PWaudio is a boutique/company well known for its premium copper
cables. Just recently, Peter Wang( chief of PWaudio), showed his new products at Canjam Singapore. In the catalogue you can find new Vanquish models: Saladin, Loki and Xerxes and new “century series” 1950s and 1980s.
Today we are going to have a better look about Saladin(+), 1950s and 1980s.
OFFICIAL SITE:OFFICIAL SITE:
https://www.pwaudio.com.hk/
FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/pwaudio2014/about/?ref=page_internal
SPECS:
1950S:
Jacket Material: Soft PE
Conductor Material: Supreme Level OCC Copper
Conductor Gauge: 26awg as conductors and close to 24awg as shielding
Number of Conductors: 4 conductors and 4 shielding
1980S:
Jacket Material : PVC black with Pattern
Conductor Material : extruded copper with special LITZ
Conductor Gauge: 28AWG as core conductor and 24awg as shielding
Number of Conductors : 4 wires 8 conductors
SALADIN:
Jacket Material : Crystal Clear PVC
Conductor Material : 4 Groups of Extreded and deoxygenated Copper, 3 Groups of Silver plated extruded and deoxygenated Copper
Conductor Gauge: 34AWG X 7 Groups
Number of Conductors : 4 (8)
Just to know, i am a cable believer and i am always looking for the best sinergy between cables and IEMs. Even if, the sound nature of these three models was almost clear after the first try, i preferred to test with different IEMs and wait a bit longer for a deeper sound analysis.
In this article, i will not focus on technical aspects, but will just share my sound impressions.
Talking abut build quality and premium feeling, all these three models show great attention to details, and during this month of use, i never found any build issue.
Saladin 4wires is one of the most softer and most comfortable cable i have ever had the opportunity to use. The (8 wires) model, even if a bit heavier than the little brother, is soft and easy to use for both custom and universal IEMs. The 1980s, is the heaviest of the three, showing harder structer( a bit hard to use with universal earphones on the go).
The 1950s is quite light for a flagship model, even if not soft like Saladin, is very comfortable and easy to use on the go.
SOUND:
SALADIN(+): to my surprise, Saladin(+) represents a great upgrade over his little 4wires brother.
The (+) model is really interesting with rock music thanks to its great treble and fast/deep sub-bass. The 4 wires model, tries to improve tonality, adding more body with a mid-bass raise and adding more clarity to the upper midrange. The overall tonality of 4 wires is natural/warm, showing a more intimate sound. On the other side, the (+) versions has a better treble and sparkles on the upper treble region( this works great with natural/warm sounding IEMs like Aroma Audio Yao and Custom art Fibae2). Vocals and instruments acquires more body, with more air between every single instruments and vocals. Where the 4 wires models tries to give a more intimate experience, on the other side, 8 wires opens up the scene, showing a wider soundstage and better left/right channel separation. I noticed a better and faster transient response, with a touch better dynamic.
Usually, i found a great sinergy with natural/warm sounding IEM.
1980s: to my ears, the 1980s, is the most transparent of the three. Talking about tonality, this model, is quite neutral( a bit clear with female vocal songs), less warm than both Saladin 4 and 8 wires. The main focus of this cable is the midrange, helping to have a more forward and detailed vocals. Bass is quite good( adding more impact on the sub-bass region), but can't compete with the bass quality of 1950s.
The 1980s, has the most holographic stage of the three, showing a great out of the head experience. If you are a lover of vocals or wide soundstage, the 1980s, could be a great choice for you.
1950s: the most natural of the three: its strong points are bass, natural tone and dynamic.
The 1950s is a very particular cable: it is not so engaging or fun like Saladin or 1980s, it never adds color to the music, trying to stay always controlled, natural and full-bodied. The bass on this model is great, it has great and strong impact, but always feel uncolored and natural. This model fits great with classic music, showing great instrument separation and layering. 1980S has a more holographic stage, but instruments positioning is more confused. With 1950s, you can easily pinpoint instruments in the scene. The natural bass impact helps with a very dynamic presentation.
PAIRINGS:
INEARZ EUPHORIA: great sinergy with 1950s and Saladin: 1950s natural sound, improves sub-bass impact, with great depth layering. Saladin helps to have a better treble( Euphoria lacks a bit on this spectrum).
Aroma Audio YAO: great sinergy with 1980s and 1950s: with 1980s vocals are really sweet and more forward, soundstage improves a lot, portaying a more holographic stage around you. 1950S helps to have a more bass impact(YAO lacks a bit of sub-bass), adding a more neutral tonality( YAO is a bit warm/organic due to the mid-bass elevation).
Aroma Audio Twins: great sinergy with 1950s helping to have a less fun signature and better depth soundstage. Saladin can sound a bit harsh paired with Twins model, but gives a very wide stage.
LARK STUDIO LSX: great sinergy with Saladin: helping with a more dynamic sound and better transient response. Saladin helps to have a less warm sound and better clarity on top end.
FOR MORE REVIEWS:
https://simplyaudiophile.wordpress.com/author/simplyaudiophile/
