Mid priced IEM cables thread.
Feb 6, 2022 at 7:52 AM Post #949 of 1,787
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Feb 6, 2022 at 7:55 AM Post #950 of 1,787
@Dsnuts What are your top 3 iem cables under $200? Are you still happy with your cable list from your 1st page post?
 
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Feb 6, 2022 at 9:13 AM Post #951 of 1,787
@Dsnuts What are your top 3 iem cables under $200? Are you still happy with your cable list from your 1st page post?
Good question. Hmm my fave 3 under $200? In no particular order
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Penon Mix is half crystal copper half pure silver hybrid cable. Cost is $149 on Penon site here and you can read my review of it here
I prefer cables at this price range to be more versatile than being more of a specialist type cable. The Mix here enhances every earphone it touches and has easily become one of my go to cables. I like these better than the more costly Cema 175 cables that uses UPOCC and pure silver mixed. The Cema cables turns out to be more silver in properties and those are not as versatile as the Mix here. You can read my comparison with the 175 on the review.

I do a lot of earphone reviews and I have discovered pure copper cables are the one type of cables that are a necessity for more analytical types and earphones that have a thinner sounding profile or need a bit of warmth. Good copper cables are basically essential imo. Here is where I vary a bit as these are all interchangeable based on what is needed. NiceHCK Oalloy. These are not only very transparent UPOCC copper cables but they throw out the absolute best bass performance for any earphone it is attached to.
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And while this next one is not a 100% pure copper cable it is more copper in its sound properties than anything else. I recently did a review for these.
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ISN G4 a new cable sold on Penon site and these are very versatile even more so than the Oalloy. These are bang for buck cables as they sell for less than a $100 here
Wrote a recent review about them here.

Both the Oalloy and a set of these G4s will cost less than $200 together, you want to talk about maximizing value. Two great copper based cables. This G4 here has some graphene in it that enhances imaging for earphones. These are relatively new to the market and easily become one of the best cables I have used.

Lastly I know you wanted 3 cables but I will include couple more. Of course a pure silver cable is a must. One of the absolute best pure silver cables in the market is
the ISN AG8. I wrote a review here and you can purchase one here

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There is a difference in how thick the AG8 is vs your standard 8 cored cable. I loved these so much I ended up getting a set in 2 pin and a set in mmcx.

Of course I havent even touched on SPC variety of cables like the OS849 which deserves honorable mention for being a very versatile upgrade cable for any earphone but these listed are simply some of the best of the best for the bucks.
 
Feb 6, 2022 at 6:10 PM Post #952 of 1,787
Thank you @Dsnuts !!
I completely agree with your assessment on cema 175. I had it and found it did not have good synergy with my u12t. Its quite detailed but missing that body - which I guessed at that time due to too much silver.

The cables from Penon dont seem to have option for qdc connector. Do you know if its possible to make a special request?
 
Feb 6, 2022 at 6:21 PM Post #953 of 1,787
Thank you @Dsnuts !!
I completely agree with your assessment on cema 175. I had it and found it did not have good synergy with my u12t. Its quite detailed but missing that body - which I guessed at that time due to too much silver.

The cables from Penon dont seem to have option for qdc connector. Do you know if its possible to make a special request?
I haven't seen a QDC option for connectors on their cables. I would message them and see if it is possible. They are cable makers after all. Should be relatively easy for them to throw on some QDC connectors on a cable you order.
 
Feb 8, 2022 at 10:59 PM Post #956 of 1,787
They sound amazing on everything I tried them on. You need to connect your other cables into them Totem adapters. You will notice some of that Totem sound enhancing on whatever cable you attach them to.
I figured I'd try out a Totem adapter cable, so I bought one and received it a couple days ago. I'm running my Timeless and 4-core graphene cable through it. Honestly I wasn't expecting much, but I immediately noticed a much more "resonant" and lifelike sound which expanded the soundstage, along with a substantial increase in accuracy/separation and clarity. A bit more "lush" in the lower frequencies, but not too much... it's more of a Goldilox effect. Not too cheap, but not too expensive either. I feel like the benefits were worth the price. Thanks for the recommendation, Dsnuts.

Now if only I could win the lottery, I'd buy a full Totem cable. Is there anything out there with similar performance for $200-300?
 
Feb 9, 2022 at 8:41 AM Post #958 of 1,787
Try a pure silver cable on that. The more resolving the more you can hear its effects. Amazing little adapter that thing is. I use it on every cable I own.
Unfortunately I didn't find the same result with other cables. Pure copper 8-core sounded dull and distant when connected to the adapter. Also, my 8-core graphene (same mfr as the 4-core) sounded lifeless and heavy in a similar way. Only the 4-core really opened up with the Totem adapter.

I'll try a 16-core pure silver cable today and see what happens. I don't really care for the silver generally speaking, as I find the sound signature too thin for my tastes. But I'll try it again.
 
Feb 9, 2022 at 11:08 AM Post #959 of 1,787
Anyone have any idea of Satin Audio Cables from Vietnam? Or Nocturnal Audio Nyx V2?
 
Feb 9, 2022 at 8:44 PM Post #960 of 1,787
Unfortunately I didn't find the same result with other cables. Pure copper 8-core sounded dull and distant when connected to the adapter. Also, my 8-core graphene (same mfr as the 4-core) sounded lifeless and heavy in a similar way. Only the 4-core really opened up with the Totem adapter.

I'll try a 16-core pure silver cable today and see what happens. I don't really care for the silver generally speaking, as I find the sound signature too thin for my tastes. But I'll try it again.
As usual, I spoke too soon. I let the Totem adapter burn in for several hours and tried again. After spending a significant amount of time doing numerous A/B comparisons tonight, it seems clear that the Totem adapter enhances even the larger 8-core graphene cable in a similar way. More space, more 3-D effect, more lushness, and clearer articulations with more obvious separation. Much more of a surround sound compared to the other cables, as if my head is immersed in the soundstage, as well as being much more in control over the IEM dynamics. Overlapping notes and rhythms just come off effortlessly with the larger cable and the Totem adapter. Other cables and adapters sound splashy by comparison now. I think at first it sounded "dull" because the splashiness was gone. I wasn't hearing those extra resonances that are typical with average quality cables (and tips as well). So it didn't sound as lively. But once I got down to some more critical listening, I was able to identify exactly why. I much prefer the cleaner, more accurate sound.

Going to give this many more hours of listening sessions over the next days/weeks. If possible, maybe things will continue to improve further, which would be amazing.
 

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