DIY Hakugei Sky-Sea Voice
Configuration: 4 wire, silver litz & graphene
Weight: 32g
Ergonomics: 9/10
Cost: $320 (cost of parts)
SteveK27 recently posted a review of Hakugei’s flagship Sky-Bolt cable which impressed him substantially, so given he’s owned or tried a hefty percentage of the flagship IEM cables on the market I immediately took notice.
After taking the plunge on cable DIY for this shootout and building several IEM cables including the Gray Dragon mentioned previously, I set my sights on something more serious by purchasing enough wire to build a 4 wire version of the Sky-Bolt.
Hakugei’s Sky-Sea Voice wire contains an extremely similar composition of silver litz & graphene to their Sky-Bolt flagship, although I haven’t been able to verify if the wire is absolutely identical.
Does it feel & sound as good as it looks? Read on to find out.
Ergonomics & Build Quality
I was initially tempted to purchase enough wire to construct an 8 wire cable, effectively replicating the Sky-Bolt, but am now glad I chose not to.
Performance would undoubtedly be improved by adding four more wires, but the phenomenal ergonomics & comfort of this 4 wire cable would be compromised and I’m unsure if the tradeoff would be worth it.
The Sky-Sea Voice wire is as supple & pliable as that of any cable in the shootout, and the difference in weight between this and the lightest cables in the shootout feels fairly negligible.
I used a Pentaconn OFC 4.4mm plug, Oyaide SS-47 solder, a Satin Audio Y-split & 2pin connectors, and the build quality of all of them feels excellent. Through happy accident they also pair with one another visually extremely well.
Despite sounding superb, the tellurium copper Satin Audio 2pin connectors use a locking mechanism that can spring open during handling, so I added a layer of clear heatshrink on top to prevent that.
Sound
In many ways this cable delivers the kind of sound we often associate with silver, with treble & bass elevated substantially.
Sky-Sea Voice creates a soundstage perhaps as wide as any cable in the shootout despite being vastly more ergonomic than the heavier 8 wire cables, although it lacks the kind of stage depth many of those cables or even the Cardas Clear can create.
It generates a palpable feeling of speed and precision, with fantastic dynamics and a very black background for an unshielded 4 wire cable.
IEM Comparisons
Penon 10th Anniversary
Treble is much more prominent than on the stock cable, and the background is blacker with improved dynamics.
The stage is very wide but quite flat, with effortless resolution and the illusion of a faster, more precise sound. This is an impressive pairing.
EST50
There is a pronounced treble & upper-midrange emphasis with a wide stage, but a slight absence of bass punch compared with the stock cable.
Imaging is very impressive but dynamics do not seem to have improved quite as much as they do with the two other IEMs tested.
Penon Impact
The stage is extremely wide with great imaging, but depth is merely average. Dynamics are excellent for a 4 wire cable and transients are very sharp.
There is a lack of copper warmth though tonality is not quite metallic, but leaning in that direction. Impact’s natural speed is being emphasised without making bass feel any less prominent.
Resolution is superb but lacks Venom’s ability to add extra space around each instrument.
Verdict
My first thought upon testing the Sky-Sea Voice was regret I didn’t start DIYing cables sooner, followed by intense curiosity towards how cables built with Hakugei’s other high-end wires might sound.
The 4 wire Sky-Sea Voice is the perfect marriage of ergonomics and performance, delivering superb dynamics, bass, resolution and a very wide soundstage, despite feeling like a “normal” IEM cable rather than some 8 wire behemoth.
Sadly the warm midrange tonality of copper is absent, but that’s a compromise I’ve accepted as the cable has now become the daily driver on my Penon Impact IEMs.
Introduction
Cable 1 & 2 – EA Ares S 4 Wire & 8 Wire
Cable 3 – Effect Audio Cadmus 8 Wire
Cable 4 – Effect Audio Code 23
Cable 5 – ISN S8
Cable 6 – Liquid Links Martini
Cable 7 – Liquid Links Venom
Cable 8 – NiceHCK BlackSoul
Cable 9 – Penon CS819
Cable 10 – Penon Leo Plus
Cable 11 – Penon Obsidian
Cable 12 – Penon Vocal
Cable 13 – DIY Cardas Clear
Cable 14 – DIY Hakugei Gray Dragon
Cable 15 – DIY Hakugei Sky-Sea Voice
Talking Point – Cable Performance vs Ergonomics
Talking Point – Cable Value
Talking Point – Cable DIY
Cable Awards
Conclusion
Cable Manufacturer Links & Acknowledgements
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