Greetings fellow Head-fiers, and welcome to my review of the Eletech Ode To Laura. I was lucky enough to be part of the demo process in the building stages of this cable, and Iโd like to give a quick shout-out to
@Eric Chong , who is quite possibly the nicest guy in the business. It was a great honor for me to be asked to be a part of this experiment, and it was super cool for an experienced cable maker such a he to imply such a back to roots approach on a new product - kudos there. Eric also happens to make beautiful work, lust worthy cables that sounds just a beautiful as they look. Intricate works of art that place almost as much attention to visual details as they do their custom wiring structures and exotic sourced components. I did a guest review for the Illiad over at Bloom Audio, Iโve tried the Aeneid extensively, and now for a full circle, Iโm now sharing my thoughts on Eletechโs newest masterpiece - the Ode To Laura.
Letโs get a few things out of the way first. Firstly, I would like to thank Andrew at
@MusicTeck for asking me to review the OTL, and for providing me with a demo unit. I had to send the cable back after my review process, and nothing was asked of me other than to share my thoughts and experiences completely independent of any pressure or influence. Sadly I could not keep the OTL, as I grew to love it very quickly, but I digress. Second, I find that there are two types of people when it comes to cables, some that find it makes a noticeable difference in their signal chains, and others find that it absolutely doesnโt and itโs a waste of time and money. It isnโt my position here to convert or try to convince anyone of anything, so if you donโt believe in cable upgrades thatโs fine, but perhaps this review wonโt be terribly useful to you, unless you like to hear an ultra nerd endlessly rant about high end audio. This is also an extremely expensive cable, and therefor my review is based on sound, and sound alone. If you think spending ~$3700 on a cable is crazy, youโre right! But weโre all crazy here
Lastly, a quick word about reviews, if I may: I cannot stress enough that this is my personal opinion. This is a review based on my personal preferences and especially my library, something that has a huge effect on the outcome of a review, which we should all keep in mind. What sounds great for someone who specializes in classical or hip hop might not work for the metal head, hardcore jazzer, or someone who only listens to acoustic musicโฆetc ad infinitum. I for one have incredibly eclectic tastes, I listen to just about everything, and will try to be as even keeled as possible when I give my opinions when it comes to this cable, so that it can be of greatest use to those that take the time to read it.
All testing done with Jewel and Viking Ragnar on LP6 Ti AE. A full burn-in of 150+ hours was done as well.
With all that out of the way, letโs get started!
For comparison purposes I had with me the PW First Times Shielding and Orpheus Shielding, two of the best pure copper flagship cables available, to see how the OTL stacks up, and where it just might be different enough to not only compete, but hold its own among these famous beats. The OTL is very musical, energetic, resolving and detailed. It has that baked in Eletech house sound, so if youโre a fan you surely wonโt be dissapointed with this one. Spoiler alert, while the OTL is a pure copper cable, and it does indeed have the traditional values and signature of a pure copper flagship, it performs more like a hybrid. I mean that in a very good way - while the FTS and Orpheus are staggering examples of pure copper, the OTL takes it in a slightly different direction, while keeping true to the copper family. I will explain further, but first the packaging.
For anyone that has read my past reviews, I am not about the packaging and unboxing process in the least. Box goes right to the closet or closest bookcase available after I take the goodies out. No need to go into it further for me, others like this stuff and I prefer to let them do it instead. Occasionally I do find packaging that really wows me, bears mentioning, and therefor I take a moment to call out the special design and work that went into the display of a product. The OTL is one of these, as the packaging is not only extremely well designed, beautiful to boot, but itโs also chock full of goodies not expected from a simple audio cable. Firstly the cable comes in a box that, in keeping with the traditional Electech vibe, is impressive and chock full of cues from Greek gods and mythic imagery. The elaborate cutouts in the box, the fine details, they go a long way to convey the time and passion it took to design this packaging. The cable itself comes in a gorgeous leather puck style case, with a zipper as well as a button/clasp - I wonder why other manufacturers donโt add this as well, I never thought of it before, but itโs a great idea. Kudos again Eric. There is also a metal serial number card, and a cable strap made the same leather as the case, also emblazoned with the Electech log, a very nice touch. There is also a gorgeous gold coin, with a greek god etched into the surface - not really necessary but an eye catching attention to detail nonetheless. Lastly, you get a Pentaconn chin slider, a very welcome addition, as none of the previous Eletech cables came with anything which drove me crazy, I like to cinch the cable tight up against my neck. This Pentaconn slider is also made of some crazy materials which supposedly help to shield the cable from RF frequencies and giving a darker background, I am not sure about that, I didnโt test it. It does work super well as a slider, and itโs pretty cool looking too, so Iโm happy.
In a vast oversimplification catch all, this is a very high quality copper cable. A true flagship in my opinion, with best in class sonics, wonderful ergonomics and a very classy look. It is very impressive, both sonically and aesthetically. I do personally prefer a more understated look vs the shiny stuff, and while some of Eletechโs previous flashy cables push the limits to what I would be comfortable wearing in public, the OTL is dark, brooding, elegant and lush. You can see the gorgeous copper braids underneath the clear jacket, and while it isnโt quite as supple as other Eletech offerings owing to its larger cable gauge, it is very soft and I found it to disappear all day while wearing. The hardware is beautiful, polished black aluminum with subtle copper contrast cues throughout - the Y split and 4.4mm plus are some of the most intricate Iโve ever seen. Really gorgeous, and this coming from a guy who normally likes it mate black and functional only, I give credit where itโs due. Speaking of ergonomics, especially compared to the PW shielding cables, it is night and day when it comes to on the ear comfort, no question there. The OTL is vastly thinner and lighter, no comparison really. While I personally donโt mind the PW feel, and I dig the blacked out looks, it was a refreshing notion that I could get top notch sound without the weight and girth I am used to.
So letโs get into the sound shall we?
This is a really fantastic sounding cable. This is world class stuff, pure copper with a modern twist. The OTL really performs more like an exotic hybrid than PC, with tons of energy and punch, tight visceral bass, gorgeous warm mids, and that signature Eletech top end gold sparkle. Thatโs not to say it doesnโt sound like copper, that it has in spades, but there is a modern twist, a stroke of speed, energy and excitement that I donโt normally hear in copper cables. While the FTS has some extra energy up top, I found the OTL to be more energetic overall, and more modern sounding compared to the FTS which is more relaxed. The OTL has a slightly more intimate staging, not small but not overly large either, focusing the layering, details and emotion right up front. The vertical staging is very impressive, with the top end seemingly going off into endless space, but the placement of the instruments width wise is more on the intimate side. Imaging is top notch as well. The background is dark, not as pitch black as the shielded PW cables, though you have the trade-off of far more ergonomic handling, and way less microphonics. I found the OTL overall to be a bit triangle shaped, where the lowest frequencies are the biggest, and as you go up everything gets thinner, loss body, and more airy. Perhaps thatโs true of other cables as well, it just struck me with the OTL- a solid structure that flows up to the heavens treading lighter the higher you get. Perhaps thatโs also what I mean by modern sounding.
BASS - The OTL has some of, if not the best bass I have ever heard in a cable. Hands down, itโs daammmmmn good. Shockingly tight and punchy, reaching deeper and with greater authority than my PW comparison cables in fact. The texture is oh so satisfying, and I found on certain tracks that are quite bass featured, like DโAngelo, FKJ or Emancipator, I was totally blown away by the rumble and pump I got in my chest. Bring on acoustic bass and the tonality was perfect, with a slight featuring of sub-bass over mid bass, so it never got congested on bleeding into the lower mids. There is phenomenal control, and punch for days, outdoing the FTS I reviewed just a few weeks ago ( in which I quoted it as having the punchiest bass I had heard in a copper cable). I would say that quantity is slightly elevated over neutral, so it gets out of the way when not called for, but bring in some bass heavy tracks and youโll notice it. I had some spellbinding moments for sure, focusing more on the bass that I usually do- that texture, that grunt, that analog goodness, it was truly remarkable. Both Jewel and Ragnar greatly benefitted from the bass improvements the OTL brought. Jewel got more authority, deeper reach and better texture. The Ragnar is more bass neutral and the slight uptick in bass quantity gave the low end a bit more power and presence, while the texture was really very impressive. Ragnar + OTL bass quality is ridiculously good, just needs to be said.
MIDS - The mids are where the OTL begins to โbreak with traditionโ. Overall the mids are ever so slightly forward. While the lower mids are nicely weighted, warm and punchy, the upper mids are smooth but somewhat pulled back and thinner. This results is a very powerful low end, where guitars and synth instruments have wonderful analog girth and tonality, but vocals sound quite ethereal and even wispy. I say this as a matter of fact, rather than a critique, as for some this is exactly what they look for. The mids on the whole are lovely, very detailed with great resolution. The upper mids are smoother, velvety and with a lot of air, thought I will admit that it isnโt exactly the most true to life tuning. Male vocals are rich and full, but female vocals -or nasal male vocals- sound a bit thinner and pulled back, giving that ethereal quality that takes it a bit out of reference for my tastes. For example, when listening to a guitar solo that starts lower on the neck I hear a true to life rendition of their tone, but as the solo builds and they play higher on the neck, the notes start to get thinner and less realistic. Perhaps thinner isnโt the operative word, I donโt want to paint a picture of thin and weak, itโs more that they get more delicate, more airy, and less body than further below. Both Jewel and Ragnar have exquisite mids, and the OTL helps them both to shine. While the Jewel is more even and reference in the mids, the Ragnar leans slightly more to the ethereal side, so with OTL I preferred Jewel vs Ragnar. Thatโs really just a personal preference thing of course. If you like the ethereal vibe the Ragnar and OTL mids presentation is quite stunning. The OTL did smooth out some of the pinna gain on the Jewel, which was nice on certain tracks.
TREBLE - This is where the OTL shines for days, literally. You could say that the Eletech sound puts special focus and attention to their treble and perhaps some could call the OTL bright on top, but I think itโs perfectly done considering the rest of the spectrum. It doesnโt sound out of place at all. The OTL treble is beautifully done, with a wonderful sense of air and space, with that trademark shimmer that feels like someone is sprinkling golden speckles in the air as they reflect light and dance about. I head this with the Illiad and Aeneid, but it wasโt as gorgeous and convincing as the presentation here on the OTL. The vertical dynamics are lust worthy, and the staging here is ambitious to say the least. This is again not the most realistic, real to life tuning, focusing more on the ethereal and beautiful vs accurate. In no way meant as a critique, merely mentioning that for a true reference listener such a myself, I did find that it pulled me out of the bath of sonic bliss a few times when things didnโt sound quite like a knew them to be. While on some tracks the OTL was on the verge of too bright for me, I did find it extremely enjoyable, and some of the best treble I have heard. I mentioned earlier that there is a bit of an increase in treble energy with the OTL, but I would like to adjust my wording, as I find it more of a treble focus rather than an increase in treble energy. Yes, there is a good amount lot of treble, but the treble is smooth, natural and very easy to listen to. The FTS as a comparison, has a very smooth analog overall signature with an uptick in treble energy, which makes me notice it over the rest of the spectrum. The OTL has an energetic sound overall, with a focus on the treble, so while the focus is there I didnโt find the energy there to be out of place, or overly emphasized with the rest of the spectrum.
With that treble focus in mind, I think there are some genres of music that are best portrayed on the OTL. Anything electronic is โforgetaboutit, donโt pass go, just buy itโ good. The combo of tantalizing bass texture, deep reach and rumble with that open top end and golden sparkle is simply badass. Modern jazz is also great too, in fact anything with a modern mastering sounds wonderful. Where I think some could have an issue is when true to life presentation is held most dearly. Where the OTLโs modern tuning could sway you back to traditional copper perhaps. Keeping in check my OCD tendencies and skills in nitpicking, the OTL is very musical and balanced sounding, this is just the last 5% or so. Finally, for some genres the OTL is not a great match, like heavier music. I found the less bodied upper mids and treble focus make most metal recordings rather hard to listen to.
IEM pairing could play a large role in your enjoyment of the OTL. With the Jewel it was wonderful, especially given the Jewelโs slightly underemphasized high end, adding in some sparkle and air up top. Mids were lovely, and its upper mid pinna gain was smoothed out some. Bass was enveloping, bringing out more of that DD flavor than I had heard with other cables. Jewel is slightly warm already, but I never felt it was overly warm with the OTL, just a great pairing. Honestly, this is one of the best cables you can get for the Jewel. With the Ragnarโs quite emphasized and possibly overly bright top end, I found the OTL to be unbearable at times. Crisp, smooth, clear yes, but too much treble emphasis for me, thatโs for sure. The OTL did give the Ragnar that bit of needed warmth and bass boost, the low end texture and tonality was really off the chains good. In general this wasnโt the best matchup, I personally preferred the Ragnar with the FTS. With Jewel I found the OTL to be a fantastic pairing, I even preferred it over the FTS and Orpheus on some tracks. The energy and raw bass grunt was especially pleasing, and on bass featured tracks I hadnโt heard the Jewel sound so good. But when it comes to vocals, mid range focus and organic instruments I tended to prefer the FTS or Orpheus simply because they were more linear, and true to life. OTL mids are great, but they arenโt really the star of the show, that goes to the top and bottom. It really comes down the the presentation you prefer. I can easily think of a few fellow Head-fiers that would definitely prefer the OTLโs signature sound over the PW candidates.
So, in closing, I am sad to see the OTL go. I really, really enjoyed this cable, especially with my Jewel. I am a one-cable-per-IEM-guy, so this was quite a test for me; as I was listening I was honestly considering if it could dethrone the Orpheus for me. A testament to how good the OTL really is. I could personally pass on the lighter ethereal upper mids, but if I was to own several cables I would be very happy to have a different shade to play with. I will admit that sometimes OTL got a bit bright, even with the Jewel, but that was quite track dependent. Most of the time I found the OTL to be utterly musical, lively, and vastly enjoyable. For those who like amazing bass and a treble forward presentation this just might be the best cable on earth. Job well done Eric Chong, color me extremely impressed.
drftr