RnB180 recently sent me over a cable to check out when I was inbetween cables, and in return I promised to put it through its paces with no mercy and report my findings here. Folks might know that my reviews aren't always the most technical (nor do I always care about the guts, being satisfied knowing that this cable is a "hybrid copper based variant. as there is more then just plain copper in the conductors.") and my subjective prose might spill over to FOTM status at times, so take this review with a grain of salt.
The pretty picture of the RnB Audio Diamond Class Reference Right Angle Mini to Mini Interconnect:
And my Real-World application of the poor thing on the go:
And this is the way I tested it too - with a 5G 30gig iPod, to the TURBODock I, to the cable, to the Headamp AE-1, to the Ety P-to-S 75 Ohm adapter, to the KSC-35. Tunes ranged from the 128AAC iTunes to 256AACVBR (my preferred tunes on the go) and a few lossless tunes to boot (didn't hear any diff).
Regardless of whether you believe in burn-in or not, I decided to pump some tunes non-stop through this rig for several days before reviewing. This was also a good exercise so I could get a clear perspective, away from my normal portable cabling (usually 100% copper wiring like my MisterX Starquad or my Headphile BlackCoral that came broken in during this test).
PHYSICAL ASPECTS - the right angle plugs are just up my alley. This is what I use for my own portable cables as well, since they can spin around in the bag to help alleviate any crunches while walking, and the plug is nice and secure and hasn't popped out even once, either from the AE-1 side or the TURBODock I side. Good stuff. The sleeving is totally non-microphonic, even while swishing around my camera bag. I do admit to fearing that in the long run I might kink the cable to the extent that it will start shorting out on me like my old Sik Din did, but that's just comes with the portable territory - I don't think any warranties cover day to day abuse, but you could PM him and doublecheck, especially since this cable is a bit pricey and only getting a year's use out of it might be sour on the wallet (again, if you abuse your cables on the go).
SONIC ASPECTS - as mentioned in a different thread, I had the thinking at one point to compare cables to headphones, and so here goes - the RnB Audio Diamond is the Sennheiser of cables. Don't get me wrong, folks know I'm a Grado guy, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what Sennheiser does right. This cable evidences excellent separation and detail, and very realistic high hats and cello, so across the spectrum it has an accurate presentation that is the envy of the portable cable world. When pushed outside to drive past loud ambient noises in the subway, it never loses its composure - it resists sibilance admirably, and immediately continues its silky ways when things quiet down. Its ability to bring the vocals to the fore without giving the impression of having a forward nature is very impressive, since the depth of the music is always represented by the proper background intrumentation having a say behind the singer. The width of the soundstage with the KSC-35 isn't far-reaching, but far enough to give a comfortable sense of space.
Cons? I was listening to that nice high hat, and swapped to my copper cables, and noticed something - the reason why I could hear that high hat so cleanly is because the BANG of the snare drum wasn't there. Oh, when I listened for it, I could hear it, but it wasn't a BANG (like a Grado-type cable). The same thing went for the bass- it is a very tight and deep and controlled bass, but not the BOOM (like a Beyer-type cable). Also, there was a certain lack of warmth, but again, the tradeoff is that there was also a lack of smear (which is a good thing). Don't get me wrong, there definitely was bass (unlike an AKG-type cable, hehe) but it wasn't raw agressive in your face bass, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your preference.
So it's a matter of application. Do you want the AC/DC wailing away for 15 minutes while you walk your dog? The diamond can handle it, but you won't be using its full potential, and there are other cables that can serve better in that capacity (like my personal preference, the pure copper cables). On the other hand, some folks might tire of the forward warm bassy nature of a pure copper cable which works great when walking on the sidewalks of NYC, but not necessarily while reading mags in a bookstore.
Do you use your portable rig mostly in the library with IEMs and study for hours with the tunes skipping along? The RnB Diamond may be for you. This copper hybrid is not fatiguing at all, and yet has no smear in its smoothness. The detail is striking, but doesn't have the aggressive impact to distract you from your Biochemistry homework. Best news? It has no "Sennheiser Veil"
Great job on the cable, RnB180!
The pretty picture of the RnB Audio Diamond Class Reference Right Angle Mini to Mini Interconnect:
And my Real-World application of the poor thing on the go:
And this is the way I tested it too - with a 5G 30gig iPod, to the TURBODock I, to the cable, to the Headamp AE-1, to the Ety P-to-S 75 Ohm adapter, to the KSC-35. Tunes ranged from the 128AAC iTunes to 256AACVBR (my preferred tunes on the go) and a few lossless tunes to boot (didn't hear any diff).
Regardless of whether you believe in burn-in or not, I decided to pump some tunes non-stop through this rig for several days before reviewing. This was also a good exercise so I could get a clear perspective, away from my normal portable cabling (usually 100% copper wiring like my MisterX Starquad or my Headphile BlackCoral that came broken in during this test).
PHYSICAL ASPECTS - the right angle plugs are just up my alley. This is what I use for my own portable cables as well, since they can spin around in the bag to help alleviate any crunches while walking, and the plug is nice and secure and hasn't popped out even once, either from the AE-1 side or the TURBODock I side. Good stuff. The sleeving is totally non-microphonic, even while swishing around my camera bag. I do admit to fearing that in the long run I might kink the cable to the extent that it will start shorting out on me like my old Sik Din did, but that's just comes with the portable territory - I don't think any warranties cover day to day abuse, but you could PM him and doublecheck, especially since this cable is a bit pricey and only getting a year's use out of it might be sour on the wallet (again, if you abuse your cables on the go).
SONIC ASPECTS - as mentioned in a different thread, I had the thinking at one point to compare cables to headphones, and so here goes - the RnB Audio Diamond is the Sennheiser of cables. Don't get me wrong, folks know I'm a Grado guy, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what Sennheiser does right. This cable evidences excellent separation and detail, and very realistic high hats and cello, so across the spectrum it has an accurate presentation that is the envy of the portable cable world. When pushed outside to drive past loud ambient noises in the subway, it never loses its composure - it resists sibilance admirably, and immediately continues its silky ways when things quiet down. Its ability to bring the vocals to the fore without giving the impression of having a forward nature is very impressive, since the depth of the music is always represented by the proper background intrumentation having a say behind the singer. The width of the soundstage with the KSC-35 isn't far-reaching, but far enough to give a comfortable sense of space.
Cons? I was listening to that nice high hat, and swapped to my copper cables, and noticed something - the reason why I could hear that high hat so cleanly is because the BANG of the snare drum wasn't there. Oh, when I listened for it, I could hear it, but it wasn't a BANG (like a Grado-type cable). The same thing went for the bass- it is a very tight and deep and controlled bass, but not the BOOM (like a Beyer-type cable). Also, there was a certain lack of warmth, but again, the tradeoff is that there was also a lack of smear (which is a good thing). Don't get me wrong, there definitely was bass (unlike an AKG-type cable, hehe) but it wasn't raw agressive in your face bass, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your preference.
So it's a matter of application. Do you want the AC/DC wailing away for 15 minutes while you walk your dog? The diamond can handle it, but you won't be using its full potential, and there are other cables that can serve better in that capacity (like my personal preference, the pure copper cables). On the other hand, some folks might tire of the forward warm bassy nature of a pure copper cable which works great when walking on the sidewalks of NYC, but not necessarily while reading mags in a bookstore.
Do you use your portable rig mostly in the library with IEMs and study for hours with the tunes skipping along? The RnB Diamond may be for you. This copper hybrid is not fatiguing at all, and yet has no smear in its smoothness. The detail is striking, but doesn't have the aggressive impact to distract you from your Biochemistry homework. Best news? It has no "Sennheiser Veil"
Great job on the cable, RnB180!
.Generally speaking it was designed not to color but to reveal.
I'm really glad I tried them!
