Effect Audio Centurion Review

Comparisons

Eletech Aeneid

The new Eletech flagship will be reviewed here soon but to make a brief comparison; the Aeneid feels a bit more comfortable because of its 24AWG gauge and the 4 core braiding. It’s also more flexible with a softer feel. Looks-wise it’s more splashy with a more assertive design especially with the gold-colored y-split and audio jack.

Sound-wise the Eletech also widens the stage with more room between instruments but I think the Centurion provides more depth. Eletech’s signature is soft with a smooth nature and it’s certainly a cable that can provide great listening hours at night. The way it gives you the treble effortlessly and sharp at the same time is exceptional.

The Centurion has better layering overall though and like I mentioned, that is its biggest game-changer. So in the end, you have a deeper perception of sound with a better sense of pinpointing the instruments. It gives you more balance across the spectrum and evens out the overall stage in a wider and deeper area. I think it has a better timbre and definition as well.

And although Aeneid feels quite wide when paired, the Centurion has an even wider sound stage overall. And again, the most striking quality of the Centurion is its ability to create more space and air between every element of a song. That way you have superior layering with better texture and tonality. It provides a better note size as well with a fuller approach than the Aeneid. It’s overall the better performer. But it’s not all fair to the Eletech’s flagship, because the Centurion would cost too much for many people, whilst the Aeneid could be a bit more “affordable” if that word fits here.

Effect Audio Centurion

Brise Audio Yatono Ultimate

The new Yatono Ultimate is another fantastic cable from Japan. I love Brise Audio because of their house sound which is very dynamic, definitive, and highly resolving. The build quality of Brise Audio is always outstanding but comfort wise their cable is a bit stiff when compared to EA or Eletech. So you need to use that chin slider to mount the cable around your ears to have a more secure wearing.

The Yatono has incredible resolution and transparency, and that’s not surprising at all. Brise’s offerings always impressed me with that feature. The Yatono Ultimate also boosts the mids a bit with a forwarding approach, so it definitely feels more dynamic and exciting. Especially the upper mid area is nicely boosted so if you need more mids especially in upper registers, you can take the Yatono Ultimate.

The Centurion is superior in terms of stage width and depth once again, and this time the gap is bigger. The Aeneid can create a nicely established staging performance to some degree, but the Centurion takes it and stretches. it wider and deeper. The Yatono Ultimate provides a closer stage when compared, but you get better dynamism,

Brise Audio cables have a certain character and approach to the sound, whilst the Centurion takes everything to greater heights with its fantastic balance, control, and definition. It can divide the sound into many layers and you can pick whatever instrument in the recording to track it down. It simply is a cable that can create an incredible perception of the sound in a much larger area than other cables. It’s like you zoom out on TV, but it’s 4K instead of HD, so even though you’re further away, you can still pick an instrument or vocal and track it with ease. You can still see every micro detail as well if you wish to do so.

Again though, it costs double the price. So it’s not fair to the Yatono. Both this and Aeneid are fantastic cables in their own right, but EA created a whole new level with the Centurion.

Small note: I can’t provide comparisons to EA Code 51 and Horus Octa at this point, but if I ever hear them out, I will add them to this review.

Effect Audio Centurion

Conclusion

Effect Audio has reached perfection in quality and craftsmanship, perfection in product presentation and accessories, and perfection in sound quality. They wanted to create the best IEM cable in the market, with a cost-no-object mentality. The result of that is the incredible price tag of 3999$.

Unfortunately, this level of performance is incredibly expensive and paying a hefty price of $4k for a cable is not something everyone can or wants to do.

So the ultimate question comes again. Is it worth it? When it comes to audio, a lot of people ask that question. And I always say, it’s impossible to give a definitive answer. In the end, if you have the budget, you can get the Centurion and never ever lookout for an upgrade cable. Case closed, as it performs incredibly with every IEM. It takes them to the highest level, improves every aspect of sound, and the overall performance is simply astonishing.

If you ask my honest opinion, I can’t directly recommend anyone to pay that much for a single IEM cable. But that’s the point. I can’t recommend anyone to buy the Sennheiser HE-1 or Sony DMP-Z1 either. But if you want the absolute best your money can buy, and if you have that luxury to spend that much on a single item, then why not? If you’re after that, for its performance alone, I recommend the Centurion and it just entered our Accessories Recommendations overview.

This recommendation is only for the people who have reached the summit-fi in portable audio and have the luxury to spend more cash on perfecting their setup. For anyone else, look out for the Effect Audio Vogue or EVO series.

Page 1: Intro and Design

Page 2: Build Quality, Ergonomics and Accessories

Page 3: Sound Quality

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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