Used to be on the same boat, until the Time Stream series of cables rolled out, and in terms of stock cables or reasonably priced upgrade cables they are a winner (SQ, ease of handling, aesthetics, build quality, microphonics etc). On both of my Supermoon and Stellar Horizon, I go back to the Time Streams after experimenting with different cables.
Interesting! Have you tried any of the other CFA cables like Pure Silver Litz, ALO ref8, ALO SXC8 ? I plan to use it on Vega2020. The convenience of the Time Stream seems very compelling though.
Interesting! Have you tried any of the other CFA cables like Pure Silver Litz, ALO ref8, ALO SXC8 ? I plan to use it on Vega2020. The convenience of the Time Stream seems very compelling though.
I used to own the older ALO offerings i.e. Ref8 and SXC8, but haven't had the opportunity to try the Pure Silver Litz.
I got those old ALO cables for specific purposes - mostly for their availbility with the hard-to-come-by UE connector. Nothing special to write home about on sound really. The Time stream is a huge improvement over those IMHO, in terms of handling and sound. It is quite a clean-sounding cable, not tempering too much with the iem's own sound signature (one of my main criteria in choosing cables), with good resolution and without truncating extension on either end. I in particular find it reveals high pitch overtones very well, offering a tad more air with iems capable in reproducing those ranges in the first place. What it doesn't add is body - some popular aftermarket cables tend to beef up the sound, which I guess many people like, and the Timestream doesn't do that (not sounding thin tho, dun get me wrong).
I have some older Effect Audio cables(Cleopatra 600$ and Leodanis II 800$) which sound excellent but didn't hold up in build quality. The Cleopatra feels brittle, oxidized, and curls up near my ear. The Leodanis II has the same issues in addition one of the mmcx connecters breaking when connected to my Atlas.
The Timestream cables however have been connected to the Cascara Custom and Astrolith without any issues and I intend to stick with them in the near future. Hopefully they won't face the same fate as past EA cables.
I have some older Effect Audio cables(Cleopatra 600$ and Leodanis II 800$) which sound excellent but didn't hold up in build quality. The Cleopatra feels brittle, oxidized, and curls up near my ear. The Leodanis II has the same issues in addition one of the mmcx connecters breaking when connected to my Atlas.
The Timestream cables however have been connected to the Cascara Custom and Astrolith without any issues and I intend to stick with them in the near future. Hopefully they won't face the same fate as past EA cables.
Find your idaal cable to pair and leave it with that IEm for good. You won't have broken sockets. This is what I do. Rather buy more cables than pay for repairs later. For 64 Audio would be $250+ not sure what CA would charge for a repair. The Ares S I will stay on my Trio forever. Cable connection should hold up too. You should email Effect about this issue. They may replace cables. info@effectaudio.com
Find your idaal cable to pair and leave it with that IEm for good. You won't have broken sockets. This is what I do. Rather buy more cables than pay for repairs later. For 64 Audio would be $250+ not sure what CA would charge for a repair. The Ares S I will stay on my Trio forever. Cable connection should hold up too. You should email Effect about this issue. They may replace cables. info@effectaudio.com
I'm too curious to leave most of my iems with stock cables. I like cable rolling and haven't had much trouble with most mmcx connections. I've had other EA cables replaced with con-x and 2.5 mm cable replaced from a Janus cable. I'm confident EA can replace the connecter but not so much about the cable losing its suppleness and changing color.
Find your idaal cable to pair and leave it with that IEm for good. You won't have broken sockets. This is what I do. Rather buy more cables than pay for repairs later. For 64 Audio would be $250+ not sure what CA would charge for a repair. The Ares S I will stay on my Trio forever. Cable connection should hold up too. You should email Effect about this issue. They may replace cables. info@effectaudio.com
Without naming companies any further, ... I can say that paying $250 for a socket that is not even broken is quite puzzling and not the best ever customer experience ...
Fully echo that .... once you have a cable that works nicely, then it is best to leave it on forever.
I'm too curious to leave most of my iems with stock cables. I like cable rolling and haven't had much trouble with most mmcx connections. I've had other EA cables replaced with con-x and 2.5 mm cable replaced from a Janus cable. I'm confident EA can replace the connecter but not so much about the cable losing its suppleness and changing color.
Find your idaal cable to pair and leave it with that IEm for good. You won't have broken sockets. This is what I do. Rather buy more cables than pay for repairs later. For 64 Audio would be $250+ not sure what CA would charge for a repair. The Ares S I will stay on my Trio forever. Cable connection should hold up too. You should email Effect about this issue. They may replace cables. info@effectaudio.com
That's my approach too, try and match any new iem with the one and only ideal cable and stop cable rolling. Preserve plugs and sockets as well as peace of mind.
I'm too curious to leave most of my iems with stock cables. I like cable rolling and haven't had much trouble with most mmcx connections. I've had other EA cables replaced with con-x and 2.5 mm cable replaced from a Janus cable. I'm confident EA can replace the connecter but not so much about the cable losing its suppleness and changing color.
My experience with EA's mmcx parts (both con-x and non-con-x variants) were less than satisfactory unfortunately. Their cables and 2-pin connectors are fine, but somehow I had come across quite a lot of issues with their mmcx parts. A matter of manufacturing specifications and parameters perhaps.
On the other hand, no matter you like CFA or not, it is almost undeniable that the quality of CFA's mmcx parts (both socket and plug) are absolutely top notch.
Used to be on the same boat, until the Time Stream series of cables rolled out, and in terms of stock cables or reasonably priced upgrade cables they are a winner (SQ, ease of handling, aesthetics, build quality, microphonics etc). On both of my Supermoon and Stellar Horizon, I go back to the Time Streams after experimenting with different cables.
While I won't say the Timestream is the best cable in the world, it is far from being a cheap POS. It is superbly built, got excellent aesthetics and handling ease, and sounds excellent not just in terms of stock cable, but also in comparison with many aftermarket cables. Perhaps more importantly, it suits my Supermoon and Solaris SH's sound profile very much.
I have the same experience as you over here. After I got the Supermoon last year, I've tried lots of different cables (which can can be found in my signature), ending up with the (4.4 metal) Timestream cable, as I really liked that synergy. For the Solaris SH I found the EA Eros S (AE edition) to be my favorite match so far though.
I also do like the Timestream cables (an improvement compared to the CFA stock cables before imo) and I also don't consider them as cheap, regarding looks, feel and sound! But we all experience those kind of things in our own way => nothing wrong with that! It's just an opinion afterall and not the universal truth
Interesting! Have you tried any of the other CFA cables like Pure Silver Litz, ALO ref8, ALO SXC8 ? I plan to use it on Vega2020. The convenience of the Time Stream seems very compelling though.
On my Vega OG I still use the ALO Pure Silver Litz for quite some years now => great synergy imho. The only thing that annoys me a bit sometimes, is that it can tangle easily when I don't pay attention, while putting them back in the (small leather) case. But for sound, it's a really great combination to my ears
