Eletech Cables Official Impressions & Discussions Thread
Jul 1, 2020 at 2:08 PM Post #586 of 5,465
@Eric Chong Any update on availability of the new case to purchase separately?
 
Jul 1, 2020 at 10:31 PM Post #587 of 5,465
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 :D

Looking forward to being able to soon cover the Eletech Fortitude and Prudence in another side by side post!

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I have ordered A18s. Plato is out of my budget. :laughing:
Would you recommend Fortitude or Prudence?
My budget is under US$400.:imp:
 
Jul 2, 2020 at 2:26 AM Post #588 of 5,465
Come on Eric, I've waited for literally 28 HOURS now (not that I was counting lol)..
What's this news?? Is it a new product?? We need to know!! :joy:

We're still working on it! :) Shall release more information when we can.

@Eric Chong Any update on availability of the new case to purchase separately?

We should have more information in a week or 2. It should be available soon!
 
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Jul 2, 2020 at 3:24 AM Post #589 of 5,465
I have ordered A18s. Plato is out of my budget. :laughing:
Would you recommend Fortitude or Prudence?
My budget is under US$400.:imp:
I haven’t tried the fortitude yet I’m afraid - I’ll be able to report back in a week or two :)
 
Jul 2, 2020 at 3:46 AM Post #590 of 5,465
I have ordered A18s. Plato is out of my budget. :laughing:
Would you recommend Fortitude or Prudence?
My budget is under US$400.:imp:

Congratulations on the incoming flagship IEM, and welcome to the thread :)
The answer to the cable question would depend on what you're looking for.

Probably the best approach would be to listen first to the A18s once it arrives; give it a couple of weeks at least to get used to the sound signature with the stock cable.

During that time, have a think about what aspects of the sound signature you would like to modify, and how.
Once you have those answers, you can post them here and I'm sure we'll be able to steer you in the best direction :)

Of course, if that all sounds like too much waiting around then you can just choose Fortitude or Prudence now of course :)
@mvvRAZ should be able to give you a comparison in a couple of weeks.

I haven't heard Fortitude, but I own the Prudence and it's an outstanding cable, not to mention a thing of beauty :)

I've heard the A18s is a bit warmer, darker and with more low end presence and richness than (e.g.) the U18t, but of course still hugely detailed and spacious.
So as an off-the-cuff guess, if you wanted to continue along with that signature then Fortitude would seem the appropriate choice.

Conversely, if you wanted to tighten up the low end, whilst adding a bit more sub-bass extension and impact, increasing detail, soundstage and separation, then I suspect the Prudence is going to be more suitable for your needs. But, I haven't heard the Fortitude so I'm just going on comments I've read about it.

However, as I've said, the best approach would be to spend a couple of weeks with the A18s, give a chance for some Fortitude vs Prudence comparisons to appear hear and then make a decision that you can be fairly confident will be the right one :)
 
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Jul 2, 2020 at 4:22 AM Post #591 of 5,465
I haven’t tried the fortitude yet I’m afraid - I’ll be able to report back in a week or two :)
Congratulations on the incoming flagship IEM, and welcome to the thread :)
The answer to the cable question would depend on what you're looking for.

Probably the best approach would be to listen first to the A18s once it arrives; give it a couple of weeks at least to get used to the sound signature with the stock cable.

During that time, have a think about what aspects of the sound signature you would like to modify, and how.
Once you have those answers, you can post them here and I'm sure we'll be able to steer you in the best direction :)

Of course, if that all sounds like too much waiting around then you can just choose Fortitude or Prudence now of course :)
@mvvRAZ should be able to give you a comparison in a couple of weeks.

I haven't heard Fortitude, but I own the Prudence and it's an outstanding cable, not to mention a thing of beauty :)

I've heard the A18s is a bit warmer, darker and with more low end presence and richness than (e.g.) the U18t, but of course still hugely detailed and spacious.
So as an off-the-cuff guess, if you wanted to continue along with that signature then Fortitude would seem the appropriate choice.

Conversely, if you wanted to tighten up the low end, whilst adding a bit more sub-bass extension and impact, increasing detail, soundstage and separation, then I suspect the Prudence is going to be more suitable for your needs. But, I haven't heard the Fortitude so I'm just going on comments I've read about it.

However, as I've said, the best approach would be to spend a couple of weeks with the A18s, give a chance for some Fortitude vs Prudence comparisons to appear hear and then make a decision that you can be fairly confident will be the right one :)
:) Thanks for your help. Sometime I feel hard to judge cables.
For some cable, I can hear the different and improvement in some area. (At the first try)
But there may be some flaw I won't identify until long time listening.
Most of the time I'm looking for cables that improve detail & separation. (too much detail is painful too)
Also not making the bass boomy (/too close) or vocal thin.
Btw I'll wait for my A18s and spend a couple of weeks with the stock cable.
Hopefully Eletech will release more cable in my price range for me to try out. :D
 
Jul 2, 2020 at 4:54 AM Post #592 of 5,465
:) Thanks for your help. Sometime I feel hard to judge cables.
For some cable, I can hear the different and improvement in some area. (At the first try)
But there may be some flaw I won't identify until long time listening.
Most of the time I'm looking for cables that improve detail & separation. (too much detail is painful too)
Also not making the bass boomy (/too close) or vocal thin.
Btw I'll wait for my A18s and spend a couple of weeks with the stock cable.
Hopefully Eletech will release more cable in my price range for me to try out. :D
What kind of price are you looking for?
 
Jul 2, 2020 at 4:57 AM Post #593 of 5,465
What kind of price are you looking for?

Under $400 (from their original post).
So, from the Eletech line-up at least, Fortitude or Prudence (subject to any new offerings which may or may not appear in the next few weeks) :)
 
Jul 2, 2020 at 5:12 AM Post #594 of 5,465
:) Thanks for your help. Sometime I feel hard to judge cables.
For some cable, I can hear the different and improvement in some area. (At the first try)
But there may be some flaw I won't identify until long time listening.
Most of the time I'm looking for cables that improve detail & separation. (too much detail is painful too)
Also not making the bass boomy (/too close) or vocal thin.
Btw I'll wait for my A18s and spend a couple of weeks with the stock cable.
Hopefully Eletech will release more cable in my price range for me to try out. :D


I believe that congratulations are in order for your new A18s! :)

Now, I wholly agree with @Layman1 that you could consider spending some quality time with your IEM prior to heading into the cable rolling realm of fun. It's good to stay stock and understand what the A18s is wholly capable of manifesting prior to looking into which direction you want to take the IEM further.

With all things considered, I wouldn't recommend the Prudence over the Fortitude or vice versa as they both perform at the same technical levels albeit having quite a contrast in sonal characteristics. It actually boils down to what direction you would want to pursue with the A18s - to further strengthen what it is good at or to try to compensate for the flaws. That's what made Cable rolling such a joy - endless possibilities!

I've also noticed you reside in HK, in which case Eletech products are available for audition in major HK audiophile stores and I believe you'll be able to A/B test the cables of your choice easily :)
Alternatively, @mvvRAZ who has quite an indepth experience with our cables should be able provide u some cable rolling results with the A18s if you would pm him :D

On that note, yes while we still have/and are working on a multitude of projects, we will take our time to fine tune and have it slowly made available in time to come. Our product releases would be likely be kept to 1-2 products a year at max so that we may have sufficient time and resources devoted to every single project and ensure its the hallmark standard of Eletech. Keep posted!
 
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Jul 2, 2020 at 9:28 AM Post #595 of 5,465
I had a nice long post written up, but my browser ate it, so here is the gist:

In my experience, the premium cable 64 audio provides with their high end IEMs is impossible to outdo without paying 1500+ USD for an absolutely top end aftermarket cable. I have the u18t and Fourte Noir, and the following cables: Effect Audio Eros II+, pw audio Loki 8 wire, Effect Audio Janus Dynamic, ALO Audio reference 8, Eletech Iliad.

Only the Iliad is a sidegrade, or even upgrade, to the finely balanced sound 64 audio has achieved with their high end monitors. And this should really come as a big compliment to Eletech.

Eros II+. Janus dynamic, Loki 8 wire all totally butcher the sound. The ALO audio reference 8, which is a great cable for the price -- unlike the Eros, Janus and Loki -- is a little too "flensed" or "thinned" sounding to ultimately replace the 64 audio premium cable.

I've only had the Iliad for two days, so it's too early to make a final call, but I am impressed thus far. It legitimately improves soundstage, detail retrieval and the timbre of the lows and lower mids, without changing the sound of the monitors too much. That is: it doesn't butcher anything in that finely balanced 64 audio sound to achieve this (quite dramatic) effect.

The only thing I'm worried about is fatigue. The way it beefs up lows and lower mids does add to fatigue, but since it doesn't add too much (like, say, Janus Dynamic) this could be a trade-off I can handle in the long run.

What I find especially odd about Janus, Eros and Loki, is that they actually reduce the soundstage and detail retrieval of all the monitors I've tried them on, compared to the 64 audio premium cable. Which, to me, is just odd. ALO reference 8 improves in that regard, but the trade-off in reduced note thickness are too big.

The Iliad might just be the first cable I have that improves both soundstage and timbre -- though I'm still worried if this might come at the expense of adding too much fatigue.

Cables are always a trade-off and what 64 Audio have achieved with their premium cable is pretty much optimal for their monitors. Adding stuff there (timbre, soundstage, smoothness and all those things cables promise) is fun, but I really do suggest saving up for an absolute flagship cable, or not getting any. Unless you like spending money for weird cool little EQ changes you maybe enjoy for a day or too (as I sometimes do :) )
 
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Jul 2, 2020 at 11:14 AM Post #596 of 5,465
Well I’ve had the opposite experience. 64’s stock cables are some of the worst I’ve come across - not only that, but the A18S comes with their pro cable, not the premium one.

imo both the fortitude and the prudence would offer a considerable upgrade
 
Jul 5, 2020 at 10:45 AM Post #597 of 5,465
The Fortitude compared to an EA Ares ll (4-wire) is warmer on the bottom, fairly similar in the middle and a bit less trebly on the top (but not in a bad way). Extremely well made, priced really well, and feels great when walking. I'd be using it more, but I got a PWAudio 1960 2-wire at the same time and that has been my daily cable ever since. Excellent cable for the price.
 
Jul 6, 2020 at 2:48 AM Post #598 of 5,465
The Fortitude compared to an EA Ares ll (4-wire) is warmer on the bottom, fairly similar in the middle and a bit less trebly on the top (but not in a bad way). Extremely well made, priced really well, and feels great when walking. I'd be using it more, but I got a PWAudio 1960 2-wire at the same time and that has been my daily cable ever since. Excellent cable for the price.

Thank you for your kind words buddy! Glad you're liking the Fortitude :)
 
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Jul 9, 2020 at 10:30 PM Post #599 of 5,465
So I've had about one week with the Eletech Iliad now. Source is A&K SP2000 -- IEMs are 64 audio u18t and Fourte Noir.

Hand on heart: this is the best cable I've ever heard, and the only cable to permanently replace the original cable of either one of these monitors for ne. More specifically, I've found it takes the u18t to another dimension. I can't see listening to this IEM without the Iliad any more. With the Noir it's a bit more fickle and I might find myself going back to the original 8-wire copper cable. Though the Iliad/Noir combo is HUGELY impressive, the bass might just be too much of a good thing to me -- it's just fatiguing and very pounding sometimes.

But the u18t and Iliad are a match made in heaven. Unbelievable resolution and soundstage dimensions. And the Iliad's bass boost is just what's needed for the u18 which I use with the bass shy m15 modules. In fact, I would say the u18t / Iliad / SP2000 combo is aaaaaalmost perfect. It handles about 85% of the music I throw at it without any faults. Which is very rare for me -- across genres and eras, continuous excellence. And the 15% that falls short of perfection is still hugely interesting.

The Iliad has otherworldly detail retrieval and soundstage. The build is very impressive and quite magical to behold. A muted pearly braid of Thor's hair. It looks RICH and feels soft. And, like other palladium cables I have (this seems to be a quality of palldium) it displays a strange and captivating purple lustre under direct sunlight.

Let's talk frequencies -- treble and mids are out of this world and what's most impressive. Not much in the monitor's original tuning is changed. Insane technical skills and neutral sig? Cable paradise! The only part where the Iliad interferes with neutrality is bass. It adds a non-warm, non-muddy, 100% clean boost to what sounds like sub and mid bass to me. It's amazing, liquid and fast bass, but not neutral. I'd say this is the only "moody" part of the presentation. I have trouble believing anyone would not want their monitors to have the treble and mids and soundstage capacities of the Iliad, but the bass is a bit capricious. (Still incredible with the right monitor though)

Also, this thing has a lot of character. And that character is: MONEY. Gentlemen, it makes your music sound like gold, silver and palladium are sparkling along with every cymbal crash. Never heard anything like this in any of the cables I have (Loki 8 wire, Janus Dynamic, ALO reference 8 etc). This is the first cable I have that sounds just about precisely what you'd expect from its price. Which is very rare.

I salute you, you crazy luxury lifestyle material science bastards! I'm no cable scientist and will never have a collection big enough to call myself an expert, but from what I've heard over the last 6 years in this hobby, the Iliad is the ultimate IEM cable.

Also, the damn arrow and shield and helmet logos on the Y-split are just hella cute. They appeared silly in pics, but they're charming in real life. Everyone I've shown the cable to has commented on how cute they are.

Last comment I have -- really clever pricing from Eletech to keep this Effect Audio Code 51 competitor that many hundred dollars cheaper. I would not have gotten it otherwise, and I imagine it will be the deciding factor for many clients choosing this over the Code 51.

You might wanna make this a tradition :wink:
 
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Jul 10, 2020 at 3:36 PM Post #600 of 5,465
Iliad review is finally up! :D

Eletech Iliad: Treats of Troy

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