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Effect Audio Leonidas II Upgrade Cable Review

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Effect Audio Leonidas II

 

Aesthetics and Build quality:

The Leonidas II is one pretty cable, with a soft outer jacket and silver colouration it looks really amazing in the flesh. The jack has a carbon fibre housing, the y-split is silver and leather, and the 2-pin connectors are just sleek silver. I really do love the look of the cable; it definitely stands out as the silver has quite a unique sparkle in the sunlight.

Build quality is superb, from the PSquared jack to the 2-pin connectors everything is flawless. The braid is consistent and everything just feels really premium and well made.

Leonidas II

 

Comfort:

The Leonidas II uses 26awg wires in a soft jacket, along with a consistent braid and moulded earhooks rather than stiff memory wire. All of this makes the Leonidas II an extremely comfortable cable in use, it is also a very quiet cable, with minimal if any cable noise.

Sound:

The Leonidas II is not a cable that brings noticeable changes in the lows/mids/highs, rather it focusses on how the detail and soundstaging effects are portrayed. The Leonidas II places a firm focus on creating a very accurate and wide soundstage, yet it also manages to add an element of increased resolution.

This increase in resolution doesn’t come across as added brightness though, it still remains a smooth a natural sounding cable. The Leonidas II will pair with many different monitors, with a black background and impeccable imaging and soundstaging. This cable never makes you feel like anything has been sacrificed to create the improvements, it keeps all the core elements of the sound of your monitors, but the increase in detail and spaciousness are instantly recognisable.

This is definitely a cable you can hook up and forget about, it doesn’t jump out at you with exciting elements, however it has a very mature and resolving sound that is about pure enjoyment.

Conclusion:

The Leonidas II is a perfectly balanced, highly resolving and all-round excellent cable. It is one that will pair well with most IEM’s, bringing out the best of their technical capabilities without making anything stand out.

Sound:  5/5

Comfort: 5/5

Build: 5/5

Value: 4/5

 

You can find our whole range of Effect Audio cables here

 

Effect Audio Thor Silver II Cable Review

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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.

Sennheiser CH800 S Balanced High-End Cable for HD800 Headphones

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The Hifiheadphones team is pleased to announce the new Balanced High-End Cable for HD800 from Sennheiser, the CH800 S is now available to be purchased on our website.

With incorporated gold-plated four-pole Neutrik XLR /ODU connectors, the CH800 S headphone cable offers reliability, easy assembly and improved contact integrity as well as cable strain relief.

Made with oxygen-free silver-plated copper (OFC), this 3 metre long cable is specially matched to Sennheiser HD800 headphones. High-quality ODU connectors from medical technology are used to ensure maximum contact reliability to round off the outstanding sound experience.

The official Sennheiser XLR balanced cable is perfect for connecting the Sennheiser HD800 headphones to the XLR output of Sennheiser HDVD800 or HDVA600 headphone amplifier.

Features

  • Specially matched to Sennheiser HD800 headphones
  • Attuned to the symmetrical principle of Sennheiser’s headphone amplifiers
  • Symmetrical signal transmission from the source to the headphones
  • Made of oxygen-free copper (OFC) coated with silver to further minimise resistance
  • Four-pole XLR plug with gold-plated Neutrik inserts ensures optimum sound
  • High-quality ODU connectors from medical technology ensure maximum contact reliability
  • Designed and developed at Sennheiser’s headquarters in Germany

Compatibility

To purchase the unit, please visit our website:

Buy Sennheiser CH800 S Balanced High-End Cable for HD800 Headphones

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