Review: PlusSound Tri-Silver

Sound:

Talking about the sound of cables can steer up quite some heated discussions. Probably no other audio topic has polarized more in the past. There are supporters for each side, and though I have been a cable agnostic in the past, I am now in the believers camp. The sound of a cable relies on many factors, like materials, geometry or impedance (cable and head/earphone’s).

For testing out new cables I always go back to one certain monitor of mine, the Noble Audio Katana. It is one of the earphones that picks up changes in the signal-path easily and portrays them very well.

When I first hooked up the Tri-Silver I noticed a very nice deep black background, which results in a cleaner signal with better imaging. The PlusSound cable gives better layering and higher resolution. Sound stage stretches in noticeable dimensions wider, deeper and higher than with the stock cable.

PlusSound Tri-SIlver

Bass goes further down low, has good texture and a softer tone. It did not change to a tighter grip or more authoritative drive, but has given a more organic sound with nice air in them.
Midrange to me has stepped up in texture, transparency and emotions alike. Voices and instruments have gained a little in body and accuracy.

PlusSound describes the Tri-Silver as a bright cable, while that is true to some extend it is not treble focused to me. Yes, highs are cleaner and crisper, the notes are also silky and very enjoyable to listen to. Treble became a little softer and maybe even a touch laid back, getting rid of some bite and energy.

Pairings:

During my time in this hobby, I have found that it is very important to know what products your trying to match. I’m a person that tries to counter-balance certain things in monitors where I feel they over-achieve. With something like the Tri-Silver I would be going for neutrally balanced sounding monitors.

FAudio – Symphony

The Symphony is a very nice example of well achieved balance. With the Tri-Silver I noticed a wider and deeper sound stage, better layering and higher resolution. Bass became a tad more dynamic with deeper extension.

Mids are smoother and more resolved with higher amounts of air between the instruments. Their presentation still is nicely organic and natural, but they are now more focused and precise. Instruments are separated with more care and stand out from a darker background.

Treble extends wide, with good energy and sparkle up top, but it is now softer and a notch drier. It still transports excellent air into the rest of the spectrum.

PlusSound Tri-SIlver

64 Audio – A12t

The A12t is a monitor that really needs a silver cable in my opinion, as almost every copper based cable makes it too thick and gives it boomy bass. The Tri-Silver pairs very nice with it, and gives the 64 Audio wonderful extension up top and down low.

Mids are natural and smooth, with good transparency and resolution. Treble is tamed a bit, but still has very nice presence and energy. In terms of technical performance, the A12t has more resolution, separation and layering as well as imaging and it creates a wider stage.

Noble Audio – Khan

The Khan is a monitor people should get excited about. It hasn’t been released yet, but it’s expected to hit the stores in March of this year. The Khan is a triple hybrid using a dynamic driver for bass, a quad BA setup for mids and a piezo-electric driver for highs. They work together really well, and the sound is fantastic.

Noble ships the Khan with an updated new stock cable, which is said to be an improvement over the one their other models use. When exchanging the stock cable with the Tri-Silver, things get even better. Khan becomes more holographic, especially the vocals can become a sense of that. Bass goes deep with very nice texture and rumble, but with the Tri-Silver it becomes a touch softer.

Midrange receives more texture and resolution, while still being emotional and organic like the Khan is on its own. The piezo driver does an excellent job at producing treble. It is energetic, crisp and rich. It never became sibilant to me. With the PS cable hooked up, treble somewhat becomes cleaner but also a bit drier.

Khan’s sound stage did see some changes as well, as it stretches wider and deeper. Layering has improved noticeably, the same can be said about imaging. Khan’s background got pitch black and each little detail has been brought out very nice. Every note and tone stands out clean and instruments are separated just perfect.

PlusSound Tri-SIlver

The Tri-Silver is best with monitors that have good treble energy, powerful bass and a neutralish midrange. I found that it doesn’t pair too well with C/IEMs that have a strong and heavier midrange presence, such as the Phantom, Layla or N8.

Conclusion:

With the Tri-Silver PlusSound has set out to show their customers that they’re never satisfied and on a constant journey to still improve. Not just on a sonic level, but also in terms of build quality. The new Exo style oozes of luxury and makes their cables even more beautiful than before. PlusSound has set the bar very high for their competition to beat them.

The Tri-Silver is the first product to combine three different types of silver wires in one cable. Its sonic characteristics make way to pair well with pretty much any type of monitor out there. It offers a fine tuned balance, with wonderful imaging and resolution. The Tri’s midrange excels in smoothness and brings a nice organic sound to the table.