I first encountered the Liquid Links Venom when I owned the Elysian X. Up to that point I knew very little about the company and in fairness until Musicteck started carrying them a couple of months ago I probably wouldn’t have encountered them again. When I had the Liquid Links Vemon with Elysian X, it had Pentecon Ear connections so I was never able to try it with any of my other iems.
The version Musicteck now carries has 2 pin connectors so I was intrigued to try it as it certainly paired well with the Elysian X.
I’ve been using Venom daily for the last 5 weeks with all of my IEMs and I am sharing some of my thoughts from this below. Keep in mind this is how I, as one person, hear it and if you are not a cable believer, there’s nothing I’m going to say below that will convince you.
The packaging Venom comes in is straightforward and of high quality.
The cable has a fairly unique design compared to a lot of other cables that are on the market. It has 2 large wires which together are larger than the 4 wires of the Khanyayo Cardas Clear cable but slightly smaller than the looser braid of the 4 wires in First Times, both of which I will be comparing Venom to later. Venom is also heavier than both of those cables.
The cable has a clear outer coating that shows off the beautiful, gold-flaked inner cores. I really like how it looks up close. This was a perfect match for the similarly designed Elysian X but if aesthetic matching is a thing for you, it is also turned out to be a perfect match for the Fir Audio XE6 and Empire Ears Legend Evo as both have black and gold designs. There’s no getting away from the fact that the cable is on the more rigid side due to the materials used and the heavier cores. The cable is more in line with some 8 wires I’ve used in the past so you need to keep this in mind if you are considering it.
Listening to Gemma Hayes’ cover of “Wicked Game”, there were my impressions:
Liquid Links Venom - there is a beautiful balance between vocals and the instruments which each taking focus when required. Gemma’s vocals are crystal clear as is each note strummed on the guitar. Overall the signature leans slightly warm and there’s a euphonic vibe to the backing vocals. Imaging and layering are excellent but I would say the soundstage size, while 3D is on the more intimate side. It feels like the artists are right beside you. Balance is the overall word that comes to mind when thinking about this combination. There’s no one part taking your attention and it just allows you to enjoy the track.
Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4W - Swapping to the Cardas Clear cable, the signature is noticeably cooler. Notes don’t linger for as long compared to Venom and the focus has slightly shifted to the vocals. Detail retrieval is very similar as is the soundstage width but it feels like the height has increased with this cable and notes have more space to travel into.
Both cables do an excellent job of presenting the song and it is a matter of choice which you prefer. The more warm leaning version with Venom which also highlights the instruments or the more vocal focussed version that the Cardas Clear cable presents.
PWAudio First Times - With FT, vocals sit slightly back behind the instruments. The note weight of the instruments is heavier and has a longer decay. Vocals are detailed but smoother. There isn’t the sense of space in the soundstage compared to either of the other cables and while it is very refined, it doesn’t have the same engagement factor as with Venom or the Khanyayo cable.
Listening to “Tell Me Are We” by Rampa these were my impressions:
Liquid Links Venom - In the opening of the track, the bass drum has a nice impact that can be heard and felt. There is a great sense of left-to-right width. As the vocals come in, they are clear and detailed and their positioning adds to the sense of a huge soundstage. As the track gets more complicated and more sounds are added, all remain clear and easy to identify. The signature is melodic and this combination of IEM and cable makes for a really enjoyable listen. Detailed but musical.
Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4W - With this cable, that opening drum beat has slightly more impact. There is the same sense of width but the vocals feel a step closer and a little more prominent as a result.
Similarly to Kublai Khan, when sounds travel from front to back, it feels like they have a larger space to travel into. As the track builds, the different sounds that are introduced are more impactful. While the track comes across as melodic with Venom, the different sounds grab your attention more with the Cardas Clear cable. Again there are very similar levels of details on offer from both cables.
PWAudio First Times - With First Times the impact from the drum beat in the intro is again more than the Venom and probably in line with the Khanyayo cable. Vocals are clear and detailed but the big difference here vs Venom is that the soundstage feels much narrower and as the track becomes busier this leads to a sense of congestion with too much sound being focused in the centre. Rather than sounds travelling across a large soundstage you have the feeling of them travelling between your ears and it detracts from the enjoyment.
Listening to “Brother” by Alice in Chains from their Unplugged album, these were my impressions:
Liquid Links Venom - The thing that stands out straightaway with this combination is the positioning of the instruments. In the opening of the track, there is a guitar positioned to the right of the stage with another guitar coming in later to the left. The contrast in positioning from right to left is striking and really builds a picture of the stage in your head. Vocals are clear and on an equal footing as the instruments. While warm leaning, the instruments sound natural and accurate.
Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4W - The dimensions of the stage don’t spread quite as far to either side and the position of them doesn’t jump out as accurately as with Venom. The tone is slightly cooler and notes don’t linger as long. Vocals are more intense with the instruments taking a slight step back as a result.
PWAudio First Times - The positioning and stage size are very similar to Venom. The instruments all sound great. This is definitely the warmest pairing and there’s more impact from the drum strikes. While positioning and stage dimensions were the star with Venom, your attention is more drawn to the guitars and drums with First Times. Evo probably benefits most from First Times’ attributes of improving bass and lower mids while taking some of the energy out of the upper frequencies.
The cable’s ergonomics needs to be taken into consideration but if it works for you, it lays the foundation for your IEMs to perform at their best and in a market of escalating prices, Liquid Links Venom is a comparative bargain.
All of this combined makes it an easy recommendation.
The version Musicteck now carries has 2 pin connectors so I was intrigued to try it as it certainly paired well with the Elysian X.
I’ve been using Venom daily for the last 5 weeks with all of my IEMs and I am sharing some of my thoughts from this below. Keep in mind this is how I, as one person, hear it and if you are not a cable believer, there’s nothing I’m going to say below that will convince you.
Packaging
The packaging Venom comes in is straightforward and of high quality.
Design and Erogenomics
The cable has a fairly unique design compared to a lot of other cables that are on the market. It has 2 large wires which together are larger than the 4 wires of the Khanyayo Cardas Clear cable but slightly smaller than the looser braid of the 4 wires in First Times, both of which I will be comparing Venom to later. Venom is also heavier than both of those cables.
The cable has a clear outer coating that shows off the beautiful, gold-flaked inner cores. I really like how it looks up close. This was a perfect match for the similarly designed Elysian X but if aesthetic matching is a thing for you, it is also turned out to be a perfect match for the Fir Audio XE6 and Empire Ears Legend Evo as both have black and gold designs. There’s no getting away from the fact that the cable is on the more rigid side due to the materials used and the heavier cores. The cable is more in line with some 8 wires I’ve used in the past so you need to keep this in mind if you are considering it.
Sound
To test the cable I have been comparing it to a PWAudio First Times and to a Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4 wire using a Fir Audio XE6, Noble Kublai Khan and an Empire Ears Legend Evo. All listening for this review was done using UAPP on a Cayin N8ii connected in line out to an Aroma Audio A100TB. I used a playlist of songs that covers many genres and that I know extremely well.Kublai Khan
Listening to Gemma Hayes’ cover of “Wicked Game”, there were my impressions:
Liquid Links Venom - there is a beautiful balance between vocals and the instruments which each taking focus when required. Gemma’s vocals are crystal clear as is each note strummed on the guitar. Overall the signature leans slightly warm and there’s a euphonic vibe to the backing vocals. Imaging and layering are excellent but I would say the soundstage size, while 3D is on the more intimate side. It feels like the artists are right beside you. Balance is the overall word that comes to mind when thinking about this combination. There’s no one part taking your attention and it just allows you to enjoy the track.
Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4W - Swapping to the Cardas Clear cable, the signature is noticeably cooler. Notes don’t linger for as long compared to Venom and the focus has slightly shifted to the vocals. Detail retrieval is very similar as is the soundstage width but it feels like the height has increased with this cable and notes have more space to travel into.
Both cables do an excellent job of presenting the song and it is a matter of choice which you prefer. The more warm leaning version with Venom which also highlights the instruments or the more vocal focussed version that the Cardas Clear cable presents.
PWAudio First Times - With FT, vocals sit slightly back behind the instruments. The note weight of the instruments is heavier and has a longer decay. Vocals are detailed but smoother. There isn’t the sense of space in the soundstage compared to either of the other cables and while it is very refined, it doesn’t have the same engagement factor as with Venom or the Khanyayo cable.
Fir Audio XE6
Listening to “Tell Me Are We” by Rampa these were my impressions:
Liquid Links Venom - In the opening of the track, the bass drum has a nice impact that can be heard and felt. There is a great sense of left-to-right width. As the vocals come in, they are clear and detailed and their positioning adds to the sense of a huge soundstage. As the track gets more complicated and more sounds are added, all remain clear and easy to identify. The signature is melodic and this combination of IEM and cable makes for a really enjoyable listen. Detailed but musical.
Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4W - With this cable, that opening drum beat has slightly more impact. There is the same sense of width but the vocals feel a step closer and a little more prominent as a result.
Similarly to Kublai Khan, when sounds travel from front to back, it feels like they have a larger space to travel into. As the track builds, the different sounds that are introduced are more impactful. While the track comes across as melodic with Venom, the different sounds grab your attention more with the Cardas Clear cable. Again there are very similar levels of details on offer from both cables.
PWAudio First Times - With First Times the impact from the drum beat in the intro is again more than the Venom and probably in line with the Khanyayo cable. Vocals are clear and detailed but the big difference here vs Venom is that the soundstage feels much narrower and as the track becomes busier this leads to a sense of congestion with too much sound being focused in the centre. Rather than sounds travelling across a large soundstage you have the feeling of them travelling between your ears and it detracts from the enjoyment.
Empire Ears Legend Evo
Listening to “Brother” by Alice in Chains from their Unplugged album, these were my impressions:
Liquid Links Venom - The thing that stands out straightaway with this combination is the positioning of the instruments. In the opening of the track, there is a guitar positioned to the right of the stage with another guitar coming in later to the left. The contrast in positioning from right to left is striking and really builds a picture of the stage in your head. Vocals are clear and on an equal footing as the instruments. While warm leaning, the instruments sound natural and accurate.
Khanyayo Cardas Clear 4W - The dimensions of the stage don’t spread quite as far to either side and the position of them doesn’t jump out as accurately as with Venom. The tone is slightly cooler and notes don’t linger as long. Vocals are more intense with the instruments taking a slight step back as a result.
PWAudio First Times - The positioning and stage size are very similar to Venom. The instruments all sound great. This is definitely the warmest pairing and there’s more impact from the drum strikes. While positioning and stage dimensions were the star with Venom, your attention is more drawn to the guitars and drums with First Times. Evo probably benefits most from First Times’ attributes of improving bass and lower mids while taking some of the energy out of the upper frequencies.
Conclusion
One of the things I like most about the Liquid Links Venom is that it has paired well with every set I have tested it with. While I may prefer particular aspects of what other cables can do with my IEMs, I could happily connect any of them to Venom and just enjoy it.The cable’s ergonomics needs to be taken into consideration but if it works for you, it lays the foundation for your IEMs to perform at their best and in a market of escalating prices, Liquid Links Venom is a comparative bargain.
All of this combined makes it an easy recommendation.
