PlusSound has been silently developing a new cable for their eighth anniversary. Their Palladium Plated Hybrid comes at $999 in Exo configuration.
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Disclaimer: PlusSound provided the Palladium Plated Hybrid free of charge for this review. PlusSound is not a site advertiser and not affiliated with Headfonia. The Palladium Plated Hybrid cable will remain PlusSound’s property and can be asked back at any time. Many thanks for the generosity and opportunity.
About PlusSound:
PlusSound is an American company seated in Los Angeles that specialized in aftermarket cables but has also dipped their toes into the portable amplifier market. Recently PlusSound has also launched their new universal IEM lineup.
PlusSound has made its debut in early 2012 and has gained a lot of respect and interest for their outstanding products by the community. Ordering from PlusSound is pretty neat and easy. You can go to their website, select the type of cable you want and customize the materials, terminations and even the Y-splitter and chin-slider. Like most other cable-manufacturers PlusSound also provides you the opportunity to color-code your left and right side connectors.
We have covered many different products by PlusSound in the past, and if you’re interested to learn more, follow this link.
About the Palladium Plated Hybrid:
The Palladium Plated Hybrid (PPH) is PlusSound’s latest cable and as the name suggests, it is a silver and copper hybrid where all wires are Palladium plated. The PPH comes in different configurations, starting with the two-wire X series all the way up to an eight-wire configuration. Prices vary depending on the wire count. The sample I received is their four-wire Exo series version.
The PPH is, like all PlusSound cables, 26 AWG in size and comes as Type 6 Litz. PlusSound gives you the option to customize your cable from top to bottom. You can pick different terminations (even USB C), as well as Y-splits and of course connector types. On top of that, you can also color code your cable’s hardware.
The Exo version of the Palladium Plated Hybrid can be bought for 999.99 USD directly from PlusSound or any of their global retailers.
PlusSound Palladium Plated Hybrid
Package:
PlusSound always had a rather rudimentary packaging, but they have consistently stepped up their game. The PPH though has the nicest packaging yet from them. Unlike the previous cables, it came in a black and gold box. When opened, you’ll see a plexiglass window that informs you that the cable was designed and hand made in LA, California.
Under the cover you’ll find the cable in a leather pouch. This is a very nice touch in my opinion. Additional accessories are to be found in the package as well. There is a cleaning cloth, a leather strap and a warranty card in there. Everything apart from the leather cable binder is coming with PlusSound’s logo on it.
Build Quality and Ergonomics:
PlusSound has come a long way in terms of build quality from when I started doing cable reviews. They moved away from heat-shrinked connectors and plugs to custom hardware and by doing that, they shot right at the top of all cable makers.
The cable itself is nicely braided with good consistency. The hardware speaks volumes about the build quality. My set came with all silver accents with 2-pin connectors and a 4.4 mm termination. The 2-pin connectors have to go with logos facing inwards, as the screws have to go out.
PlusSound Palladium Plated Hybrid
The Y-split and chin slider on my cable are also silver colored and made of aluminum. PlusSound’s cables all come with their own mixture as insulation. It’s very flexible and soft, but like most PVC there is a tendency to become stiff over time. The insulation can break with wear and tear, but one thing that can speed up the process is oily skin.
The Palladium Plated Hybrid is a very comfortable cable to wear and almost disappears behind the ear. As someone who doesn’t wear glasses the Exo PPH is no problem behind the ear. When I put on sunglasses outside, I do feel the cable more.
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