Cable Awards
In every contest there are winners and losers, and now it’s time to crown the champions of this year’s cable shootout!
Please bear in mind these are largely subjective opinions, so you might well rank these cables differently should your preferences differ from mine.
Bass Monster Award – Best Bass
This award must go to Ares S 8 Wire. Code 23 and even Cadmus 8 may deliver just as much bass, but both of them accentuate the upper frequencies more than Ares S 8 so you’ll end up noticing their bass output less.
With Ares S 8 the lower frequencies are unashamedly the star of the show, delivering a meaty, visceral experience that’s perfect for thickening any IEM that sounds a bit lean, or simply adding even more bass goodness if you can’t get enough.
Winner: Ares S 8 Wire
Soulful Vocalist Award – Best Midrange
Vocal & Obsidian are almost tied for this one. Many of the big 8 wire cables feature an impressive midrange as well, as does Cardas Clear for that matter.
I’m giving the award to Vocal however, for delivering a superb midrange experience at a substantially lower cost than the others – both in price and ergonomics.
Winner: Penon Vocal
Shivering Strings Award – Best Treble
Venom gets the nod here, although Sky-Sea Voice is unlucky to miss out.
Venom simply delivers greater treble extension & resolution than any other cable in the shootout, and is perfect for excessively warm IEMs or if you happen to listen to a lot of classical music where string instruments are heavily featured.
Winner: Liquid Links Venom
Grand Cathedral Award – Best Soundstage
Code 23, take a bow. The ergonomics may be woeful, but there’s clearly a reason EA used solid-core copper and this must be it.
Code 23’s stage is massive beyond any other cable in the shootout, and this alone makes it worthy of auditioning.
Winner: Effect Audio Code 23
Electron Microscope Award – Best Resolution
If you want to hear every nuance of even the tiniest background instrument, Venom is your cable.
Though Code 23 isn’t far behind, Venom’s ability to improve any IEM’s resolution stood out.
Winner: Liquid Links Venom
Comfort Is King Award – Best Ergonomics
As the lightest and most flexible cable in the shootout it’s impossible to go past S8.
Not only is it easy to forget you’re using it, but for so little money performance is surprisingly solid.
Winner: ISN S8
If Looks Could Kill Award – Best Appearance
Appearances are subjective, but I don’t think you’ll be surprised when I hand this award to Martini.
For just $349 Martini looks like it’s worth a million bucks.
Winner: Liquid Links Martini
Penny Pincher Award – Best Value
For the greatest overall combination of price, performance & ergonomics Vocal takes out this award.
I never thought we’d arrive at a time when a $69 cable could perform so impressively, but a cable market this competitive is a wonderful thing for hobbyists.
Winner: Penon Vocal
2023 Cable Shootout Champion – Best Overall Cable
Crowning a single cable “the best” is tricky because really the optimal choice is always the cable that synergises best with your particular IEM within the confines of your budget. If I had to pick one as the ideal choice for most IEMs without budget being too much of a constraint?
The award goes to Cardas Clear, or PW Audio 1950s if you can afford one. They even make a more expensive shielded version which is reputedly even better.
Code 23 may offer a larger stage and Venom may boost technicalities more, but both are significantly worse ergonomically not to mention more expensive. Synergy is always crucial, and one strength of the Cardas Clear/1950s is they just seem to pair really well with most IEMs, delivering the rich midrange of copper along with superb technical performance without like feeling one has been sacrificed for the other.
Winner: Cardas Clear / PW Audio 1950s
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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