Cable Comparisons
I compared ASOS+X with other cables to get a better feel for its’ characteristics & value.
Effect Audio Ares S 4 Wire (USD $179)
Ares S is completely outclassed in almost every way by ASOS+X. Bass is much, much less impactful, dynamics are worse, and everything sounds mushier.
Overall resolution is lower, the background isn’t as black, the stage is far narrower and much shallower, but tonality is warmer and I notice a bit more treble sparkle with ASOS+X.
Penon ASOS+ (USD $215)
ASOS+ is the 8 wire version of the 12 wire ASOS+X, and is a significant step down in performance.
ASOS+ feels warmer with more midbass emphasis but far, far less sub bass output. The stage isn’t as wide or deep nor is the background as black, resolution is a small notch lower, and dynamics are worse. Instruments also feel larger on ASOS+X.
I feel like ASOS+ is competitive against other cables of similar price, whereas ASOS+X leaps ahead to become something truly special.
Penon Renata (USD $269)
Renata is a shielded cable lacking ASOS+X’s conductivity as it contains less wire, but has other benefits.
Namely Renata’s blacker background & more precise imaging, ASOS+X is more vague in those areas.
However ASOX+X boasts far greater overall bass output, a similarly wide but taller & deeper stage, better dynamics, a more forward midrange & instruments that feel larger.
NiceHCK DragonScale 2 (USD $299)
Like Renata, DragonScale 2 appears to be shielded (or at least heavily sheathed) which gives it the advantage of a blacker background & more pinpoint imaging than ASOS+X.
However ASOX+X has a deeper stage, vastly deeper & more prominent bass and more pronounced note weight, and a greater overall sense of scale. It’s also more dynamic & resolving.
Effect Audio Code 23 (USD $599)
Sonically Code 23 shares a lot of similarities with ASOS+X. Both cables are similarly bass dominant with massive stages, though ASOS+X’s is slightly wider and its’ sub bass goes a bit deeper too.
ASOS+X is also more resolving & dynamic, and I notice Code 23 smears its’ imaging a bit more too. However Code 23’s tonality is warmer and smoother, whereas ASOS+X is brighter.
Both cables have a tremendous sense of scale but unless you prioritise Code23’s smoother tonality then ASOS+X feels like an upgrade in all ways, and it is vastly less stiff & annoying ergonomically.
ASOS+X Prototype (N/A)
I expected the final retail ASOS+X cable to be identical to the prototype version Penon originally sent me, but to my surprise they’re not – the prototype is 71 grams but the Y-split is lighter, so I find it slightly more comfortable. I’m assuming both cables use the same wire, but the connectors & perhaps the solder must differ because they sound quite different!
The prototype is far less bass dominant, with a much wider & slightly deeper stage but less note weight. Sub bass goes much deeper on the retail version and dominates on a lot of IEMs. The prototype seems more balanced yet also brighter, perhaps because the lower frequencies are emphasised less.
The retail ASOS+X is amazingly impressive for boosting IEM bass performance, far more so than the prototype, but I do prefer the soundstage of the prototype which feels even more spacious. It’s fascinating to me how a different set of connectors can affect the performance of a cable so much.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging, Ergonomics & Build Quality
Page 2 – Sound Impressions
Page 3 – IEM Comparisons
Page 4 – Cable Comparisons
Page 5 – Conclusion
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