Effect Audio Horus Review – Fit for a King

Horus

Effect Audio Horus Review – Fit for a King

The Effect Audio Horus definitely deserves its TOTL status, bringing added dynamics, layering and detail to your IEM’s.

Pros:

  • Holographic
  • Natural
  • Organic
  • Detailed

Cons:

  • It costs a lot

Aesthetics and Build quality:

To start with the Horus comes in a leather presentation box, fitting of it’s price and big enough to store your IEM’s in too. First impressions are excellent, then you look at the cable and it is simply beautiful. An even braid with a slight gold tint to the cable, with a rose gold splitter and chin slider.

The 2-pin connectors are standard and the jack plug is the usual carbon fibre Effect audio one, I would have liked to seen the jack in rose gold like the splitter. Everything feels very well built, with good strain relief and this is a beautiful cable that is built to last.

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READ MORE: Effect Audio Thor Silver II Review

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Sound:

The Horus has a pitch black and deep background, sounds emerge from thin air to immerse you in a richly textured and expertly layered sound.

Bass notes have an effortless quality to them being full in nature but not bloated, they extend with ease bringing out the quality of the bass tones of your IEM’s. The main thing about the bass that stands out is the natural and organic texture that doesn’t bleed into the midrange.

The midrange is well separated from the lows but also has a slightly smoother tonality, without losing out on the finer detail. The midrange has excellent micro detail retrieval, yet still retains a more organic and non fatiguing sound. Air and separation is superb, vocals come across with superb clarity and layering.

The highs gain a little presence over most stock cables, but here the quality is outstanding. They take the highs of your IEM’s of choice, take away the harshness and add extension and detail without hard edges. The Horus is not a bright cable, it is open sounding but at the same time engaging and dynamic. Cymbal taps and crashes are better defined within their own space, fading effortlessly into the black background.

The Horus is a deep sounding cable, adding a real sense of air and space to the sound both depth and height wise. During Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon different instruments swirl around the stage creating a holographic soundstage with excellent imaging and accurate placement.

This is a cable for those who want to get every last bit out of their favourite IEM’s, you have to come in and demo this to believe it.

 

Conclusion:

Horus is a cable that is incredibly dynamic sounding, it is full and impactful, yet at the same time it is open, airy and detailed. It may sound contradictory, but that is really how I hear this cable. The tone is natural and organic and is never fatiguing, bringing out every subtle detail in the recording without throwing it at your face.

 

Effect Audio Thor Silver II Cable Review

Effect Audio Thor Silver II Replacement Cable Review

The Effect Audio Thor Silver II will inject a little extra space and sparkle into your IEM’s without taking away the qualities you love.

Pros:

  • Increased clarity
  • Increased soundstage
  • Slightly more sparkle
  • Smooth

Cons:

  • None if you know what you want

Aesthetics and Build Quality

Buying an upgrade cable is a decision based on many things, and one of those is cosmetic reasons. The Thor Silver II is a pure silver headphone cable that looks fantastic, the braid is even and tight and the carbon fibre plugs and splitter look great.

The build quality of the Thor Silver II is the same as all Effect audio cables, impeccable. The braid is even with no faults, the jack plug feels sturdy as does the y-split. All in all the Thor Silver II is well built and should last a long time with some care.

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READ MORE: Focal Elear Audiophile Headphone Review

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Ergonomics

I don’t quite know what kind of insulation Effect audio use, but it is soft and supple. Their cables are very ergonomic with no hard memory wire, instead a soft moulded piece of heat-shrink. The cable is very comfortable in use with no cable noise to be heard.

Sound

What I like about the Thor Silver II is that is it not what you think it will sound like. It is not your typical bright sounding, hyper detailed and aggressive silver cable. Instead it retains the coherent and full bodied lows of your IEM’s with excellent impact but with slightly better speed, recovery and control.

The midrange gains some air around the notes, making things easier to separate. The highs do have a certain amount of extra presence and sparkle however I never found them to come across bright or shrill. Cymbal crashes shimmer with more detail and real tone to them, with more effortless extension.

There is more air around notes, and the soundstage is a little wider with better separation and layering whilst still sounding coherent and natural.

Cables are a much debated topic in the audio industry, I am a believer in small changes between cables and that synergy is king. The Thor Silver II adds a little extra sparkle up top without sounding harsh or ruining the dynamics of your headphones of choice. The lows are still articulate just a bit better controlled, the midrange clearer and highs more realistic. If you feel your IEM’s could do with a bit better separation, control and a bit of a treble lift whilst still retaining a smooth sound, the Thor Silver II is well worth looking in to.