Introduction:
The Effect Audio is a Singapore brand that is known by some famous aftermarket cables. They offer Ares and Thor series headphone/IEM cables as well as Piccolino Ultimate and Eros Reference units. In addition, there is Mars cable from Premium series and finally the Leonidas from Heritage class. In the accessory section of the Effect Audio website, there is a rich product range including some mini interconnects, digital cables, and connector options. As it can be seen in the website, the Effect Audio has started to collaborate with custom in ear monitor makers such as Cosmic Ears, Empire Ears, Vision Ears, and Custom Art.
The Effect Audio has a very responsive and helpful customer service. I have been in contact with their marketing manager Eric Chong and he replied my mails quite fast. In addition, Effect Audio has many dealers worldwide such as Jaben in Indonesia, AV One and Music Sanctuary in Singapore, Crystal Sound Audio in Hong Kong, Munkong Gadget in Thailand and Just 4 Ear in China. Also the Effect Audio representatives can be visited in their Headquarters by appointment.
Build Quality and Accessories:
The Effect Audio utilizes four silver/gold conductors, Mundorf gold solder and Litz woven technique in the production of the Leonidas. The reviewed cable has traditional 2 pin connectors, but it is possible to order the Leonidas with almost all types of pins used in the industry.
The reviewed Leonidas has a special 3.5 mm straight plug and Y splitter that seems quite premium. In the Effect Audio ordering page, there are also 3.5mm angled, 2.5 mm balanced and RSA type plugs. The cable doesn't have a stiff memory wire part. Which in fact is not necessary, since the conductors are flexible enough to take the shape.
The Leonidas is quite flexible. It is very easy to wrap and use it outdoors. It comes with a leather case that looks very cool and this combination gives a premium feeling to customers. In sum, Effect Audio provides one of the best looking packages that I have ever seen in this hobby.
Sound:
The Leonidas sounds natural and can be considered as neutral in terms of the quantity balance, with the exception of its little fullness in low and mid frequencies. It doesn't put any frequency significantly forward compared to the stock cable and it also reduces the stress on the presentation.
Both cables have similar amount of sub-bas, but the Leonidas provides better texture and it hits from a more distant area in the stage. It has a little more quantity in mid-bass region, but the Leonidas provides a better resolution and a more refined mid-bass presentation. In comparison, the stock cable sounds colder, while the Leonidas is more emotional rather than warmer.
The midrange position is similar in both cables, but Leonidas sounds a bit bolder and has provides more body in the lower harmonic range. In this regard, the Leonidas takes the advantage in the tonality, while the stock cable sounds slightly leaner. In addition, the average note thickness is better on the Leonidas with a more effortless mid-range presentation. In upper midrange, the Leonidas is slightly smoother and the stock cable tends to sibilance more.
Both cables have similar amount of treble, but the Leonidas sounds more natural and smoother. In this regard, the Leonidas is a very good alternative to already bright sounding IEMs. In accordance with the depth advantage, the Leonidas’ treble creates more spacious stage compared to the stock cable. Also, the Leonidas keeps up the detailed presentation in a smoother way.
The Leonidas doesn't change overall stage width, but it has a deeper presentation and it locates the background slightly more distant than the stock cable. The Leonidas has clearer and cleaner spaces around instruments and that results in a little better instrument separation compared to the stock cable.
Note: The stock cable used in this review is the Lear’s C2 cable.
Final Words:
The Effect Audio Leonidas sounds natural and slightly neutral. It doesn't color the overall presentation much and keeps up a detailed note releasing. As for the craftsmanship, it is really good and the Leonidas is one of the best-looking cables that I have ever seen. I would highly recommend it to the audience who are looking for a cable that doesn't brighten a specific frequency. Lastly, the Leonidas is priced at 799 USD.
Please check the link below for more information about Effect Audio Leonidas:
http://www.effectaudio.com/upgrade-cables/iem-cables/iem-heritage-series.html