Hmm, I thought I'm in a wrong thread, with all this talk about dongles and BT adapters
So, I just had the opportunity to test and to compare PS PPH (palladium plated hybrid) 4wire vs 8wire cable. I have reviewed 4wire version here, and will update the review with this comparison as well.
Though, in theory going from 4wire to 8wire of the same cable should only give you reduction in cable impedance, in practice it could affect sound performance since you are changing one of the variables between your source with its fixed output impedance and your monitors with their singe-driver/multi-driver design and complex crossover (if part of the design). But regardless of the cable science and if/what one believes in or hears with their own ears, I just spent a few hours playing with Tia Fourte, U18t, and handful of other IEMs to make sure the changes I'm hearing are consistent. Literally, got lost in music, playing my favorite test tracks and then also listening to some new releases on Qobuz. Again, for a detailed review of PPH cable please refer to the link above, while these are just my notes on what I'm hearing going from 4wire to 8wire version, using LPGT and N6ii w/E02 as my sources for audio playback and streaming (N6ii), volume matched in every comparison.
The first thing I noticed was soundstage expansion which became even more holographic. In every pair up I tried, the 4wire PPH cable improves the soundstage, giving you more width and depth, one of the big pluses of this cable. Here, sounds like the space is even more 3D holographic in comparison to 4wire version, spreading a little bit wider left/right. Of course, various IEMs should respond differently to impedance changes, but this observation was consistent. In terms of tonality, the most noticeable difference I'm hearing is a change in presentation of mids/vocals. 8wire version, in comparison to 4wire, brings the mids more forward, opens them up, adds more air and transparency, makes them a little more revealing, squeezing out more micro-details.
Again, as I always mention in my reviews, cable is NOT the EQ, and if you are expecting a drastic change because you are not happy with the original signature of your IEMs, cable alone not gonna help you. What cable could do is to fine tune the sound to some degree. So, please, have realistic expectations.
Here are some glamour side-by-side shots of PPH 8wire vs 4wire. Beautiful workmanship, and despite looking thicker, it feels as comfortable to wear as 4wire:
And this is currently my favorite pair up, Tia Fourte + PPH 8wire:
@Vitaly2017 : per your request, I also tested Fourte Noir with PWA 1960 4wire (8conductors) vs PS PPH 8wire. And to my surprise, the sound difference I'm hearing going from 1960 4wire to PPH 8wire is like PPH 4wire to 8wire. Again, specific to Fourte Noir edition and using LPGT as a source (my reference source), I do hear mids/vocals open up, sound more revealing, and have improvement in retrieval of details. Not a drastic change, but noticeable. Fourte Noir, relative to Fourte, has more body in lower mids, which can make vocals a little thicker and more organic. Here, switching to PPH 8wire gives mids more transparency which also improves some layering and separation of sounds.
No wayyy that means I have to get my self the new PPH
What you described about PPH vs Pw1960 has intrigued me as I consider pw1960 to be one of the best cables I ever heard and owned hehe.
It has amazing resolution and such charming seductive sound. Very musical to.
I think what I also perceived from your review is that the new PPH will improve my bass control by making it less wide and big with more naturalism.
But the part about the PHH bringing more details and vocals forward is very surprising! I very tempted to do the experiment my self now !!!
Thank you twister6! You rock man !
At the flagship kilobuck level of diminishing returns there are no good or bad cables. It's about finding the right pair up synergy with your kilobuck TOTL iem to squeeze the last 5-10% of fine tuning improvement. And then on top of that, you should also consider ergonomics of the design. Like I mentioned above, I was pleasantly surprised how comfortably PPH8 feels. Some 8wire cables are no-go for iems, but this works quite well, soft, pliable, relatively light. And also, absolutely love the looks of new connectors and plug design.
You asked me about a specific pair up, so keep that in mind
...
May I ask 1 favor please.
How does PHH + Noir + T01 sounds like?
Vs Pw1960?
My impressions above still applicable to your setup
So, I just had the opportunity to test and to compare PS PPH (palladium plated hybrid) 4wire vs 8wire cable. I have reviewed 4wire version here, and will update the review with this comparison as well.
Though, in theory going from 4wire to 8wire of the same cable should only give you reduction in cable impedance, in practice it could affect sound performance since you are changing one of the variables between your source with its fixed output impedance and your monitors with their singe-driver/multi-driver design and complex crossover (if part of the design). But regardless of the cable science and if/what one believes in or hears with their own ears, I just spent a few hours playing with Tia Fourte, U18t, and handful of other IEMs to make sure the changes I'm hearing are consistent. Literally, got lost in music, playing my favorite test tracks and then also listening to some new releases on Qobuz. Again, for a detailed review of PPH cable please refer to the link above, while these are just my notes on what I'm hearing going from 4wire to 8wire version, using LPGT and N6ii w/E02 as my sources for audio playback and streaming (N6ii), volume matched in every comparison.
The first thing I noticed was soundstage expansion which became even more holographic. In every pair up I tried, the 4wire PPH cable improves the soundstage, giving you more width and depth, one of the big pluses of this cable. Here, sounds like the space is even more 3D holographic in comparison to 4wire version, spreading a little bit wider left/right. Of course, various IEMs should respond differently to impedance changes, but this observation was consistent. In terms of tonality, the most noticeable difference I'm hearing is a change in presentation of mids/vocals. 8wire version, in comparison to 4wire, brings the mids more forward, opens them up, adds more air and transparency, makes them a little more revealing, squeezing out more micro-details.
Again, as I always mention in my reviews, cable is NOT the EQ, and if you are expecting a drastic change because you are not happy with the original signature of your IEMs, cable alone not gonna help you. What cable could do is to fine tune the sound to some degree. So, please, have realistic expectations.
Here are some glamour side-by-side shots of PPH 8wire vs 4wire. Beautiful workmanship, and despite looking thicker, it feels as comfortable to wear as 4wire:
And this is currently my favorite pair up, Tia Fourte + PPH 8wire:
@Vitaly2017 : per your request, I also tested Fourte Noir with PWA 1960 4wire (8conductors) vs PS PPH 8wire. And to my surprise, the sound difference I'm hearing going from 1960 4wire to PPH 8wire is like PPH 4wire to 8wire. Again, specific to Fourte Noir edition and using LPGT as a source (my reference source), I do hear mids/vocals open up, sound more revealing, and have improvement in retrieval of details. Not a drastic change, but noticeable. Fourte Noir, relative to Fourte, has more body in lower mids, which can make vocals a little thicker and more organic. Here, switching to PPH 8wire gives mids more transparency which also improves some layering and separation of sounds.
