PassionForMusic
100+ Head-Fier
Does anyone have a link to the Raven review?Right, so...this happened.
(The mirror finish actually is not that gold looking, and under different lighting conditions/angles can result in different colours. I like it more than the satin finish which adamantly stays very gold at any angle.)
Raven impressions are quite well covered so I'll not repeat what everyone has said.
This is the Orpheus Lite....which is quite a misleading name because this is supposed to be a co-flagship with the Orpheus. I guess you could interpret the "Lite" as in size/weight. Anyway, this uses the same copper material as the Orphy but with a different geometry/build structure, and is even more shielded than the OrphyS (the parts above the Y-split is also shielded. Peter said in one of his videos that this is the highest level shielding out of any of his cables). It is noticeably more ergonomic and is thinner, leading to much better portability.
Packaging is only that metal case akin to the Orphy, so without the bad quality leather briefcase. I really don't mind since I don't use the case/box anyway so it saves a lot of space.
The silver polishing cloth that comes with it is supposed to be for the 4.4 connector, which is uncoated/coated with rose gold or sth, and the coating may fall off over time if you twist the connector a lot, according to Peter (but doesn't affect sound quality).
Sound wise it is somewhere in between FTS and OrphyS - still a warmish cable but is less analog than OrphyS because the sound is faster, especially in the bass regions. Bass slams harder on the Lite with better subbass extension but a bit less midbass quantity and the decay is faster. Mids are similar, extremely resolving, a touch less thick. Biggest difference is treble, which is noticeably better extended on the Lite with more air, whereas Orphy is a bit pulled back. As a result it is a touch more resolving than the OrphyS with better layering/spearation between instruments.
Soundstage stretches even wider (by a bit) on the Lite, but depth is not as prominent, so the OrphyS is still a bit more "holographic) due to more noticeable depth perception.
Both are pitch black - maybe the Lite is even blacker, if that is even a thing.
Overall I think the Lite's signature is a less warm, faster and a more modern sounding OrphyS - IMO it is not as classic analog sounding as the OrphyS so it is less "special" so to speak, but I think it is a much better all-rounder. I actually find the OrphyS not very versatile because it makes everything sound the same - warm, wet, analogue, even slow....which sometimes might not be a good thing. The Lite will be able to show the characteristics of the IEM much better as it is a bit more "natural". For example, I find OrphyS a poor match for the Raven due to its laid-back treble and slower sound, which takes away the Raven's inherent advantages. It is also not a good match for the XE6 since it is already very smooth sounding. Both IEMs match well with the Lite on the other hand because of the more "modern" sound, and especially on the treble side.
TLDR - just get both OrphyS and Lite as I think they are rather complementary. However the Lite might be the more versatile pick at this day and age because it doesn't kill the treble and is a tad less "Orphy coloured".
What is the difference between the two versions?