Sound Summary
Cables are a hot topic and my opinion has never changed since I started this hobby; cables matter. They certainly make a difference. Sometimes tiny and sometimes big. However, I accept that a cable should be the last component that comes up to one’s mind when upgrading a system. First, you need to sort everything else out.
That aside, I think the Effect Audio Centurion is the ultimate cable that you can get in today’s market. Its performance is simply incredible in every aspect. I will not break this down to each area of the spectrum and I’ll try to describe the Centurion’s performance as a whole.
Centurion’s biggest strengths to me are its layering and imaging qualities. Imaging is very very sharp with the Centurion with great instrument definition. There’s excellent dynamism together with a wide and deep sound stage. And that’s the critical aspect of this cable. There are many cables that improve definition and focus, but that usually comes at the cost of overall sound stage and layering.
Effect Audio Centurion
That’s not the case with the Centurion. It simply brings everything together in a single package. On one side you have the dynamism, definition, texture and micro details, but on the other side, you also have the sound stage, layering, separation and balance. This is the most basic expression I can make to our readers about the performance of this monster cable.
Sound Details
The clarity level is incredibly good with the new flagship, and you hear every micro detail effortlessly, without losing any stage depth or space. The cable also gives excellent transparency. It feels like you get closer to music and the sound stage is still wide and deep, and you also remove one or two veils in front of the stage.
But that layering performance is something else. The stage goes very deep and you have a longitudinal stage feeling when you pair your IEM with the Centurion. You also have a very wide sound stage with tremendous left-right balance. The stage becomes very relaxed with a smooth presentation. There’s pinpoint accuracy and the cable presents a 3D sound stage, in proportion with your IEMs capabilities.
Effect Audio Centurion
Pairings
with Vision Ears VE7: When I paired the Centurion with Vision Ears VE7, the presentation opened itself up with a relaxing nature. You get more room and space in the sound and more air. Every element is evenly distributed to a wider area, with more balance and coherency. There’s more space between the instruments and vocals. The treble has more space to extend, the bass has more control and speed, and the mids have better transparency.
with Softears RS10: The bass becomes tighter, and once again there’s more room in the sound, especially in the transition area between mids and treble. You have great space between every element of a song, and the sound, especially the bass, comes from a wider and deeper area. There’s excellent refinement and definition with great attack.
with M-Fidelity SA50: When it comes to SA50 it’s always tricky. It’s a very bright monitor with a dynamic and boosted treble. So it’s usually very picky with cables. The Centurion relaxes the sound of the SA50, gives the mids more body and smoothness, and gives the SA50 a bigger dimension. On a normal day, the SA50 has a very close stage in terms of depth, and not too much space between instruments. When it’s paired with the Centurion, you immediately get more depth in the stage with great layering and separation. Everything sounds cleaner with more focus, and micro details reach out to you easier.
Whatever you throw at the Centurion, it takes them to the next level. It contains every bit of quality about what we call high-end. I’ve never experienced a cable that can improve every aspect of sound. Usually, you gain something in return for a loss. For instance, you gain transparency and resolution, but you don’t have that sound stage or spaciousness. Or you get a tighter bass, but mids are overshadowed. Or you gain more treble with better clarity but you lose the coherency a bit. It’s usually a game of gives and takes. With the Centurion, you don’t lose anything, and you gain a lot.
Page 2: Build Quality, Ergonomics, and Accessories
Page 4: Comparisons and Conclusion
