NiceHCK DragonScale Review
Another in NiceHCK’s seemingly endless lineup of options, my impression is the USD $157 DragonScale is NiceHCK’s current “flagship” offering, or at the least their most expensive cable.
As such there’s no vanilla OFC here, rather you’re treated to a combination of OCC & palladium silver alloy conductors, with ‘carbon mesh’ sheathing.
I’ve tried many NiceHCK cables which generally deliver solid value, but DragonScale’s starting to creep up into a slightly higher price bracket so it’ll be interesting to see if performance keeps scaling.
Packaging
I purchased DragonScale from a friend, so I’m not sure if the full retail package contains accessories missing here but mine arrived simply in a leather carry case.
The carry case isn’t of the highest quality leather, but the size is ideal for an IEM with a chunky 8 wire cable with room to spare, yet remains feasibly pocketable.
Ergonomics
At a solid 45 grams DragonScale isn’t heavy enough to be a problem, and the aluminium Y-split is very light which also helps.
Unfortunately the black sheathing/shielding material they’ve used from the Y-split to the plug (which feels similar to Techflex if you’ve ever modded a PC) is extremely stiff, in fact the only stiffer cables I’ve ever used are the UM/PWA Cobalt Blue & the infamous EA Code 23. If you listen from a stationary position this may not be a problem, but if you walk around with your IEMs a lot it could be a dealbreaker.
The hardware is impressively finished with a pleasing sheen, but won’t attract much attention.
Sound Performance
I mentioned FirstTouch has a little of that shielded PW Audio magic, and DragonScale has a bit extra. This may be the result of thicker sheathing, or perhaps it uses multiple sheathing layers below the Y-split which would be my guess. In any event the background is just that tiny bit blacker.
DragonScale also seems to deepen bass a little bit more than FirstTouch does, and doesn’t feel quite as midrange-centric either which you may view as a pro or a con depending on the IEM you pair it with.
Treble isn’t quite boosted as you’d get from a silver cable, but doesn’t take a backset in the case of pure copper either, instead DragonScale is more even-handed here.
Lastly DragonScale offers a fair amount of soundstage depth expansion and can also widen the stage depending on the pairup, though heavier 8 wire cables can sometimes expand dimensions even further.
IEM Impressions
Simgot EA1000 – 1xDD 1xPR (USD $219)
DragonScale provides deeper bass impact with mostly sub bass being affected, I also notice improved dynamics and a deeper soundstage.
Midrange resolution also feels higher with tiny nuances a little easier to pick out thanks to the background being a little darker. A solid pairing, but the magnitude of each change isn’t quite as dramatic as I’d like.
ISN EST50 – 2xBA, 1xDD, 2xEST (USD $449)
DragonScale’s black background is again evident with the EST50s, Enhancing the feeling of more space around each instrument & slightly sharpening imaging. I also hear a bit more bass impact.
The stage feels more spacious, dynamics are improved and vocals actually sound larger. The downside is I prefer the tonality of the stock cable which sounds a bit earthier & more natural.
Penon Turbo – 6xBA (USD $549)
Again on the Turbos DragonScale’s blacker background is evident, and I also notice slightly more defined imaging & higher midrange resolution in this impressive pairing.
The soundstage expands not only in depth but also width and dynamics are also improved, though bass doesn’t seem to be much different. Treble seems slightly muted compared to the stock cable which is not my preference, but that difference is minor.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a budget cable that delivers a blacker background which allows each instrument to stand out more distinctly then DragonScale is an easy recommendation.
Orwould be if the ergonomics weren’t problematic. DragonScale’s weight is OK, but the excessive stiffness would test my patience unless I used it at a desk & rarely moved the device connected to it.
However without the sheathing/shielding responsible for that stiffness DragonScale mightn’t deliver the performance it does, so its really a question of are you happy to make that tradeoff?
Introduction & Test Setup
Simgot LC7 Review
NiceHCK FirstTouch Review
NiceHCK DragonScale Review
Penon ASOS Review
Cable Roundup Summary
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