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I was excited to be approached by world famous cable artisan company 'Effect Audio' and asked me to provide a review of their recently released
Ares II + Plus Edition IEM cable.
This cable is part of their excellent Premium Series range of cables.
http://www.effectaudio.com/upgrade-cables/iem-cables/iem-premium-series/plus-edition/ares-ii.html
The manufacturer cable features and specifications:
*Multi-Size Stranded Design within the same encapsulations enables the Ares to achieve distinct highs and details due to the signal transmission speed in thinner cable strands while the thicker size are usually employed for smooth bass and mids.
**Past experience has taught us that even though sound quality is a critical factor in determining an upgrade cable's worth, the tensile strength and flexibility matters to us too! We are committed not to have anything less than perfect for our consumers. The reworked insulation features high tensile strength and flexibility and while adding as little weight as possible.
Pricing:
USD$219.90 for most connectors
Add $20 for FitEar connectors
Add $50 for JH Audio connectors
Wow!
The Ares II+ is priced extremely modestly (USD219) and one of the best looking and best value cables out there performing way above the pricing level.
I seriously thought it could be a miss price!
What am I getting:
Looking at the rather basic understated white cardboard box with a small 'effect audio logo' on top, a sense of being under whelmed sinks in.
That is until you unveil the hidden treasures inside.
Like a modern day Howard Carter pulling away the last stone of a tedious excavation and peering inside.
When Carnarvon asked "Can you see anything?"
Carter replied with the famous words "Yes, wonderful things!"
Yes this is a wonderful treasure, coiled and infused with magical potential, lying there calling to be caressed and have her voice heard.
Worshiped by the 'tribe of audiophiles' with their precious rigs of hybridised audio tools, soon they will build micro-monuments for her.
The mesmerising flowing undulating strands of organic copper interlink around each other, fighting for dominance of the sun goddess' rays to ignite and sparkle, each demanding more attention than the last.
For the brave tribesmen who are pulled in by the desire to drink and drown in the copper, to be one with the gods and dare to touch the 'manna from heaven' they are rewarded with a soft seductive pleasure of promises and instantly elevated in the tribe for their boldness.
The gods craftsmen have skills that are truly a thing to be admired, as the copper is joined with gold and black carbon fibre of beautiful balanced precision.
Connecting to other rare treasures:
The Ares II+ with Rhapsodio RTi2 and AK380CU (FW1.25 - creamy!), both visually and more importantly audibly seem to have a preordained synergy, all created independently but destined for each other.
So what powers does she posses....
I thought rather than generally discussing its technicals characteristics I would provide a summary of how it handles some tracks I am very familiar with, after all we love audio because of the music not the technicals! (I will leave that for the 'binary tribes', usually seen hunting in pairs)
Boards of Canada - Reach For The Dead
Starting with slow tight punching bass with what seems like slow static background air being released, the majestic chords rise up and build with a beautiful 80s esque electronic arpeggio. The pace increases as the epic chord sweeps merge effortlessly in and out of the percussion culminating in wave that rises and phases into an outro leaving you desiring the next chapter.
As the Ares II+ is ideal for mids and bass, it holds the depth of this track and keeps it expansive wideness as the chords sweep. The change of pace and different track direction is expertly handled with no over colouring or dominated ranges, and the right amount of kick and thickness.
Olafur Arnalds - Only The Winds
A single piano key struck expertly for the first 24 seconds with slight airy ambient background and light building chords set the tone of this track, your attention is captured at the beauty and simplicity. A more complex but yet simple piano style is built with the pace and as the bass and rising violins make themselves know around 1.07min mark. The beautiful slow decay clap percussion joins in with the sad yet uplifting violins. By 3.00min just the percussion is gone and you are dropped and lost temporarily waiting to be resurrected by the familiar sweeping chords and crashing echoes of percussion. At 4.23min the sadness dominates and 'Only the Winds' are left for your existence.
The Ares II+ sustains the keys long enough and with perfect depth, the layering and undulating dominance of the instruments are handled expertly, the soul of this track is kept entact and the hope is still there to the end along with the wind.
Bvdub - Another Morning, Another Day
This starts with a spacious and intimate, slow pulsing airy intro. It has a perfect depth as it builds to the vocals and piano. The ethereal female vocals are so intimate and close that you cant help but feel connected. As around 5.47min the fast attack bass and percussion slow decays with extended sustains to tease every millisecond of pleasure to your soul. Precise soft sub bass is pulsed out at around 11mins to get your head grooving.
The Ares II+ perfectly navigates everything in this ocean of audio art, surfing and steering to epic effect riding the crescendos of musicality beyond expectation.
In fact the whole album - 'A step in the dark' is a perfect match for this cable.
Ended up putting this track on repeat - 'wont you pick me up again' - yes time and time again.
Conclusion:
I honestly can't fault The Ares II+ especially when paired with the Rhapsodio RTi2 for musicality as is pours on lashes of nice and thick syrupy musical goodness. A thing of beauty with little to no microphonics, expertly built and very reasonably priced. Pulling new depth and dimensions from your favourite tracks and keeping musicality at the front of the stage. Warm, comforting and almost a sin to feel this sense of enjoyment. As your friends looks at you head nodding and smiling, they will have no idea what they are missing and you will feel a guilty pleasure with your newfound treasure.
I for one bow to the creator!
Also posted in Review section here
http://www.head-fi.org/products/effect-audio-ares-ii-plus-edition-iem-cable/reviews/16523
Note: In the interest of full disclosure these were sent to me from Effect Audio for review.
Thanks to Effect Audio for letting my try this excellent Cable.
After such a positive experience I am keen to try and review some of their higher end models/new products in the future
Ares II + Plus Edition IEM cable.
This cable is part of their excellent Premium Series range of cables.
http://www.effectaudio.com/upgrade-cables/iem-cables/iem-premium-series/plus-edition/ares-ii.html
The manufacturer cable features and specifications:
- 22 AWG
- UPOCC Litz Copper
- Proprietary Multi Size Stranded design within single encapsulation*
- Flexible insulation (Same as Leonidas)**
- New EA CF connectors and Y-Split
*Multi-Size Stranded Design within the same encapsulations enables the Ares to achieve distinct highs and details due to the signal transmission speed in thinner cable strands while the thicker size are usually employed for smooth bass and mids.
**Past experience has taught us that even though sound quality is a critical factor in determining an upgrade cable's worth, the tensile strength and flexibility matters to us too! We are committed not to have anything less than perfect for our consumers. The reworked insulation features high tensile strength and flexibility and while adding as little weight as possible.
Pricing:
USD$219.90 for most connectors
Add $20 for FitEar connectors
Add $50 for JH Audio connectors
Wow!
The Ares II+ is priced extremely modestly (USD219) and one of the best looking and best value cables out there performing way above the pricing level.
I seriously thought it could be a miss price!
What am I getting:
Looking at the rather basic understated white cardboard box with a small 'effect audio logo' on top, a sense of being under whelmed sinks in.
That is until you unveil the hidden treasures inside.
Like a modern day Howard Carter pulling away the last stone of a tedious excavation and peering inside.
When Carnarvon asked "Can you see anything?"
Carter replied with the famous words "Yes, wonderful things!"
Yes this is a wonderful treasure, coiled and infused with magical potential, lying there calling to be caressed and have her voice heard.
Worshiped by the 'tribe of audiophiles' with their precious rigs of hybridised audio tools, soon they will build micro-monuments for her.
The mesmerising flowing undulating strands of organic copper interlink around each other, fighting for dominance of the sun goddess' rays to ignite and sparkle, each demanding more attention than the last.
For the brave tribesmen who are pulled in by the desire to drink and drown in the copper, to be one with the gods and dare to touch the 'manna from heaven' they are rewarded with a soft seductive pleasure of promises and instantly elevated in the tribe for their boldness.
The gods craftsmen have skills that are truly a thing to be admired, as the copper is joined with gold and black carbon fibre of beautiful balanced precision.
Connecting to other rare treasures:
The Ares II+ with Rhapsodio RTi2 and AK380CU (FW1.25 - creamy!), both visually and more importantly audibly seem to have a preordained synergy, all created independently but destined for each other.
So what powers does she posses....
I thought rather than generally discussing its technicals characteristics I would provide a summary of how it handles some tracks I am very familiar with, after all we love audio because of the music not the technicals! (I will leave that for the 'binary tribes', usually seen hunting in pairs)
Boards of Canada - Reach For The Dead
Starting with slow tight punching bass with what seems like slow static background air being released, the majestic chords rise up and build with a beautiful 80s esque electronic arpeggio. The pace increases as the epic chord sweeps merge effortlessly in and out of the percussion culminating in wave that rises and phases into an outro leaving you desiring the next chapter.
As the Ares II+ is ideal for mids and bass, it holds the depth of this track and keeps it expansive wideness as the chords sweep. The change of pace and different track direction is expertly handled with no over colouring or dominated ranges, and the right amount of kick and thickness.
Olafur Arnalds - Only The Winds
A single piano key struck expertly for the first 24 seconds with slight airy ambient background and light building chords set the tone of this track, your attention is captured at the beauty and simplicity. A more complex but yet simple piano style is built with the pace and as the bass and rising violins make themselves know around 1.07min mark. The beautiful slow decay clap percussion joins in with the sad yet uplifting violins. By 3.00min just the percussion is gone and you are dropped and lost temporarily waiting to be resurrected by the familiar sweeping chords and crashing echoes of percussion. At 4.23min the sadness dominates and 'Only the Winds' are left for your existence.
The Ares II+ sustains the keys long enough and with perfect depth, the layering and undulating dominance of the instruments are handled expertly, the soul of this track is kept entact and the hope is still there to the end along with the wind.
Bvdub - Another Morning, Another Day
This starts with a spacious and intimate, slow pulsing airy intro. It has a perfect depth as it builds to the vocals and piano. The ethereal female vocals are so intimate and close that you cant help but feel connected. As around 5.47min the fast attack bass and percussion slow decays with extended sustains to tease every millisecond of pleasure to your soul. Precise soft sub bass is pulsed out at around 11mins to get your head grooving.
The Ares II+ perfectly navigates everything in this ocean of audio art, surfing and steering to epic effect riding the crescendos of musicality beyond expectation.
In fact the whole album - 'A step in the dark' is a perfect match for this cable.
Ended up putting this track on repeat - 'wont you pick me up again' - yes time and time again.
Conclusion:
I honestly can't fault The Ares II+ especially when paired with the Rhapsodio RTi2 for musicality as is pours on lashes of nice and thick syrupy musical goodness. A thing of beauty with little to no microphonics, expertly built and very reasonably priced. Pulling new depth and dimensions from your favourite tracks and keeping musicality at the front of the stage. Warm, comforting and almost a sin to feel this sense of enjoyment. As your friends looks at you head nodding and smiling, they will have no idea what they are missing and you will feel a guilty pleasure with your newfound treasure.
I for one bow to the creator!
Also posted in Review section here
http://www.head-fi.org/products/effect-audio-ares-ii-plus-edition-iem-cable/reviews/16523
Note: In the interest of full disclosure these were sent to me from Effect Audio for review.
Thanks to Effect Audio for letting my try this excellent Cable.
After such a positive experience I am keen to try and review some of their higher end models/new products in the future
