estron Linum Super BaX

Introduction

Cables. Ain’t that a can of worms. As divisive as pineapples on pizza, objectivists say cables bring no change to sound because they don’t measure any differently, subjectivists say listen with your ears you fool, and I say pineapples bring a sweet counterbalance to the otherwise overt saltiness of pizza. You can argue until the cows come home (do they ever?), but in the interest of objectivity, upgrade cables tend to bring improvements to build quality, durability and looks compared to boring ol’ stock cables. With that in mind, I write about sound impressions as I hear them, but you can skip them if you do not agree, even if you’re missing out on some terrific writing lol.

In the grand scheme of things, Linum makes generally affordable upgrade cables, from the EUR79 Music to the top-of-the-line (TOTL) SuperBaX which I’ll be reviewing today. I first heard of Linum via their most popular product, the BaX. I took notice because it sounded similar to Baxter, Ron Burgundy’s faithful canine in Anchorman, one of my favourite movies ever. I digress. The BaX had a reputation of being the lightest and thinnest cable in the market. Anyone who wanted a cable that was not only comfortable but felt weightless, swore by it. I bought one and true enough, the weightlessness was superb, and you had to see the cable in person to appreciate its tiny form factor. However, it tangled too much for my liking, so much so that I spend 5 minutes at the start of each listening session untangling the BaX!

Linum hope to learn from customer feedback for their flagship, the SuperBaX. Now in its second generation, the SuperBaX boasts 4 braided ultra-thin silver-plated-copper wires, with each wire consisting 42 strands. It’s twice the size of the BaX, but still weighs less than 10 grams. At a very low impedance of 0.75 ohms, it is best paired with low ohm, multi-driver in-ear monitors (IEMs).

Currently, the SuperBaX retails for EUR199 and is available at the official site. As far as customisation goes, you have a choice of MMCX, 2-pin or T2 connectors. The length and jack are fixed (50” and 3.5mm single ended, respectively), but you can contact Linum to show interest in the balanced 2.5mm or 4.4mm versions so they might produce it in future. Fingers crossed.



Better packaging than 90% of upgrade cables.



Equipment Used:

-Sony NW-WM1A "K" Modded, FW 2.0
-Jomo Audio Flamenco (both switches down)

Albums Listened:

-Amber Rubarth – Sessions from the 17th Ward
-Ed Sheeran – Divide
-Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
-Macy Gray – Stripped

Packaging and Accessories

You carry certain expectations depending on what you buy. When I buy a book, I expect nothing else but the book itself. If it came with a CD, or preview pages of an upcoming volume, or saucy girlie pics, then it’s a welcome bonus.


Were you expecting something more lavish maybe?


For cables, the standard packaging is just the cable in a ziplock bag. So when Linum provides a robust zippered case large enough to store two pairs of earphones, you smile and say thank you. What’s more, the case is neatly compartmentalised so you can store small items in its pockets, like eartips or a photo of your beloved steak dinner last evening. Well done! Rounding off the accessory set is a ziplock bag (in case you’re old-fashioned and need one to feel complete), and a user manual. The manual details the new chin slider locking mechanism, and how to untangle the cable. Pretty useful for someone who doesn’t read manuals.



Design and Build Quality

Repeat after me, function over form. For lack of a better word, the SuperBaX looks plain. The wires are silvery with alternating copper, red and blue accents, but it’s very subtle. From the connectors, Y-split to the jack, the design is a bit boring. Function over form, guys. The connectors are tiny and disappear into your IEM sockets. The markings are clear, red dot for right and blue for left, with the dot pointing upwards as you insert the connectors. The Y-split and cable cinch in black plastic look handsome in a tuxedo-tie type of way. The L-shaped jack also conforms to the black plastic motif. My only lament is the lack of strain reliefs throughout, just in case I Weird Al Yankovic the cables too hard by accident.

As for the wires, they are strongly built. I inadvertently tested out the tensile strength by pulling hard on the cables when I thought the cable cinch malfunctioned. That’s what I got for not reading the manual. The cable cinch (or chin slider) only moves after you pull the transparent rubber tab up. Then, pinch both sides of the cinch to adjust it up or down. This is a smart move by Linum to keep the chin slider locked in place.



Formal night. Time to wear your suit and tie.



Ergonomics and Comfort

For a cable made to appreciate its slim and tiny form factor, ergonomics play a key role. The cable is soft and supple to the touch, coils easily enough, with a bit of memory effect. The cable uncoils itself sometimes, but for the most part, stays in shape. So they photograph rather nicely for this review as well. Now, does it tangle as bad as BaX? It’s twice the number of cables, so is it twice as bad? Thankfully no, but it’s not totally in the clear either. On its own, the cables untangle very easily, just hold them by the connectors and let the cable hang down, in most cases it will untangle by itself. However with IEMs connected and kept in a case (like in most cases) it tends to tangle by itself again! Curses.

As for comfort, in a word, wow. In two words, holy crap. This is by far the most comfortable cable I’ve ever worn. Just like the original BaX, the SuperBaX felt weightless on my ears. This must be what it feels like when astronauts listen to IEMs in space. This is where Linum redeems all its “I told you so” points. In a crowded market where people are looking at 8-wire pure silver behemoths for the sake of better sound, Linum shows how it’s done.



In space, no one can nag you about overpriced upgrade cables.



Sound Quality

The basis of any cable sound review lies in comparisons. Most of what you’re hearing is brought out by the transducer and audio player, with about 10% of the sound signature give or take, handled by the cable. I do not have golden ears, they’re hairy and fleshy and filled with wax just like yours, but picking up the subtleties between cables becomes easier with practice. The Plastics One forms the baseline of all my cable sound impressions, and what I report are based on deviations from this sound. You might have used it before, since it’s given free with most custom IEMs. When we talk about stock cables, this is it. Cables of all materials and builds come in many flavours and colourations, and Plastics One serves as the home base, the standard by which all upgrade cables must surpass, or fade into obscurity. Critical listening was done after 100 hours of burning in. Not that Linum specifically recommended it, I’m just old-school that way. I believe in equipment breaking-in as much as my ears accommodating to the given sound after an amount of time. The IEM of choice is Jomo Flamenco, the most neutral IEM in my arse… I mean arsenal.



Overall Sound Signature

The SuperBaX aims to please. Its signature is accessible and easy to like. To my ears the sound is neutral, with slight warmth and excellent tonal accuracy. I’m using jargon to hide my lack of expertise (as always), but basically the SuperBaX sounds realistic and fun. It also has a balanced sound from top to bottom, with a hint of colouration. One of the most obvious things I’ve noticed when switching from Plastics One to SuperBaX is that the imaging takes a big step up. Spatial cues are much easier to focus on, thanks to a resolution bump across the spectrum. Plastics One smears the soundstage with thick, clumsy notes, and SuperBaX reins them in and provides perspective and focus. But is it worth EUR199? Let’s go blow by blow.



Bass

We want our bass, but not too much. We want to feel it but not hear it bleed everywhere. Rich but not bloated, controlled but not overly so… finding a life partner is probably easier. SuperBaX has superb bass (pun intended) control. It is tight and punchy in attack, with good body and slam (but not a body slam). Quantity is well-measured and well-rationed, it isn’t overpowering like how raw onions mess up an entire dish. Detail levels and dynamics are splendid too. Note texture is palpable, with a hint of wetness that helps in smoothness; while rolloff is natural and lends a tinge of warmth to the signature. In a keen balance of showing off and reserving your power, SuperBaX deserves some praise. No need to show off when you’re awesome all the time, they say.



Number one reason for upgrade cables, they’re so pretty!



Mids

The meat of the music is here. Continuing the onion analogy, you take nasty raw onions and simmer them in a slow fire until they caramelise, and voila, it unites the whole dish. The mids are euphonic, sweet-sounding and just a bit coloured, pulling your focus towards them and addicting you to the music like MSG. I love how they render the mids. Positionally, they stay where they are, not pulled forward or pushed back, but each individual note is well-sculpted from attack to decay. There is well-defined air between the notes, so you hear more detail, yet notes remain smooth and effortless as ever. For tone and timbre, they do no wrong, sounding lifelike with some note richness and body. This is a midsection best enjoyed with the lights dim, drink in one hand, and waving your other hand to the music like the maestro you are.



Treble

I used to play a computer game with characters from the comic Dilbert, and one of the mini-games involved pressing a “discipline” button to increase productivity. That basically meant sending an electric jolt to your character. Short of prodding my colleagues with shock-sticks, the treble here seems to have undergone disciplinary treatment too. As is consistent with the rest of the signature, treble notes are tight, well-textured, and transparent. Notes hit quick, provide a playful sparkle and gobs of air, and decay before overstaying its welcome. And right at the top, the treble is relaxed and smoothed out, cancelling out the worst parts of the treble, brittleness and harshness. This is fatigue-free, pleasant listening through and through.



Soundstage and Imaging

Good cables normally excel here, and SuperBaX makes it all the more obvious. With a generous and spacious black background, music is lovingly played in their own space, putting you in the middle of the action. The space increase from Plastics One to SuperBaX is apparent in all dimensions, you hear the presentation wider, deeper and taller; maybe even a fourth dimension. As an effect of the roomier setting, separation and imaging are exemplary. The stage set is three-dimensional, almost like in a recording studio. You can pinpoint where each element of the music is coming from, and yet the music sounds unified as a whole, not disjointed or diffused in an artificial kind of way. It’s in my opinion one of the chief selling points of the SuperBaX.



Comparisons

Null Audio Ethos

Comparing like for like, the Ethos is the only other silver-plated copper cable in my collection. It’s an entry level cable priced at SGD79, and was once given free along with Advanced AcousticWerkes’ (AAW) flagship IEM, the W900. It’s made of 4 wires of 5N purity CGOCC-A silver-plated copper wires with gauge of 26AWG.



The Ethos looks and handles great, but don’t let that fool you.


I love how Ethos handles. It’s ultra soft and flexible, with just a little memory effect so it doesn’t uncoil at will. The lack of a proper neck cinch effectively ruled out any hope I had for using this cable in the long run though. SuperBaX is equally soft and flexible, with even less memory effect, and definitely lighter! Besides the ineffective neck cinch, the sound is where Ethos falters dramatically. The upper mids and treble are boosted rather unnaturally, lending a metallic tonality that is as hard to listen as nails on a chalkboard. Yes, details are more apparent, but it’s hard to focus when cymbals are suddenly at the forefront of the music. The stage size is small too, so the upper mids and treble bled everywhere like a bad wound. It effectively lost before I even compared the SuperBaX seriously.



Effect Audio Ares II

Ares II is like the teacher’s pet of upgrade cables. It’s very easy to recommend it based on its price-to-performance ratio, with noticeable sound changes at the USD150 mark. It’s made of 4 wires of 26 AWG gauge, UPOCC Litz copper, and is the stock cable provided by Jomo Audio and Empire Ears for their custom IEMs. The chrome connectors, carbon fibre Y-split and jack are made in-house and look sleek and modern. The wires have an attractive metallic bronze colour and build quality is also up to scratch. However, the cable is not as soft and malleable as the others in this review, and has quite a lot of memory effect. The cable uncoils itself readily and does not behave in photography sessions. Boo hiss and all that lol.



Ares II. Tangle without a cause.


Now onto the most important comparison: sound. Ares II is touted to have an anti-copper sound, with emphasis on resolution and transparency and without an overly warm tilt. I’ll tip my hat to that if I had one. The bass of both cables sound remarkably similar, with just the right amount of body and bloom. The trebles are more alike than not too, with SuperBaX having a slight edge in detail level and air. Where they differ is in the mids presentation. Ares II is more in-your-face and frontally-placed, demanding attention like Garfield demands to be fed. This can be distracting, as certain instruments are pulled to the forefront involuntarily. Ares II’s emphasis on centre and upper mids means they can sometimes sound grainy and harsh, in a case of too much of a good thing. Timbre remains good in most cases, on par with SuperBaX. SuperBaX avoids the above pitfalls and carries on its work nonplussed. It carries a more refined sound and demonstrates that true power lies in control. SuperBaX might be the winner here, but whether the price increase from Ares II is worthwhile is up to you.



Han Sound Audio Redcore

The Redcore is one of my favourite cables. It’s made of OCC silver and OCC copper strands, with a distinctive deep red nylon sheathing. Redcore turns heads and is kind of a big deal, by my own admission. It’s priced at SGD649, and yes it’s nuts pricing. I just wanted to see how the SuperBaX competes against a cable twice its price. In terms of hand-feel, nothing comes close to the pristine luxury provided by the Redcore’s nylon sheath. The cable is supple, coils accordingly, and has no memory effect so it stays the way you want them. The Y-split and Furutech jack really show off where your money went to. SuperBaX looks positively humble in comparison and yields in nearly every aspect physically, except for lightness.



Red to the core? Bad to the bone.


As for sound, Redcore is a purist. It resolves extreme amounts of detail and stays close to neutral, with a slight mids emphasis. Mids are brought out beautifully and vocals shine in the spotlight. Bass and treble textures are easily heard, and the whole soundscape is spread across a huge stage, with stellar imaging and separation. It’s an all-rounder cable designed to please nearly everyone. The SuperBaX is all about tone. Its warmish, timbre-focused character lends fuller and rounder notes to the signature. Its detail levels are nowhere near the Redcore, but bass bloom is longer and mids are meatier. The soundstage is also smaller, with fuzzier imaging compared to the clean Redcore sound. It is techincally inferior, but will be more ideal for those who prefer a smooth, intimate presentation. SuperBaX has no reason to hang its head in shame.



The fight would go down to the wire.



Final Words

I’ll be honest. I haven’t heard the Plastics One in a long time since most of my IEMs have upgraded cables, and coming back it’s easy to see (hear) why. The Plastics One is basic in every sense. It presents music, sure, but notes are thick, plodding and lacks definition, the soundstage is small and imaging is smeared. For the music connoisseur who demands the best of everything, changing out the cable to literally anything else, might be an upgrade. The Linum SuperBaX deserves a worthy mention for just that. With good build quality, and second-to-none comfort levels, they provide subtle but noticeable upgrades in sound quality as well. In a world where the affluent can spend USD1000 and over on TOTL cables, the SuperBaX sounds like a value-for-money purchase too good to pass up.

Linum Website

Products page(s): Music G2 ; BaX G2 ; SuperBaX





Technical Specifications:

Music

• Available connector types: MMCX, 2Pin
• Termination: 3.5 TRS (90° angled)
• Silver plated copper litz wires
• Single cable – 42 strands
• Weight: 4-5g / 0.14-0.18oz
• Length: 127 cm/50”
• Impedance: 2.0 Ω
• Pull strength of cable: 60 N/13lbs

BaX

• Available connector types: MMCX, 2Pin, T2
• Termination: 3.5 TRS (90° angled)
• Silver plated copper litz wires
• Double-twisted cable – 84 strands
• Weight: 5-6g / 0.18-0.2oz
• Length: 127 cm / 50”
• Impedance: 1.50 Ω
• Pull strength of cable: 60 N / 13lbs

SuperBaX

• Available connector types: MMCX, 2Pin, T2
• Termination: 3.5 TRS (90° angled)
• Silver plated copper litz wires
• Quad twisted – 168 strands
• Weight: 8-9g / 0.28-0.32oz
• Length: 127 cm/50”
• Impedance: 0.75 Ω
• Pull strength of cable: 120 N/26lbs

Price:

• Music – € 69
• BaX – € 79
• SuperBaX – € 199

Note: The SuperBaX arrives with a hard case and cable winder.




Design

The three Linum G2 cables are the new version of the previous in-ear cables of the company, keeping the same high quality and usability. These are probably the thinnest and among the most comfortable in-ear cables ever made. Despite the so compact and minimalistic design, the build quality is really good, combining excellent materials that provide high durability and perfect ergonomics. These are not your standard upgrade cables that usually focus in better looks and tougher outer design with extra wires that end up being extra heavy and less practical. The Linum cables are made by the Danish company estron specialized in quality earphones cables for professional aid use, and the designers definitely know their job.



Starting from the internal wiring, the Linum G2 utilize silver-plated copper 6-litz wires, each one consisting of 7 super thin strands. Thanks to the transparent outer coating, it’s possible to see the different wire colors inside that are tightly twisted together into a single wire. Assuming the specifications are correct, each single cable consists of 42 strands that together with the outer sleeve doesn’t even reach the 1mm of thickness.



The three cable models differentiate in the amount of cables used. The Music is the thinnest one as it has a single cable (42 strands) from the plug to the y-split and then separates into a single cable for each side. The BaX model has two cables (84 strands) from the plug to the y-split, softly twisted and then divides into a single cable for each right and left sides. Lastly, the higher SuperBaX model doubles the number of cables of the BaX model, made of four twisted cables (168 strands) that then split into two twisted cables to each side. Also, the SuperBaX rates a double pull strength than both the Music and BaX, boosting higher durability for its more expensive price tag.

Moreover, the Linum wires inside are covered by enamel material, while the outer sleeve is made of TPA and UV resistant materials, which prevent the inner cable to turn green from oxidation and yellow from sunlight, and also are very skin-friendly. My use of the three cables limits to around a month of use, but can confirm that despite the hot summer days the cables are still practically like new.

The new G2 versions are terminated in a 90° angled plug that in spite of the light weight it is still robust and well finished to complement the compact design of the cable. Same goes for the y-split, made of the same material as the plug with a simple slider that runs smoothly up to the cable connectors. The three cables here on the review all use the common standard MMCX connection, which have a soft and compact rubber covering, easy to attach/detach to the earpieces. Lastly, on both Music and BaX there is a very thin tube attached to connectors that acts as a strain relief, and on the Music is also present on the plug; the cables are extremely soft and very flexible, anyway.

In terms of comfort, these IEM cables weight almost nothing. The Music and BaX are around 5g, and even the SuperBaX is barely felt. The Music and BaX are almost invisible due the single cables on each right and left sides. Microphonics effect is very low when moving around, unless you really force it. The cables are advertised as being resistant to tangling, and compared to the usual cables, including upgrade cables, this claim is quite accurate. They have a unique coil effect present on the lower half part of the cable (from plug to split) that helps the cable return to their compact coiled shape very easily. The effect is mostly noticed on the Music model and also on the BaX (on a lesser degree due its dual twisted cable section), and almost none with the SuperBaX higher cable with its multiple twisted cables design. This coil feature can be present when wearing the cable, however, thanks to the thin and soft materials used it does not affect the so ergonomic design.



Sound Impressions

The 3 cable models were tested with different sets of IEM, all with standard MMCX connections. The earphones’ list starts from below the $100 price mark and goes up to the $500+, and includes the three kinds of current in-ear drivers’ setup available, dynamic drivers (single and dual), balanced armature (BA) single and multi-drivers sets, and also hybrid sets that combine both driver types into a single shell. Just to mention some of the earphones used: Westone UM20, UM30 Pro, W40, Shure SE215, SE535, Vsonic GR07, MeeAudio P1/P2, Dunu DK-3001, Oriveti Primacy, Lear Turbo, CA Orion, and the almost unknown 1216 3RM.

The sources used include various digital portable players from brands such as Fiio, Cowon, Lotoo, Aune, Sandisk, and a few portable amplifiers from Topping, Fiio, Fireye, and Headamp Pico Slim. Smartphones like iPhone 4 & 5 and Samsung Galaxy were also briefly used. Extra MMCX cables were considered for comparison as well, from Dunu, Fiio, MEEAudio and PlusSound, and a few extra DIY cables.

As described above, despite using the exact single wires, the three Linum cables differ in their design and number of wires. This is not just a physical difference, but a fact that contributes in their impedance rate, sound transmission and channel separation, that may reflect into the overall sonic performance. The real differences may depend on the earphones and sources used.


Music G2

Starting from the Music cable, made from a single cable all the way it also rates the higher impedance of 2Ω. This single configuration and impedance has some noticeable influence on the earphones’ sound. With low output players, and regardless the IEM used, the sound is immediately smoothen down, asking for a higher volume to reach an acceptable listening level and yet remains smoother from the midrange to upper treble, eliminating certain peaks and harshness with brighter earphones like the MEE P2, GR07 or 3RM. However, with darker/warmer sounding IEMs like the SE215, SE535 and Lear Turbo, the results were actually the opposite, a stronger emphasis on the lower frequencies with thicker texture on the vocals region. The Music cable certainly is the more fatigue free among the Linum G2 cable line.

The higher gain setting on some players like the Fiio X3 or X5 (mk2) improved the sound even more, though the best results were obtained with some extra amplification. Also, the DAMP function on the Lotoo player (PAW5000) worked as wonder here; greater dynamics, more coherence and more natural texture. There’s slight higher level of detail, though the overall smoother presentation is more focused into ‘musicality’ rather than micro detailing or wider staging.


BaX G2

With a lower impedance of 1.5Ω and dual cable, the BaX brings a bit different sound presentation. The just 0.5Ω less than the Music may not mean much, but together with the two cables configuration it is slightly more efficient. The benefits of extra power or amplification is less relevant, too. The cable setup means a single signal for each earphone side, and the sound is noticeable more effortless and detailed. There is a subtle elevation on both lows and highs ends giving a slightly more lively overall signature, with more energy, but not really too aggressive even with more energetic sounding IEMs. The BaX cable seems to work well with the same earphones as with the Music, be it dynamic or BA based sets. However, the most significant change is the more pronounced channel separation; probably as it tries to reduce the crosstalk effect, so right and left sides are more separated and distant. In fact, the control and accuracy are better, with a clearer image, cleaner background and better coherence and sense of air.




SuperBaX G2

Lastly, the higher SuperBaX cable, which not only doubles the cable material but also the price of the BaX version. The twice number of wires halves the rated impedance to a lower ~0.75Ω and makes it more efficient with any source. As it price may suggest it is more suited for higher earphone sets, and advertised for multiple driver based options. Surprisingly enough, this is a very accurate claim, but not for every earphone tested. The SuperBaX has a similar effect as the BaX, with the better separation and higher detail. The gain on bass and treble is less noticed as this higher cable gives a more neutral almost flat sound. With the lower impedance it pairs much better with multi-BA and hybrid IEM sets where a crossover system is used, rather than on single dynamic based earphones. The overall presentation is even more effortless, cleaner and finely balanced. There’s really no elevation nor a slight hint of coloring, just a clearer and more airy sound. Like with the BaX, the channel separation is noticed, however with the SuperBaX it feels much more natural and vivid.

It was a good match for the W30, W40 and 3RM as for pure BA sets, improving the dynamic range and extension. Also, with the hybrid sets like the Primacy. However, I personally didn’t like the synergy with the Dunu DK-3001 as I found this IEM benefits better from some extra coloration, and with the SuperBaX it sounded flatter and less energetic with a less engaging soundstage.

Extra amplification is not needed here, and in fact the lower than 1Ω impedance combined with also low impedance earphones can make the sound too aggressive and less natural with amplifiers or strong output power sources. On the other hand, with the PAW5000 DAP from Lotoo the combination was excellent, with a clean and very natural treble texture and detailed midrange.








Comparisons

Music G2 Vs MeeAudio P1 upgrade cable

The upgrade MeeAudio P1 is also a silver-plated copper cable that was designed for more dedicated audio sources, with a higher rated impedance than regular cables. It is not as effective as the Music G2 with any kind of players, but both cables show better results with some extra power. In terms of sound, the MeeAudio cable makes the sound more aggressive, fuller in bass and treble, while with the Music it is smoother and more linear with a cleaner image.




BaX G2 Vs MeeAudio Balanced cable (w/3.5mm adapter)

Next is the newer MeeAudio cable, with a 2.5mm termination, but able to connect to any kind of player with the included adapters. For a more fair comparison against the Linum BaX, this cable was used with the single 3.5mm converter. Like the above P1 cable and the BaX, the MeeAudio Balanced cable also carries a silver-plated copper wire, but much easier to use with portable sources. The BaX has the upper hand in terms of separation and air, whereas the MeeAudio offers a slightly thicker and richer tonality.


SuperBaX G2 Vs Dunu Upgrade cable & PlusSound X series (hybrid wire)

For the last comparison, the SuperBaX against two ‘hybrid’ upgrade cables. Both the Dunu (last SHOCS2401 model) and this specific PlusSound X mix the pure silver & copper wires on each strand. Compared to the SuperBaX, these two cables add some color to the sound, with a fuller bass note, richer midrange and crispy and occasionally more laid back treble. As described above, the Linum higher option is much more linear, thinner towards the midrange and brighter in the treble region. The soundstage is most favorable with the PlusSound in single 3.5mm connection, though the Dunu highly improves the sound when in its balanced mode.






Summary & Value

All in all, the three Linum G2 cables not just work as advertised, but even exceed the expectations. With the most minimalist design ever that also keeps a strong build quality, and carefully chosen materials improve the durability of the cables and also make them user friendly with best ergonomics ever found on any earphone cable. In terms of sonic quality, the improvements are well noticed, bringing higher resolution, cleaner background and better clarity overall.
For their price, both Music and BaX models are easy to recommend for most IEM sets, depending on the source or user preferences. As for the SuperBaX it is well worth for higher class earphones that benefit for the specific cable technical characteristics. Nonetheless, the Linum cables are solid options and good reference of what upgrade cables should be.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your reading pleasure, I give you, the Linum Super Bax review: https://www.linum.dk/products/linum-g2-superbax/

Pics:

Specs:
Available connector types: MMCX, 2Pin, T2™
Termination: 3.5 TRS (90° angled)
Silver plated copper litz wires
Quad twisted – 168 strands
Weight: 8-9g / 0.28-0.32oz
Length: 127 cm/50”
Impedance: 0.75 Ω
Pull strength of cable: 120 N/26lbs
Microphonics: Low
Tangle-less: Yes almost! … and should it tangle occasionally, it is easy to untangle

Disclaimer: This cable was provided to me as part of the tour. In return for my honest opinion, I received a discount on the cable. Thanks to all at Estron for the opportunity to review.

My background:
Recent audiophile convert. Late 30s, reasonable hearing (some mild tinnitus from my musician days). Always had a passion for high quality audio. Work in Tech. Wallet still hurting from discovering Head-Fi

My setup:
CIEMS: Noble Audio Kaiser Encores (check my avatar pic, they're gorgeous )
Headphones: Bose QC25, Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro
Sources: 2015 Macbook Pro/ Google Pixel/Fiio X5II -> Chord Mojo

Music: Fairly varied (Rock, Indie, Pop) Mainly Tidal HiFi if online, HiRes Flacs (24/192) if offline (using Fiio X5II). Not a basshead, but like bass...

The Beginning:
So I've had my CIEMS for just over a year now, and I'm blown away by every aspect of them...well every aspect bar the Cable. Nothing wrong with the sound, or the build, but it's a bit...scrapy on my ears. It feels hard and a bit sharp and I'm very conscious of it. This is in contrast to the fit of my CIEMS, as, once they've warmed up to my body temperature, they completely disappear in the ear. Also, I wear glasses, so, that.

(but really, I'm nitpicking, and was just looking for even the flimsiest excuse to investigate after market cables )

The Search:
So I did some research and looked at many many threads to see what might fit within both my budget and my comfort criteria, and one make that jumped out at me was Estron's Linum brand. I also liked what I saw/heard/read about the company. Especially how they came across well, without the whiff of BS or Snake Oil.

Thanks to Nathan's Review on Headfonia, I initially looked at the BaX cable as the aesthetics were amazing. It looks practically invisible:



and I could imagine it being very light indeed. I read up a few of the reviews, and while positive, some reviews talked about there being a slight impact on sound. Having paid a lot for a set of top of the line Wizardy Noble Goodness (K10E), I wanted to ensure that any cable upgrade I made had a neutral to positive impact on the sound. So, the research would continue!

The Search (part II):
I'm a long time lurker, infrequent poster on the Noble K10 Thread (which I read, in its entirety, before deciding to buy them), and one of the folks I grew to respect there was Sorensiim, who had also reviewed the Bax and what would turn into the Super Bax. His review talked about how the comfort factor was still there, This got my attention. More than that actually, I was sold once I read this:

"The sound of the Super Balanced? It isn’t there. When used with the Noble Kaiser 10 CIEM and the Astell & Kern AK120II, the Super Balanced just gets out of the way sonically. The original Bax could add an ever so slightly warmer tone to the music, while shrinking the soundstage just a bit - The Super Balanced does no such things. Airy and spacious recordings sound airy and spacious, bad recordings sound bad and the fantastic voice of Rebecca Pidgeon is still the most impressively well-recorded boring thing I have ever heard. The Super Balanced is like an open, unrestricted autobahn for the music to travel along freely without being held back in any way. Nothing added, nothing lost; the ideal transmission."

That's exactly what I was looking for. Now to try to get my hands on one...

The Search (part III):
So I totally missed the boat for the Tour of the Super Bax here on Head-Fi, but got in touch with them via email back in March 2017. The Amazing Heidi was kind enough to get back to me to let me know that they had sold out of current stock and weren't able to add any more folks to the tour, as they had plenty of reviewers lined up. I checked in every few months, until, in September, they were kind enough to send me the cable to review.

Finally getting my hands (ears?) on it:
A few days later, a lovely package arrived at work. No nonsense cardboard box, with the retail packaging of the Super Bax. [will add pictures here later].

I opened it to find the cable, in a nice anti-static package and the semi hard case. Luckily I had a free half hour to get set up and have a quick play with them.

Immediate reaction: This cable is soooo soft, yet well made and strong. I like the fact that they changed to an angled jack, but at the same time wondered whether the lack of strain relief around the jack would be an issue in the long term.

It connected perfectly into my Encores, and I got them into my ears immediately. Initial reaction to wearing the cable was that it was much nicer, (MUCH MUCH nicer) than the stock Noble Cable, but I didn't immediately notice any sonic difference.

I then had a mild panic attack about the polarity, as I didn't pay that much attention when inserting the pins. After a few back and forths with the stock Noble Cable and the Super Bax, I was convinced that the polarity was correctly set and could relax and focus on the ergonomics first, and think about the sound over time.

So, how about those ergonomics:
Colour me impressed.

• Comfortable? Check
• Soft against my ears? Check
• Is the lack of memory wire an improvement with my glasses? We'll come back to this one
• Does the cable "disappear" when worn for a while? OMG yes - Check
• Tanglenessity (Tanglenessess?) vs stock cable: Definitely better. Love the little magnetic clasp to help keep the cable properly coiled.
• Case - solid. Me likey.

So all positive. The only thing that I had to spend a bit of time getting used to/figuring out was the lack of memory wire. Lots of people seem to think memory wire is something the devil invented and inflicted upon us poor humans. My last few pairs of in ears (Shure 215s, Shure 535s) all had memory wire, and I was generally a fan (even though I wear glasses). I guess you could say that I grew up with memory wire, and it was normal to me. The memory wire on the stock cable that came with my CIEMs was also OK. So all in all, I was looking forward to seeing what an IEM Cable with no memory wire was like. Would the cable flop all over the place when I was moving around? Would it annoy me more than the hardness of the stock cable?

In summary, the looseness of the memory wire-less cable annoyed me at first, until I made a significant discovery that I'm now ready to share with the world.

Ready?

Here it comes...

Prepare to have your mind blown!!!:

Thou shalt tighten the Y Splitter/Cinch to hold the cables down.

I know, right?

Once I figured that out, it was all gravy. (That's a good thing)

Also, several months on (sorry for the delay) I have no concerns over the durability of the cable or angled jack. I take good care of my gear, but still, everything is perfect so far.

In summary - I love the ergonomics of this cable and I'm keeping it.

The sonics:
I don't have a lot to say here. I'm not a frequency chart kind of guy, and I'm techie, but not that techie, so decided to give it a while and then see if I noticed a difference with as close to an A/B comparison as I can do without a switch box or similar.

I've lived with this cable for several months now (apologies again for the delay in publishing this review!!) so would consider my brain to be burned in. Switching back to the stock Noble Cable for a few days left me noticing the ergonomics immediately, but the sound didn't really change for me.

Sonic Summary: The song remained the same! (sorry, had to drop that in somewhere) Also, no sign of microphonics, which is excellent.


The End (well not really, I am keeping it after all):
If you're looking for a comfort oriented upgrade cable that doesn't mess with the sound of whatever beautiful (and no doubt expensive) chunk of IEM goodness you have, I can highly recommend this cable. To me it's the most comfortable cable I've felt/seen/heard about, well designed and has been reliable for me for the past 6 months.
5 Stars.