Astral Acoustics Cables

Astral Acoustics Voyager and Mercury Sound Impression/Review



General Info/Build
Astral Acoustics is an audio company specialising in cables based in Hong Kong. They produce premium audio cable mainly based on copper and silver, according to their website’s about us section, “Exotic materials like Gold and Palladium give users a unique experience, but those are for a niche group of audiophiles.” I have the Voyager (a pure copper cable) and Mercury (a SPC cable) with me today courtesy of Mr Henry from Astral Acoustics for giving me the opportunity to test out both of the cables.



Build Quality
Voyager

• It is very soft overall, it may look stiff but actually it is very soft and doesn’t get tangled up easily
• Bare minimal microphonics
• 2 pin connector and the 4.4mm jack is solid, however the 2 pin seems to be a little bit shorter compared to my other 2 pin cables, the connection between the 2 pin into the IEMs are generally fine except for one of my IEM which is IKKO’s OH5, it seems to be loose and will come off anytime (possibly due to the shorter pin)
• Chin slider works well and no complaints about it

Mercury

• The cable is slightly thicker and it is stiff in nature
• Doesn’t get tangled up easily
• Same 2 pin connector and 4.4mm jack as the Voyager, 2 pin is also short as with Voyager
• The chin slider used in the Mercury is something like a silicone O-Ring, it is very different and easy to use, just slide it up and down and it stays there, but i do question the durability in the long run as with most rubber product do go through wear and tear after sometime
• Minimal microphonics from the Mercury as well

Cable’s Specifications
Voyager
Material: 4x 26 AWG Compound Litz Structure with LCOFC Copper
Length: 120cm approx

Mercury
Material: 22.5awg 6n SPC Type 4 Litz
Length: 120cm

Gears used for this impression

• Earmen Angel Dac Amp 4.4 output
• IKKO Asgard OH5 - Single dynamic driver
• SeeAudio Yume II - Hybrid
• 7HZ Timeless x AE - Planar

Foreword
My impression is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impressions
The sound impressions are based on comparison between the IEM’s stock cables and Astral Acoustics’s cables, also the reason why to go with Earmen Angel as a source is because it is fairly neutral and uncolored, hence i will be able to pick up the differences easily



Voyager

• Overall sound profile is fairly balanced with the mids standing out a little bit more than the lows and highs
• Noticeably better bass texture and slight boost on the bass quantity while retaining the quality (control, tightness)
• The mids are the star of the show for this cable in my opinion, vocal lovers will be pleased, it pushes the vocal slightly forward and both male and female vocals has good texture to it
• On IEMs with energetic treble, Voyager tend to smother it a little making it more pleasant for those who are treble sensitive, but that doesn’t mean the details are lost, Voyager just kinda add a little warmth to it to my ears

Mercury

• To my ears, IEMs paired with Mercury has better extension on both lows and highs, however, the mids does recess a little with this but not in a bad way
• What is impressive is that, IEMs paired with Mercury, they sounded open and the soundstage is definitely wider and bigger, on an IEM itself that has crazy soundstaging capability such as the iKKO’s Asgard OH5, it is even more impressive and addictive to listen to
• IEM that’s warm in nature will benefit from Mercury’s treble extension, it does so without making the treble becomes sibilant or offensive

IEM Pairings
Voyager with iKKO OH5

• OH5 itself is a warm set of IEM, paired with Voyager, the soundstage somehow becomes very expansive
• Bass has a little bit more body to it and also sounds very full
• Mid range is the star of the show here, it sounded very lush and in fact i would say it is quite analog sounding
• Na Ying’s vocal, sounded very full and sweet, it is very very pleasant and addictive to listen to, particularly in this track, Just Like a Dream (梦一场, the guitar picking, has got very good note weight to it and the vocal’s positioning is rather forward in a way as if the artist is performing right in front of you
• Elton John’s Tears in Heaven Live, the vocal has got a very good weight to it, thick and full sounding, all the instruments within the mid range comes alive and it’s just amazing
• In terms of detail retrieval, the performance is more or less similar with the stock cable of OH5

Mercury with iKKO OH5

• Switching over to Mercury from Voyager, the listening experience is totally different
• Mid range is slightly being pushed back but it is still very lush and pleasant to listen to, not to the point where it is overly recessed making it sound nasally, nothing like that, don’t worry, you still get a lot of details and lushness from the mids, it is just not as forward as the Voyager
• I noticed the extension on both treble and the lows is somehow better compared to Voyager, guitar picking lingers a little bit longer and sounds very full with good note weight, cymbals and high hats doesn’t sound splashy and also have good note weight to it
• Soundstage and detail retrieval is also noticeably better compared to Voyager, soundstage sounds a little bit more 3D compared to Voyager, detail retrieval is also better in terms of the nuances can be picked up easily

Voyager with 7Hz Timeless x AE

• Note weights are noticeably thicker on all three frequencies (Low, Mids, Highs)
• Sound stage does expand a little bit in terms of width, height and depth compared to stock cable, Timeless does not have big soundstage to begin with, so the improvement is very noticeable when paired with the Voyager
• Timbre has a little bit more warmth to it, lesser planar timbre, again, a very noticeable improvement
• Nonetheless, the mid range is still the star of the show here, listening to Teresa Teng’s Ni Zhen Me Shuo (你怎么说), the vocal performance is excellent and very sweet sounding with full sounding note, forward yet not shouty
• Voyager manage to slightly tame the treble on the Timeless AE, Timeless AE is a retuned version with a 3db boost of sub-bass, but due to the see saw effect of the tuning, the treble is also being smoothen due to the tuning, however, using it with Voyager kinda smoothen it a little bit more and even more pleasant to listen to, makes the overall listening experience sounds “fuller” if that makes sense

Mercury with 7Hz Timeless x AE

• Switching over to the Mercury, the mids is not as forward as the Voyager, still pleasant and lush
• The bass has better extension and the difference is noticeable to my ears, bass decay is a little bit slower but it is still retaining the speed without sounding muddy on complex tracks, evident on tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aeterna which has plenty of kick drum and double kick drum action going on, not once it sounded muddy, in fact it has got good body to it
• In terms of soundstage and imaging, the soundstage on Mercury paired with Timeless AE doesn’t sound too far off from the Voyager, it could be that the Timeless AE doesn’t have big soundstage to begin with, nonetheless, the improvement on the imaging and separation is certainly a welcoming feat

Voyager with SeeAudio Yume II

• Yume II by nature doesn’t have a good note weight across all three frequencies, pairing it with Voyager does help in boosting the overall note weight, in return, a more musical sounding IEM rather than sounding clinical, it also helps to slightly bring down the BA timbre
• Yume II on stock cable does lack a little bass quantity and Voyager helps to bring it up a little giving it a bit more punch and rumble, a cable can only do so much, after all it depends on the tuning as well as the driver’s capability
• Yume II’s mid range performance is already excellent on stock cable, pairing it with the Voyager takes it to a step higher, the details in the mid range comes alive
• Treble also doesn’t sound that cool and has a bit of warmth to it now that it is paired with the Voyager
• Detail retrieval is still very good
• Does expand the soundstage a little but still lacking height to my ears

Mercury with SeeAudio Yume II

• Switching over to Mercury, the improvements that i noticed on both OH5 and Timeless AE are not that significant on the Yume II
• I guess Mercury doesn’t synergise well with the Yume II
• Having said that, it doesn’t there isn’t any noticeable improvements, note weights are slightly thicker and a little bit more air on the top end, other than that, the soundstage and imaging is more or less very similar to the Voyager

Final Thoughts
Having the opportunity to try out both the Voyager and Mercury, i am more certain that cables does changes the sound and it is very noticeable (to my ears), i believe the material used, the braiding (tight/loose), the structure of the cables also play an important role for the sound characteristics. Let’s not stray too far and come back to both Voyager and Mercury, Voyager synergises very well with a wide range of IEMs in my collection, Mercury however is a little picky but when it is paired with the right IEM, it will really take your listening experience to another level, the same can be said for Voyager as well. In terms of pricing for both cables, they are considered as an entry level cable by Astral Acoustics, both cables are very well built and the connectors and jack on both cables are also very solid. I am not sure if it’s an issue with my IEMs or the 2 pin is slightly shorter, they are not as secure or snug fit when it is connected to my OH5.

Sure, despite being an entry level cable, the price is not exactly accessible by many, however, if you have the budget, go for it. They will not disappoint and you won’t go wrong with either one. Highly recommended!

*A big thanks to Henry from Astral Acoustics for the opportunity to test out the cables. All thoughts are of my own and I am not in any way influenced to produce this article.

Product Link
Voyager - Non Affiliated
Mercury - Non Affiliated

Hello Friends,

I am back here with another review on Head-Fi. This time I am bringing you guys a blog about two high-quality cables crafted by Astral Acoustics. Astral Acoustics is an exquisite brand based out of Hong Kong that deals in premium Upgrade Cables for high-fidelity in-ear monitors. They have years of experience in the industry for different wire materials, gauge sizes, soldering type, and more things that go behind crafting a premium aftermarket cable that is capable of bringing noticeable changes with In-Ear Monitors. I have two of their cables right now with me, the Voyager(pure Copper cable), and the Reference Silver(I guess the name says it all).

Voyager here is their entry-level cable made using high-quality Copper material. It retails for 240$. The Reference Silver is a high-quality silver cable crafted with 23.5AWG Type-6 Litz 5N Silver wires. As per the brand, it’s a true reference-grade cable capable of bringing the best out of connected IEMs. I got both cables as a part of a review tour organized in my country by Mr. Michael Browne. I would like to thank Mr. Michael and Mr. Henry Tik(Owner and Founder of Astral Acoustics) for this tour. There are about 6 cables in the chain including the two I am writing a review for today. Will surely update my reviews with the other two as well. You can check out Astral Acoustics website from the link below(non-affiliated).

https://www.astralacousticscables.com/shop

Let’s begin with the review now. First off, I will talk about the Design of the cables.

Design & Build Quality:-​

Astral Acoustics Voyager:-​

Voyager is a beautiful, beautiful cable with a 4-wire strand configuration. The cable has got a black cloth sleeve and a nice braided structure. It looks rich, I mean, you hold it in your hands and you can feel this is a premium cable. The connectors, the Y-splitter, everything looks and feels well laid out. It has the Astral Acoustics logo on the termination plug, Y-splitter, and even on both connectors. Voyager has got 2-pin connectors, but I received 2-pin to MMCX connectors as well to test the cable with MMCX IEMs. The Voyager feels good in the hand, it’s flexible, and the black sleeve doesn’t let it get tangled that often. Overall, pretty impressed with the build quality here. Ah, I just forgot to mention, Voyager has a 4-wire configuration with 26AWG compound Litz structure made up of OFC Copper material. The unit that I have has a 4.4mm plug, I guess you can get it customized based on your preference as well.

Reference Silver:-​

You can say by its looks that this is a premium cable, Astral Acoustics crafts the Ref. Silver cable with high-purity 5N silver material. The cable looks, ummm extraordinary with its beautiful shiny look. At a short glance, it might look like a Silver cable with transparent sleeves, but upon a close inspection, you will notice that the cable has got a nice textured finish. I have tried my best to capture the utter beauty of these cables in my pictures, don’t feel like I have done justice though. Ref. Silver cable uses premium titanium shells around the connectors and the termination plug. It speaks beauty with its premium build, super impressed here.

Sound Front:-​

Now coming on to the main topic, how do these two beauties sound? Before I begin, I would like to mention that I have used both cables with three different IEMs, Unique Melody Mext, Oriolus Szalayi, and Audeze Euclid. All comparisons in the sound part are mainly based on the changes that I have noticed compared to their stock cables. Let’s begin with the Voyager.

Voyager:-​

Most time with this cable has been spent listening to the UM Mext. Voyager actually fills the output with a rich midrange. The vocals, both male and female sound smooth, lush, and captivating. They tend to show a better body as well. Not just the midrange, I also feel like the Bass also gets a bit more punch, especially in the mid-bass region. It’s not much and doesn’t sound loose at all, I feel the slam is a bit increased in a good way. With the Euclids, I find Voyager to give a little bit more heft compared to the stock cable. Although Voyager isn’t revealing, it doesn’t eat up details either. It’s like a musical presentation with a rich, lush, smooth tone. Love the Vocals, and smooth sound. I spent hours with UM Mext with the Voyager by my side. I personally feel this cable will be loved by treble-sensitive people, the treble response is smoothened out.

Reference Silver:-​

Once I switched from Voyager to Ref. Silver, I can instantly feel an upgrade in resolution, details, and clarity. Lower End is also tighter, the presentation is a little more forward compared to what I have on the Voyager or stock cable. Lower-end feels better, and much more refined now, Sub-bass now reaches deeper than what I had on the stock cable. Treble here has good energy and also has improved clarity. Details are much more improved as well. Instruments are crispier now, they have a better definition as well.

Reference Silver is a fantastic cable, it pairs so well with most IEMs that I have given it to. Szalayi sounds so clean and has better control on its powerful lower end with the Reference Silver. It also tends to open up the stage of the Szalayi as well. Reference Silver is a great companion for the Euclid, it has become one of my favorite cables for Euclid in fact. The combination, and the synergy are simply amazing between Ref. Silver and Euclid!!

So let’s summarise the sound in short words:-

>Voyager sounds richer, smoother, and a little mellow at times as well.

>Reference Silver sounds crispier, tighter, has better details, and is a little upfront. Resolution of Ref. Silver is also better.

Edit: Updated for Jupier, Mercury, & Pulse:-​

About Astral Acoustics Mercury & Its Design and Build Quality:-

Mercury from Astral Acoustics is a premium 6N silver-plated copper cable designed with a smooth tuning profile. The cable has got premium build like other cables from Astral Acoustics. It has a 22.5AWG wire diameter with a Type-4 Litz structure. Mercury is a little stiff, but still very nicely built. It has a 4-wire strand configuration. The connectors and Y-Splitter here are very well-built.

I love how aesthetically beautiful Astral Acoustics cables are. The Mercury looks and feels premium. It has got a sexy white glow, which just looks spectacular. The cable in its stock form has 2-pin connectors, I have primarily used this with my Symphonium Audio Meteor and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. I will discuss the sound impressions later in this blog. Till then have a look at this spectacular cable. Oh, I just forgot to mention, Mercury is priced at 480$.


About Astral Acoustics Jupiter & Its Design and Build Quality:-

Astral Acoustics Jupiter is a hybrid 6-wire cable. The cable has four strands of 24.5AWG Type-4 7N Copper material and two strands of 24.5AWG Type-4 Thick Silver-Plated 7N Copper material. The cable has got a solid build with high-quality connectors and Y-Splitter. It’s quite soft and easy to store in small cases as well. With silver-plated copper and brownish-gold copper wires, the cable has got a beautiful finish. The soft build just makes it much easier to manage and handle.

Jupiter is priced at 450$, like other cables that I got from Astral Acoustics, this one also has 4.4mm TRRS termination and standard 2-pin connectors. Here are some beautiful images of Jupiter.


About Astral Acoustics Pulse & Its Design and Build Quality:-

Coming on to my one of my top favorite cables from Astral Acoustics yet, the Pulse. It’s a high-purity copper cable with a 4-wire configuration. The cable is made up of 23AWG Type-6 Litz-braided multi-sized OFC copper material. Honestly, it looks and feels premium. Just like the Mercury has a bright glowing silver finish, this one here has got a rose-gold copper finish. It looks and feels super amazing in hand. Honestly speaking, one of my favorite copper cables on the market!! I absolutely love the Pulse both in terms of its looks and its sound performance as well. About stiffness, the Pulse is not as stiff as the Mercury, but it isn’t as soft as the Jupiter either. It’s moderate in terms of stiffness, easily manageable nonetheless.

Pulse is priced at 550$ and it can be one of the best Copper Cables I have tried yet.


Let’s move ahead and we will start on the sound quality for all three cables!!

Astral Acoustics Jupiter:-

I started with Jupiter as this is my least favorite among the three. Please don’t get me wrong here, it’s just the performance of Jupiter is getting overshadowed by the excellence of Pulse and Mercury. Jupiter on its own has a smooth and open sound with a boosted bass response. It adds some strength to the mid-bass region and pairs well with Neutral to bright IEMs. It also enhances the midrange by adding a bit of richness, and lushness to the instrument notes and vocals. Vocals sound lusher and more melodious with Jupiter. The only Con that I have with the Jupiter is that due to the elevated mid-bass, the output feels a little grainy and not as clean as what we have with the other two cables here.

Jupiter with Kiwi Ears Cadenza:-

Jupiter as I have mentioned earlier adds a good body to the Cadenza. It sounds phenomenal with a richer midrange compared to the stock cable. The bass region is also a bit enhances, it has a little more emphasis and some added punch to the mid-bass region. Treble region is smooth yet lively. A good combo here.

Jupiter with Symphonium Audio Meteor:-

Symphonium Meteor has a warm sound that doesn’t actually align with Jupiter’s signature. The bass gets a tad boomy and takes the control of the output. Not a good combination here.

Jupiter with Audeze Euclid:-

Amazing combo, outstanding I would say. Jupiter perfectly aligns with Euclids and enhances their sound effectively. Euclid sounds richer, denser, and better-bodied with Jupiter in comparison to the OG Stock cable.

Astral Acoustics Pulse:-

ONE OF MY FAVORITE CABLES from ASTRAL ACOUSTICs(repeating this again, this time in bold in case you missed it the first time). Pulse sounds outstanding, it sounds open, rich, and warm. Even with added warmth, the Pulse sounds pretty balanced, organic, and clean. I have given it the Meteor, the Euclid, and the Cadenza, and Pulse fills each one of them with proper life!! It sounds crisp, instrument notes are properly defined. Vocals show a rich, smooth touch with the Pulse. It matches so well with the Meteor, that it has been my go-to cable for the pair.

Pulse With Kiwi Ears Cadenza:-

Man, the Cadenza is such a capable set. It scales so well with sources and cables that I absolutely love the set. With the Pulse, I find the Cadenza to sound clean and show a better definition of instruments and vocals. Pulse isn’t as lush as Jupiter, But it does sound more natural and more organic to my ears. I mean it sounds more real. Not to mention the improved treble extensions cadenza has with the Pulse.

Pulse with Symphonium Meteor:-

What a deadly combo this is, I mean I spent hours listening to this combo and never got tired. Meteor comes stock with a copper cable as well, but this one adds better definition, better clarity, and a more open presentation. And they both look classy together as well!!

Pulse with Audeze Euclid:-

Euclids sound quite open and show a better definition with the Pulse even when compared to Jupiter. The combo has got an extremely good amount of detail with a smooth and rich tone. Still, I would say Jupiter sounds richer and has a better synergy with Euclids!!

Astral Acoustics Mercury:-

Mercury sounds so clean, the background is super clean. Also, the treble region is smoothly extended well, Mercury greatly enhances the detail retrieval for the connected IEMs. They also sound more open and dynamic here. Even the basic Kiwi Ears Cadenza sounds so clean and precise, it doesn’t feel like I am listening to a mere 35$ IEM. I feel the presentation is a little recessed in the midrange, the bass and treble sound a little elevated while the midrange is slightly pushed back. And I mean this in a good way, I don’t notice the lower-end or treble frequencies overlapping the midrange by any means.

Mercury is the cable I spent the least time with, and this is among those cables that instantly attracted me with the very first session I had with them. The Bass sounds punchier and better bodied, the midrange especially the vocals sound smoother and richer, and the treble feels so open and dynamic. Very, I repeat very good cable.

Mercury with Kiwi Ears Cadenza:-

You will forget that the Cadenza is just a 35$ IEM. It sounds so open, so dynamic with the Mercury that I am literally in awe. The bass feels a bit heavier than what I have on the stock cable, it feels better bodies. Midrange sounds clean and lusher, yet a little distant, the treble feels lively and energetic. Cadenza on its own has a smooth, a little dark treble, but the Mercury actually pairs well with it and delivers impressive sound.

Mercury with Symphonium Meteor:-

Meteor gets enhanced clarity with the Mercury. The synergy between these two is quite good, the output sounds clean and precise. Although I personally feel with the Pulse, Meteor sounded more open and more dynamic as well. But the sub-bass is better with the Mercury, it’s more rumbling, and more forwarded as well.

Let’s summarise the blog in short for each product.

Astral Acoustics Mercury:-

>Superb build, a little stiff.

>Amazing clarity, excellent sub-bass.

>A little narrow in its presentation.

Astral Acoustics Pulse:-

>One of the best copper cables I have tried to date.

>Sounds open, dynamic, and rich.

>Soft and great in-hand feel.

>Pairs well with most IEMs.

Astral Acoustics Jupiter:-

>Mixed Silver-Plated & Copper configuration.

>Warm, Smooth Sound with an added mid-bass punch.

>Pairs well with neutral and bright IEMs.

>Rich and Lush sound presentation.

Astral Acoustics Eclipse:-

The tour for the Astral Acoustics cables are about to end and now I have got one of their top-level cream product, the Astral Acoustics Eclipse. It’s a beautiful cable priced at 950$. Eclipse is a high-quality premium silver cable with a 4-wire strand configuration. As per the brand, the cable features 4x24AWG type-4 Litz braided 5N Silver wire cores. It has an exceptionally beautiful, rich, shiny, textured finish. And like all the other Astral Acoustics cables, it has premium 4.4mm termination and standard 2-pin connectors.

The cable is soft in hand and shows no signs of microphonic interference with the signal. I love how clean and textured the craftsmanship is done by Mr. Henry Tik on these cables. His craftsmanship is simply exquisite, each of the cables that I have tried from this tour are pretty well-built and have a premium in-hand feel for them. The Eclipse only by its looks feels like an upgrade over the Reference Silver(that I previously loved from the brand). Superb Build would be an understatement here if you believe me. With comfortable hooks near the connectors, the cable provides a firm wearing comfort(at least for me).

Sound Impressions:-

I primarily used the Eclipse with two of my current mainstream IEMs, the LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo and the Symphonium Audio Meteor. The common characteristics regarding sound with both the IEMs are as follows.

>Bass/lower-end is drastically enhanced. It’s not just more pronounced but also shows a good definition. I mean, Eclipse surely enhances the lower end of the connected pair, and that too in a good way. It shows more presence, and more slamming response. The Sub-bass definition is also a tad bit better than what I have with the stock cable on the said IEMs.

>Mid-range feels clean and precise. I mean the bass surely takes a little upfront stage, but the midrange still retains its charming presentation. It does sound a bit recessed but still shows presents amazing vocals with smooth texture.

>Treble response is smoothly presented. Both the IEMs have an inoffensive treble, the Eclipse does enhance the resolution in the treble region. It feels crispier, and cleaner than what I had on the stock cable.

>Dynamics are also improved especially micro details are better with the Eclipse.

Synergy Combination:-

Symphonium Audio Meteor:-

Meteor is quite a bassy set, its bass response is amazing. To keep it polite here, Eclipse makes its sound simply spectacular, I mean the bass response gets cleaner and shows more presence compared to the stock Cable. This cable adds a bit of warmth to the output. The midrange is recessed here, treble gets livelier and more present.

Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo:-

This mid-focused set shows a good punch in the lower-end department. The bass is punchier and more present in the output with the Eclipse. Midrange still has its charm, the vocals sound lovely and smooth. Treble response gets a little more energy compared to the stock cable. Overall, an improved version of Galileo is here with the Eclipse.

Some Things I Feel are the Cons with the cable:-

>While sound wise the cable is pretty amazing, I feel like the price is a bit on the higher side.

>Some might find this cable to be overly powerful in the lower end, especially with bass-oriented IEMs.

Well, that’s all about the amazing Astral Acoustics Eclipse. This cable is amazing, looks solid, and has a premium finish to itself. Choose the eclipse if you want to buy a high-end cable that enhances the bass response and presents a smooth, inoffensive sound at the same time.

Final Words:-​

Both the cables have their own pros and cons here, while the Voyager sounds sweet and melodious with lovely vocals, it sounds soft and mellow at times, and the Reference Silver sounds crisp and detailed but tends to sound a little upfront in its presentation. I personally prefer the Ref. Silver cable for its excellent detailing and ultimate clarity. Well, that’s about these beautiful cables from my side, I hope you guys enjoyed reading my review. I would again like to thank Mr. Michael Browne and Mr. Henry Tik for this opportunity, loved my time with both the cables!!

Astral Acoustics Jupiter



Disclaimer:

First things first, cable rolling is quite a sensitive topic in this hobby. If you are someone who does not believe or hasn’t perceived any difference in sound after changing a cable, then that’s fine. I am not going to try and convince you otherwise. Personally, I have experienced a fair amount of change in sound with different cables, which is why I believe in rolling cables.

Before I begin with my review, I would like to highlight that the Astral Acoustics Jupiter was sent to me as part of a review tour of various Astral Acoustics cables in my country (India). I would like to thank Henry Tik and Michael Browne for this opportunity. However, there has been no undue influence or benefit (monetary or otherwise) to write anything positive (or negative) about the cable. The views expressed here are based on my usage of the cable with a few IEMs over the course of a week or so. That being stated, you can check out Astral Acoustics’ impressive cable collection at https://www.astralacousticscables.com



Introduction:

Astral Acoustics is based out of Hong Kong and has quite an impressive collection of premium cables with a mix of copper, silver, gold, and/or palladium. Their range of cables starts at 200 USD, going all the way up to 1480 USD. The Jupiter cable has a combination of Copper and Silver-Plated copper cores and retails for 450 USD.

Specifications:

• Material:
• 24.5awg T4 7n Copper (4 cores)
• 24.5awg T4 Thick Silver plated 7n Copper (2 cores)
• Length: 120cm
• Connector: 0.78mm 2 Pin / MMCX
• Termination: 2.5mm TRRS / 3.5mm TRS / 4.4mm TRRRS

Build Quality and Aesthetics:

The Jupiter cable has a 6-core configuration, with 4 cores of 24.5 AWG Copper and 2 cores of 24.5 AWG Silver plated Copper. The cable is built like a tank, thanks to its thick cores, and looks and feels premium in every way. The cable is surprisingly soft and free of microphonics, even though it has such thick cores. The cable I received had 2-Pin 0.78mm connectors with a 4.4mm TRRRS termination. The overall aesthetic is minimalistic with the astral logo displayed on the splitter and the termination. I was initially confused by the lack of L/R indicators on the connectors, but on closer inspection, one side had a ring on it, while the other did not. Henry confirmed my assumption that the side with the ring was the right side. In his words, “R as in Ring, R as in Right.” This is indeed an elegant approach that is in line with the overall minimalist aesthetic.





Sound:

I tried the Jupiter out with 3 IEMs, namely the 64Audio Nio, Aroma Audio Musical Box Yao, and Shure SE846 (with MMCX adapters). Across the board, Jupiter added a sense of spaciousness to the sound with a fair amount of warmth and air. There was significant heft in the bass region, resulting in some powerful slams and a good amount of thump.



Although the vocals are not recessed per se, the added detail in terms of bass and treble region (especially on the Nio), tended to grab more attention over the mid-region. The treble region with Jupiter did not feel too crisp and was smoothened out (which aligns with my preferences), but not at the cost of air. In fact, one of the first things I noticed on the 64audio Nio is that Jupiter made it sound a lot wider and taller when compared to the Dita Oslo. This added sense of spaciousness made a significant difference in terms of separation and positioning. Listening to some Bollywood tracks in Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) was a blissful experience, but I digress.




While the Jupiter didn’t make that much of a difference in terms of soundstage width on the Shure SE846, it added some heft to the bass, which, in all honesty, turned the SE846 into a bass monster.



Conclusion:




Overall, one can expect Jupiter to add some warmth to the sound while providing excellent bass response, coupled with delicious mids along with a fair amount of air. The thicker cores and premium build quality make it a premium offering with great looks and great sound.