[COLOR=330099]My background[/COLOR]
I am pretty new to the world of audio, only having 2 pairs of iems currently: Custom art Ei3 and the Shure SE425, so as you would expect I don't have that much experience with higher end cables like DHC or whiplash. As such this review will largely be about the BTG starlight 2pin IEM cable vs stock cable. I am writing this review because I found that there aren't any reviews of the 2pin IEM version of the starlight cable which I thought would have been useful while I was shopping for an aftermarket cable.
[COLOR=330099]How/Why I got the cable [/COLOR]
I purchased the Starlight cable because my custom art stock cable got pretty screwed up by twisting it wrongly(I have since learnt the way to properly coil and keep my IEM cables), the cable had kinks in it that caused it to tangle even being kept in my pelican case. In my search for a replacement cable, 2 things pushed me to choose the starlight cable: it was ranked number 1 on the list of headphone cables was the sunrise cable by BTG audio and BTG was having its first sale(15% off everything in the store). Hence I went ahead and picked up one of the "ready to ship cables" for $96.75 including shipping to Singapore. The original price of the cable was $105 excluding shipping so I would say I got a pretty good deal!
A month later I received the cable in a nondescript orange padded envelope, the cable itself was in a plastic ziplock bag. There really isn't much to say about packaging for cables.
[COLOR=330099]Build quality [/COLOR]
If you have read any of the other reviews for BTG's other cables, you would know how well made these cables are. They are solid, flexible and seem durable. I don't really want to rave too much about the quality of the cable because many others have already done so. Instead I would like to comment on the jack, 2 pin connector and nylon sheathe because these 3 parts of the cable seem underappreciated.
The default jack is a Neutrik right angle(didn't get a choice because I bought the ready to ship version), it plugs into my iPhone 6 perfectly with the case on, my case is pretty thick so this feature was greatly appreciated. Besides this, the jack feels extremely solid(solid metal, big as hell) so I don't think opting for a viablue or oyaide plug would be necessary($25/30 more). One thing to be noted is that because the jack is so big and the cable isn't dental floss thin, the cable kind of jutts out to the right when the jack is parallel to to the screen. My stock cable jack was way smaller and the cable was more flexible so the cable would just fall straight down. To counter this I face the jack downwards, perpendicular to the screen such that the cable falls straight down.
Next, the 2 pin connector. It looks really good, maybe it's just me but I really like the clear finish on the connector. It also flushes to the sockets almost completely while the original stock cable had a 1mm ish gap but I don't think this really affects your experience in any real way. Tho not part of the connector, the memory wire portion of the cable is pretty good, the cable above the Y split is a 2 wire loose twist which is thicker than the same part of the stock cable so the memory wire portion is thicker and feels better to me.
Lastly, the nylon sheathe. When I ordered the cable, I was wondering if getting the ready to ship version was the right decision as I couldn't not opt for the unsleeved version(which I guess would look nicer and would be $10 less). However having received and tested the cable I realized that the nylon sheathe actually reduced the microphonics of the cable, this was in comparison to other cables I've tried like the Shure cable or the flat cables of the klipsch R6 or even my friend's effect audio Thor copper cable(the custom art stock cable has non existent microphonics, even less than the starlight cable so kudos to custom art haha). The sleeve also appears to make it more durable(I hope) at the cost of a negligible increase in weight and thickness. So no regrets getting the default starlight cable there! As usual, I try to end off the paragraph with what I think could be a flaw of the component in writing about so I can provide a balanced-ish opinion. If there as a problem with the nylon sleeve it's that it makes the cable slightly stiffer. To me however this is a good thing as it makes the cable easier to coil and keep since it holds its shape better after you properly coil it.
[COLOR=330099]Looks [/COLOR]
For many people a large part of the allure of after market cables are its looks. To me the cable looks absolutely terrific, the silver looks fantastic with the black sleeve(looks better than the copper of the sunrise cable or black of the midnight cable). Of course a sleeveless version of the starlight could be even more gorgeous as it exposes the quad braid. Tho the sleeved version has its own unique look to it that some might prefer to the typical quadbraid cable look that is ubiquitous amongst aftermarket cables.
[COLOR=330099]Sound
[/COLOR]
Brian has written in detail about his opinions on the audio effects of his cables. Basically he thinks that cables do not cause a change in sound quality no matter what other cable makers say. However testing the custom art stock cable and the starlight using the exact same tracks at the exact same volume with my Fiio X5ii, I found that the bass actually hit slightly harder while the mids and highs stayed the same. Maybe it was just in my head or my IEMS weren't good enough to hear finer differences. But whatever it is, I think the acoustic qualities of the starlight are not lacking at all and most buyers would be happy with it.
In conclusion, I absolutely love my new starlight cable and believe anyone would enjoy Brian's cables. They have me as a loyal customer and I will surely be returning for new cables if the need ever comes.
Here is a picture of the cable with my ei3s, picture was taken and uploaded with with an iphone 6 so picture quality isn't the best.
I am pretty new to the world of audio, only having 2 pairs of iems currently: Custom art Ei3 and the Shure SE425, so as you would expect I don't have that much experience with higher end cables like DHC or whiplash. As such this review will largely be about the BTG starlight 2pin IEM cable vs stock cable. I am writing this review because I found that there aren't any reviews of the 2pin IEM version of the starlight cable which I thought would have been useful while I was shopping for an aftermarket cable.
[COLOR=330099]How/Why I got the cable [/COLOR]
I purchased the Starlight cable because my custom art stock cable got pretty screwed up by twisting it wrongly(I have since learnt the way to properly coil and keep my IEM cables), the cable had kinks in it that caused it to tangle even being kept in my pelican case. In my search for a replacement cable, 2 things pushed me to choose the starlight cable: it was ranked number 1 on the list of headphone cables was the sunrise cable by BTG audio and BTG was having its first sale(15% off everything in the store). Hence I went ahead and picked up one of the "ready to ship cables" for $96.75 including shipping to Singapore. The original price of the cable was $105 excluding shipping so I would say I got a pretty good deal!
A month later I received the cable in a nondescript orange padded envelope, the cable itself was in a plastic ziplock bag. There really isn't much to say about packaging for cables.
[COLOR=330099]Build quality [/COLOR]
If you have read any of the other reviews for BTG's other cables, you would know how well made these cables are. They are solid, flexible and seem durable. I don't really want to rave too much about the quality of the cable because many others have already done so. Instead I would like to comment on the jack, 2 pin connector and nylon sheathe because these 3 parts of the cable seem underappreciated.
The default jack is a Neutrik right angle(didn't get a choice because I bought the ready to ship version), it plugs into my iPhone 6 perfectly with the case on, my case is pretty thick so this feature was greatly appreciated. Besides this, the jack feels extremely solid(solid metal, big as hell) so I don't think opting for a viablue or oyaide plug would be necessary($25/30 more). One thing to be noted is that because the jack is so big and the cable isn't dental floss thin, the cable kind of jutts out to the right when the jack is parallel to to the screen. My stock cable jack was way smaller and the cable was more flexible so the cable would just fall straight down. To counter this I face the jack downwards, perpendicular to the screen such that the cable falls straight down.
Next, the 2 pin connector. It looks really good, maybe it's just me but I really like the clear finish on the connector. It also flushes to the sockets almost completely while the original stock cable had a 1mm ish gap but I don't think this really affects your experience in any real way. Tho not part of the connector, the memory wire portion of the cable is pretty good, the cable above the Y split is a 2 wire loose twist which is thicker than the same part of the stock cable so the memory wire portion is thicker and feels better to me.
Lastly, the nylon sheathe. When I ordered the cable, I was wondering if getting the ready to ship version was the right decision as I couldn't not opt for the unsleeved version(which I guess would look nicer and would be $10 less). However having received and tested the cable I realized that the nylon sheathe actually reduced the microphonics of the cable, this was in comparison to other cables I've tried like the Shure cable or the flat cables of the klipsch R6 or even my friend's effect audio Thor copper cable(the custom art stock cable has non existent microphonics, even less than the starlight cable so kudos to custom art haha). The sleeve also appears to make it more durable(I hope) at the cost of a negligible increase in weight and thickness. So no regrets getting the default starlight cable there! As usual, I try to end off the paragraph with what I think could be a flaw of the component in writing about so I can provide a balanced-ish opinion. If there as a problem with the nylon sleeve it's that it makes the cable slightly stiffer. To me however this is a good thing as it makes the cable easier to coil and keep since it holds its shape better after you properly coil it.
[COLOR=330099]Looks [/COLOR]
For many people a large part of the allure of after market cables are its looks. To me the cable looks absolutely terrific, the silver looks fantastic with the black sleeve(looks better than the copper of the sunrise cable or black of the midnight cable). Of course a sleeveless version of the starlight could be even more gorgeous as it exposes the quad braid. Tho the sleeved version has its own unique look to it that some might prefer to the typical quadbraid cable look that is ubiquitous amongst aftermarket cables.
[COLOR=330099]Sound
[/COLOR]
Brian has written in detail about his opinions on the audio effects of his cables. Basically he thinks that cables do not cause a change in sound quality no matter what other cable makers say. However testing the custom art stock cable and the starlight using the exact same tracks at the exact same volume with my Fiio X5ii, I found that the bass actually hit slightly harder while the mids and highs stayed the same. Maybe it was just in my head or my IEMS weren't good enough to hear finer differences. But whatever it is, I think the acoustic qualities of the starlight are not lacking at all and most buyers would be happy with it.
In conclusion, I absolutely love my new starlight cable and believe anyone would enjoy Brian's cables. They have me as a loyal customer and I will surely be returning for new cables if the need ever comes.
Here is a picture of the cable with my ei3s, picture was taken and uploaded with with an iphone 6 so picture quality isn't the best.