The Effect Audio Eros II is a hybrid upgrade cable which belongs to the Premium Series of Effect Audio. After Linus’ take on the 8-wire, I present you the 4-wire version.
Disclaimer: I’ve received the Effect Audio Eros II as a review sample free of charge. The cable costs 280$ at the present moment. Effect Audio is a site advertiser. I tested the cable with the PEARS SH-3 and M-Fidelity SA50 CIEMs.
Intro
The boutique cable market has developed quite fast in recent years, especially the popularity of the IEM cables has increased a lot. People already realized a long time ago that those cables make a difference. Although I still come across people who say cables don’t make a difference, it seems most of them know that they actually do. In my opinion cables do affect the sound quality, but of course, that doesn’t mean the sound will always be better. It’s all about synergy.
Apart from the sound benefits, it’s also important to have an ergonomic and durable cable. Since the market has shifted its focus to portable audio in the last couple of years, people demand long lasting and flexible cables. Let’s see how the Effect Audio Eros II performs for all of those points and most importantly, in sound.
Effect Audio
Effect Audio is one of the most recognizable cable companies in the market which is based in Singapore. One of the features of Effect Audio is their collaboration efforts with companies such as Empire Ears, Jomo Audio, and Vision Ears, which are very good brands in their own right. With their relations to the other well-known companies, and with their products’ performance as a whole, EA obviously is a reliable manufacturer in terms of aftermarket cables.
Effect Audio Eros II
I also need to say that whenever a fellow audiophile asks me about which cable he/she should get, the first brand that comes to my mind is Effect Audio and I personally recommend their cables most of the time.
There are a lot of different options in their product range. There’s a Premium Series and a Heritage Series which contains 9 different cables to choose from. There’s also a bespoke option which is a specialized order for your needs, including 8-wire versions.
However the most impressive cables from Effect Audio belong to their Hall of Fame. These contain fantastic craftsmanship and sound. They’re so good that you could start asking yourself how cables create this much effect. I was particularly blown away by the sound of the Horus cable during our CanJam London trip, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to a better cable .
The Eros II
The Eros II is a cable which has a hybrid construction with UPOCC copper and silver wires. Once again there’s a flexible insulation and multi size stranded design. These features allow the required flexibility and tensile strength, which are very important points as I’ve referred above.
My sample is terminated with 2-pin connectors and a 2.5mm balanced plug. You can always have different plugs including the 4.4mm ones, and different connector types. Whichever IEM you have, there’s certainly a solution for you.
Build Quality & Ergonomics
Top notch craftsmanship from Effect Audio once again. The cable feels perfectly built with great tight braiding from top to bottom. I must admit I use it like a regular cable sometimes, throwing it into my bag and treating it without care. There hasn’t been any deformation with its braid or overall build whatsoever. There’s not much to say here to be honest, I expected it to be this good in the first place.
Effect Audio Eros II
The logo of the brand is engraved on the 2 pin connectors together with the L and R marks. That means they won’t fade out with long time usage, which is a good thing. Make sure the logos are outwards when you connect them to your monitors.
The standing out feature of the Effect Audio cables is the overall flexibility. Just Like my Ares II, it’s very soft and smooth, durable to twists and bends but quite elastic at the same time. It’s also very light as a whole, and the memory wire part is not very stiff which is another thing that I like with the EA cables.
So all in all I can’t bring up any negativity for this cable’s craft. Effect Audio are at the top of their game at this point.
The review continues on PAGE 2 with sound impressions
Lieven
test comment
Jason
How do the highs compare between the two? I have EE Nemesis which have really harsh highs, and am looking a way to tame them. Nemesis comes with Ares II, would Eros II have less aggravating highs?
Berkhan
I’m not sure about that. Try to look at the Brise Audio STR7-Ref, if you have that kind of a budget. It controls the peaks like no other cable I’ve experienced.
Jason
Ouch, that’s quite a price for a cable, I think I’ll pass on that one 🙂 But thanks for the feedback!