Effect Audio Centurion Review

Build Quality & Ergonomics

The build quality of the Centurion is remarkable, which should be expected from EA and the price of the unit itself. As I mentioned, all barrels are made from titanium material and the slider has great angular details. This was achieved through sandblasting, brushing and polishing processes.

The braiding of the Centurion is rather loose than tight, so despite being a thick 8-wire cable, it’s very very flexible. The EA UltraFlexi insulation plays a huge role here as well. The chin slider is not easy to slide upwards at first, so you need to apply a little force. The same is applicable for putting in its place. The new braiding type allows a very comfortable handling experience and there’s no microphonics whatsoever.

Effect Audio Centurion

The cable feels very soft and great in the hand as well as on the ear. The memory wire area is quite thick since these are 26AWG wires. But EA compensated that well enough with a fixed and soft memory wire area. That means you can’t adjust it, which is fine by me because some adjustable memory wires tend to be uncomfortable. This area has a very soft touch to it. The shape of this area is excellent so there’s no issue regarding comfort. Of course, after some listening time, you start to feel the weight of the 8-wire cable around your ears, but it’s kept a minimum so it won’t ever get too uncomfortable.

Accessories

I only received a prototype cable sample before the launch of the Centurion. So I didn’t receive the full retail box. After some time, EA sent me the accessories which are the carrying case and the display stand.

How the portable audio market evolved over the years is amazing. In the beginning, aftermarket cables were a thing, yes, but they never received this much attention to detail about delivering and presenting a product. When you see the Centurion’s accessories, you get to a point to feel like you get something more than a cable.

For the Centurion carrying case & display stand, EA joined forces with J. Myers Company, which is a well-established leather goods brand. Some notable clients of J. Myers are Sony Corporation, Bentley, Bang & Olufsen and Dita Audio.

Effect Audio Centurion

Case

I want to start with the carrying case here. The case is simply extraordinary and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s made from an aluminium shell with leather on top and bottom. The case has a slide-open mechanism that is made from rosewood. So the case overall has two layers. Aluminium on the outer shell, and rosewood inside. And inside that rosewood core, you again have leather inside to store the cable.

The rosewood core material rotates via a brass knob and you can showcase your cable that way. Or, you can slide it and close it via the same brass knob, and secure it in its place. If your IEM fits the case, you can also use it as an IEM case which I do. This is probably the best carrying case I’ve experienced in the hobby. It’s incredibly cool, practical and very premium. The combination of materials, the design and the build of this case are splendid.

Effect Audio Centurion

Stand

It doesn’t even end there. The Centurion has a display stand too. Yes, it’s just a cable from one standpoint, but Effect Audio is determined to show that you have a very rare and premium product in your hands. Hence, you can use this stand to showcase your Centurion cable.

The display stand is made from glass, rosewood, and what seems to be gold plated pieces. On the bottom, you have a reel-like mechanism to place your cable. What you do is placing the audio jack in its place and start to turn the reel. That way you reel up the cable and once you only have your connectors left on top, you can place them on the topside hooks.

You can show your cable that way with your favourite IEMs attached as well. EA has done this to give their product an artisan touch and show you that you have received a very special cable indeed. These accessories are unprecedented, and EA raised the bar very high here.

Page 1: Intro and Design

Page 3: Sound Quality

Page 4: Comparisons and Conclusion

4.5/5 - (21 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

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