[olddude]

Copper cable is preferred unless you have a really warm DAP. With my AK SP1000SS, hybrid silver/copper tends to be too shrill/sharp. Zeus the original comes with an Ares ll 4-wire from Effect Audio. Great cable for $150. Or get an Ares ll 8-wire for $300 (I'm having my spare 4-wire converted as we speak). The 8-wire is glorious on my Zeus XR.

You want warm and smooth? The Zeus is fairly neutral and fully detailed/holographic. Why would you want to change that? There are plenty of IEMs that come that way.

 

[GiullianSN]

I will try to listen again to the CDM with the Phantom tonight and let you know tomorrow.

Thanks! I'm also have some Schiit on the list to check or a Massdrop CTH. if anyone has one of those raise your hand.

 

[MusicJunky]

@olddude Is the 8 wires ares very thick? What about the plus model? I actually quite like neutral sound signatures and I'm sure I'll love the Zeus. What a meant before is something warm like mojo/poly would give Zeus abit more warmth in it's signature instead of completely neutral? I'm coming from a Westone 4r which is fairly neutral with abit of warmth so I enjoy that signature. But the copper cable will already be adding warmth and body to the sound so am I better off getting something else for a dap? I currently only have my phone as my player.

 

[proedros]

2 truths about TOTL (c)iems

1 - looks are like 2% of the whole ciem deal , i never fret with how my ciem looks but how it sounds - if it sounds good i am fine as i don't have alien vision observing my ears while listening to my ciems

2 - if you are on a budget and/or kinda sane , after a point/price (mine was buying XR) you stop buying all the new toys and just enjoy the (c)iem you got

 

[MusicJunky]

@proedros Seems like you've got both lionheart and ares 2 8 braid. Which do you feel matches better with your Zeus xr?

 

[SETriode]

Owner of MD Zeus here! Cant wait for them to arrive. What do you guys recommend for an aftermarket cable? And what about pairing them with a Mojo/Poly combo? That should give it more of a warm and smooth signature since they are already neutral right?

I have MD Zeus with PWAudio "anniversary" No5 copper wire. I think they sound better than the stock cable, better defined bass and music more focus/clean overall.

 

[MusicJunky]

I have MD Zeus with PWAudio "anniversary" No5 copper wire. I think they sound better than the stock cable, better defined bass and music more focus/clean overall.

Cool thanks for another cable option. Good price as well. Just wondering how they compare with ares 2 since they both cost roughly the same

 

[proedros]

@proedros Seems like you've got both lionheart and ares 2 8 braid. Which do you feel matches better with your Zeus xr?

Lionheart is the better match , no contest - which is probably normal as LH is 500$ cable while aresii 8w is a 300$ cable

i also had pw5 , it's ok for the price (150$) but i suggest you buy something better/more expensive to mazimimize your amazing Zeus

another great option (but it's out of production so you need to find a used one FS here) was Eos , a Music Sanctuary/Effect audio collaboration

at 300$ it was again a better cable than aresii 8w

if/when i get rich enough i will pair my XR with the 1960s 2wire , seems to be the ideal match for XR

until then , LH is more than fine (and i get to keep both my kidneys)

 

[MusicJunky]

Alright seems like I'm saving up for lionheart then; have to let my wallet breath for abit after purchasing Zeus. Its been 7 years since my first mid fi experience with my Westone 4r. Hopefully it was a worthwhile investment. Has anybody got the 1960s and Zeus pairing? At 1.5k Sgd they cost as much as the MD Zeus .

 

[olddude]

It's not price, its synergy. What someone else likes does not mean you will like it, in sound quality plus with types of music. As to Zeus and cables, they ship with Ares ll from EE. It's a well-matched cable and keeps the tone of the IEM where they want it. I found the stock cable on the Massdrop Zeus not to my liking in comparison. The Ares ll 8-wire simply improves the Ares ll experience, bringing more width to the sound stage, perhaps a bit more bass as well, and giving a lot more room for the instruments and voices within the sound stage. I tried the Ares ll + and found it artificially bass-y (warm) in the lower end. Also, going from a single-ended to balanced cable makes a difference, depending on your DAP. If you are using your phone, you are limited in that area. I would suggest a DAP before a cable. If you are running the phone into a Mojo, from what I've read, it's going to smooth out the sound. As I said before, there are plenty of smooth IEMs out there, and I don't understand why you would want to do that to a Zeus. The Zeus' strong suit is that it is pretty much excellent across all areas (bass, mods, trebles), with a somewhat reference sound, loads of detail, lots of treble, a forward mid that is excellent for vocals, really transparent and somewhat 3-D. It's not a warm IEM, as say their Legend X is, or even the Phantom. I would suggest getting used to the sound first with brain burn in (and give the Zeus at least 50 hours to burn in) before doing anything. I can't see sticking a $1k cable on it until you know what you are doing. If you want warm and smooth, you can buy a reasonable DAP for less than half the cost of a $1k cable and then go from there. Playing the cable game can get both expensive and frustrating, which is why I suggest the Ares ll.

 

[proedros]

@MusicJunky i am with @olddude here , listen to your zeus for a while and come back with a clear grasp of what kind of cable you are after

when you know what improvements you seek from the new cable (and what budget you have) you will have a more focused goal/target

i was lucky to get a used mint Lionheart for less than the price of a new Aresii 8w , so yeah it's definitely a great buy

let me compare how i felt aresii8w/LH pairing up with Zeus XR (not just XIV)

aresii seemed more boomy bass-wise and not as balanced going from mids (which seemed kinda hollow) to highs (which seemed expanded)
LH filled the mids nicely , kept the great highs clarity/extension and beefed up the lows a notch

as everyone here says , we all hear things differently so if you can't demo these cables yourself , maybe go for a used one - that way you can resell at minimum loss if you don't like its synergy (or just keep it at a fraction of the MSRP)

cheers

 

[MusicJunky]

@olddude thanks for the suggestions. Yea you're right that its synergy and not price. I'll probs just get used to see how the Zeus sounds first before doing anything else. Was just curious and abit excited to see what people use to get the most optimal pairing. So you wouldn't recommend mojo with Zeus? I used to have a DX200 but that's gone now so I guess next thing in line would be new Dap. And I'll probs never even consider a 1k cable haha was just interested to see if anybody had the pairing with the 1960s. The Ares ii does look compelling.

 

[MusicJunky]

@proedros Yep the cable game can definitely become a money pit and I really want to get it right the first time. Thanks for the comparison between the cables. And thats a good deal on the Lionheart you got.

 

[olddude]

You want warm and smooth? Get a pair of Comply tips and replace the Final Audios that came with your Zeus. You'll get more bass, less treble, and lose a bit of that 3-D transparency, but it will still be a great IEM. Total cost will be less than ten bucks.

 

[mwhals]

Devon said I can probably still change the shell colors.

Looking at the following to go with glacier swirl and black tie swirl:

1. Cobalt Blue and Onyx

2. Ivory White and Onyx

3. Cobalt Blue and Ivory White

4. Keep Titanium on both

5. Aqua and Storm transparent (trying to stay opaque since my a12t will be transparent)