[chaiyuta]

Xamdou : I've ever tried this cable. I like how bass and sub-bass sound with a bigger stage and detail in low frequency range. Though vocal doesn't reach my satisfactory. Look forward to next revision of Ares series.  

 

[Xamdou]

  Xamdou : I've ever tried this cable. I like how bass and sub-bass sound with a bigger stage and detail in low frequency range. Though vocal doesn't reach my satisfactory. Look forward to next revision of Ares series.  

Yes! I am quite surprised with the increase in sound stage and details. And yes I agree with you, the vocal wasn't as good as what I thought it would be. Now I feel like saving up to try their Silver 2+.

 

[rushofblood]

I apologise if I sounded a touch inflammatory. Not my intention to get people riled up, really.
 
Quote:

  Yes! I am quite surprised with the increase in sound stage and details. And yes I agree with you, the vocal wasn't as good as what I thought it would be. Now I feel like saving up to try their Silver 2+.

Have you compared it to the standard 4 wire Ares II+? 

 

[Vitor Valeri]

  Yes! I am quite surprised with the increase in sound stage and details. And yes I agree with you, the vocal wasn't as good as what I thought it would be. Now I feel like saving up to try their Silver 2+.

 
What CIEM you are using?

 

[Xamdou]

  Have you compared it to the standard 4 wire Ares II+? 

Nope, it is pretty much a blind purchase for me since I am looking for a spare cable either way. The reason for getting it in 6 wire is pretty much in the heat of the moment
 

   
What CIEM you are using?

Version 1 of Jomo5. It has a really neutral tuning and the Ares 2+ makes it sound much more fun to listen to.

 

[rushofblood]

Nope, it is pretty much a blind purchase for me since I am looking for a spare cable either way. The reason for getting it in 6 wire is pretty much in the heat of the moment

Version 1 of Jomo5. It has a really neutral tuning and the Ares 2+ makes it sound much more fun to listen to.

Ah okay. I've heard that 6 wire cables can either sound very forward or very laid back depending on whether the extra wires go to the live or ground.

 

[Rei87]

I had an opportunity to hear a particular 8 wire silver+gold plated silver ciem wire hybrid, and had a rather positive impression of the synergy of the cable. However, it did feel a little sterile, and most importantly, limited quantities aside the performance did not warrant the price point (which surprised me since Ive invested a considerable amount into aftermarket cables). Even if it came with all the bells and whistles of the wooden box and such. Cables are all about the sound; and no part of the cable build should be compromised even if its for brand aesthetics. It sounded good, but that was all that it was. Which set me thinking, could I do better since what the market had to offer was, to me, lacklustre. 


Hence, I thought that since I was able to analyse the materials used inside it (I originally had one half of the hybrid to begin with), and managed to get help from a local head hi guy in sourcing the cable material directly from the manufacturer myself, I'd make myself one with my own tweaks with better parts than the ones used in the retail version I did however, modify the components used, as I wanted to make it a little more musical, yet retain that similar level of resolution. I also needed to bump up the cable gauge, as the cable used in the original version was, IMO, too thin to produce the sound change I had in mind.

I'd post pictures later, once I've had time to play around with it a little more. But suffice to say that, I'm more than satisfied with it, and even if I was given the option of purchasing either one at a similar price point, I'd still take this modified version anyday  

 

 

[Xamdou]

  I had an opportunity to hear a particular 8 wire silver+gold plated silver ciem wire hybrid, and had a rather positive impression of the synergy of the cable. However, it did feel a little sterile, and most importantly, limited quantities aside the performance did not warrant the price point (which surprised me since Ive invested a considerable amount into aftermarket cables). Even if it came with all the bells and whistles of the wooden box and such. Cables are all about the sound; and no part of the cable build should be compromised even if its for brand aesthetics. It sounded good, but that was all that it was. Which set me thinking, could I do better since what the market had to offer was, to me, lacklustre. 


Hence, I thought that since I was able to analyse the materials used inside it (I originally had one half of the hybrid to begin with), and managed to get help from a local head hi guy in sourcing the cable material directly from the manufacturer myself, I'd make myself one with my own tweaks with better parts than the ones used in the retail version I did however, modify the components used, as I wanted to make it a little more musical, yet retain that similar level of resolution. I also needed to bump up the cable gauge, as the cable used in the original version was, IMO, too thin to produce the sound change I had in mind.

I'd post pictures later, once I've had time to play around with it a little more. But suffice to say that, I'm more than satisfied with it, and even if I was given the option of purchasing either one at a similar price point, I'd still take this modified version anyday  

 

Is it from one of the makers of the cables in your profile? 

 
I wish I can make my own cables like you do but I lack the skill and equipment to do so

 

[chaiyuta]

  I had an opportunity to hear a particular 8 wire silver+gold plated silver ciem wire hybrid, and had a rather positive impression of the synergy of the cable. However, it did feel a little sterile, and most importantly, limited quantities aside the performance did not warrant the price point (which surprised me since Ive invested a considerable amount into aftermarket cables). Even if it came with all the bells and whistles of the wooden box and such. Cables are all about the sound; and no part of the cable build should be compromised even if its for brand aesthetics. It sounded good, but that was all that it was. Which set me thinking, could I do better since what the market had to offer was, to me, lacklustre. 


Hence, I thought that since I was able to analyse the materials used inside it (I originally had one half of the hybrid to begin with), and managed to get help from a local head hi guy in sourcing the cable material directly from the manufacturer myself, I'd make myself one with my own tweaks with better parts than the ones used in the retail version I did however, modify the components used, as I wanted to make it a little more musical, yet retain that similar level of resolution. I also needed to bump up the cable gauge, as the cable used in the original version was, IMO, too thin to produce the sound change I had in mind.

I'd post pictures later, once I've had time to play around with it a little more. But suffice to say that, I'm more than satisfied with it, and even if I was given the option of purchasing either one at a similar price point, I'd still take this modified version anyday  

 

 
Nice Idea. In my country, there are DIY Guys too. They can make to order. Recently I am considering on 4 OCC silver or anything with gold + 4 OCC copper + balanced jack 2.5mm for UIEM. However I need to study more and listening more to understand characteristic on each material and purity techlogy. Anyway, I'm looking forward to your review of the modified version.

 

[Rei87]

Actually I dont really have the tech equipment or the technical know how to do my own DIY. However, I do have a very specific idea and experience on how the use of second rate parts can compromise the sound of even the best of cables, hence I tend to be a little demanding and unforgiving towards companies standard builds that cuts corners in several small, but none the less apparent, places. What I usually do is, order a cable from the manufacturer (be it plussound, DHC, Toxic, Effect and so on), immediately have it stripped and reassembled in my desiored specifications the moment I receive it. 

Anyway, enough talk. Here's a pic of my custom inspired silver/gold + gold plated silver improved build. For the fun of it, I've decided to call it the Deianeira. The Deianeira will join my collection of 8 core cables  


 

The Deianeira is inspired, as mentioned, by another cable that uses a similar hybrid configuration, but tweaked to address several issues that I felt held it back from its fullest potential. First and foremost, I opted to use the Furutech 2.5mm connector for its copper bass core, which improves upon the original company issued 2.5mm plug (yes, the plug does make a difference). I decided to go with the oyaide mmcx for purely practical reasons, as I wanted a connector that was held in place with a actual screw thread which would hold up the constant plug/unplugging in action as compared to the original glue based design. The braiding too was changed, as I opted for a gaucho braid, which ensures that every cable is equally exposed to the environment for equal exposure to external signal interference, as opposed to the standard 8 wire box braid. This decision was made based on my tests on another prior wire which was build in an 8 wire gaucho braid, and it sounded standard different from another wire built in the industry standard 8 wire box braid. Needless to say, I very much prefer the sound of the gaucho braid, and hence why I will probably only insist on the gaucho braid for all my future builds. On a slightly unrelated note, if anyone orders a despoke cable, I highly recommend going insisting on a gaucho braid. if it isnt offered, I suggest pushing a little harder on the fact that it is, after all, a bespoke build, to begin with. 


Now, as for the actual wire build. The original cable from which I drew my inspiration from used 26AWG cables, and featured a silver + gold plated silver (GPS) build. I found that while it was extremely resolving (especially in the treble and upper mid regions), it wasnt the most alluring of sounds. Vocals sounded, strained on it to say the least. Hence, I decided to keep the best of that build (the resolution and details), while making it a little lusher. 

So, I settled on keeping and using the exact same gold plated silver wire for that treble extension, but used a different silver cable in hopes of adding body to the mids. To achieve that, I turned to using Plussound's type 2 Litz Silver gold cable. Plussound's type 2 silver gold cable, compared to its current iteration (type 6 I think), is significantly less bassy, but sports a rather lush mids with a wide staging and separation. However, this presented a problem, as the type 2 litz cable was of a 24 AWG cable, and the GPS cable used in the original build was a 26AWG cable. Hence, even though I had the 26 AWG cable used in the orignal cable in a 4 wire build, I couldnt just strip the wire and use it in the build. So, I decided to sell the cable off, and purchase for myself the exact same wire, but this time in a thicker 24AWG form, directly from the manufacturer (I would like to express my thanks to the head fi member who pointed me towards the manufacturer). The thicker gauge also had a rather interesting added benefit; it also added to the texture of the sound which resulted in an enhanced spatial presentation.

Hence, the above cable is, in my opinion, what that original cable should have been. Resolution wise, out of the box, it matches the original cable note for note. But that is where all the similarities end. This cable was able to present a much more immersive experience, which made for live recordings that much more realistic, as I heard the singer coming at me from the front, which the original cable was unable to achieve. The cheering of the audience, and reverberation of the artiste's voice, as it echoed in the room, was clearly articulated in a rather spherical soundspace, which the original cable did not have.  Also, there was an immediate added sense of body and weight to the vocals, which was my main focus to begin with. All in all, the cable made for a much more engaging and enjoyable experience. 

So...thats all for now. While this build is certainly not a 'high-end' IEM cable in terms of the price I paid for it (its a third of the price of the cable from which it was inspired from), but sound wise, its surpassed the original cable in my desired expectations, and then some more.

Unfortunately, the Plussound Type 2 litz SG is no longer in production, and hence I foresee difficulties should anyone else seek to replicate this build. But if anyone does drop by canjam Singapore, I'll be more than willing to let anyone have a go at it. 

Cheers. 
 

 

[ironpeg]

  Actually I dont really have the tech equipment or the technical know how to do my own DIY. However, I do have a very specific idea and experience on how the use of second rate parts can compromise the sound of even the best of cables, hence I tend to be a little demanding and unforgiving towards companies standard builds that cuts corners in several small, but none the less apparent, places. What I usually do is, order a cable from the manufacturer (be it plussound, DHC, Toxic, Effect and so on), immediately have it stripped and reassembled in my desiored specifications the moment I receive it. 

Anyway, enough talk. Here's a pic of my custom inspired silver/gold + gold plated silver improved build. For the fun of it, I've decided to call it the Deianeira. The Deianeira will join my collection of 8 core cables  


 

The Deianeira is inspired, as mentioned, by another cable that uses a similar hybrid configuration, but tweaked to address several issues that I felt held it back from its fullest potential. First and foremost, I opted to use the Furutech 2.5mm connector for its copper bass core, which improves upon the original company issued 2.5mm plug (yes, the plug does make a difference). I decided to go with the oyaide mmcx for purely practical reasons, as I wanted a connector that was held in place with a actual screw thread which would hold up the constant plug/unplugging in action as compared to the original glue based design. The braiding too was changed, as I opted for a gaucho braid, which ensures that every cable is equally exposed to the environment for equal exposure to external signal interference, as opposed to the standard 8 wire box braid. This decision was made based on my tests on another prior wire which was build in an 8 wire gaucho braid, and it sounded standard different from another wire built in the industry standard 8 wire box braid. Needless to say, I very much prefer the sound of the gaucho braid, and hence why I will probably only insist on the gaucho braid for all my future builds. On a slightly unrelated note, if anyone orders a despoke cable, I highly recommend going insisting on a gaucho braid. if it isnt offered, I suggest pushing a little harder on the fact that it is, after all, a bespoke build, to begin with. 


Now, as for the actual wire build. The original cable from which I drew my inspiration from used 26AWG cables, and featured a silver + gold plated silver (GPS) build. I found that while it was extremely resolving (especially in the treble and upper mid regions), it wasnt the most alluring of sounds. Vocals sounded, strained on it to say the least. Hence, I decided to keep the best of that build (the resolution and details), while making it a little lusher. 

So, I settled on keeping and using the exact same gold plated silver wire for that treble extension, but used a different silver cable in hopes of adding body to the mids. To achieve that, I turned to using Plussound's type 2 Litz Silver gold cable. Plussound's type 2 silver gold cable, compared to its current iteration (type 6 I think), is significantly less bassy, but sports a rather lush mids with a wide staging and separation. However, this presented a problem, as the type 2 litz cable was of a 24 AWG cable, and the GPS cable used in the original build was a 26AWG cable. Hence, even though I had the 26 AWG cable used in the orignal cable in a 4 wire build, I couldnt just strip the wire and use it in the build. So, I decided to sell the cable off, and purchase for myself the exact same wire, but this time in a thicker 24AWG form, directly from the manufacturer (I would like to express my thanks to the head fi member who pointed me towards the manufacturer). The thicker gauge also had a rather interesting added benefit; it also added to the texture of the sound which resulted in an enhanced spatial presentation.

Hence, the above cable is, in my opinion, what that original cable should have been. Resolution wise, out of the box, it matches the original cable note for note. But that is where all the similarities end. This cable was able to present a much more immersive experience, which made for live recordings that much more realistic, as I heard the singer coming at me from the front, which the original cable was unable to achieve. The cheering of the audience, and reverberation of the artiste's voice, as it echoed in the room, was clearly articulated in a rather spherical soundspace, which the original cable did not have.  Also, there was an immediate added sense of body and weight to the vocals, which was my main focus to begin with. All in all, the cable made for a much more engaging and enjoyable experience. 

So...thats all for now. While this build is certainly not a 'high-end' IEM cable in terms of the price I paid for it (its a third of the price of the cable from which it was inspired from), but sound wise, its surpassed the original cable in my desired expectations, and then some more.

Unfortunately, the Plussound Type 2 litz SG is no longer in production, and hence I foresee difficulties should anyone else seek to replicate this build. But if anyone does drop by canjam Singapore, I'll be more than willing to let anyone have a go at it. 

Cheers. 
 

Admire you Rei!

 

[chaiyuta]

I have a question that is not related to cable. It's about jack. My question is if I plug my source with 3.5 balanced to speaker's input which just supports 3.5 mm SE. Does It make my speaker broken?
In contrast, if I use 3.5mm balanced cable + earphone to DAP or smartphone which supports only 3.5mm SE. Does it make my earphone broken?

 

[flinkenick]

  I have a question that is not related to cable. It's about jack. My question is if I plug my source with 3.5 balanced to speaker's input which just supports 3.5 mm SE. Does It make my speaker broken?
In contrast, if I use 3.5mm balanced cable + earphone to DAP or smartphone which supports only 3.5mm balanced. Does it make my earphone broken?

No man, you won't break anything. You'll just get a signal (sound) on one side only, because of the termination in the plug.

 

[ironpeg]

Please note that you cannot connect single-ended cables to AK240's (or any) balanced output using adapters.  It would damage the AK240 if such an adapter was built and connected.  ​

These cables need to be re-terminated or a new cable needs to be purchased.​

 

This is the claim from Double Helix Cable. So... IDK... I wouldn't risk that.​

 

[flinkenick]

 

Please note that you cannot connect single-ended cables to AK240's (or any) balanced output using adapters.  It would damage the AK240 if such an adapter was built and connected.  ​

These cables need to be re-terminated or a new cable needs to be purchased.​

 

This is the claim from Double Helix Cable. So... IDK... I wouldn't risk that.​

Yes but this is something different altogether If I understood correctly, he's just asking what happens if you plug a balanced cable in a single ended output.