Eletech Sonnet of Adam

Hello, with the assistance of Andrew and Musicteck I had the great privilege of demoing a few great items, among these is Eletech's Sonnet of Adam, available at Musicteck via here: https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/eletech.

A few notes before we jump into things:

As this is a demo unit, I do not have full packaging but given the photos I have seen of the stock packaging, it is excellent as to be expected of Eletech's Parnassus line.

I will be comparing this against several cables but, as I noticed the results to be consistent across multiple IEMs (Ragnar, Tesseract, Loki, Trifecta and Red Halo) I will be covering the cable's sound and effects in general, unless otherwise stated to have had a drastically different effect with a select pairing.


Both are excellent on the SoA, as usual, Eletech hardware is beautiful and akin to wearing jewelry. The best part of the build of the SoA compared to the Ode to Laura? Finally Eletech decided to include a quality chin cinch that actually fits the cable and doesn't constantly slide down like the OTL's pentaconn chin cinch. The cable is soft and extremely pliable while being lightweight. I personally wish the cable had a little more heft and was less pliable as it moves around a bit too much for my tastes and I usually prefer some weight to my cable, but that's personal preference.



The Sonnet of Adam (SoA) is quite technically adept, as a flagship cable should be, but the most striking aspect about the SoA is it's separation without notes sounding etched or quick to decay. There is a dark background, albeit not as dark as the Ode to Laura or Centurion, for notes to pop out against while naturally decaying with a fair amount of pre/post reverb. Due to this, the depth of the soundstage of the SoA is impressive and it does so without sacrificing width or height, extending rather wide and tall.

The imaging of the SoA is good, but I personally would like to see a bit better performance from a top of the line flagship product. Notes are well placed but can sound a bit misplaced due to the slightly recessed mids when combined with the depth and height exhibited in the bass and treble. Notably this only seems to be present in the mid range and vocals and is not something I noticed elsewhere.

The SoA has a very strong copper timbre despite being largely a Gold-Plated Silver(GPS)/Gold-Silver Alloy (GSA) cable, the bit of Gold-Plated copper seems to be working over time providing a very copper warmth and roundness to all notes. This contributes to the resolution feeling a bit lower than your average GPS/GSA cable. While micro-details are discernable, in complex or cluttered songs, they can be lost in the roundness and decay of more prominent surrounding notes.

Ode to Laura: The Ode to Laura, Eletech's Co-Flagship, actually has a slightly less copper-toned timbre relative to the SoA despite being fully copper vs only partial of the SoA. The OTL also benefits from having a blacker background with tighter, faster transients which give a greater sense of resolution from the increased micro-details that are easier to discern. OTL overall has less width in the soundstage than the SoA but it reaches deeper and a greater perception of height from a treble that presents more sparkle and air. Imaging of the OTL is outstanding due to the layering and etched transients. Overall I believe the OTL to be the more technnically adept cable among Eletech's flagships but the SoA's aim is for an analogue, natural tonality and gladly sacrifices some technical strength to achieve this (which it does very well!).

Centurion: The Centurion is a true flagship, top of the line, uncontested cable for me and my preferences. The Centurion leaves nothing lacking in the technical department. It has an deeper, wider and higher soundstage with a blacker background and precise imaging to make use of all the space it affords. While the timbre is definitely that of a silver cable, it retains a sweetness and a very very slight roundness ontop of extremely etched transients which allow drums, cymbals and string plucks to stand out extraordinarily well, you can hear the hit, crash and reverb perfectly on percussion instruments. As expected, the resolution of the Centurion is better than that of the SoA as it is able to spread notes wide and have a lot of air between to allow every nuance in your music through.

Cleopatra II Octa: The Cleopatra II Octa shares a lot of similarities technically with the SoA but when it comes to tonality and sound presentation they differ greatly, which I'll cover later. Both cables have a great analogue sound but the SoA pushes it to the next level with it's copper timbre and rounded notes, where as the Cleo II is sharper and more etched and full sounding in comparison. Clarity and Resolution, the Cleopatra's tuning goal, are stronger than that of the SoA, despite being fuller, micro details are much easier to hear on the Cleo compared to SoA but I would say the SoA has a slightly blacker background. Staging wise, the SoA is wider, slightly deeper and just about equal in height.

Horus x Cleo I: The Horus x Cleopatra I's strengths are in it's vocals, depth and height. Comparative to the SoA, it reaches deeper and higher but it is not as wide due to the vocal clarity and sweetness added, similar to the Centurion here but sacrifices are made while the Centurion does not sacrifice anything. Similar to other comparisons so far, the Horus/Cleo is again more adept at clarity and resolution than the SoA, but as mentioned, the Adam does not lack here, it is simply a small sacrifice made for the benefits of it's timbre and tonality, which I believe copper cable lovers will adore. Transients are definitely faster and more defined on the Horus/Cleo than the SoA with a blacker background to boot.

Shirogane 8w: Another of the demo items graciously provided by Musicteck! If the Ode to Laura is the silver of copper cables, the Brise Shirogane is the copper of silver cables. I believe the SoA to be the superior cable technically to the Shirogane, which has big, heavy notes that lead to many micro details being drowned out from an over impactful bass and extremely forward mids. These overly forward mids give SoA a massive lead in soundstage width, depth is similar and height is in favor of the SoA. The SoA's transients are faster and notes are actually less rounded and weighty (for the first out of all our comparisons!). The SoA is more resolving and has a higher level of clarity with a blacker background due to not experiencing overly bloated note weight. The SoA manages to provide a very happy medium between copper and silver where the Shirogane leans far too heavily into trying to be copper.


The Sonnet of Adam contributes warmth, increased punch and minor additional rumble to any paired IEM. The first thing that sticks out when using the SoA is that the bass notes are very rounded and slightly larger than average. This however does not lead any paired IEM to sound bloated or have bass that bleeds into the mid range despite quantity being increased slightly. There is a good amount of texture given to the bass from the Adam which contributes to that analogue tonality it provides throughout. As mentioned, there is a stronger sense of copper from this cable than silver or even any gold influence, especially in the bass as it is not tightened or fast. Decay is on the slower end, which combined with the added texture really allows for the bass to be felt, even when pairing with all BA monitors. Despite all of this, the SoA's bass performance is able to be airy and extends deep. The thing that stuck out to me about the air and space present in the bass though was that it felt very unnatural at times, for me, I believe this is due to the larger rounded notes and slower decay which makes it feel like there shouldn't be that open/airy feel but there is. This is not a bad trait but it is one that was very apparent to me when A/Bing with the below comparisons. There is an abundance of detail present in the ultra lows but as it comes up to the mid bass and transitions into lower mids, the amount of detail decreases as the not perfectly black background combined with the rounded/larger notes leads to a little bloom into the aforementioned air.

Ode to Laura: Relative to the SoA, the Ode to Laura actually adds more texture to the bass while being overall less warm in tonality. The speed of the bass is much quicker and punchier with the OTL with notes being far more incisive and to provide a greater dynamic presentation. The same sense of air is present with the OTL as the SoA but the background is blacker here and combined with the complete lack of bloom and ultra fast decay, it never comes off as unnatural. The SoA also has a greater effect on mid-bass than the OTL, which leans much more on the sub-bass, but neither is heavily influential to the mid-bass. Despite being a copper cable, this presentation is distinctly more silver than the SoA, so if you're a person who loves the typical slight bloom/roundness of copper cable bass, the SoA will be a much better match for you than OTL.

Centurion: The Centurion has much greater clarity in the low end, retaining an extremely fast transient speed with just an extremely small rounded edge that allows the tonality to never come off as fake. There is slightly more texture, evenly distributed from sub to mid bass than the SoA, but still less than the OTL. The bass reaches deeper while being against an abyssal black background which gives the bass much more detail and any reverb is able to be discerned from beginning to end which the SoA is unable to compete with due to the over-roundness and slight bloom. Sonnet of Adam is less dynamic than the Centurion, which has a strong punch and rumble and, due to it's greater clarity and resolution, better micro details.

Cleopatra II Octa: The CleoII is far more mid-bass focused than the SoA, which is heavily sub-bass focused. The Cleopatra has tighter, faster transients than the SoA but also sounds fuller. The Cleo uses every ounce of space given to it but is, at the same time able to project a darkness behind the notes similar to the SoA, but slightly blacker. Both cables are tied in their overall dynamics, but the Cleo's mid-bass focus leads it to have a far greater rumble and texture to it than the SoA which is almost entirely reliant on it's sub-bass impact. When it comes to air, the SoA has a slight edge, but even with the fullness the CleoII is able to achieve, it has an ability to still project air between each note. Detail retrieval throughout the lows is in favor of the Cleo but they are not far off, it just takes a more critical listening approach to hear them on the SoA.

Horus x Cleo I: Horus/Cleo has an extremely tight and focused bass, that reaches very deep (just about tied with Centurion!) and has a much greater amount of punch and rumble than the SoA (the Horus provides all the sub-bass reach and punch, while the CleoI provides additional texture and then mid-bass rumble and fullness akin to the CleoII above). This is very similar overall to the CleoII comparison but with a sub-bass tactility, depth and punch to balance out the mid-bass.

Shirogane 8w: Sonnet of Adam has far less note weight, bloom, punch and congestion than the Shirogane. The shirogane comes across as a fully copper cable within the bass, allowing next to no air or space between notes with every ounce of space taken up by full, large, bloomy notes. The tonality of the Shirogane also comes off as very unnatural when compared to the SoA, which never makes any type percussion instrument sound fake or off. Almost all drums, whether it be a kick, snare or bass, sound like an oak barrel full of water being hit, they have too much weight and an overly exaggerated heft to their reverb and it just sounds completely tonally offputting as it overtakes every detail that should be there.


I would say that this is what Sonnet of Adam's specialty is, it's analogue, smooth, slightly recessed and detailed mids. The aforementioned sacrifices in technicalities are made soley for the presentation here. The SoA is able to bring an emotional, detailed, and natural tonality to both male and female vocals and the air and space/separation present in the bass is carried through to here. There can sometimes be a slight bleed of bass through to the very low mid range but it is rare and not intrusive/overpowering, very minor when I did experience it. Greater attention to keeping clarity and resolution was clearly (pun intended) paid to this region, as despite the rounded tonality, micro details are still very present and either echo'd vocals or duets are able to be discerned easily in any mix. There is still that signature copper warmth that the low range has so it helps keep a more musical rather than analytical nature.

Ode to Laura: Between the OTL and SoA, the OTLs mids are recessed slightly more but the overall shape of OTL's presentation is still a fairly linear J snape (beginning it's slow up toward the lower treble region) while I would classify the SoA as a more balanced W. OTL has an ethereal tonality to it's vocals, where they neither gain too much texture or weight but have an excellent cohesive flowing nature while retaining air, separation and strong micro details. I would say both OTL and SoA are fairly equal in their overall detail throughout the mid range with a slight edge in resolution and clarity to the OTL. Imaging is slightly more natural on the SoA due to less recession of the range but layering is slightly in favor of the OTL.

Centurion: Despite the Centurion having slightly more forward mids than the SoA, it does not lose any soundstage width, a huge plus for the Centurion as typically any elevation of upper mids will result in a shrinking of stage width. The Centurion has a sweeter presentation than the SoA, however the SoA has the more analogue tone of the two, being quite a few shades warmer. A lot of my listening and comparisons to these two led me to classify SoA as a warmer, less technically proficient Centurion. The Centurion excels in every comparative area of imaging, clarity, resolution, detail (macro and micro) while having faster decay. This is entirely a preference area, if you want pure technical strength while still having a great tonality, Centurion, but if you prefer a more analogue warmth and are okay with the sacrifice of techs, the SoA is great.

Cleopatra II Octa: These two share a similar goal, a strong analogue flavor that exudes naturalness and texture throughout. The Cleopatra is less "analogue" of the two but this is due to having a distinct silver based clarity, tightness and quickness without somehow losing a natural and full sound. The biggest difference between these two is note size, clarity/resolution and timbral warmth. The cleo takes the lead in clarity and resolution while having smaller notes but is distinctly less warm and rounded while having slightly more texture.

Horus x Cleo I: Much like the bass comparison, there is a lot in common here with the CleoII so I'll describe where it differs. The Horus x Cleo is a bit brighter, more revealing with slightly less texture and more forward, detailed vocals. There is also a distinct sweetness that is shared with the Centurion. Relative to the SoA, the Horus x Cleo is much more "standard silver" presentation, with a tight, fast, detailed and resolution oriented focus.

Shirogane 8w: Again, the Shiro's note weight is far heavier, warmer and vocals are very pushed forward comapared to the Adam. The Adam offers a greater sense of air and resolution while the Shiro offers quantity over quality, somewhat opposite of the Adams general approach. I found the Adam to be much clearer and more micro detailed than the shiro, which often came off a bit shouty with female vocals and boomy with male vocals, I was not a big fan of either and believe the SoA to be the superior cable and it was far more tonally enjoyable for me. This may be strictly a pairing/synergy issue but the results were consistent across all 5 of my IEMs...so take this at face value.


Three words immediately were written when putting my notes down for the Sonnet of Adam, extension, air, rounded. While these might not be a surprise this far into the review, the SoA is able to deliver quite a sparkly treble while being rounded, which sounds contradictory, but OTL is also a bit of a contradiction in the treble! I detected no hints of sibilance ever, so for those who are a bit sensitive to such things, this cable will be great for you, as that added roundness keeps any hints of sibilance from the lower treble and upper mids well controlled. Cymbals are clear and well defined but there is a distinct lack of the "trifecta" as I call it, hit, clash, reverb. With the SoA you get more of just the clash and only a very small hint of reverb through the rounded edges. This was a dealbreaker for me but I believe those sensitive in the 5-7k region would find this to be very helpful at warming up their iem just enough.

Ode to Laura: The Ode to Laura comes off with a greater sparkle and similar extension to the SoA with the OTL taking the prize for most air and also having a more defined, etched note. As I mentioned above, the contradictory part of the OTL is it comes off with so much sparkle and air but at the same time it does not sound overly bright or piercing. The "trifecta" of treble is very present on the OTL however, with every cymbal hit being very distinct followed by its crash and reverb, so the clear winner between these two is the OTL for me. The OTL also lacks any warmth or copper timbre in the upper registers that the SoA manages to maintain.

Centurion: Centurion surpasses the SoA in overall extension, detail, air and clarity, and like the Ode To Laura, has an extremely present hit, crash and reverb. The centurion is noticably brighter than the SoA, but without being harsh or sibilant either. The sweetness I mentioned in the mids is carried through to the treble and due to the very natural decay of the centurion, any harshness is more subdued and more of a "micro detail" to the sound.

Cleopatra II Octa: SoA and Cleopatra vary quite a bit in the top end. The Cleo has a very sharp decay and note etching in the treble which leads to great clarity (much to be expected, it is the specialty afterall!). Extension is in favor of the SoA, if only by a hair. There is a greater balance between Cleos upper mids and transition into the lower treble which allows the Cleo to sound brighter than the SoA.

Horus x Cleo I: Horus/Cleo is brighter than the SoA, surpassing even the CleoII. Extension is about on par with the SoA, but the SoA can actually come off slightly more forward in it's treble presentation than the horus/cleo due to the horus's vocal push in the upper mids that lessens the impact of the lower treble. The Horus/Cleo has a much faster transient speed and etching to all notes with almost 0 roundness to them so they cut against a perfectly black background in and out with a quick decay. I'd refer to the SoA as the more natural sounding of the two due to a longer decay but the reverb is less present on SoA.

Shirogane 8w: SoA is once again superior to the Shirogane in tonality and overall presentation. Similar to the bass, the treble from the shirogane has an unnatural note weight and presence...cymbals don't sound like symbals, they have this overly heavy "donk" instead of a crash. Extension wise, it's close but I believe the SoA extends a bit further. The decay of the SoA is actually faster than that of the Shiro and surprisingly the SoA is actually brighter than a cable in these comparisons! Overall, I'd take the SoA instantly over the Shirogane as it presents a much more balanced tonality and a far more accurate sounding treble.


The Sonnet of Adam is an excellent cable if you're looking for a cable that maintains an extremely natural, but extended, deep tonality with a beautiful analogue nature and copper timbral warmth. The inclusion of a true chin cinch is an amazing step in the right direction for Eletech and despite being minimal, it's functional and attractive. Thanks again to Andrew and Musicteck for this excellent opportuntity to demo the rest of Eletechs Parnassus series!

If the above sounds like a cable you'd love to get your hands on, don't forget to check out the Musicteck shop at https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/eletech.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.

Disclaimer

I'm not a professional reviewer nor writer! Just a hobbyist. Eric was kind enough to loan me a Sonnet of Adam (SOA) in exchange for my honest opinion. I have since sent it back to him. I also want to clarify that due to the nature of the cable I primarily used for comparison, this is less of a formal review and moreso a compilation of my impressions during personal use, with fewer attempts at objectivity.

As with all audio impressions, everything written is entirely subjective to how I experienced it, no matter how objective I am trying to be. As far as the cable controversy goes, I trust my ears. If you don't trust my ears, then I don't know why you're still reading this. The differences described are not night and day, but rather subtle changes that are being scrutinised for the purpose of sharing these impressions.

Introduction

SOA is Eletech's latest co-flagship offering, sharing that status with the Ode to Laura (OTL) with an MSRP of 2,799 USD. SOA is composed of an ambitious combination of Gold Plated Silver, Gold Plated Copper, and Gold Silver Alloy. The rest of the specs for SOA are easily available to find on Eletech's website, so please go ahead and check it out.

I'm not much of an unboxing guy, but Eletech never fails to deliver on that front, you can see for yourself in the lovely photos, courtesy of @riverground. Unboxing the SOA is truly an experience befitting that of a luxury product. If I had to nitpick, I think the green leather used for the circular carrying case does not match the thematic design of the SOA, but it is a beautiful and premium addition nonetheless.




Ergonomics

The SOA is easily one of the most ergonomic TOTL cables on the market. It beats the OTL in that regard, and most certainly beats the PW Audio’s First Times Shielding and Brise Audio YATONO 8wire Ultimate. The SOA is light, supple, flexible, and free of microphonics. It is extremely satisfying to handle and looks beautiful, whether you're looking at the wire or the custom CNC'd hardware. There is a built-in chin slider as well, which, I'm happy to report, works perfectly. While I didn't dare, there is no doubt that you could comfortably take this with you on the go. Seriously, this is one of, if not the most beautiful cable I’ve ever used.



Sound

The following general sound impressions were done with a CIEM Aroma Jewel. The sources used were the RME ADI-2 DAC FS and AK SR25 (MK1). I also swapped between the two cables without taking Jewel out of my ears. This combined with the CIEM fit means that there was minimal variation in the position and seal of the IEM. Further comparisons with other IEMs and cables can be found in the next session.

The Eletech Victoria is my everyday pairing with the Jewel, which is an extremely warm and rich sounding cable, so please keep that in mind when reading the following impressions on the SOA. This isn’t a fair comparison because these two cables aim to do different things. SOA is a no compromise, detail and resolution oriented specialist that is presented in a mostly neutral-warm tone. On the other hand, the Victoria is a mid-tier cable, presented as lush and warm sounding, sacrificing the minute details for its analog tonality. If I had to exaggerate, imagine a properly treated studio vs a live music venue.

So why did I choose the Victoria as my primary cable for comparison when I know they’re not comparable? The reason is simple; it’s the sound that I’m most familiar with.

Lows

Let’s get this out of the way; if you are looking for a cable to increase bass quantity, you’re probably in the wrong place. I’d recommend you check out the OTL or something in the traditional copper flavour instead. However if you are looking to improve bass quality, then you’re in luck.

SOA provides clarity and speed to the lower frequencies. As a result, this gives the impression that the quantity is being reduced when compared to Victoria. However, based on my testing with other cables, the SOA doesn’t actually reduce quantity, rather it enhances without necessarily boosting the lower frequencies. There is no lack of extension; it rumbles very clearly, but in exchange for this clarity, the notes are easier to hear and relatively harder to feel. For example, I love being able to hear the detail of a bass guitar; the nuance of the string being plucked, strummed or slapped, the frequencies related to the harmonics, and the unique tone of the guitar itself. With the Victoria I can get a overwhelmed by the sensation, whereas with the SOA, all of this becomes very clear to hear.

SOA’s kicks and punches tight and fast on the attack with a generous amount of air, but a is bit quicker on the decay. I especially love being able to hear the details from in between the attack to the tailend of the decay in between hits on a snare drum. This is in contrast to the Victoria who hits you hard on the attack and decays slower. I’m also happy to confirm that SOA is great for cleaning up bloat and muddiness when transitioning into the lower mids, something I am very allergic to.

The SOA’s bass is more centred and not as wide as the Victoria’s, meaning that you do lose that sensation of fullness in the lower frequencies, resulting in the SOA sounding colder in comparison. Again, in my testing with other cables, I found that in reality, SOA is actually quite neutral, and its technical capabilities shine here as I get a more three-dimensional presentation, with more depth in the percussion.

To reiterate, the SOA provides a wonderful bass response, it just really depends on what you’re after. At the end of the day, it’s always gonna be about the synergy with the monitor you choose to pair it with. I would say that the SOA did not synergise as well with the Jewel with regards to the bass, but that’s because Jewel’s bass is already quite detailed and more relaxed to begin with, and I’ve gotten used to the thicker bass notes from the Victoria.

Mids

With regards to tonality, the SOA sounds very organic in the midrange, but if you're used to or looking for a warmer, thicker sound, then perhaps the SOA will lean towards sounding digital to you. Like with the bass, the mids sound neutral with a tasteful boost, a perfect amount of warmth and smoothness to not sound clinical despite having top class clarity.

SOA provides a massive boost to air and space with a hint of sparkle that never sounds too rough or sharp. Positionally, vocals sound a little lower on the y-axis with Victoria, like in the mouth, while on the SOA it’s a little closer to the nose and eyes. SOA has more depth, so while vocals don’t necessarily sound more forward compared to the Victoria, a choir, for example, actually sounds like they’re standing in a semi-circle rather than a straight line, and it’s very clear where everyone is positioned. While testing with live vocal performances, it did become a little less immersive with the SOA as it provided additional clarity and resolution.

All sorts of instruments and sounds pop out when called upon, and the background is black to the point where you can hone in on any particular sound while the presentation remains whole and coherent. Pianos, strings and guitars extend wide beyond the ear with a good sense of height as well. Timbre sounds more correct to me with the SOA as all the guitar tones I’m familiar with are full of detail with the perfect ratio of sweetness and crunch; plenty of energy to balance out the added airiness.

Highs

I really liked the boosted yet refined treble from the Aeneid, so I was expecting the same from the SOA. Suffice to say, it delivered in spades and is worthy as somewhat of a successor. Part of the sparkle and energy found in the upper mids is also present in SOA's treble, without a hint of sibilance to my ears. Keep in mind Jewel does have quite the treble dip, but from my other testing, I have concluded that SOA’s treble extends very smoothly.

I consistently found cymbals, for example, to be a bit too splashy with the Victoria, but with the SOA I find that they are brought closer without sounding harsh at all. It’s sweet and airy, almost giving me a happy tingling sensation with the perfect amount of decay. Like with the bass percussion, I can clearly hear the harmonics and details in between hits where the attack and decay overlap. I don’t think I’ve ever paid this much attention to the tone and decay of high-hats before putting on the SOA, but now, I’m more than happy to. Similarly, violins and violas are so airy and neatly separated that I can almost pick out individual players in an ensemble. However the tradeoff is that these string sections sound a little less dense compared to the Victoria.

If you’re allergic to sibilance, I think the SOA would do wonders for you on a monitor that’s just on the edge of being too much to bear. It does give a slight boost in energy, but I think it’s smoothed out very well. I did not find the SOA to be harsh or fatiguing in any way during my testing.

Technicalities

When I think of the most technical IEM cables, my mind typically wanders to Brise or PW Audio, cables with a bunch of stiff shielding that are on the opposite end of the spectrum regarding ergonomics. SOA has absolutely none of those physical issues while maintaining TOTL levels of technicality. I may have mentioned these details here and there in the previous sections, but I’ll compile all my thoughts here as well.

SOA’s positioning and layering is top notch. Whether it’s vocals, strings, brass, synths, percussion, everything is separated in a way that you can pinpoint any sound, yet the music itself remains as one coherent piece. This cable allowed Jewel to tackle busy electronic and orchestral tracks with ease. This is thanks to the enhanced perception of air and space, providing excellent separation as well as soundstage extension along all axes, especially in width and depth. It presents music in a way that wraps the sound all around you; as close to an out of head experience as you can get with IEMs. Dynamics are fantastic as well; piano notes accurately pop in and out while contrasting against the black background and each note's own sustain and decay. All the nuance and details of any given track is presented in a way that isn’t shoved into your face, but there if you desire to hear it.

Comparison

Comparative listening was done with a CIEM Aroma Jewel, UIEM FiR XE6, and CIEM Empire Ears Valkyrie Mk1. The sources used were RME ADI-2 DAC FS and AK SR25 Mk1. SOA was compared to OTL and PW Audio First Times Shielding (FTS).

Big shoutout to @MRT-Man for letting me borrow his XE6, FTS, and OTL.

Fir Audio XE6 - OTL vs SOA

Do keep in mind that I do not personally enjoy the XE6 due to how the lower mids interact with the mid bass. I found it to be listenable with SOA which is quite an achievement.

XE6 with OTL is less capable in its ability to separate a busy track. Bass sounds like it’s underwater, vocals sound veiled, cymbals are pretty centred and recessed. Plenty of air in the bass but not the level of detail I want to hear because I’m distracted by other instruments that want to draw my attention away. While this is a very biased generalisation, I will say that on certain tracks, the OTL enhances this monitor with a very nice vocal balance and a strong sense of warmth and immersion that is unique to the XE6.

XE6 with SOA has better precision in its separation, allowing me to hear a specific instrument if I want to focus in on it. Bass sounds closer to how I experience a live concert, so still boomy and resounding but with a bit more clarity and tightness. I can actually distinguish the pitch of alternating hits due to the faster and cleaner decay, while basslines pulsate with great dynamics. Vocals sound less rich but are more neutral and clear. The SOA provides more air in the upper frequencies and really boosts the resolution of this monitor. You could argue that these tweaks kill the soul of the XE6’s tuning, but for me I much prefer this pairing.

Empire Ears Valkyrie Mk1 - OTL vs FTS vs SOA

I think a lot of people haven’t heard the Valkyrie Mk1 but it’s a fun v-shaped monitor with a lot of upper mid presence.

Valkyrie with the OTL is once again less capable in its coherency on a busy track. Bass detail is very good, rumbling extends deep and can be felt and heard very wide. There is plenty of air in the lower frequencies, it sounds and feels heavy while maintaining a good level of resolution. Good impact on both snares and kicks which sound and feel very clear. Valkyrie's upper mids don't pair super great with the OTL but nothing I couldn't handle.

Valkyrie with the FTS is very clean overall but loses out on bass texture and punchiness. Bass rumble doesn’t have as much of that tingly feeling, nor does it stretch particularly deep or wide, and in fact is almost boomy. Kicks are a bit weaker, like it’s spitting, while snares sound a bit recessed and plasticky. This is all very unfortunate for the FTS because it’s perfectly capable, but when compared to the OTL or SOA, it feels a little underwhelming with this particular pairing.

Valkyrie with the SOA is the cleanest, just slightly beating out the FTS in my opinion. The texture is about the same as the FTS, if not a little less in quantity, maintaining a decent amount of punchiness and great clarity in its snares and kicks. Kicks are a bit round and decay quite quickly. Rumble is up front but doesn’t go particularly wide, it’s easier to hear the sub bass than it is to feel it when compared to OTL. Great dynamics on the bass with SOA though. The real highlight for me is the treble with this pairing as it smooths out those peaks in the Valkyrie's upper frequencies, retaining its energetic signature but taming some of the harshness.



Aroma Audio Jewel - OTL vs SOA

I did write the entire sound portion with the Jewel but I primarily used the Victoria for comparison. Here, we have a more reasonable head-to-head. I’d say the OTL has great air and detail in the lower frequencies while the SOA is more balanced across the whole range. I had some inconsistencies with the vocal presentation between the OTL and the SOA where I found that the OTL would bring forward vocals in certain tracks and sound a little further back in others. With the SOA I found vocals to be consistently brought forward.

Jewel with the OTL gives me almost a bouncy sensation. Bass guitars are very clear and well defined in their tone, while kicks and snares are very poppy, with a great amount of air and decay. Vocals do end up a bit coloured and smoothed out in the mix, but maintain an acceptable level of detail and clarity. Upper frequencies are more aggressive in comparison to the SOA’s refinement, making the OTL more energetic up top at the sacrifice of balance. For example, I found that electric guitar and cymbals were consistently more pronounced and very full sounding.

Jewel with the SOA feels less “bouncy” and more spacious. You certainly still get that level of excitement and fun when it’s called for, but SOA excels in its overall resolution. I actually think the SOA might extend lower despite having less overall quantity of sub bass. Snares and kicks are a little more dull in comparison due to the rounder attack and faster decay, but still have excellent impact. Vocals are consistently forward while remaining mostly neutral in tonality so it’s not necessarily rich or intimate. There’s no harshness in vocals but isn’t as smoothed out as I found on the OTL. Non-vocal instruments are balanced with no particular sound being more in-focus than another. This can give the sense that certain instruments aren’t filling enough space, especially since SOA’s staging also goes wider and deeper.

Conclusion

Not much more for me to say, perhaps this is an appropriate time for a round of applause as Eric and his team nailed it once again. SOA might not max out on any particular sonic quality in this age of cable offerings, but it's a complete package. The SOA radiates luxury, beating out the competing flagships on practicality and still delivering a TOTL listening experience. Having tried to many different flagship cables, I found this to be a rare and impressive feat. And while sound is ultimately up to IEM synergy and personal preference, the SOA is worth a listen for anyone looking to enhance the natural characteristics of their IEM in order to take it to the next level.