Watermelon Boi

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Well-balanced, bold lows and pure mid/highs
-Soft, light, and comfortable
-Quality pouch and cable tietie
-Impeccable cost-efficiency
Cons: Y-split could be thinner for a more seamless look
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Satin Audio Titan Series: Even more affordable!

Satin Audio is one of the fast-growing brands in the custom cable industry with its highly cost-effective products. We here in About Audio previously covered all four of the Monster series and was much impressed with their quality for such affordable prices.



Anywho, it seems like Satin Audio is back at it again to step up their game, not in price but in cost-effectiveness. Sure, the Monster Series was already an affordable choice considering them being a premium lineup, but now they've presented an even more affordable option with their new Titan series - Gaïa, Hyperion, and Theia. The Titan series comes in with the same packaging as Monster series' Medusa, including a soft velvet pouch and a leather cable tie.




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Specs behind the Titans

Before I talk about the price of these, let me briefly guide through the technologies that have been incorporated into the Titan series. First off, it's purity. All Titan series are made of 7N wires (99.99999%) which are rarer and difficult to produce - also good to note that the majority of cheap 7N cables from China are actually 5N or 6N. Along with that, most of the common, affordable cables have a Type 1 construction which goes through a single twisting operation while Type 2 is made of bundles of twisted wires, stabilizing the impedance as well as improving the quality of signal transmission in general. It's also worth to point out that oxidization (or turning green) wouldn't happen thanks to the Litz termination.



Some may remember the early Effect Audio cables turning a tad stiff and hard after a decent amount of usage, but that's not going to be the case here. What's covering the Type 2 construction is their new SA insulation II, which gives a clearer, transparent look to the appearance and remains soft for the whole lasting time. Last but not least, the connectors. Not only all Titan series come with exclusive Satin Audio connectors, but TeCu (Tellurium Copper) applied for the IEM connectors and Cardas 3.8% solder for welding them.


At the end of the day, how much these cables cost? $70.50 each, 4 braids as default. FYI, in case you're not too familiar with customized IEM cables, this is a GREAT price, especially for a 7N cable. Let's now check out each of their characteristics as well as some matching comparisons with various IEMs.



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Satin Audi Gaïa Review: Vital warmth

Gaïa is a 7N Superior-Pure copper Litz cable with a thickness of 28AWG and a Type 2 construction. Gaïa takes a subtle yet noticeable approach when it comes to highlighting the warmth and bass, bringing a very natural and gradual change to the sound. The bass quantity and thickness increases a little bit but not drastic. The tonality heads for an organic taste but not boring or colorless. It keeps an appropriate amount of delightful, flavourful taste that sweetens the sound and keeping the atmosphere trendy. Not only the bass but the upper frequencies also gain clarity and transparency, allowing the IEM to shine in all aspects.



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Matching comparisons

Campfire Audio IO

The bass dives deeper and darker, allowing the bass to freely perform and fill up that missing 10% the stock cable wasn't able to achieve. I mean ALO cables are always up to par in quality, but IO feels to be performing better with Gaïa. The bass quantity slightly increases but nothing close to blurring the upper frequencies or loosening the bass presentation. Mids get mildly tighter and very slightly trimming the mid reverbs, making the atmosphere feel more clear and fresh. Highs get denser and visibly more crispy, allowing them to stand out more clearly with good details.



AZLA Orta

Vocals steps in closer and becomes more uplifting. Upper mids gain more air and brightness, but nothing to the point where the sound would get fatiguing. Originally Orta tends to hang around on the lower side of the headroom, however Gaïa enables Orta to make more approaches on the upper side. Along with that, the mids turn shinier with a silvery tone glazed on it, resulting in a lot more engaging and vibrant sound.


Tanchjim Oxygen

Treble details become visibly richer and stand out better. Mids are sweeter, shinier, closer to the ears without breaking the original imaging. Lows gain more power and force when pushing out the thuds. The overall sound gets so clean and clear as if the purity has increased.




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Verdicts for Gaïa

Copper cables are often misjudged to be boring compared to the ones that are made of all kinds of other materials, though Gaïa presents a sound that is up to trend as well as seeking to bring improvements to both low and high frequencies. A gentle lift on the bass with sweet, clear upper frequencies is just hard to go wrong. If you're unfamiliar with getting custom cables or not sure which model you should go for, Gaïa is going to be a safe and worthy choice.



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Satin Audio Hyperion Review: Silver but natural

Hyperion is a 7N Superior-Pure silver-plated copper Litz cable with a thickness of 28AWG and a Type 2 construction. What makes Hyperion be a skillful cable is that the tonality keeps its naturality while possessing the general characteristics we'd expect from an SPC cable - crispy, bright, and silvery atmosphere. Just as my expectation, Hyperion presents a silvery, shiny tone but mild in portion. It feels to be just the right amount to enrich the upper frequencies and texture without drying out or harshening the texture details. Both the low and high frequencies get tighter and denser, but this is also done gently, not to kill the natural reverbs from the original sound. Mids get up-closer with airy, splendid trebles.



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Matching comparisons

Audiosense T800

The sound signature and the characteristics stay the same as the original but improved in the overall presentation. Mids sound more "opened" and spreads out with a better flow. Also, the tonality is now closer to neutral and the textures are more detailed while keeping the surface smooth. The bass quantity stays the same (decent mid-bass thud and well-controlled) though Hyperion provides a meatier sound ray as well as presenting the bass in a darker/thicker manner.



Tin HiFi P1

The overall sound signature stays the same, however with visibly better mids. Some of the bright sounding cables could mess up the imaging and naturality by excessively pulling out the mids apart from the other frequencies, but that isn't the case here. The vocals a presented in a purer and clearer way without getting grainy or distorted. It's a very natural boost, not disrupting the flow of the overall sound. The atmosphere turns into a happy, delightful tone along with shiny yet comfortable upper frequencies. I like how the mids get intensive and closer to the ears while preserving the neutral imaging.



QOA Pink Lady

The bass reproductions became much better - slightly increased in quantity with meatier/thicker sound ray. This is done in a gradual, gentle manner that doesn't loosen the reverbs or make the atmosphere muddy. The bass also feels darker and well-settled on the lower end of the headroom, nicely supplementing the bass punch while preserving the original signature. Mids and highs stay mostly the same as the stock SPC cable did, but cleaner and well-organized. Hyperion would be an ideal choice for Pink Lady if you're looking to add more body to the bass without altering the other frequencies.



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Verdicts for Hyperion

Hyperion knows how much it should tighten and brighten the sound, bringing a visible improvement yet being sonically well-compatible with a variety of IEMs. Initially, the changes, or influences, may not be drastic as some vibrant sounding SPC cables, though the differences soon get clear as Hyperion blends into the sound in a careful, courteous attitude. Taking the careful approach sounds similar to Gaia, the one reviewed right before this, right? Though Hyperion sure keeps a clear distinction from Gaia, making it a very nice choice for those looking to add fun, crispiness, and shininess naturally.



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Hyperion 8 - A big step further

Have I said having thicker braids are still very affordable for these? Titan series comes in with 4 braids as default, but you could increase the braids to 6 and 8 just by each adding $15 and $30 - which makes only $100.50 for an 8 braid. That is one hell of a deal. Besides, the 8 braided version is similar to other typical 4 braided cables in weight thickness as the wires on these are already slim and light. Let's now cover Hyperion 8 and see what are the sonic differences compared to the default 4 braided Hyperion.



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Compared to original Hyperion

Audiosense T800

The T800's sound signature works well with SPC cables, yet the sound from the default cable sounds a tad thin and needs a cable that achieves thicker and bassier sound. Compared to the original Hyperion, Hyperion 8 delivers a significantly better presentation. The bass gains a fuller body with meatier strikes. I can now feel the weighty, punchy, and darker bass existence way better.



Mids become more wholesome, softer in texture, and increased in density. Showing a smoother transition throughout the mid-range as well as the brightness getting slightly dimmer are also the differences that I appreciate from Hyperion 8 (Note that the matter with brightness is relatively said as I compare with the original Hyperion). The headroom is larger both up and down with improved layering.



Tin HiFi P1

The overall dynamics get visibly livelier with more detailed layering and separation. Lows gain more color, weight, and extension. I'd say the center of gravity shifts a little lower and provides better stability. Mids gain a stronger driving force too. Vocals get thicker in density and larger phasing, though what I truly appreciate is that Hyperion 8 still won't lose the airiness and shininess on the upper mids, despite the thicker presentation.


In fact, airiness is better than the original Hyperion as the reverbs feel more natural and has better composure. The trebles get snappier along with the textures getting more detailed and crispier. The strike and decay feel cleaner too. The headroom gains a good amount of improvement as well, in all four directions. I'd say it stretches further in sideways.



QOA Pink Lady

The overall thickness becomes more consistent with a fresher tonality. Along with the extension towards the lower ends gaining improvements, the bass becomes larger, deeper, and dynamic. Yet the bass reverbs don't get loosen or bloated but stays clean. Hyperion 8 brings a positive change to the upper frequencies too.


I can tell there are more space and air to the upper ends, only to the point where it wouldn't break the original balance. Mids sound cleaner with refined textures with the trebles getting snappier, richer, and colorful. I'm liking the Pink Lady + Hyperion 8 combination as the sound characteristics stay almost identical to original yet improved in every aspect.




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Verdicts for Hyperion 8

While the original 4 braided Hyperion doesn't particularly sound thin in the first place, Hyperion 8 is visibly fuller in body and richer in the overall presentation. The headroom feels wider and provides more spacing between the sound layers, making the separation clearer. To be frank, I'd gladly spend the reasonable extra price and upgrade to an 8 braid. The extra payment is much worth the sonic improvement. I'd also like to highlight that all 8 braids for Titan series don't get overwhelming whatsoever thanks to its subtle nature. Hyperion 8 will be one of the best affordable choices for achieving clarity with a full-bodied sound.



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Satin Audio Theia Review: Fun and original

As a hybrid model of Gaia and Hyperion, Theia sports a combination of 7N OCC Pure Copper Litz with OCC SPC Litz cable with a thickness of 28AWG and a Type 2 construction. I'd say Theia enriches the flavor and the dynamics while keeping intact with the original tonality. Another interesting part is that Theia possesses both of each characteristic from Gaia and Hyperion. The lower ends get mildly warmer and bolder while the upper ends get mildly brighter, presenting quite a fun sound but only for a proper amount.




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Matching comparisons

Dunu Falcon-C

The atmosphere feels more moist and tender. Mids are smoother, softer, and better refined. The bits of grains that I felt from the texture are no longer present, unlike the stock cable. Vocals show a more relaxed and comfortable presentation. The staging size has mildly increased with a visibly darker and quieter background. Lower mids gains more body as well as the timbre getting more neutral. The bass thuds feel larger, deeper, and heavier that works like a support fixture for the entire sound.



Campfire Audio Orion

Compared to the stock cable, The sound gets fuller with thicker. The bass becomes darker and gains more weight, gently supplementing the bass but not drastically. It's just about the right amount that gives more body while not messing up the timbre. Along with that, the background is darker and cleaner but possesses a good amount of airiness and freshness. The verbs on the mids are also a bit decreased and show tighter expression.



BGVP DMS

While keeping the original atmosphere and signature, the timbre becomes more lively and up-close. Mids sound more coherent and visibly sweeter, adding fun and charm to the vocals. The overall sound simply feels more harmonic and well-blended in together. The bass grooves and ultra-lows become cleaner while shining the upper frequencies with a good crisp. Much more premium and fancy-sounding compared to the stock cable. One of my most favorite matching with Theia.



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Verdicts for Theia

Having both of each element from Gaïa and Hyperion, Theia pursues a new path in characteristics with a performance that is just as stellar as the other Titan Series. Hybrid cables could often be sounding a little odd in tonality once they're paired with a single driver IEM, yet Theia manages to spice up the tone with vibrant textures while keeping the tonality neutral. All three are equally priced and their performances are in the same good league, eventually all coming down to preferences and characteristics. Theia is an exciting and charming sounding cable that boosts the fun into a subtle IEM without overdoing, making it ideal for those who want to highlight the v-shaped sound signature a little more without degrading the vocals.




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Thanks to Satin Audio for providing Titan Series for an honest feedback/review.
I am not affiliated with Satin Audio and none of my words were modded or asked to be changed.
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