[kubig123]

So got the Prudence this morning, and had a brief listening paired with ItsFit Fusion and U12T. So there's good and bad news. I am no reviewer so I'll do my best.

Bad news - I had bought this for Fusion primarily. With this pairing, Prudence truly gives a very good sense of air and clarity to the already very airy presentation Fusion. The bass hits are tighter and quite fast, the treble gets a tab bit more sparkle but no harshness to my ears. The problem to me is that the midrange to me has become a bit more at the back, a bit more recessed. The midrange on the Fusion are already a bit recessed, and this pairing pushes it more back, and to me i lose emotion with vocal based songs. Leonidas II instead injects a very good sense of midrange back and the pairing with Fusion to me is extremely well.

Good News - The pairing with U12T goes really well! I was using Leonidas II so far, which bought with it more body to the iem. But Fusion doesn't add body, but instead adds more clarity and air to the overall presentation. The bass here too is hits hard, but for me the midrange has become sweeter, and the major problem I had with U12t was it was a bit boring, needed a bit treble energy and fortunately Prudence adds that to this. I was using the M15 module with Leo II all this while, but now using the M20 to add more body to the low end, and now i feel U12T gets more life in all the areas that I felt was missing before, bass has more body while there is enough sparkle at the top end!

Luckily I didnt have to pay any customs on this, since someone put cable sample on the bill !! Nice one

Interesting, which player are you using?
I personally love the Fusion+Prudence with the Cayin N8 and N6ii.

 

[arijitroy2]

Interesting, which player are you using?
I personally love the Fusion+Prudence with the Cayin N8 and N6ii.

Ok makes sense because those daps are on the warmer side, I am using the DX220+AMP8EX-FE. So its already neutral sounding DAP, i think pairing a warm dap could make it better.

 

[NovaFlyer]

Thanks to @Eric Chong I have opportunity to learn more about Fortitude and Prudence. Without further ado those two are really nice cables, despite being lower end offering. Build quality is exellent:
- matte black 2pin connectors looks simple and elegant, those are well made and seems to be sturdy;
- proprietary Y splitter and plug's shell are incredible well designed at that price point - very eye catching
- Y splitters are on bigger side, but cables are easy to wear and handle - good job Eletech;
- rhodium plated plugs are nice addition at this price range
- braid isn't too tight, insulation is flexible with no memory effect to it.

Package is simple and not as impressive as for higher models, but there is simple material case, leather strap and card with informations about each model. Simple and elegant, hard to complain.

I gave each 5hrs of listen time with few IEMs and must say that Fortitude and Prudence doesn't "sound" as typical - respectively - copper and SPC cables, Quick impressions for now:
- Fortitude - low end is nicely extended with main accent in midbass area and better control to subbass than most stock cables, lower mids has some body to it, but stage is quite clear as vocals are a bit forward placed. The is good extension in upper treble, but not so much air from last octave. Sound is quite smooth and quite natural with all IEMs tested. One thing that stood out to me is very good dynimics for copper cable at this price range. Sound with Fortitude is musical, very engaging, and at the same time more focused and a bit intimate. Soundstage has good width, nice depth, but is place a bit forward, so it isn't the most spacious presentation. For now I like Fortitude with something like Custom Art FIBAE Black, Jomo Audio Haka, Empire Ears EVR or iBasso AM05. It sound for me surprising nice with Itsfit Lab Fusion and Rhapsodio Eden.
- Prudence - comapring to Fortitude this one change sound to be more clear, clean and spacious. Lows are also nicely extended and are tigher and less weighty, but still posses good power. Mids are clean, airy and at the same time quite smooth sounding. Instruments sounds natural with no lack in body. Vocals are't placed too forward - are more relaxed and laid-back, but still sound nicely natural (especially delicate female's ones). Highs seems to be mostly neutral with balanced amount of body, sparkles and air. Extension is better than with Fortitude, stage is also bigger and there is more airy and holographic presentation. Detail level is bit better, as well as resolution, but there is nothing analytical to Prudence. Charming cable. Nice pair with Legend X, Nemesis and Valkyrie from Empire Ears. Itsfit Lab Fusion for my taste is also nice pairing (even more out of head experience), as well as Oriolus Finschi HiFi, Oriolus MK2 and Soranik iON-4 (love that one synergy).

Fortitude and Prudence as lower model from young comapny as Eletech seems very impressive - from build quality to changes providing in SQ. Those aren't the cheapest "entry level" cable, but I'm thinking those are for sure worth their prices and there is really nothing "entry level" to them.

Here's few photos:

Nice write-up. Love the pictures.

 

[EagleWings]

Received the Plato yesterday. Some quick thoughts:

- The packaging and unboxing has Eric’s name written all over it. I know him well and he prioritizes quality of the packaging and unboxing. So no compromises here. Inside, you have a EleTech Plato metal plaque and a leather case, which holds the cable safely.

- The leather case is a zippered case with a belt loop on the outside and I am not a fan of these extra attachments on the outside. From the pictures, I would have preferred the more simpler case of the Illiad. But at least it is more practical than the one that comes with the Leonidas, as I have already started using it to carry the Plato+Fibae7. Whereas the Leo leather case never left the box.

- The cable as such looks real nice. The cable is quite thin, very supple and exhibits no springy behavior. All these add up to a very ergonomic experience. The Y split, 2-pin connectors, 2.5mm plug all are made of black brushed metal which I really dig. But the chrome metal inserts on the Y-split and the 2.5mm plug look a bit tacky.

- As for the sound, it has a neutral, clear and articulate sound with a focus on transparency. I don’t want to say it is a resolution-centric cable, as that term is mostly associated with tipped up treble and without prioritizing tone and timbre. While tone and timbre are not exactly Plato’s forte, it doesn’t have a disregard for them either. The same goes with the smoothness. It isn’t a completely smooth cable, but isn’t one that I would call as unforgiving or bright either. These are the typical qualities of a neutral cable, which the Plato clearly is.

- It also cleans up the bass and provides a very tight and clean bass. So @SeeSax , from that perspective it might be a good pairing with the LegendX. But I don’t want to comment about the overall pairing, as I don’t have a Legend-X on hand.

- Btw, the soundstage is very large and airy with a presentation that is a touch on the neutral-relaxed side. This really works well on IEMs like the Fibae7, which have a slightly forward/intimate presentation.

Gears Used: CA Fibae7, Simgot EN700Pro, Hiby R6, Shanling M6

 

[Number9redreD]

The Iliad still killing it... might need another if that Plunge Unity 5 is as good as it looks

What a beautiful picture. An 8 wire version of the iliad might be a serious contender for 'best looking cable ever'.

 

[mvvRAZ]

What a beautiful picture. An 8 wire version of the iliad might be a serious contender for 'best looking cable ever'.

Way ahead of you Eric and I have been speaking about building one of these for a while

 

[Number9redreD]

Way ahead of you Eric and I have been speaking about building one of these for a while

Oh man, that will be a sight to see. Please do keep us updated

 

[mvvRAZ]

Oh man, that will be a sight to see. Please do keep us updated

Most certainly!! I am not sure how I feel about a 3600$ cable though...

 

[Number9redreD]

Most certainly!! I am not sure how I feel about a 3600$ cable though...

Yeah, even by 'summit-fi' (is that even a thing?) standards, that's pretty insane.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Yeah, even by 'summit-fi' (is that even a thing?) standards, that's pretty insane.

It's brutal definitely..

 

[420204]

A little late to the party, but hey: pictures of Iliad!

 

[Eric Chong]

Thank y'all for all the amazing photos and impressions in our absence ~!! We've just resumed office from a short hiatus of the CNY celebrations We'll be pushing through all the unread emails and PMs today. Sorry to keep y'all waiting!

More impressions to come - Keep posted!

We're also prepping for NYC Canjam so we'll hang out soon!

- Eric

 

[SeeSax]

It's about time @Eric Chong drops in and says hi...always partying...kidding, love to give this guy s***

Had some time tonight with Iliad and did some comparison with the Effect Audio Leo/Cleo bespoke cable. Not really sure why I decided to pair these two up, maybe because they're both hailed from Singapore, but anyway it seemed like a decent comparison for the evening.

Let's start with the ergonomics: easy, easy win for the Iliad. It's a four wire design of 24awg and the Leo/Cleo is eight wires of 26awg. Both have a gorgeous braid, but overall the Iliad is just insanely comfortable. The Leo/Cleo is very soft and supple, but it's heavier with double the wire count and it's more noticeable while wearing for sure. Ear hooks seem to fit my ears better on the Iliad as well, with a more natural bend around the ear. Hardware is very unique and gorgeous on the Iliad, and it feels very light weight. Super nice hardware on Leo/Cleo too, but I really appreciate the originality of what Eric has created with Iliad and his thoughtful craft shows.

Okay, on to the sound already: I listened to a few of my test tracks on the Tia Fourte and will give my initial thoughts here. I have to say up front, there is not a night and day difference here. Immediately, I hear the Iliad being a little more energetic, resolution-focused and clarity-driven. The Leo/Cleo has a relaxed nature by comparison. I would say the sound signatures are very close, but the Leo/Cleo has that "smooth" EA house sound and Iliad seems to focus on giving you all the details but in a pleasant manner. I also have the PW 1950 and while that isn't the focus right now, I can tell you that the Iliad is not a cold, analytical cable (which 1950 could be described as in comparison). Both cables sound musical, natural, detailed and let's be honest, outstanding with probably a wide variety of IEMs. For me, it comes down to the Iliad having a more unrestricted feel, letting everything pass through in a natural manner, creating an eminence of illumination for each note. The Leo/Cleo gives a more "organic" and relaxed presentation and while my ears are probably not good enough to decipher which cables lets more resolution through to the ear canal, I will say the perception of detail in accordance with sound signature would hand that crown to the Iliad.

As far as the intangibles go, I guess I will just be honest and say that I have a fan-girl crush on Eric and appreciate all of our interactions over the years. I can say without question that has put his heart and soul into Eletech and the cables wear that passion from the budget-friendly models all the way up to the top. I'm sure @mvvRAZ will talk Eric into an 8-wire version of the Iliad and then I will have to take a second mortgage on my house to experience it, but for now I really feel like Iliad is the creme de la creme of portable audio cables. The trend was to add wires, add exotic materials, add fancy grounding solutions, but I have to say that this humble four wire cable (yes I know it's f-ing expensive) made out of a few metals and unicorn blood is my favorite to date.



Cheers,

-Collin-

 

[Deferenz]

@SeeSax You briefly mentioned the PW 1950 in your review above. Are you able to give a comparison directly between the Iliad and the 1950 ?

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

@SeeSax You briefly mentioned the PW 1950 in your review above. Are you able to give a comparison directly between the Iliad and the 1950 ?

Waiting for that one too Collin.

I also have the PW 1950 and while that isn't the focus right now, I can tell you that the Iliad is not a cold, analytical cable (which 1950 could be described as in comparison).

Owning the 1950, I have the feeling, though it's analytical in the way it's bringing everything more clearly, that it is not cold. Looking for your further impressions.