I’ve been listening to the Cleopatra II today with the Traillii. Quite a nice pair up. I’ll post some impressions soon.
Effect Audio cables thread
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I’ve been listening to the Cleopatra II today with the Traillii. Quite a nice pair up. I’ll post some impressions soon.
It is really nice looking, all the y split and plug are made in titanium and looks similar to the design of the flagship Centurion. Term X and Con X together makes the cable extremely versatile. Future proof for years to come.
I’ve been listening to the Cleopatra II today with the Traillii. Quite a nice pair up. I’ll post some impressions soon.
Looking forward to your thoughts, I have to say I agree with the previous poster it's an awesome-looking cable.
Here are my impressions of the new Effect Audio cable Cleopatra II.
I’d like to thank Effect Audio @Suyang @JordonEA for allowing me to have a very small part in the launch of the new Heritage Series. I was sent the Cleo II cable in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.
Cleopatra II
The Cleo II is a 26 AWG, UP-OCC Silver Litz cable. The one I have is 4 Wire although there is an 8 Wire version available. I have the prototype, but I believe that it is very close to the final commercial product. The tuning is the finished article, but there may be a little tweaking of the metal components for final launch. The cable is soft and supple in the hand. It is silver in colour, while the Y-split, termination and connector housing appear to be titanium. One interesting factor is that it comes with ConX and TermX fitted as standard and so you do not need to have these added as an extra. (I did an earlier post about these elements on this thread). This cable is the first to be released from the new Heritage series.
Technical Specifications:
- Selected Premium UP-OCC Silver Litz
- Proprietary Dual Geometric Design
- 26 AWG 4 Wires / 8 Wires
- Individually Enamelled Strands
- EA Ultra Flexi Insulation
- ConX & TermX Interchangeable Connector/Plug System
I burnt the cable in beforehand for 100 hours. All listening was then done with the Oriolus Traillii and the HiBy R8. The termination I have is 4.4mm balanced. I have used a selection of songs to check various areas and I’ve listed them out below for reference. I’ve said it before, but I’m pretty useless at trying to describe sound and so I’ll just try to covey the basics of what I hear to you as I do my listening.
I’ve been listening to the Cleo II with the Traillii for a bit of time now. My thoughts on this cable therefore will be relative to this IEM.
Overall the Cleo II is clean, clear and detailed. However, it does have a few tricks up it sleeve. It has the ability to really bring out the bass element of your earphone. To my ears there is more sub and mid bass impact – I found this surprising as it’s silver, but it is a definite plus if you want to turn up the bass on the Traillii. Mids sound detailed and separation and layering is very distinctive as I try to pinpoint where everything is. Musical instruments and vocals sound crisp and clear and are well positioned. However, there is a subtle warmth and smoothness to this area. Highs do extend up and can be vivid and more revealing. There is a brightness to the sound but it’s not sharp or offensive. I find that it is well extended but never strays into that harsh uncomfortable area.
Bass notes:
Although this is a silver cable there does appear to be a bit of emphasis on the lower end.
Deep bass on the Drum & Bass track ‘Nasty Ways’ by Dllinja is superbly rendered. This track has a deep almost guttural growl like sub bass and Cleo II really helps to bring this out. I was impressed by this. The hard hitting drum beat and pluck of the bass guitar string on New Orders ‘Blue Monday’ have a real presence when I listen. I thought that this song could do with a little more bass compared to stock, and so I’m liking what I hear with Cleo II.
I found a track by Aphex Twin called Produk 29[101] that highlights a type of bass that I will tentatively call ‘upper sub bass’. It’s almost like sub bass, but instead of being felt in your chest you feel it in the top of your head. I’m sure some others here can give it a proper name, but regardless the Cleo II does it well. Overall, I think Cleo II really helps to showcase the bass ability of the Traillii.
Mids notes:
Here I’m getting good imaging, separation and detail. Mids feel crisp and clean with a slight touch of warmth. I’m getting some good spacing between instruments here, and I can pinpoint most things on the stage. Buddy Guy’s guitar sings on ‘We go back’, and the vocals of both him and Mavis Staples are nicely placed on the stage. Everything is so clear and clean on this track. Bring in AC/DC and the drum has a very definite thump and guitars have a good bit of crunch on ‘Back in Black’. I can almost see Angus Young running around the stage playing his guitar while Brian Johnson screams out the vocals. I think rock works well with the Cleo II. The voice of singer lady blackbird is rather captivating on the track ‘Fix It’. This is such a well recorded song highlighting singer and piano, and the Cleo II helps to show off the crispness of the piano notes, the bass tone of the lower pedal and the singers voice. Every part is beautifully presented. I like to try out the song ‘Losing Things’ by The Beautiful South because there is so much going on in that track. The singer is quite close to you, but there are different instruments spread all over the stage. This is quite a smooth song and what I like here is that the Cleo II has not tried to alter this smoothness and there is no emphasis of trying to make it brighter in any way. I can definitely home in on all the various instruments, and the details and layering is presented well. The live version of Hotel California is a track I like to use for a number of things. You can check out the width of the soundstage, instrument separation, the depth of ‘thump’ on the bongo’s, and a test for upper mids. This is useful for me as the lead vocals are quite close in and a little elevated. My concern with a silver cable is that it will emphasise these vocals too much and make it too much for my ears to contend with. Luckily, I can say that the Cleo II keeps these on the right side, and everything plays beautifully.
Highs notes:
The highs are clean and crisp on the Traillii but there seems to be a bit of air around everything. This makes the Cleo II a pleasant listen as I’m finding that it gives a different approach to what I’d normally expect from a silver cable. On the track ‘Say something’ by A Great Big World, the male vocals extend quite high. I sometimes find it can be a difficult song to get right and its presentation can be quite dependent on the equipment used. Yet with the Cleo II I’m finding that these vocals stay on the right side for me and do not stray into those harsher territories. There are two female artists I listen to with vocals that also reach high levels, The Unthanks and Birdy, and these play out well and I’m pleasantly surprised that these vocals are kept in check. I think this is because Cleo II doesn’t have a harsh treble, and for someone like me who can be a little sensitive to this area, I’m enjoying the sound that the Traillii is giving me with this cable.
Last thoughts
When I do my testing, I tend to use particular songs that I know will let me hear bass, mids and highs. The issue here though is that I’m listening to a songs elements, to a certain extent, in isolation. This dawned on me when I decided to just listen to a general playlist I had while I was working. I realised that while doing this I was hearing every element combined and I was hearing the whole song and not its component parts. Doing this I noticed that the Cleo II gave a kind of 3D feel to the sound. I think this may be because it feels like there is a lot of air around everything. Regardless, I find it makes the Traillii, with Cleo II, a very nice listen.
Tracks used
Edited for photos & spelling.
I’d like to thank Effect Audio @Suyang @JordonEA for allowing me to have a very small part in the launch of the new Heritage Series. I was sent the Cleo II cable in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.
Cleopatra II
The Cleo II is a 26 AWG, UP-OCC Silver Litz cable. The one I have is 4 Wire although there is an 8 Wire version available. I have the prototype, but I believe that it is very close to the final commercial product. The tuning is the finished article, but there may be a little tweaking of the metal components for final launch. The cable is soft and supple in the hand. It is silver in colour, while the Y-split, termination and connector housing appear to be titanium. One interesting factor is that it comes with ConX and TermX fitted as standard and so you do not need to have these added as an extra. (I did an earlier post about these elements on this thread). This cable is the first to be released from the new Heritage series.
Technical Specifications:
- Selected Premium UP-OCC Silver Litz
- Proprietary Dual Geometric Design
- 26 AWG 4 Wires / 8 Wires
- Individually Enamelled Strands
- EA Ultra Flexi Insulation
- ConX & TermX Interchangeable Connector/Plug System
I burnt the cable in beforehand for 100 hours. All listening was then done with the Oriolus Traillii and the HiBy R8. The termination I have is 4.4mm balanced. I have used a selection of songs to check various areas and I’ve listed them out below for reference. I’ve said it before, but I’m pretty useless at trying to describe sound and so I’ll just try to covey the basics of what I hear to you as I do my listening.
I’ve been listening to the Cleo II with the Traillii for a bit of time now. My thoughts on this cable therefore will be relative to this IEM.
Overall the Cleo II is clean, clear and detailed. However, it does have a few tricks up it sleeve. It has the ability to really bring out the bass element of your earphone. To my ears there is more sub and mid bass impact – I found this surprising as it’s silver, but it is a definite plus if you want to turn up the bass on the Traillii. Mids sound detailed and separation and layering is very distinctive as I try to pinpoint where everything is. Musical instruments and vocals sound crisp and clear and are well positioned. However, there is a subtle warmth and smoothness to this area. Highs do extend up and can be vivid and more revealing. There is a brightness to the sound but it’s not sharp or offensive. I find that it is well extended but never strays into that harsh uncomfortable area.
Bass notes:
Although this is a silver cable there does appear to be a bit of emphasis on the lower end.
Deep bass on the Drum & Bass track ‘Nasty Ways’ by Dllinja is superbly rendered. This track has a deep almost guttural growl like sub bass and Cleo II really helps to bring this out. I was impressed by this. The hard hitting drum beat and pluck of the bass guitar string on New Orders ‘Blue Monday’ have a real presence when I listen. I thought that this song could do with a little more bass compared to stock, and so I’m liking what I hear with Cleo II.
I found a track by Aphex Twin called Produk 29[101] that highlights a type of bass that I will tentatively call ‘upper sub bass’. It’s almost like sub bass, but instead of being felt in your chest you feel it in the top of your head. I’m sure some others here can give it a proper name, but regardless the Cleo II does it well. Overall, I think Cleo II really helps to showcase the bass ability of the Traillii.
Mids notes:
Here I’m getting good imaging, separation and detail. Mids feel crisp and clean with a slight touch of warmth. I’m getting some good spacing between instruments here, and I can pinpoint most things on the stage. Buddy Guy’s guitar sings on ‘We go back’, and the vocals of both him and Mavis Staples are nicely placed on the stage. Everything is so clear and clean on this track. Bring in AC/DC and the drum has a very definite thump and guitars have a good bit of crunch on ‘Back in Black’. I can almost see Angus Young running around the stage playing his guitar while Brian Johnson screams out the vocals. I think rock works well with the Cleo II. The voice of singer lady blackbird is rather captivating on the track ‘Fix It’. This is such a well recorded song highlighting singer and piano, and the Cleo II helps to show off the crispness of the piano notes, the bass tone of the lower pedal and the singers voice. Every part is beautifully presented. I like to try out the song ‘Losing Things’ by The Beautiful South because there is so much going on in that track. The singer is quite close to you, but there are different instruments spread all over the stage. This is quite a smooth song and what I like here is that the Cleo II has not tried to alter this smoothness and there is no emphasis of trying to make it brighter in any way. I can definitely home in on all the various instruments, and the details and layering is presented well. The live version of Hotel California is a track I like to use for a number of things. You can check out the width of the soundstage, instrument separation, the depth of ‘thump’ on the bongo’s, and a test for upper mids. This is useful for me as the lead vocals are quite close in and a little elevated. My concern with a silver cable is that it will emphasise these vocals too much and make it too much for my ears to contend with. Luckily, I can say that the Cleo II keeps these on the right side, and everything plays beautifully.
Highs notes:
The highs are clean and crisp on the Traillii but there seems to be a bit of air around everything. This makes the Cleo II a pleasant listen as I’m finding that it gives a different approach to what I’d normally expect from a silver cable. On the track ‘Say something’ by A Great Big World, the male vocals extend quite high. I sometimes find it can be a difficult song to get right and its presentation can be quite dependent on the equipment used. Yet with the Cleo II I’m finding that these vocals stay on the right side for me and do not stray into those harsher territories. There are two female artists I listen to with vocals that also reach high levels, The Unthanks and Birdy, and these play out well and I’m pleasantly surprised that these vocals are kept in check. I think this is because Cleo II doesn’t have a harsh treble, and for someone like me who can be a little sensitive to this area, I’m enjoying the sound that the Traillii is giving me with this cable.
Last thoughts
When I do my testing, I tend to use particular songs that I know will let me hear bass, mids and highs. The issue here though is that I’m listening to a songs elements, to a certain extent, in isolation. This dawned on me when I decided to just listen to a general playlist I had while I was working. I realised that while doing this I was hearing every element combined and I was hearing the whole song and not its component parts. Doing this I noticed that the Cleo II gave a kind of 3D feel to the sound. I think this may be because it feels like there is a lot of air around everything. Regardless, I find it makes the Traillii, with Cleo II, a very nice listen.
Tracks used
- New Order – Blue Monday
- Notorious BIG – Dangerous MC’s
- Dillinja – Nasty Ways
- Aphex Twin – produk 29[101]
- Massive Attack - Angel
- Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples – We go back
- AC/DC – Back in Black
- Lady Blackbird – Fix it
- The Beautiful South – Losing Things
- Eagles – Hotel California-Live on MTV, 1994
- A Great Big World – Say something
- The Unthanks – Heres’ the Tender Coming
- Birdy – Wings (acoustic)
- The Jesus & Mary Chain – Tower of Song
- Miles Davis – So What
Edited for photos & spelling.
Last edited:
From my understanding, it only affected Japan and Hong Kong markets during the initial launch phase and has thus been resolved a couple of months back.
Has anyone in the US had this issue?
I wouldn't be concerned it was discussed a while back. Shouldn't affect any current cables and never affects units outside of Hong Kong and Japan.
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Well I am in the US, purchased at CanJam Chicago, and the right wire has started to act up.
I've been using it since I purchased and no issues. Just yesterday the right side went out. I did swap sides and the right ciem worked fine with the left wire. I switched back and nothing, actually a really low volume. I also switched the left, working fine with full volume, to the right wire and same thing a really low volume. I wiped the 2-pin connection and the right side work fine again.
Just a little while ago, the sound went back to a really low volume, just the right side again.
I've been using it since I purchased and no issues. Just yesterday the right side went out. I did swap sides and the right ciem worked fine with the left wire. I switched back and nothing, actually a really low volume. I also switched the left, working fine with full volume, to the right wire and same thing a really low volume. I wiped the 2-pin connection and the right side work fine again.
Just a little while ago, the sound went back to a really low volume, just the right side again.
KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
To think that somehow there can be a bad batch of cables at these prices somehow are frightening. I've never held on to an EA cable BNIB long enough to see how stiff it could get, but either way it should be consistent.
Have a newer Horus with ConX, lets see if I'll be shopping for a new cable in a few years for my A12t
At risk of sinking the resale value of my Janus D that is listed: I'm surprised too.
@riverground owns an older second hand Janus B that is perfectly supple and flexible, meanwhile my newer third handed Janus D is so stiff above the y split. I have microphonic issues with the cable just from moving my head ever so slightly.
@frekvens is the original owner, and @riverground the second, but he didn't try until we met up recently and was surprised at how stiff it was as well.
I'd love to pair it with my A12t, but the fact I can hear the wires rubbing against each over the music makes it unbearable.
EA has offered to rebraid the cable to see if it reduces the issue, but shipping both ways isn't really plausible if the issue is still going to be present and I'll have to sell it anyways. Even more so as the cable already has money spent as it went in for ConX and Y split replacment at my request when I bought it from @riverground
Really hope my Horus isn't a bad batch, as I didn't pay to play russian roulette with insulation degradation.
Mangodango369
100+ Head-Fier
I never had any ergonomic issues with EA cables so far haha even with why antique ares II+ hahaha
Huh! This is impressively interesting for a totally silver cable. What wizardry has EA done this time lol Did you try listening to Bass from other genres with Cleo II tho?
Shawnb
1000+ Head-Fier
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Both Code 51’s I’ve owned tend to get stuff after repeated use, yet doesn’t appear to be an issue once bespoke with the Chiron.
I know I had to use Vaseline to make the original Code 51 more supple almost every 2 weeks.
I know I had to use Vaseline to make the original Code 51 more supple almost every 2 weeks.
Hi @james93 No worries about that! We do provide 1 year warranty for manufacturer's defect. Please contact us at info@effectaudio.com and our team can assist you with getting the issue fixed!
- Jordon
I tried D&B, hip-hop and some EDM. I’m not saying the Cleo II turns Traillii into Legend X or EVO because it does not. The Traillii’s BA bass is still BA bass, but it does, to my ears, seem to give an increase in bass performance relative to stock.
My Ares I&II cables definitely stiffened up over time, it's like they all developed rheumatoid arthritis. No issues sonically though. Ares S seems to standing up quite well so far. My other EA cables (Ares II 8-wire, Thor II 8-wire, Cleo II & Leo II haven't been afflicted.
Hehe, I never considered that, but I am chuckling a bit picturing it.
I’ve had the Thor Silver II+ for a few years now and it’s condition is fine.
KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
Never had an issue with an Aries II that I later upgraded to the Aries II 8 through an upgrade program. Had it for a few years and it was still soft as supple from day 1.
The Janus is literally my first cable with this level of stiffness.
It more or less locks me out of 8 wire builds for fear of Janus level stiffness causing microphonics.
The Janus is literally my first cable with this level of stiffness.
It more or less locks me out of 8 wire builds for fear of Janus level stiffness causing microphonics.
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