so I'm quite impressed with the build quality here. Also worth mentioning is that the HF-2 feels quite sturdy overall, and the cable seems well "connected" to the IEM itself and I don't find myself worrying about having it break or tear apart. I even tend to pull the heatshrink part of the cable attachment when I'm pulling out my HF-2s and I haven't encountered any issues so far.
 
The isolation is much greater than I had expected considering the small size. It's on par with the isolation of my JH16, Heir Audio 8.A and ER-4 (most ety users will know how great Etymotics product isolate)
 
Below are two photos of the HF-2 next to my Heir Audio 8.A's to give you an idea of the size of this product.


 
The Cable
The cable reminds me a lot of the ones that come with the standard iBuds. I don't have a set around to compare, so I can't tell what the exact differences are. It's quite sturdy and doesn't tange as much as it looks like it would though and at this pricepoint my only complaint would have to be that I would have prefered an angled plug but obviously that is a matter of preference. I chose the white cable as I find they're always black with every other product and I think it looks quite sleek and stylish.
 


 
The Microphone
I'm gonna be honest - I don't know anything about microphones, the technology behind them or whether they're any good or not. I figured this wasn't gonna stop me from commenting on the subject, so I called up a few buddies and asked them if they could hear me clearly. None of them mentioned any problems regarding lack of clarity, background noise or anything like that. I even called up a friend while walking around university campus doing lunch time (hungry students can get pretty loud) and my friend told me he could hear me just fine.
 
The button that holds the microphone also serves as a "pick up the phone/hang up the phone" button during calls. While listening to music it acts as a play/pause button.
 
The Sound
Gear used for this review
MacBook Pro -> Yulong D100 -> FLAC (100% and some 24/96) converted to ALAC -> Starkey HF-2
iPhone 4 -> FLAC (100% and some 24/96) converted to ALAC -> Starkey HF-2
 
I didn't have very high expectations for this set of CIEMs due to the relatively "simple" dual-driver (TWFK) setup and low price. When I first plugged these beauties in, I was very amazed with the rich sound that the HF-2 produces. I do most of my regular listening with either my JH16 or Heir 8.A, so I didn't expect to enjoy these much but that certainly hasn't been the case. Obviously I'm not saying that the HF-2 are on par with either of the beforementioned high-end CIEMs, but they do perform really well. Put in other words, the JH16 isn't 4 times as good as the HF-2 despite costing 4 times as much.
 
Bass: The bass is very warm and is certainly able to provide a nice, deep rumble considering the driver. There's a lot of detail to the bass. I listen to drum'n'bass quite a lot and can get very picky about headphones for this genre, but the HF-2 certainly did it justice providing a fast-paced and detailed impact that's prominent enough to keep a basshead like me entertained.
 
The HF-2's obviously cannot keep up with the bass of the JH16, but compared to IEMs using the same driver, the bass is more present and authoritative on the HF-2 than it is on say the UE 700, which I was never really able to enjoy my electronica with.
 
I found that while my Yulong D100 didn't add alot to the bass, a FiiO E11 that I borrowed from a buddy of mine was able to add to that pleasant rumble.
 
Mids: I found the midrange to neither impress nor dissapoint. It just didn't really stand out as anything special while at the same time certainly not underperforming - especially considering the price. It's somewhat analytical yet still detailed and liquid. The midrange alltogether sounds much less recessed than on the TF10s while stile remaining quite neutral and overall very coherent with the bass and highs.
 
Highs: I would describe the highs as being quite analytical in their presentation without ever getting offensive/annoying and fatiguing. I didn't experience any issues with sibilance, which my JH16 tends to have. The highs are quite forward sounding while still blending in great with the mids. Overall detail and clarity is great with an added emphasis on vocals.
 
Overall I consider the HF-2 to be a great blend of both analytical and warm sound as to not be overly bright. The sound comes across as very balanced and coherent with slight emphasis on the bass and highs (though without recessed mids such as many experience with the TF10). Vocals and bass is what really stands out and is presented with energy and speed, making both electronica and rock music very enjoyable.
 
Soundstage is average and can feel quite intimate at times while still retaining a great amount of detail. The HF-2 seems quite forgiving when it comes to lossy tracks which is definitely a plus considering it's meant to be used with cellphones.
 
The bass is very enjoyable as are the vocals, and electronica such as the modern D'n'B classic Drumsound & Bassline Smith - Close sound great even played from a mere iPhone. Heck, I could even get a good headshake with some contemporary dubstep out of these babies.
 
Conclusion
I have a very hard time really faulting the HF-2 for doing anything wrong - especially at this pricepoint. The sound is very balanced and will suit most listeners as it's neither too warm or dark nor cold or overly bright. I was surprised at how often I picked up the HF-2 considering I have several much more expensive CIEMs lying around and the mobile functionality is just brilliant for people like me who tend to be on the phone a lot while out and about.
 
Whether the HF-2 is good value is up to the potential buyer. If you're not into customs you could probably find an equally or even better universal product out there (which in addition would be much easier to resell if that should ever become relevant), but if you're looking for either mobile functionality and/or your first entry-level custom IEM, there's really no way around considering the Starkey HF-2. The price might seem a bit high considering the driver-setup, but the sound should certainly not be underestimated and judged merely by the stats on the paper - and the isolation is incredibly good considering this is a canal sized CIEM, which is a great benefit to portable IEMs like these which were meant to be used on the go.