Custom Cables
You may or may not already know that there are many kinds of custom cables available in the market. The various components of these custom cables differ in terms of the brand and make, thus varying materials and quality.
Click on any to read more:
Internal Wires | Connectors | Pins | Y-split / Choker
Internal Wires
The biggest varying component which determines the sound quality is the wire; its material, the number of strands, gauge size, etc.
In case you are wondering what the (_N) stands for, it represents the number of 9\'s which determines the percentage purity of the wire material. e.g. (7N) means 99.99999% purity. However, it is believed that it is difficult to prove the purity of any wire material above 4N.
Stranded vs Solid Core
There are mainly two wire types, namely Solid Core Wires and Stranded Wires. A Stranded wire is one which is made up of many thin strands of wires in close contact with each other. Solid Core wires mostly contain one thick strand of wire. Solid Core wires produces sounds that are more tight and focused and is stiff and thick to touch. While the Stranded wires feels more flexible and light compared to the Solid Core wires of the same total cross-sectional area. The more individual wire strands in a Stranded wire bundle, the more flexible, kink-resistant, break-resistant, and stronger the wire is. Stranded wires are preferred over the Solid Core wires for portability and storage.
Wires in Custom Cables
What is the science behind any possible sound differences between cables? Let\'s compare them.
Solid Core Wires (Single)
 Silver |
Silver has the best electrical conductivity and therefore the least electrical resistivity with the least distortion. This means it requires the least effort, to in electrical terms, to push a signal through a wire to power the drivers. Hence an increase in percent of power of the bass signals will be smaller, giving a perceived brighter sound. These advantages makes Silver the all-time popular choice and one of the purest wires for audio. Sound Signature: It has the best transparency sound staging, including quiet and broad bandwidth. Highs are refined and not fatigued. Vocal projects well in a warm signature way. Bright, with emphasis on mids and lows. Great for all genres. |
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 Copper |
Copper transmits electric signals fast with lesser distortion, including a very low electrical resistance. Silver is expensive, so Copper with the same resistance or similar characteristics costs considerably less. The difference between Copper and Silver is very small but Silver is naturally brighter than Copper. Copper, being highly value-for-performance, is one of the favourites when it comes to audio cables. Sound Signature: Balanced yet warm and natural sounding with slight emphasis on highs and mids, more bass sound. Great for Rap, Rock, Techno, etc. |
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 Silver-plated Copper |
Silver-plated Copper (SPC) comprises a Copper core covered in Silver plating, combining the advantages of cheaper price point of Copper with the brightness of Silver. With a fairly high corrosion and electrical resistance, these advantages make the Silver-plated Copper a good choice for an audio wire. Sound Signature: Overall neutral sound on highs and mids with slight emphasis on bass sound. Great for Classical, Pop, Jazz, etc. |
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 Gold-plated Copper |
Gold-plated Copper comprises a Copper core covered in Gold plating, it combines the advantages of copper such as the conductivity with the warmth of Gold. Gold has a higher resistivity than either Copper or Silver, but pure Gold does not oxidize nor corrode. Sound Signature: Warmer sound with emphasis on bass sound. Great for Pop, Rock, etc. |
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Stranded Wires (Multi-Core)
 Silver-Plated Copper |
Silver-plated Copper (SPC) comprises a Copper core covered in Silver plating, combining the advantages of cheaper price point of Copper with the brightness of Silver. With a fairly high corrosion and electrical resistance, these advantages make the Silver-plated Copper a good choice for an audio wire. Sound Signature: Overall neutral sound on highs and mids with slight emphasis on bass sound. Great for Classical, Pop, Jazz, etc. |
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 Copper |
Copper transmits electric signals fast with lesser distortion, including a very low electrical resistance. Silver is expensive, so Copper with the same resistance or similar characteristics costs considerably less. The difference between Copper and Silver is very small but Silver is naturally brighter than Copper. Copper, being highly value-for-performance, is one of the favourites when it comes to audio cables. Sound Signature: Balanced yet warm and natural sounding with slight emphasis on highs and mids, more bass sound. Great for Rap, Rock, Techno, etc. |
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 Silver |
It is one of the most conductive of all metals. With silver, it transmits electric signals faster with less distortion, including low electrical resistance. Along with no crystal boundaries and molecular junctions, these advantages make it a favourite choice and one of the purest wires for audio. Sound Signature: It has the best sound staging in terms of transparency, including quiet and broad bandwidth. Highs are refined and does not cause fatigue. Vocal projects well in a warm signature way. Bright, with emphasis on mids and lows. Great for all genres. |
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 Silver + 1% Gold |
With silver, it transmits electric signals faster with less distortion, including low electrical resistance. The one percent gold provides oxidation and high corrosion resistance. Along with no crystal boundaries and molecular junctions, these advantages makes it a favorite choice and one of the purest wires for audio. Sound Signature: It has the best transparency sound staging, including quiet and broad bandwidth. Highs are refined and not fatigued. Vocal projects well in a warm signature way. Bright, with emphasis on mids and extra lows, thanks in part of the 1% gold added. Great for all genres. |
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Connectors
3.5mm connectors/plugs that we use for as cable terminations.
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| Oyaide Gold Straight | Oyaide Gold Right-Angle | Oyaide Silver Straight | Oyaide Silver Right-Angle |
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| Oyaide Gold Straight for device with case |
Oyaide Gold Right-Angle for device with case |
Sennheiser Straight | Pailiccs Mini Straight |
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| Viablue T6s Mini Straight | Neutrik Gold Right-Angle | Yarbo GY-3.5GB Straight | Custom-made Straight for phone with case + microphone |
Pins
Connector pins that fit right into the sockets found on your removable-cable type in-ear monitor (IEM) or custom in-ear monitor (CIEM), or even on headphones
Earphones
- MMCX for LEAR CIEMs, Shure SE series, Westone UM10/20/30 series, Westone Alpha Adventure, Logitech UE900, Ultrasone IQ
- Sennheiser for Sennheiser IE8/IE80
- Westone 2-pin CM for Westone 1/2/3/4, UM1/UM2,UM3x, Heir Audio, Noble Audio, Rooth, Unique Melody, 1964 Ears, JHAudio, and more custom monitor brands
- Ultimate Ears 2-pin for Ultimate Ears SF3/SF5/SF5 EB/TF10
- LiveWires for Livewires CIEMs
Headphones
- 2.5mm for Sennheiser HD600/HD650
- 3.5mm for Philips X1, Sony 1R, V-moda M80/M100
- 2-pin for HifiMAN HE-400/500
Y-split / Choker
The Y-Split is the piece found right in the middle of your custom cable, the part where the cable splits into two, differentiating the right channel from the left channel. A Choker on the other hand is another piece usually found above the Y-Split piece, which could be optional. The Choker is used to tighten up the cable where it splits, by drawing the Choker upwards towards your chin.
