Hey, everyone! In case you havenāt figured it out yet, Iāve been taking Eletechās marketing shots for a few of their releases now, from the Luxe, to the Moss Luxe and, now, the Ode to Laura. As a result, Iāve had the great opportunity of spending the past few weeks with their new copper flagship. And, although I donāt listen to IEMs too much anymore outside of the reviews I have left to do, Eric has kindly asked me to give you guys my impressions in time for the recent restock, so here they areā¦
Eletechās Ode to Laura is a cable thatās as articulate as it is relaxed. As much as the skin of a drumhead or the nylon on a guitar string is revealed and refined, theyāre never brought too far forward, nor artificially sharpened. Thereās almost a bar to how much musicality itās willing to compromise for technique, and that sentiment is true everywhere, including imaging. Its stage is holographic and well-layered, but never to the point of stretching. With in-ears like the VE EXT, the cable wonāt transform its image into a concert arena. But, it will maximize what the earphone already has, whilst also equipping it with a dark background (one of the cleanest Iāve heard yet), well-separated instruments and an evenly-spherical stereo image. So, again, itāll make the best of what your in-ear has, without stretching the image and discombobulating the instruments within it.
Down low, Iām hearing a bias towards rumble (or tactility) vs. warmth; whatās felt vs. whatās heard. On Snarky Puppyās
Bet, for example, the Laura will tend to highlight the
thwack of the kick drum or the
thump of the bass guitar over the warm
ooh of the keyboards or the
chug of the rhythm guitar. The bass gets a stronger transient, which is more noticeable with those short-burst sounds. The mid-bass isnāt thinned or recessed at all, though. Thereās a meatiness and an
oomph to it always, but there
is a quicker, airier quality to it, especially with fatter-sounding IEMs like the A18s. This means that both toms and kick drums will have more of their tonalities heard, as if you gave them coated skins. But, again, their impact is maintained by the tactility and weight of the sub-bass.
Moving into the midrange, youāll hear a more upfront, direct presentation here. Whether they are electric guitars or pianos, melodic instruments will take a step forward, and seem larger as a result too. This adds punch and engagement to the in-earās dynamics. But, itāll also allow you to glean more detail. Thereās a slightly sharper etch to notes; a more palpable sort-of texture. But, again, itās not done to the detriment of naturalness or organicity. Thereās an analog wetness or
glow thatās maintained. So, in spite of all that detail, the
groove of the pairing prevails. Iām hearing about as much change to the low-mids as the upper-mids, so there isnāt as much of a tonal overhaul here. Itās just a step forward, as well as the gentlest of enhancements to clarity, separation and, as a result, resolution.
The enhancements up top are a bit of a mix between whatās been described above. As the bass was quickened and tidied up, the treble assumes a similar pace. Itās not a cable that adds
glitz or
tizz to promote clarity, but it isnāt one that dulls or rolls off either. It assumes a healthy in-between, while extending those air frequencies for the holographic imaging and the black backdrop described earlier. What it does similarly to the midrange is ever-so-slightly turn up that
revealing dial. Hi-hats, shakers and percussion all receive notable boosts; popping up more often on my radar when Iām listening to crowded ensembles. Those little details catch your ears more often, which engages your interest as a listener. Still, though, itās key to note that it wonāt bombard you with sharp transients 24/7 either. Again, itās a measured split that brings those nuances to your attention, but keeps them where they ought to be.
All in all, the Ode to Laura is what you get when you cross active and passive listening. Itāll reveal all the detail and spatial cues you want if youāre feeling like an audio examiner. And, itās also got the smooth-sailing groove if all you want is music to wash over you. To a degree, it has bits of Eletechās previous flagships, from the Iliadās clear, direct mids to the Aeneidās effortlessness, and puts them all in an image that exceeds those previous efforts in stereo spread, background blackness and resolution. Itās also worth noting that itāll exceed them in price as well, which is always important to highlight. And, this also wouldnāt be the first cable Iād recommend for those who prefer more distant, more neutrally-positioned mids. Still, itās Eletech as distilled and refined as Iāve heard them, and a titanic effort from Eric and his team in all - visual, ergonomic and aural - fronts.