Price:
Cable: $75
Adapter: $25
Product(s) page: 2DualCDC Cable ;
Adapter
Both products provided by OE Audio for review.
Design / Build quality
The OE Audio 2DualCDC cable presents a really good mix of build quality, ergonomics and, subjectively, aesthetics for its sub $100 price. It is very light and compact, easy to wrap and store. The audio plugs and IEM connectors are well covered by a strong PU material and have an extra metal cylindrical cover surrounding them. Also compact and well finished. The y-split section has a PU square body and extra added metal plate with the OE logo on it, and a soft plastic cable slider attached. This may not be as miniscule and thin as the Linum cables, but it is more robust in terms of build quality, more attractive, and overall could make a good alternative to the more expensive SuperBaX. The cable features no memory-wire or fixed guides, which I personally find more comfortable and versatile as it suits all kinds of IEMs. Cable noise is not an issue with the 2DualCDC.
As can be seen on the picture, at its core the wires are twisted in a specific way. There are 37 copper wire strands of 0.06mm thickness each and organized in a so-called “concentric-lay” structure. Basically, it consists of one strand in the core which is then surrounded by three extra layers. Whether it is just some marketing ad or real special structure that has a true impact on the technical sound performance we won’t know, and not really care, either. Unless compared to a more standard wiring of the same type and count, you’ll never find out the improvements of any ‘special’ inner wire geometry. That said, the OE cable has some impact on the sound quality, covered in the following section.
As an extra accessory to the OE Cable (or any other cable), there are these connectors’ adapters. Available in clear or black color, and in both 2pin-to-MMCX and MMCX-to-2pin options. These are probably one of the smallest, most compact adapters available right now, simply built and very light. The ones here are the 2-pin to MMCX option. The 2-pin sockets are quite tight and attach strongly to the cable pins; some strength might be needed with some cables. The MMCX plugs, too, provide a solid connection to the IEMs sockets. Tried with the Solaris 2020, A8000 and Fir VxV and all work perfectly and do not rotate freely. The length of the adapters is ~11.5mm, and once plugged to the IEM, the main body is just ~8mm long, so won’t make the cable too bulky or the cable plug much longer.
Sound impressions
As usual, the changes or even improvements of audio cables are not very easy to discern and the impressions will also depend on the earphones and/or audio sources they are tested with. This OE Audio cable is no exception, but still there are some differences compared directly to each in-ear earphone bundled cable, and even a bit of gain in certain points that are worth noting. First of all, this all-copper cable trades some transparency and neutrality for a bit of added coloration to the sound, and fortunately not at the expense of clarity and resolution. I found similar results with a variety of models, from single dynamic, balanced armature and hybrid drivers. And the OE Audio adapters, 2-pin to MMCX, allowed the cable to be tried with an even wider range of earphones.
The bass sounds a bit tighter and more refined in its layering. There is a slight extra richness on the lows, perceived as having more fullness on notes, especially at mid-bass region, and even so, there is better separation on low instruments. I find this to affect the transition from lows to mids in where the midrange is less neutral, less balanced. It is richer on its whole but kind of less natural. Also, the low-mids are less leveled next to the upper-mids that gain a tad more energy and sparkle. At the treble, too, the gain is mostly at the lower-treble, but nothing really noticed at the rest of the upper frequency. No real improvement on stage expansion that can be noticed, but despite the kind of coloration of the OE cable, it actually gives some extra air and clarity.
