Gladiator Cables Review

Links:
IEM cable
Headphone cable
Other Head-Fi review
My unscripted video

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My cables:
*all prices are including shipping costs
AES Harmony:

Conductors: 4x 24AWG (4x1.5mm OD unsleeved)
Material: Thick silver plating 6N OCC Copper (99.9999X%)
Insulator: Extremely flexible
PECore Structure: Type 2 Litz (144*0.02mm)
Price: 120 for the cable, +30 for the 2.5 to 4.4 adaptor
Context: Reason that the adaptor doesnt share the same connectors is because the Gladiator connector was added later. The 4.4 to 2.5 adaptor also shares the same materials as the AES Harmony cable.

Sonum II + 4.4mm Interconnect + 4.4mm To 2.5mm Adaptor:

Sonum 2:
Conductors: 4 x 24AWG
Material: Japanese 99.9% OFC Copper
Insulator: Recycled silicone that is both high quality and extremely flexible.
Nylon Sleeving: Polyester & Polypropylene 2mm thickness
Price: 77 euros

4.4mm Interconnect: Viablue EPC-4
Price: 40 euros

The 4.4mm Gladiator connector
Pure copper with 5u Gold plating
Price: 30 euros

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INTRO
So where it all started for me was when I had my Edition XS, and I wanted a balanced cable that simply worked. So I was told by a friend to get a gladiatorcable, and that was how I got in contact with Antonio the man who runs the entire thing.

Yes, one man. The entire thing.

AAnyways, so I ordered a 4.4mm balanced cable from him after asking him a bunch of things and basically telling him I wanted the cheapest functional normal looking cable possible.

So I got exactly that, although the material was still cloth, it was still flexible, and it was decently cheap enough for me to be okay with it. I remember it being 60~ euros or so. This cable is visible in some of my older videos on my channel.

Anyways I was happy with the cable, and that is where it all started.

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The Interconnect
It arrived. And it worked. Fantastic.

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AES Harmony story:
A quick disclaimer.
I personally don't notice any sound changes with cables, and have yet to have experienced that, besides the fact that some things improved, but I blamed that on the fact that both of the times I noticed that were due to me changing from single ended to a balanced connection. And the difference I noticed was just more bass impact and a more full-er sound.

So there's a bit of a story for this cable. Its a 2pin IEM cable with a aluminum splitter, and colors made to match my Thieaudio Oracle, I also wanted a 4.4 to 2.5mm adaptor with it, so I could use it with my Q5K when I was on the go.

So because I was so excited, I had selected the second most expensive shipping option, which was 20 bucks. It was by EMS post. And Antonio was quick to make the cable and take it to the post office. However this is where The Incident starts. And this was not due to Antonio at all. Infact he had nothing to do with it.

So, the cable got shipped to my country, and it was pretty fast too. I live in the Netherlands btw. But upon arriving, it was held at Amsterdam, then It was taken to Den Haag, and stayed there. for a MONTH, after that Antonio suddenly received the cable back.

Ofcourse during this, we held contact with each other via Discord and we both were very annoyed by this situation which POSTNL had caused.

The very reason it was sent back to Antonio was because apparently my shipping adress was not properly visible, which was complete bull.
Anyways Antonio was quick to send it back to me, and this time it arrived, smooth sailing. After being happy and excited about the cable, inappropriately touching it all over and smelling those Italian hands. /j I plugged them into my IEMs... and the left channel was completely borked.

So I contacted Antonio immediately, and we were quick to conclude that something in the 4.4mm connector had snapped. Which was a disappointment and a half. Although I am sure Antonio had learned from that experience

So I sent it back to him, and then also demanded he upgraded my 4.4mm connector to a Gladiatorconnector, because I thought the stock connector looked ugly asf and didn't match the 2pin connectors.

And coincidentally I had HD580's at the time with a horrible stock cable, so I also ordered a cable from him with a gladiatorconnector.

Anyways when the cable got back to me recently, along with the Sonum 2 cable, they both worked, and I was happy.

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AES Cable Thoughts:
It's a nice cable, although it has made me realize some things. I prefer non-cloth cables when it comes to IEMs.

Due to it being cloth, theres a bit of cable noise, but during music listening, you don't notice it at all.

Also another thing to add which is a QC issue on Antonio's part. The Indicators for the correct orientation for the 2pin, were incorrect.

The 2 pin connector Antonio used has notches to indicate how the connector should be seated. And since there is no earhook, I had to rely on this. I asked Antonio about it and he told me the notch should point inwards of the IEM.

And while this was true for my left channel, it was the opposite for my right channel, as for it to be correct, the right channel pointed OUTWARDS. Which also surprised Antonio.

Very flexible, very nice looking, very nice feeling.

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Sonum II:
It arrived, it worked. Wonderful. I enjoy it. Big upgrade over stock cable. Also cable noise due to cloth, but not noticable during use.
Color matched to my HD580

Very flexible, very nice looking, very nice feeling.

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The 2.5mm to 4.4mm adaptor:
I use this thing personally all the time. Even though now I regret color matching it to my Oracles.

Why? Because I use it with my other IEM's now too, and I don't take the Oracles with me anymore when I go somewhere, because they're just too valuable for that.

I use them most with my Letshuore Galileo and my Qudelix 5k, because the Galileo is the cheapest IEM I own at the moment. I also sometimes use them with my S8.

How do I use the adaptor?
Well, I use it whenever I go somewhere where I know I can have a reasonable amount of time to enjoy some music.

Because I am Dutch, I use it when I go cycling, be it to work or to school, or to visit someone.
So I put it in one of the pockets inside of my jacket. The adaptor just plays so nicely, IMO it's better than just connecting something straight into it, because the adaptor allows for extra play.

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Conclusion:
Gladiatorcables is a "Company" that is run by a single person that does literally everything himself.
That is also why the "Price" of the cables is in the cons, because I know a lot of people just buy cheap cables from Aliexpress and move on with their day.

Antonio tries to deliver maximum value to the customer, in all ways possible, however, he as a person and as a seller, still needs to grow, as issues sometimes occur. Such as the linked head-fi review of his PROTOTYPE cleopatra-line cable that he sold to someone.

Due to that review, Antonio realized it is not a good idea to keep sending products in just double packaged bubble wrap evelopes, as I personally have confirmed with him that he will be using boxes now that hold the cables in place properly, and try taking more care of the cables as an attempt to not make them die due to shipping.

Also, to deflect some controversy started by none other than Sharur. All the "evidence" in that video was taken out of context, but any smart individual here would know not to trust Sharur lmao.

conclusion times 2.
So, Gladiatorcables, or Antonio, is not an italian with a choking fetish, but a man trying to give the best value possible for his customers, and will take any feedback seriously.

All thoughts and opinions were my own, I am simply a customer that bought Antonio's cables multiple times, and is online friends with Antonio.