[koven]

Thailand : Mungkong Gadget, BKK Audio, Iconic Music, soundproofbros, Zoundaholic
Korea : Soundcat

Noted thanks a lot!

 

[honeyjjack]

I'm heading to Bangkok and Seoul soon for two weeks, does anyone have recommendations for shops that carry a wide variety of cables (and IEMs)? Looking to pick something up while I'm out there.

South Korea
1910shop- pw audio, rhapsodio, and less known brands (small brand but carries pw audio which no other shop does)

zound- brimar, 64 audio, jh audio, ue westone (does lots of customs)

scheherazade- empire ears, audeze, final, aaw, effect audi, custom art, lime ears, hum, hidition, oriolus, plussound, dhc, audio technica, fostex, shure (largest collection of iems, headphones and cables)

earphone shop- focal, hd820 ( carries alot of lower end iems under $1000)

 

[aaf evo]

After going from the Janus D to an Ares II it really puts into perspective the sheer size of the Janus, that cable is a monster. I'm actually really liking the 4 wire set up again. It makes my CIEMs feel like they're non-existent whereas the Janus would weigh them down a bit and did cause some slight discomfort.
Now I'm unsure if I should stick with my regular Ares II or upgrade to the 8 wire? I know the Janus D is thicker than other 8 wire cables due to the 24 AWG wire but it does have me second guessing.

Thoughts? Maybe another cable recommendation?

 

[kubig123]

After going from the Janus D to an Ares II it really puts into perspective the sheer size of the Janus, that cable is a monster. I'm actually really liking the 4 wire set up again. It makes my CIEMs feel like they're non-existent whereas the Janus would weigh them down a bit and did cause some slight discomfort.
Now I'm unsure if I should stick with my regular Ares II or upgrade to the 8 wire? I know the Janus D is thicker than other 8 wire cables due to the 24 AWG wire but it does have me second guessing.

Thoughts? Maybe another cable recommendation?

The PW Audio 1960 2 wire?
You forget about the cable after 30 seconds.

 

[aaf evo]

The PW Audio 1960 2 wire?
You forget about the cable after 30 seconds.

Yeah I was thinking about doing some research into PW Audio.

 

[bvng3540]

The PW Audio 1960 2 wire?
You forget about the cable after 30 seconds.

Yes, since it only 2 wires, once it on your ears, you won't notice it even there

 

[twister6]

Yes, since it only 2 wires, once it on your ears, you won't notice it even there

PWA 1960, 2wire: equivalent of 4 conductors; 4wire: equivalent of 8 conductors. It's still on a thicker side. I reviewed both last year.

 

[Barra]

Listening to the PWaudio 1980 4-wire now and comparing to the 1960 4-wire. They seem very similar in performance with the 1980 having more sparkle up top and the 1960 being smoother. At this performance level, it is splitting hairs and signature preferences that drive decisions. Both have a similar look. Again, WOW. Side by side, the 80 is a little harder of a cable with the 60 is more subtle/flexible. While the detail retrieval is similar, the detail is a little more forward with the 80 given the extra sparkle. While both are wonderful, the 60 is more like my EC ZDs tube amp while the 80 is more solid state ROK-like if that makes sense. Big bottom end on both, but the decay is slower on the 60 and faster on the 80. Moving on to the 1950.

WMA1 > Hugo 2 > A18

 

[Barra]

Listening to the PWaudio 1950 4-wire now. Immediately I notice that there is a more balanced signature. The lift that the 1960 and 1980 have on the bottom end is removed with a more leveled response across the spectrum. The bottom end still hits hard, but at a more balanced level. I actually like the bass lift of the 1960/1980 better. Please note that the 18 has a significant low end that can blow your hair back so the pairing may be different on your CIEM. I also notice that the sparkle is similar to the 1980 on the top end for more details in your face. The 1950 has the euphonics of the 1960 and the sparkle of the 1980 with a more balanced signature. Again, this is a big WOW cable that stands out with a different signature mix.

Will have to spend more time with each of these on my other CIEMs to see if my opinion changes but so far, I am liking them in this order: 60 > 80 > 50. The 50 is the most expensive and most balanced, but with the 18, it is nice to see the bass unleashed with the 60 and 80. Between the 60 and the 80, the smoother 60 is an all-day listen while the sparkle on the 80 may get tiring as I am sensitive to treble. That said, there are a number of songs that I preferred the 80's treble sparkle to the smoother 60. In a perfect world, would own the 60 and the 80 for my a18 for variety plus the Venom.

So that is 3 down in the PWaudio tour kit, 9 more to go.

 

[Barra]

One more thing, the PWAudio tour cables are all 4.4mm terminated. To connect to my Hugo 2 there is a 4.4mm adapter that is a one piece ultra short type that works flawlessly. It is not the prettiest adapter that I have seen, but given the problems that I have been having with the 2.5 to 3.5/4.4 adapters, ultra short or otherwise, it is a breath of fresh air to have something that just works. Well done PWAudio!

In comparison, my other 2.5 adapters from the other tours seem to lose connectivity in a channel or both just by twisting the plug. The adapters with cable seem to break at the adapter given the stress on these short cables. My listening experience previously has been intermittent connectivity in the channels that change with any movement. This has made me rethink my 2.5 terminations with adapter strategy completely.

 

[natemact]

This is how I read it..

Big bottom end on both, but the decay is slower on the 60(yr) and faster on the 80(yr)

Who's to argue?

 

[hamhamhamsta]

Listening to the PWaudio 1950 4-wire now. Immediately I notice that there is a more balanced signature. The lift that the 1960 and 1980 have on the bottom end is removed with a more leveled response across the spectrum. The bottom end still hits hard, but at a more balanced level. I actually like the bass lift of the 1960/1980 better. Please note that the 18 has a significant low end that can blow your hair back so the pairing may be different on your CIEM. I also notice that the sparkle is similar to the 1980 on the top end for more details in your face. The 1950 has the euphonics of the 1960 and the sparkle of the 1980 with a more balanced signature. Again, this is a big WOW cable that stands out with a different signature mix.

Will have to spend more time with each of these on my other CIEMs to see if my opinion changes but so far, I am liking them in this order: 60 > 80 > 50. The 50 is the most expensive and most balanced, but with the 18, it is nice to see the bass unleashed with the 60 and 80. Between the 60 and the 80, the smoother 60 is an all-day listen while the sparkle on the 80 may get tiring as I am sensitive to treble. That said, there are a number of songs that I preferred the 80's treble sparkle to the smoother 60. In a perfect world, would own the 60 and the 80 for my a18 for variety plus the Venom.

So that is 3 down in the PWaudio tour kit, 9 more to go.

Barra
1960 vs Venom which you like better and why?

 

[Barra]

Barra
1960 vs Venom which you like better and why?

Wow, that is a tough one. Right now, my thoughts on favorite cables are the Han Sound Venom and Aurora and the PWAudio 1960 and 1980 and I have room for all of them in my collection for different reasons. They are all top notch and in the WOW class in cables. The Venom and 1960 edge out their brethren by a bit if I had to narrow down. However, the Venom and 1960 are different so it comes down to pairing and signature preference with equivalent levels of performance.

In comparison, the 1960 has a bigger lower end which makes it more fun and a euphonic SQ that I really love. The Venom bottom end is slightly enhanced but not as much as the 1960 being fun still, but more balanced overall for a more audiophile signature. The Venom has a clarity and black background that is outstanding that really cleans up my 12t and adds more texturing in the mids. So I would probably pair the Venom with my 12t and the 1960 with my A18. But each is outstanding with both so I could trade back and forth to change things up. Looks wise, they both appear premium, but if I had to choose, the Venom looks a tiny bit more premium to me. However, the Venom has that extra shielding wire dangling there that I have yet to use making it less ergonomic.

I couldn't choose right now but can tell you that either one would make most people extremely happy. Perhaps my views will change as I start mixing with my other CIEMs to see how they pair. I should also point out that these PWAudio cables have not had any burn time yet so if you believe in cable burn in then things can change. I have noticed that the 1960 has changed a bit in the last couple days which could just be brain burn in but I keep liking it more. - Bill

 

[Barra]

BTW, I would like to thank Calvin at Music Sanctuary for making these tours possible. Here in the states, it is very rare to find a well-stocked HeadFi focused shop to hear any of this gear. Other than RMAF/CANJAM, these tours are the only way I have been able to hear any of the gear I read about here in HeadFi. The people at Music Sanctuary are great to work with and I would love for everyone to support them with our business when Han Sound or PWAudio cables are purchased.

 

[Barra]

Worked my way to the Xorxes 8-wire. Again, extremely high SQ and maybe the most beautiful wire of the bunch. This one is very rich sounding with great texturing, some shimmer, and a good low end. After hearing the 1950, 1960, and 1980, I can tell you that they have an extra few percentages in performance over the Xorxes, but we are paying a big premium for that little bit of extra performance. This hybrid cable sounds wonderful and could be an endgame if I hadn't already heard the others. It also has a 4 wire version at half the price that could offer huge price to performance. I am really enjoying the build quality of these PWAudio cables.