Last time I covered the Fortitude briefly, this time around let's do the Iliad and Plato!
I believe I've covered both of those to some degree but this time around I'd like to do more of a side by side comparison as I believe they work as excellent complements to one another
I've listened to both of these cables with a variety of monitors - the one where I loved both and had a really hard time deciding was the 64Audio A18s, as I feel like they both offered some rather unique benefits - for that reason I will be using it as the point of reference for this mini review/post.
On build quality alone the Iliad remains my pick - the hardware on both is excellent and easily the best I've come across from any and every cable brand I've used. The sheathing is the main difference - the Iliad is the softer of the two by a fair margin. The Plato has come a long way since I first got to play around with it, props to Eletech for taking into account feedback and improving it!
Where sound is concerned, the Plato is a very unconventional pure silver. Most silver cables I've come across are all about a treble boost that gives you the sense of artificial clarity, lacking midrange texture and body. It's something that I quite openly despise, as I'm a bit of a texture person myself. Thankfully though the Plato provides excellent texture and weight throughout the midrange, with a slightly recessed treble presentation. It's not rolled off in the classic sense of the word, but it just feels a bit more controlled and cleaned up. The Plato has a similar effect on the bass as well - it adds an overwhelming sense of speed and precision to it. The A18s has a fair bit bolder and more present bass than the A18t, and it sounds absolutely exceptional with the Plato. In no way does it mimic a DD, but it presents itself as a sort of "pinnacle" of bass BA tech.
Where technicalities are concerned, I feel like the main strength of the Plato is the separation - instruments and vocals feel like they have a life of their own, where you can pick out much more clearly what each one is doing and where it is.
Where the Plato presents the music with a certain sense of control, the Iliad is the polar opposite experience. It enhanced both the bass and the treble, giving the lows a slower decay and the highs a fair bit of sparkle (or well, treble decay... that zinggg - call it what you will). It's also marvellously detailed and has the sort of holographic presentation that demands attention at every step of the way. I honestly loved the A18s paired with the Iliad, and if it were the only IEM I owned I'd probably still pick the Iliad over the Plato for it. However, since I use it as a reference that's just more fun than the classic A18t, I found that I wanted to double down on that by picking the Plato for it. The Elysium and Thumimm are quite thankful for that as they're both rocking Iliads currently
Looking forward to being able to soon cover the Eletech Fortitude and Prudence in another side by side post!
