Review on the FiiO RC-MH1 PCOCC-A Upgrade Headphone Cable
Greetings, I am here to present to you guys with a review on the FiiO PCOCC-A 3.5mm to 3.5mm headphone cable that FiiO had sent out to a selected few to review - free of charge. (Thanks heaps to FiiO for doing thisI had initially planned to have this review out sooner than this date, but things had popped up, and I hadn't really found the time to do so, until now, so apologies for that!
Introduction
It was very nice of FiiO to do this review giveaway, because it just happened to occur that I was in the hunt for a new upgrade cable for my V-Moda M100's, seeing that cables made for these headphones are rather hard to find. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look any longer.Anyways, there's actually not much for me to talk about here under this little intro, so I'll just carry on with the mini pictorial unboxing below..
Unboxing
So, this was what I had woken up to after a few days of being notified that FiiO had shipped my cablesThe Parcel ^
The two cables found inside ^
Oyaide labelling ^
Un-packaged! ^
Simple packaging, and very elegant. Not much to it, and not much was really necessary for the cables after all.
Review time!
Review
(DISCLAIMER: My FiiO RC-MH1 cables have been burnt-in for around 15-20 hours.)Specifications
I couldn't find a specification sheet, so this image will do for the time being.(Source: http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000047199928&MenuID=105026014)
Build Quality & Design/Function Factor
Build Quality
In one simple sentence, I can say this cable, the RC-MH1, is very well built. Although being a bit solid, you'd expect it not to be all that flexible, but in fact, it's somewhat flexible to some extent. Being a dual-stranded cable that are bonded together in between, pretty much makes it a flat cable, and that is what would prevent this cable from being at it's optimal flexibility point.
Aside from flexibility, this cable is also very well constructed, and hence shows durability. I may have not put it under any stress tests, nor have I used it under any hardcore conditions, I can say it will probably last through any forms of crazy activity. I guess in a way, you could say the cable is sturdy as the M100's itself, but maybe not to a military-grade standard.
Overall, the build is made to high quality levels, and it certainly would not disappoint for the price that would be paid.
Design/Function Factor
The metal jack^
Well...this cable sure functions as should, and its design is very nice. Even its design shows durability. It just looks relatively thick and the metal jack on one end of the cable looks of top quality.
The design flaws I'd state that I don't like so much about this cable is the fact that it's a dual-stranded cable, and the fact that it has a super long (3.3cm) 3.5mm jack that protrudes out of my M100's, which limits my movement when turning my head, due to it clashing with my shoulder. With the cables being dual-stranded, this gives it the flat-effect, which restricts the cable from being more bendable and may appear as though a lot of stress is applied to some areas when bending as opposed to if it were just a single-stranded cable.
The Cable^
Besides that opinionated flaw, the feel of the cable is very nice, as the rubberized effect makes the cable feel of better quality than cheap, plastic coated cables. At least with that feel, it allows the cable to bend better.
I don't feel there's much else to say about the design factors here, so I shall commence onto Sound Quality!
Sound Quality
How does this cable sound? Well..I asked myself that question, and to be honest, I couldn't notice much besides the fact that @miceblue had already stated in his review - the FiiO RC-MH1 cable sounds louder than the stock V-Moda cable.
Along with that, I had also noticed a slight increase in bass where it hits a touch harder (due to the copper) and it giving the overall sound a warmer presentation. I, myself, am not really a fan of warm sound, so this cable wasn't really made for my taste, as I am one who prefers the brighter side of things. In saying so, this should not stop anyone who doesn't like warm sound to stay away from this cable, because the audible differences are so minute, one might not even take notice. Aside from that, I honestly could not spot anything else that could be majorly noticeable, or worth listening for.
Comparison to the V-Moda M100 Stock Cables
V-Moda (Grey) 1-Button SpeakEasy Cable (Total: 132cm) Vs. FiiO RC-MH1 (Total: 120cm)
V-Moda (Black) Audio Cable Only (Total: 175cm) Vs. FiiO RC-MH1 + FiiO RC-UX1 (Total: 220cm)
Build Quality
I preferred the build quality of the M100 stock cables, because they are much more flexible and feel much nicer in the hands, compared to the FiiO RC-MH1. Although the one thing I'd give to the FiiO cable for build quality would be the jack. As I had mentioned earlier, the jack is made wonderfully and looks stunning. It's nothing really that special, but it sure does look better than any regular rubber coated jack, such as that of the stock V-Moda cables.3.5mm Male Jacks (Goes into the M100 headphones) ^
3.5mm Male Jacks (Goes into the source) ^
Sound Quality
As stated in my Sound Quality section of this review, all that was said was pretty much in comparison to the stock V-Moda M100 cables. The FiiO cables being the warmer, bassier type, whilst the stock cables sounded more neutral, and not so warm.Summary/Conclusion
All in all, it was a pleasure of mine to have the opportunity to review FiiO's newly released, RC-MH1 PCOCC-A Headphone Cable, and it was very nice of FiiO.To sum things up, the cables that FiiO now have for sale, are of high quality, that perform as should, if not better, and are very affordable. Would I recommend these? Sure I would! For a relatively cheap price, you'll get a nice durable cable that will replace your stock cables; no sweat. And if you're a basshead/lover of warmth, by all means, this would then be considered an "upgrade" to your stock V-Moda cables for your M100's. One Basshead can never have too much bass, right? Haha..
Either way, this leads to the conclusion of my review, and as per usual - to those who read from top to bottom, thank you for reading!
It's getting rather late now in Australia, so I am going to go catch some Z's.
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-
@Nihl Hi. I personally would take the V-Moda cable over this cable for your X1. I find the FiiO cables to have a slightly, and I mean slightly, warmer sound, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your preference. So in short, V-Moda cable for durability and flexibility, and FiiO cable for a bit of warmth, and a metal jack.
@miceblue I didn't analyse and give the cable as much as you did, so my opinion is rather just a rough, first-impressions, haha. (@Nihl It's probably better you take miceblue's opinion over mine