Liquid Links Venom
Configuration: 2 wire, quinary alloy
Weight: 58g
Ergonomics: 5/10
Cost: $1089
Liquid Links aren’t quite the “household name” among Western IEM enthusiasts some of the more established cable brands are, but if any of their cables is to change that it must surely be Venom – which my friend lycos was kind enough to loan me his for this shootout.
Utilising a combination of alloys, featuring a genuine Pentaconn OFC 4.4mm plug and sporting a very distinctive appearance, Venom is Liquid Links’ flagship model. Newcomers to the hobby might by shocked to learn $1089 is relatively affordable by flagship cable standards, at least compared to the offerings of boutique brands like Effect Audio, PW Audio & Eletech.
This perhaps makes Venom an ideal first purchase for anyone thinking of dipping their toe into flagship cable waters, keen to discover just how much extra performance is possible when money is not the limiting factor.
So is Venom deserving of flagship cable status? Read on to discover the answer.
Ergonomics & Build Quality
This is a difficult cable to categorise ergonomically.
On the one hand at 58g it is absolutely no featherweight, though Venom has a knack of feeling less burdensome than its’ weight suggests with most of it residing blow the Y-split. Its’ 2 wire configuration results in more comfortable earhooks than those of large 8 wire cables which is probably a factor.
Unfortunately there’s other quirks counting against Venom – for one thing its’ insulation has that slightly tacky, almost sticky feeling we associate with TPU cases, which or may not bother you.
Venom is also far more prone to tangling than most cables I’ve tried. When stored or even resting on a desk it seems to have a mind of its’ own, though this rarely impacts comfort during use. Personally I find Venom’s comfort slightly ahead of Ares S 8 or Cadmus 8, and do find Venom’s ergonomics justified by its’ performance.
In terms of build quality Venom is as good or better than any cable in the shootout, though Martini somehow exudes a greater feeling of luxury thanks to its’ gorgeous color scheme despite both using similar hardware. Venom’s Y-split & plug feel as good as they look, and I’ve unconsciously found myself stroking them while using the cable.
Sound
This is an impressive sounding cable, but as always in audio things are never quite that simple. Venom possesses a V-shaped signature often associated with silver cables – sub bass & treble are accentuated. Bass, dynamics & soundstage improvements are on par with large cables like Ares S 8, Cadmus 8 & Martini.
Where Venom excels above those cables is by delivering an even more heightened sense of resolution, a blacker background, and imaging that allows instruments to feel more starkly spotlit with a greater sense of space surrounding them.
The differences are very marginal as we’re long into the point of diminishing returns by this price, and careful listening in a quiet environment is generally required to hear them.
Venom’s weakness lies in its’ tonality, which depending on the pairing can drift towards cool or even a touch metallic. If you prioritise tonality over technical performance Venom may not be the cable for you.
IEM Comparisons
Penon 10th Anniversary
In this superb pairing sub bass is noticeably improved, as is the upper treble which helps lead to an effortless sense of detail retrieval as notes are painted against a very black background. Going back to the stock cable leads to a feeling of cloudiness.
All the dynamics & soundstage improvements of 8 wire cables are present, but with a greater sense of articulation, yet maintaining a pleasant full-bodied tonality. Venom brings the 10th Anniversary shockingly close to the sound of a flagship IEM.
ISN EST50
Venom improves stage dimensions & dynamics significantly, adding even better resolution & imaging than 8 wire cables, with an extremely clean black background that leaves the stock cable feeling slightly congested.
Although Venom is one of the most effective cables in the shootout for enhancing the EST50’s technicalities, tonality does suffer in this pair up leaving the EST50 sounding somewhat clinical. The Obsidian & Vocal are by contrast much more pleasing tonally.
Penon Impact
Venom creates a black background with improved midrange resolution, along with superb imaging. Both sub bass & treble are boosted, but bass is perhaps not enhanced quite as much as some of the large 8 wire cables manage to.
Dynamics are an exceptional standout quality, and stage width in particular improves significantly. Overall technical performance is excellent, however there is a slightly dry almost metallic timbre which prevents the pairing from being truly outstanding.
Verdict
Venom is an interesting proposition on a number of fronts. Not only is it visually distinctive, but its’ ergonomics are surprisingly benign for such a heavy cable, though not completely without issue.
There’s no doubting Venom’s performance, and it is perhaps the best cable in the shootout for enhancing IEM technicalities like resolution & imaging in particular. That’s perhaps no surprise given its’ price tag.
Where Venom lags behind most copper cables is in the area of tonality, given it can come across as slightly cold or clinical with the wrong IEM. When the pairing is good however, it tends to be very good.
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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