[Paul Zhang]

Horus and Cleo: gods and queens (Horus—pt. 3)

I thought I was done with my search for the perfect cable when I found the Horus. At the time, Cleopatra had largely flown underneath my radar because it was so new. The impressions I’ve read since intrigued me by their similarity to the way I hear the Horus. Cleo is also described as more clear than Leo II but still smooth and full bodied. The Horus is EA‘S flagship, but Cleo being newer, has some theoretical advantages. It has the multi-sized stranding of the Horus but deploys it in golden ratio dispersed bundles like the Leo. Also, unlike either the Horus or Leo it’s pure silver without plating. It seems old biases about the superiority of pure silver were hard to shake off entirely.

Of course the only way to find out if the Cleo really suited me better was to try it out for myself. Here again Musicteck’s generous audition policy was indispensable and I ordered one. (I have no affiliation with Musicteck whatsoever. I owe them nothing, but gratitude. https://shop.musicteck.com/). I thought if I actually did like the Cleo better I could always sell the Horus. I would lose a few hundred dollars, but I would also recoup a few hundred dollars given the price difference of about $1000. More likely I thought it would be a case of diminishing returns where the Horus is better, but by, say, less than 10%. We’ve all come up against this law of audiophilia as we reach for the performance ceiling, and I’ve paid as much for this small a gain in the past. The brutal fact is that at upper levels of sound incremental gains are radically disproportional to cost. I was prepared for it.

The thing is, this is not the case with the Horus and the Cleo. The Horus justifies its cost and “hall of fame” status.

The best I could reckon by reading was that the clear advantage of the Horus was in the soundstage, and it’s true. The Horus is deeper, wider, more open, more layered, and more dimensional. It Is also more organized and refined than the Cleo, but that is not the main story for me.

It is again about the purity of presentation utterly unique to the Horus.

Starting from the midrange: unlike the Horus, the Cleo (and Leo) has a certain thickness which suspends the notes in its mid presence like a colloid. I’m not saying that the Horus is thinner in the midrange. I’m saying that the Horus has no midrange. The mid-band is just... gone. Notes appear from empty space de novo fully fleshed with sonic sinews flexing. The Horus is both fuller and more transparent. The exact same is true for the trebles which are sheer transient detail floating free of any glaring brightness. The bass repeats the theme like a pristinely executed subwoofer decoupled from bloating room resonances.

If I try to capture what I’m hearing in an analogy from video, it is like the difference between LCD and OLED. LCD is transmissive, so there is a backlight shining behind the pixels. No matter how refined the technology gets it struggles with bloom and bleed from the independent illumination. OLED is emissive, the light comes organically from each pixel and that pixel alone. This is the Horus. The music no longer feels like a product of electrical amplification. Miraculously, the strings, percussion, and voices seem to generate their own energy like living sources without the artefacts of artificial excitation.

I would be remiss if I didn’t offer that Cleopatra is wonderful in its own royal right, but like others cables, she is mere mortal. Horus mesmerizes with the magic of a mythological god. I know that the Cleo is already pretty pricey at 700, is the Horus really worth almost 2.5 times that?

Yes. Yes it is.

That's an awesome review bro! The most heartening part is that you're enjoying your cables! Thank you!

 

[Paul Zhang]

Anyone experiencing issues to register in Effect Audio website. I wanted to register to place an order, but I don't receive verification email to complete my registration. I tried with 2 different emails

Hey Bro, I apologise that you're experiencing such hassle with our webpage. We'll get it sorted out as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you can drop me a PM and i'll assist with your orders.
I got you covered! Cheers!

 

[theveterans]

Horus and Cleo: gods and queens (Horus—pt. 3)

I thought I was done with my search for the perfect cable when I found the Horus. At the time, Cleopatra had largely flown underneath my radar because it was so new. The impressions I’ve read since intrigued me by their similarity to the way I hear the Horus. Cleo is also described as more clear than Leo II but still smooth and full bodied. The Horus is EA‘S flagship, but Cleo being newer, has some theoretical advantages. It has the multi-sized stranding of the Horus but deploys it in golden ratio dispersed bundles like the Leo. Also, unlike either the Horus or Leo it’s pure silver without plating. It seems old biases about the superiority of pure silver were hard to shake off entirely.

Of course the only way to find out if the Cleo really suited me better was to try it out for myself. Here again Musicteck’s generous audition policy was indispensable and I ordered one. (I have no affiliation with Musicteck whatsoever. I owe them nothing, but gratitude. https://shop.musicteck.com/). I thought if I actually did like the Cleo better I could always sell the Horus. I would lose a few hundred dollars, but I would also recoup a few hundred dollars given the price difference of about $1000. More likely I thought it would be a case of diminishing returns where the Horus is better, but by, say, less than 10%. We’ve all come up against this law of audiophilia as we reach for the performance ceiling, and I’ve paid as much for this small a gain in the past. The brutal fact is that at upper levels of sound incremental gains are radically disproportional to cost. I was prepared for it.

The thing is, this is not the case with the Horus and the Cleo. The Horus justifies its cost and “hall of fame” status.

The best I could reckon by reading was that the clear advantage of the Horus was in the soundstage, and it’s true. The Horus is deeper, wider, more open, more layered, and more dimensional. It Is also more organized and refined than the Cleo, but that is not the main story for me.

It is again about the purity of presentation utterly unique to the Horus.

Starting from the midrange: unlike the Horus, the Cleo (and Leo) has a certain thickness which suspends the notes in its mid presence like a colloid. I’m not saying that the Horus is thinner in the midrange. I’m saying that the Horus has no midrange. The mid-band is just... gone. Notes appear from empty space de novo fully fleshed with sonic sinews flexing. The Horus is both fuller and more transparent. The exact same is true for the trebles which are sheer transient detail floating free of any glaring brightness. The bass repeats the theme like a pristinely executed subwoofer decoupled from bloating room resonances.

If I try to capture what I’m hearing in an analogy from video, it is like the difference between LCD and OLED. LCD is transmissive, so there is a backlight shining behind the pixels. No matter how refined the technology gets it struggles with bloom and bleed from the independent illumination. OLED is emissive, the light comes organically from each pixel and that pixel alone. This is the Horus. The music no longer feels like a product of electrical amplification. Miraculously, the strings, percussion, and voices seem to generate their own energy like living sources without the artefacts of artificial excitation.

I would be remiss if I didn’t offer that Cleopatra is wonderful in its own royal right, but like others cables, she is mere mortal. Horus mesmerizes with the magic of a mythological god. I know that the Cleo is already pretty pricey at 700, is the Horus really worth almost 2.5 times that?

Yes. Yes it is.

Thanks for your input and agree with your impressions. I also for one demoed the Horus 8 wire from and the Cleopatra Octa recently and I did go for the Cleopatra Octa for that mid thickness that sounds much more organic to my ears than the ever precise Horus.8. Although, regarding the fullness and soundstage, I cannot discern between the Octa version of Cleopatra and the Horus 8 wire. Though I wasn't looking for utmost precision in the mids as my ears just literally made me prefer the thicker and more organic mid effect of the Cleopatra Octa. Horus looks really amazing though I wish I had my DSLR with my 1:1 magnification to sensor lens to get a close up photo of that tiny multistrands in the Horus 8

 

[edwardsean]

Thanks for your input and agree with your impressions. I also for one demoed the Horus 8 wire from and the Cleopatra Octa recently and I did go for the Cleopatra Octa for that mid thickness that sounds much more organic to my ears than the ever precise Horus.8. Although, regarding the fullness and soundstage, I cannot discern between the Octa version of Cleopatra and the Horus 8 wire. Though I wasn't looking for utmost precision in the mids as my ears just literally made me prefer the thicker and more organic mid effect of the Cleopatra Octa. Horus looks really amazing though I wish I had my DSLR with my 1:1 magnification to sensor lens to get a close up photo of that tiny multistrands in the Horus 8

Yeah, I know so much of this is so heavily dependent on one's system and individual hearing.

As for the aesthetics, I loved the Cleo way more than the Horus. Visually, I'm a silver person all the way.

 

[Wild Boar]

Beautiful cleopatra cable!!! Well done EA!

 

[Layman1]

Has anyone heard both Thor II and Cleopatra? I've been wondering what the similarities/differences are, sound-wise (preferably comparing 4-wire to 4-wire and/or 8-wire to 8-wire).

 

[twister6]

Has anyone heard both Thor II and Cleopatra? I've been wondering what the similarities/differences are, sound-wise (preferably comparing 4-wire to 4-wire and/or 8-wire to 8-wire).

I covered this in Comparison section of my review here

 

[theveterans]

Comets sounding Virtuoso

 

[Gavin C4]

While we all know Effect Audio makes high-quality cable, don't forget they also build high-quality adapters for our 2.5mm balanced cable. ; )

 

[chickenmcnug]

Comets sounding Virtuoso

Have you tried the virtuoso with Andros?

 

[freddychin]

While we all know Effect Audio makes high-quality cable, don't forget they also build high-quality adapters for our 2.5mm balanced cable. ; )

The left pin seems not straight or my eyes is having a problem.
Look at the above post for bigger image.

 

[Hana Yu]

【 Vogue on the Move: EA Worldwide Review Tour 】



Hello guys.
We're excited to announce the EA Worldwide Review Tour for Vogue has now started!

There will be 3 tours in sync in the regions listed below, i.e. one complete Vogue series (3 cables) for each region:

- Continental United States
- EU Countries including the UK
- The rest of the World, excluding China.

We would like 5 reviewers per region. Each reviewer will have 7 days to review and post their impressions under the EA thread before sending the three cables back to us. We will examine the cables for the next reviewer to ensure the best experience with Vogue for each.

SHIPPING
We will cover the shipping fees to the reviewer and back to EA once the review is finished.

REWARD
Each reviewer will receive an exclusive, personalised EA gift as a token of appreciation.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Please reply under this thread: "I would like to join the Vogue tour" and PM me with your name, suggested setup and/or 1-2 published reviews if you wish to participate.


【 Key Features About Vogue 】



Effect Audio is among the first manufacturers to have implemented the Golden Ratio Dispersion, Triple-Size Stranding design, which we employ for the first time in the new Vogue series. This sophisticated technique further enhances the high-resolution properties of the UP-OCC cable, yielding a higher resolution, micro details and smoother transitions between each frequency.

The Copper, SPC and Hybrid cables are designed to mirror EA’s original choice of materials used in our entry level (Premium) range, except that we have been able to replace the former silver cable with one using an SPC material that meets our exacting standards.

The integration of a Kevlar core in the cable, employed first in our well-acclaimed “Cleopatra” (Heritage series) and now in the Vogue series helps to maintain the stability of the cable’s geometric structure, optimising durability and suppleness.

The EA signature design in the new Vogue series has seen significant changes to achieve improved ergonomics and a more stylish look.

 

[theveterans]

Have you tried the virtuoso with Andros?

I have not, but I'll post my thoughts on it at some point in time

 

[Paul Zhang]

Comets sounding Virtuoso

Dang! The "Virtuoso" looks great on the comet! I am Jealous!

 

[theveterans]

Dang! The "Virtuoso" looks great on the comet! I am Jealous!

Thanks Paul! It definitely gives finesse in Comet's looks! Now I realize why I like them when I demoed them as mysterious cables: it's like a mini Cleopatra in its signature which is what made me drawn to its sound. Very good synergy with the Comets whether I plug them in to my iPod touch or with Chord Mojo DAC/amp.