As promised - here go my impressions of the Iliad and Plato. I’ll keep them to the point as a full review of both is soon coming up - Covered both pair ups with the VE Elysium, hence the post here
First and foremost, I can’t thank enough Eric for the top notch service he and his company have provided. Not only did I purchase a few cables, but I’ve also made a great friend, and I will continue enjoying our audio discussions in the months and years to come. Genuinely great guy!
Unfortunately I can’t comment on the packaging just yet (even though it’s meant to be phenomenal), but I will be able to in two weeks or so, when the boxes and cases arrive
Anyhow, let’s get started with the Plato.
Almost every cable manufacturer promises on their websites that they’ve reinvented silver and that their pure silver cable has nothing to do with traditional pure silvers. In my experience however, many pure silvers I’ve tried heavily defend the treble boosted stereotype - I am pretty lucky to really enjoy that kind of sound, so I figured even if the Plato was marketed as different, but truly wasn’t, I’d still love it
Boy was I wrong though
The Plato is probably the most mid centric IEM cable I have ever tried. It tightens the bass a little, just gives it a hint of additional control and precision, gives the treble a small boost (much less than say, the cleopatra octa), and once that’s out of the way, starts working its magic on the midrange. Not only does it elevate the mids, but it enhances their detail, separation, precision and texture. In a way it sucks out any extra energy that is surrounding the instruments and vocals, and gives them a much more individual and pronounced identity.
When testing it with the 64 Fourte Noir, I found myself enjoying the IEM more than I have ever done, due to a much more balanced/neutral signature that still had the fun element the Fourte is known for. The midrange became much clearer and more pronounced, while the bass was somewhat tamed. The treble, while it did get a small bump, remained under control.
When I tried the Plato with the Elysium I found it to further focus its sound signature around the midrange, giving it additional separation and better instrumental placement/soundstage depth. I ended up preferring what the Iliad did to the sound, since it felt like it balanced the Elysium’s signature somewhat more, but regardless - either cable would make for a beautiful combination
The Plato isn’t a cable that will radically change an IEM. For the most part you will enjoy the same sound you are used to, but with better technicality, an enhanced midrange and controlled lows and highs. As far as pure silver cables as concerned, the Plato really departs from the stereotype and majority, and is able to offer something truly unique
The hardware that Eletech have developed for the Plato is outstanding. Best split I’ve seen, best plug I’ve seen, best pins I’ve used. Honestly, if the sound departs from the competition, the hardware is so far ahead, you can’t really look at the competition as competition, but rather a bunch of companies that will have to up their hardware game. Splits are already on point, but Eletech goes to show just how creative a company can be as far as the pins and plugs are concerned
My only criticism of the Plato, as already shared with Eric, is the fact that the insulation is prone to stiffness. It’s nothing excessive like say, the 4w Labkables, but when comparing it to other quality cables I’ve used, it just feels a tad stiffer.
Overall, if a midrange bump or enhancement is what you’re after, I would heavily heavily recommend the Plato. Not only for the sound, but I can almost guarantee the Eletech will make you rediscover the meaning of hardware and quality cable parts. Best in the industry, comparable to none
Now, the Iliad....
This will inevitably sound like a massive exaggeration but those of you that have had a chance to play around with the Iliad will know that I’m really not joking
Eletech, in creating the Iliad, have created the perfect IEM cable. Up until now I have not used the word “perfect” when describing just about any piece of gear, but the Iliad truly is the one and only cable I would call “perfect” - no other word is good enough to describe this masterpiece
The texture of the material is something that will make you want to spend 20 000 euros on a camera to just take photos of it and explore every single detail and bend. The plug and pins would be the most premium pieces of hardware I have ever come across if they weren’t connected by the split which is by far the most mind blowing split you will ever witness.
It has three sides as can be seen in the previous photo post, which when spun - mimic the effect of a lantern. The best part is, it *really* works. Since I received the cables I haven’t stopped playing around with them, and will probably not stop soon
The cable insulation is also perfectly smooth and contributes to the exaggerated premium feeling that the cable is all about.
When speaking to Eric over the past few weeks he told me they set out to create the perfect product - pretty much completely disregarding the cost of the materials and craftsmanship. Having the Iliad in my hands now, that effort can really be felt.
Moving on to the sound (though I really want to keep praising the hardware), the Iliad dazzles with the technicality it squeezes out of your IEMs. It is comfortably the most holographic sound any cable has been able to produce out of my monitors, where each sound has a specific position and shape. It also has a similar effect to the Plato, where the extra energy is sucked out of instruments and vocals, to create a pitch black background, further enhancing the imaging capabilities of the IEM
Detail retrieval is like no other - even when swapping from the Bespoke Leo Cleo, the Iliad has made me hear things that no other cable has
The Iliad plays with the frequencies a touch more - an effect I imagine is caused by the additional resistance from the gold and palladium. The bass feels somewhat more unshackled, allowed to reign free - works spectacularly well with flatter monitors like the A18t and the Elysium. The midrange remains intact, or well, somewhat improved as a result of the additional technicality it can work with. The effect the Iliad has on the treble is beautiful. Instead of a raw boost, it introduces loads of sparkle and quality making it better as opposed to simply more. I currently have the Iliad strapped to my Elysium, and I doubt it is going anywhere soon. I can imagine it pairing extremely well with the Khan and its rather dry treble though. Unfortunately I no longer own a Khan to test that
If you have the cash and are willing to spend it on a cable, I can’t find any other I would recommend as strongly as the Iliad. I’m personally a huge fan of EA, and I love the Leo Cleo bespoke, but the hardware on the Iliad is simply in a league of its own.
Heavily heavily recommended.
What both cables have in common is that neither will make your IEMs sound like a completely different piece of gear, but will instead take what you already love and take it a step further, squeeze out every last ounce of performance, with a few touches to the frequency distribution.
I would not be surprised to see the Iliad become one of 2020’s bestsellers, and claim a spot in the cable hall of fame. Eletech have created a product that is prepared to shatter what a customer expects of a cable, and IMHO, would have a really healthy effect on the industry as a whole
I will pause here as those are meant to be short initial impressions - both cables to be covered extensively in the reviews to come - potentially another collaboration with THL
. Can't wait to listen to it
