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Wow, you don't reverse the polarity?We even account for the specific pin-out that ZMF uses in order to get the best sound quality.
Wow, you don't reverse the polarity?We even account for the specific pin-out that ZMF uses in order to get the best sound quality.
Here go my impressions!coming with a big apology for the delays on my side, but here goes a first peek at my Knot!
It’s actually designed to match my pink and sparkly A18t, but as there’s been some issues there, it’s currently on the craft ears Aurum
Incredible cable on build and aesthetics - sound impressions to within 2-3 days!
Here go my impressions!
The braiding of the Knot is definitely the most unique part of the experience, both visually and in terms of ergonomics. It's oddly light and while it is not very flexible, it doesn't have any issues with microphonics that paracorded cables normally come with. It does coil extremely nicely (as pictured) and the cable is generally free from any tangling as advertised. I quite like it overall, and the option to match the colors of your cable to your IEM is really appealing. While the cable model is standard, and you don't have too much wiggle room when it comes to material configurations, having full color freedom is something I really appreciate when matching IEMs to cable and DAPs (a salute to the color matching king @hshock76 here).
I used the Knot on multiple walks and at no point did I find it to be uncomfortable or too bulky - quite the contrary actually, it kind of disappeared for me because of how light and non-microphonic it is
The hardware on the Knot starts off as excellent, with an extremely unique plug and split - especially the plug. I have no idea where the guys at Hapa Audio were able to find it (or I guess it is a custom order), but honestly I haven't seen anything like it. The pins on the other hand... they are perfectly up to spec, so they won't stretch your sockets, but they just look and feel a bit tacky to me? I suppose the difference between the connectors and the rest of the hardware makes it feel worse than it actually is - removing the little blue and red indicators would help too Imo. Idk, I feel like better options could be found that are still up to spec and that would provide more visual continuity.
The cable material feels alright, quite thin and efficient, so you get an 8 wire without it being too bulky. The braiding close to the ear hooks feels a little off, but is quite good considering the whole thing is hand-braided.
On sound, the Knot to me feels like a mostly neutral/slightly bright cable, with some attentuation of the upper midrange and lower treble - paired with the Aurum the resolution goes somewhat overboard, introducing some harshness to the midrange. The Aurum is already quite bright as is, so I'd say the Knot is probably not the best cable to pair with it. It is very technical though, with a high level of dynamics and staging depth - definitely more pronounced than the width which feels somewhat average especially compared to something like the Eletech Aeneid/Plato. I liked the pairing with the A12t quite a lot, as I always found the 12t to be a bit darker than what I consider optimal, and the Knot was able to correct that.
Overall verdict on the cable is that I can't quite recommend it yet at the price that it's going for - it feels a little unpolished/DIY to me, especially where the 2pin barrels and the braiding are concerned, but those are really easy things to correct in order to make up the difference between it and other TOTL options on the market.
Considering how unique and customized of an experience Hapa Audio offers, I'm sure that with a little more refining the products will easily be able to find a spot in the market. The aesthetic and braiding are something I haven't come across before, and I have to give them big points for the innovation, but still found them to be a little short of what I'd expect at that price point.
*After battling a long battle with real-life struggles, I finally got around to finishing the written review! You can also check it out over on the Head Gear page (https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hapa-audio-knØt-iem-cable-c-s-cs.25533/review/27977/) Thanks again to @Sebastien Chiu and the @Hapa Audio for giving me the opportunity to review this wonderful cable! |