Video Review
Big thanks to Effect Audio for loaning the EA Club exclusive Onyx to me for 1 week for a full review. I greatly appreciate their kindness and generosity. Take note that the unit I'm reviewing is a prototype which did not come in the official retail packaging.
The EA Onyx is a cable that is exclusively sold to members of the EA Club, Effect Audio's Facebook Group. This is where members share their impressions and pictures of their favourite products with the community. You may join the EA Club here.
Price and specifications:
Price: USD999
Technical Specifications:
- 6 wires
- Multi-stranded Palladium-plated Silver
- EA UltraFlexi Jacket (insulation)
- EA Custom Designed Connector and Y-Split
Build:
Fans of a sleek, subtle look will be pleased to hear that the EA Onyx is all black. The insulation used is a classy matte black and the cable termination, Y-split, and connectors are black. Sometimes cables with transparent insulation might cause heads to turn. The only factor that might garner attention when bringing the Onyx out is its relative thickness.
I was surprised to see a chin slider since the wires are relatively thick. I love the way the metal piece looks and how subtle it is especially when compared to a molded piece of rubber. Out of the box, this chin slider is quite stiff and takes quite a bit of shimmying to get up and down. But I would expect it to get easier with use over time like any other chin slider.
Ergonomics/comfort:
For a thicker cable than the standard 4W braid, the EA Onyx is comfortable. This could be because the matte black insulation used is lightweight. I also like how the "Ultraflexi Jacket" (that is also used in EA's "VOGUE" series) is more pliable than the standard "Flexible Insulation" EA uses in their other cables, such as the ones in the Premium series. This may change over time but I won't be able to comment on that in a week.
One big change that I'm particularly fond of is how EA has lengthened the pre-formed ear hook and curved it a little more aggressively. It sits much better over my ear now when compared to my Ares ii 8W which kind of floats in place.
Sound:
Disclaimer: These are subjective opinions based on what I hear when testing cables. In my opinion, some cables make a difference to the way an IEM sounds. Whether or not that difference is worth the cost of upgrading is entirely up to the potential buyer.
Technical Summary:
The EA Onyx increases perception of the Sub & Mid-bass, bringing about more tactile feedback with an IEM's bass response. I find this to be especially effective in IEMs that have a dynamic driver for the lows, where the bass response becomes even more visceral with this pairing. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised to find that IEMs with a BA woofer also benefited with a more impactful low end that can be heard. These attributes are what make the EA Onyx a specialist in bass reproduction - I personally love how drums and bass guitars are generally made more prominent in my IEMs.
It also increases perception of the Upper-bass/Lower-mids. This adds some fullness to the sound for a richer listening experience. Pairing the Onyx with warm, full-bodied IEMs only serves to make them sound even fatter. The extra body is certainly handy for balancing out lean vocals in "thin" sounding IEMs instead.
I find that the Upper-mids & Lower-treble are just raised by a hair. However, the difference is especially noticeable in terms of its effects on playback of cymbals and hi-hats in some cases. For instance, the mid-treble peak and relative lack of lower-treble presence in the KBEAR Lark "4k" makes cymbals and hi-hats sound thin. Pairing this with the EA Onyx evens out the treble harmonics of cymbals and hi-hats to sound well-rounded.
Note that despite the slight increase in Upper-mids & Lower-treble, the bass boost as described above far outweighs the Upper-mid & Lower-treble to make the Onyx primarily a bass-oriented cable. This could be why the increased bass perception also gives the impression of a smoother listening experience.
The slightly larger Overall stage perception is possibly due to the increased bass region for a fuller sound.
The Mid-treble, Upper-treble and Resolution are largely unchanged from what I hear.
All in all, when paired with my IEM collection and music library, I find the EA Onyx a great cable for accentuating the bass region. It makes for an excellent pairing with bright IEMs for more balance, whilst retaining the same DNA in the upper-mids and treble which may have been the initial X-factor for the listener.
Specific pairings:
There are many factors that come into play with the aspects responsible for the synergy between an IEM and a cable. Please view these pairings as a rough gauge for the synergy you may come to expect when pairing the EA Onyx with an IEM that has a similar sound signature.
Original characteristics: Heavily lower-mid boosted, honky vocals
IEM(s) used: Jomo Audio Jazz (2BA)
EA Onyx pairing: Increased fullness is not a priority for this IEM and the Onyx can make the Jazz sound overly bloated. I find that the Onyx will not change vocal reproduction since it does not affect the midrange and treble harmonics.
Original characteristics: Bright neutral, metallic sounding vocals, thin cymbals and hi-hats
IEM(s) used: KBEAR Lark "4k" (1DD 1BA), KZ ZS10 Pro (1DD 4BA)
EA Onyx pairing: Balances out sound signature with increased bass perception. Increased balance to sound signature might be the reason why the EA Onyx has the potential to smoothen out metallic-tinged vocals. Evens out the treble harmonics by a little, making thin cymbals and hi-hats sound well-rounded.
Original characteristics: V-shape with good bass impact.
IEM(s) used: BLON BL-01 (1DD), TFZ Galaxy T2 (1DD)
EA Onyx pairing: Bass rumble is now more visceral in nature.
Thanks for reading! You may find more reviews on my Head-fi thread.
