Tri Audio Wolfram IEM cables.

Tri Wolfram

Premium earphone cables are all about maximizing the sound you are hearing from your favorite IEMs and today we will dive into a new flagship IEM cable from IEM manufacturers Tri audio. These folks have been making premium affordable IEMS and are sold on Aliexpress. I have noticed they have made a few nicer cables that are sold on their website. For the most part these were your standard copper based cables, and one thing I learned is that they do take their cables seriously.

The Wolfram is composed of 4 thicker cores totaling 204 strands of the material of a pure silver base which is then plated/shielded in oxygen free copper. This is the opposite of what you normally see for cables. Most SPC cables are copper cores plated in a silver coating. In doing the opposite of the SPC the new Wolfram boasts some unique sound characteristics that warrant their cost for one but also throws a different take on the silver and copper mix type cable.

With that, I would like to thank Ann of Keephifi for the review sample of the Wolfram. These are new to the market and are pre production units that were provided for the purpose of a review. I have used the Wolfram on various IEMS to learn how the cable affects the base sound of my IEMS. The Wolfram was used for a period of 3 weeks with various IEMS for this review. If you would like to get you a set you can look them up here.

Wolframs build quality is substantial as it is covered with a gray colored nylon cloth covering in a very tight clean weave, they utilize plastic ear guides and an all black metal accessories package in the form of connectors and terminations to cap off the cable build. The form is moderately pliable and does not kink or have any awkward bends to the form. The nylon covering does 2 things, for one it makes the cable very tough and adds a rigidness to the final finish. The other is that it will hide any oxidation of the material being used. The build quality and finish is fairly average if I was to be honest. You're not getting a splashy looking or feeling cable. It has a functional finish and build to it and that is really about it. What makes up for their unsubstantial looks is most definitely how they affect your IEMs.

At the core for the Wolfram you can expect pure silver effects on the sound but what separates the Wolfram from the myriad of other pure silver cables is its copper shielding which affects how that pure silver presents your sound. If you ever wanted just a hint of a smoother, more fluid sound presentation over how pure silver dissects and presents the technical aspects to your IEM sound. The Wolfram is just this.

It's no secret pure silver gives the fastest, purest, and the most transient presentation of sound to your IEMs. This is the reason why some of the highest end audio components all use pure silver. This is why pure silver and silver solder is used on the highest end cables in the market. Expect an enhancement of stage, detail, imaging and separation from using pure silver but with the added plus of the copper plating on that silver. You're now getting a nice musical tilt to that pure silver presentation. Using pure silver on an IEM that already has a high level of detail might not be ideal here because of how revealing pure silver can be. This in turn can lead to sound fatigue as there is such a thing as too much detail. Silver will naturally enhance detail aspects of a sound presentation therefore pure silver may not be the best way to go for these types of IEMs. However what makes the Wolfram different is that they add a bit of a smoother, more mellow tonal character with that highly detailed nature of pure silver that is distinct when using the Wolfram. Going back and forth from lets say KBEARs 8 core pure silver cable the limpid to the Wolfram. Yes the price difference is substantial but so are the gains in what the Wolfram represents.

Pure silver cables when it comes to music have to be connected to the right IEM or headphones for best synergy. Truth is most of my cables are copper based and I have a few pure silver ones but the pure silver cables I actually prefer has some added element to it like half copper or one I have reviewed in the past covered in 24k gold. While pure silver will bring out the best detail of any IEM it is attached to, the negative aspect of this presentation is that sound can become a bit sterile, a bit too etched, a bit unforgiving using pure silver. This will all depend on what your sound priorities are, if you're the type that likes the cleanest, most detailed and technical sound presentation possible. I have always said in the past, a good set of pure silver cables should always be a part of an IEM collectors stable.

Connecting back to the Wolfram and all the benefits of the pure silver element to your sound will be in place. You're not going to get a lesser technical sound vs the pure silver cable but now your sound becomes somehow smoother, more fluid, a bit more mellow in tonal character of sound. I noticed I am hearing a better texture of sound vs the standard pure silver. Ultimately a more musical fluid silver sound presentation. This smoother, more mellow silver sound means you can have your cake and eat it too. Meaning these are now very versatile to use on just about any type and any tuning style of IEM.

If you wanted to keep that multi BA presentation with high levels of imaging and depth to your music but didn’t like how clinical your music can sound at times. The Wolfram will be a good match up. The technical aspects to an earphone sound is enhanced using the Wolfram but does not portray those elements in a clinical or analytical manor that pure silver can do at times. Music has a body and texture with a smoothness that is not present in your standard pure silver. This element brings a more versatile pure silver. A cable you can use with highly detailed multi BA earphones as well as your dynamic IEMs with good resolving ability.

Tested on the Aurora. The sound comes alive with a detail and imaging with a much more expansive stage yet sounds completely natural in the process. Wolfram is without a doubt, one of the best aftermarket cables at the price point I have tried thus far. I think these folks are onto something a bit unique in cable land and maybe they have come up with a formula that reigns in that analytical aspect of silver that makes music sound more natural.

The Wolfram is a prime example of bringing out something different that ends up working better than you would imagine. A copper shielded silver cable? Ya instead of the SPC you're getting the opposite. I think Tri Audio is onto something here. If you thought your pure silver cables made your earphones sound a bit too analytical but loved what it did for the technical aspect of your sounds. Give the Wolfram a go. It will change your perception on pure silver cables. If you feel pure silver cables does nothing to add a more musical smoother flavor to your sound like pure copper cables do. Give the Wolfram a go. Again it will change your perception of pure silver cables or pure copper cables for that matter. I feel this cable is more than just a hybrid or a mixed type cable. Which silver enhances the copper element of the SPC type cable. The Wolfram is the opposite in that it is the musical fullness of a smoother copper presentation that enhances the pure silver element of the Wolfram. There is a distinct difference from the opposite or the SPC variety of cables.

In the end the Wolfram is a nicely realized boutique level cable that has a good build, good looks and more importantly a unique sound property. It shows a versatility that you can’t get with just pure silver and that is what makes the Wolfram succeed. If you take the best aspects of pure silver and what pure silver does for sound and then add a smoother, more fluid finish to its presentation that is in effect what the Wolfram does. I think perhaps the best justification of a higher end IEM cable is if you clearly hear advancements to your sound you know going from the stock cable to something like the Wolfram. Yes you will hear a clear difference this time. You will notice and enhancement of stage in all directions, imaging, detail sound separation just like silver does but now somehow the tonal character will be smoother, less etched and more liquid in presentation. I can say the Wolfram was a big surprise to me as I never thought the copper shielding over pure silver would make that much of a difference. A difference it clearly makes. Thanks for taking the time to read.