Q ‘n A Saturday: PlusSound

HFN: Digital cables – can they improve sound?
CO: With digital, while it consists of 0 and 1s, timing gets affected and data can get lost. Using quality components, this would help its performance, which would also improve sound since digital data is clocked in and de-jittered via DAC before the data gets converted into analog.

HFN: You recently jumped into making in ear monitors as well, how did that idea happen?
CO: After releasing cables and our Cloud Nine amplifier, we wanted to try our hands with earphones next. We wanted to build sets that were unique and perform the way we want it. We spent several months experimenting with 3D printing and trying different things such as bore diameters, driver/damper placements, and various enclosure designs before staying with the ones that sounded the best and unique to us.

HFN: Your Cloud Nine amplifier is highly rated in its class, are there any future electronics we can look out for? Amps, Dacs etc?
CO: In September, we released custom bluetooth cables for IEMs and headphones – the first of its kind on the market. This was over one year in the making and couldn’t be happier with the results. Impressions have been very favorable, with many saying that it sounds exactly as a wired cable!

HFN: What makes your Bluetooth cables stand out from the crowd, why are they superior to your competitors?
CO: Our bluetooth cables are very unique. It is powered by bluetooth 4.2, which is 250% faster and more reliable than 4.0 and 4.1 versions. The L and R channel has dedicated positive and negative solder pads for balanced output configuration, which will improve crosstalk and performance. For codecs, it features aptX technology, which includes classic and low latenct support to deliver sound in sync and improve end to end transmission. Battery life is significantly longer than most, with up to 12 hours of continuous use (depending on volume and codec). Separation between device and module can extend up to 40 feet. We also use our high quality UP-OCC wires, same used in our custom wired cables for the best performance. More importantly, they are available for several IEMs and headphones (2-Pin/CIEM, MMCX, Audeze, Sennheiser, HiFiMan, FitEar, among many others) and can be customized based on requested specifications, including length, compatibility, and module placement with assembly performed in Los Angeles, California, USA. 

HFN: You state on your website that you also do OEM business, can you share some details?
CO: We are open to working with other manufacturers and companies who want to produce the best quality products possible.

HFN: What other company would you like to do business with?
CO: We have worked with numerous manufacturers and companies behind-the-scenes along the years. We love to work with more.

HFN: What was the most challenging request you ever got from a customer?
CO: Several years ago, we had to mold a special 3-pin connector that had to be compatible with this one of a kind IEM. This was before 3D printing was widely available, so it was definitely challenging.

A3 with Appolonian+ cable and AK240

HFN: What is your favourite DAP? Headphone? Earphone?
CO: I have really been enjoying our Prism IEM with X8 Series bluetooth cable paired with AK240 DAP lately.

HFN: What is your favourite headphone of any other brand?
CO: Focal Utopia and Sennheiser HD800 are among our favorites here.

HFN: Is there a new product we can look out for in the near future?
CO: I can’t announce anything just yet. You will have to stay tuned and check our website and social sites regularly for updates and news.

Thank you very much Christian for being a part of our little series, we wish you the best of luck and are looking forward to more exciting products from PlusSound!

Christian also told me that there will be a great deal on Massdrop soon for some of Christian’s latest products….

4.8/5 - (52 votes)
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A daytime code monkey with a passion for audio and his kids, Linus tends to look at gear with a technical approach, trying to understand why certain things sound the way they do. When there is no music around, Linus goes the extra mile and annoys the hell out of his colleagues with low level beatboxing.

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