Reviews by AudioZ
My budget planar journey started with the Letshuoer S12, the OG one. I still use the S12 pro (the later version which came with modular termination) as my everyday carry so I am quite acquainted with the ‘’Shouer’’ sound I would say. I was quite surprised when I received the Letshuoer Cadenza as part of a review tour personally arranged by a friend. Being well acquainted with the S12 pro, I expected a V-shaped, fun sound signature.
The fun has indeed quadrupled, but without the V. I still have my HD 650 that I bought more than 3 years ago and It gets more listening time than both my Audeze LCD X and Meze 109 pro, as I am so much in love with the signature Sennheiser midrange. But that magic was missing among most the IEMs I have come across. Letshuoer Cadenza is something that finally scratches my midrange itch.
Disclaimer: I was sent this unit by my friend @BonGoBiLai as a part of a review tour. I did not get to keep the unit and the IEM was sent to the next reviewer as soon as I was done with the review. Getting to experience the Cadenza 12 was the only reward.
I will only spend a little word on the unboxing experience as previous reviews have already discussed it in detail. I think it was quite satisfactory for the $2000 price tag albeit the presentation is not as chic as Campfire IEMs nor as flattering as the IER Z1R. I have seen other reviewers bashing the stock cable which in my opinion, is fine. I did not find any issue using it but YMMV. Build quality is fine overall; it's a robust metal IEM with hardly visible seams so resin IEMs cannot compete no matter how fancy they look.
I am a big fan of Chi Fi IEMs owing to the value they can provide. But $2000 is a big jump from the sub $200 range, even for a consistent brand like Shuoer which has critically acclaimed products in the kilobuck zone. I was particularly interested in the midrange performance because, from my experience, the midrange is a common ground where Chi Fi IEMs tend to suffer, especially those blindly following the Harman hype.
I simply do not find the lean and glassy Harman midrange to be that appealing. I also do not like the fact that Harman completely ditches midbass in favor of sub-bass boost contributing to its fuzzy, one-note character. I mean subbass is fun and all but the acute lack of midbass simply does not sound right to my ears. I am quite happy that Letshuoer kind of did their own thing instead of blindly following the Harman gold rush.
The midrange performance particularly, is spectacular. It is clean and clear but does not sound thin at all. There is some upper-mid energy but thankfully things never got shouty. The midrange is very pleasant and ‘’right sounding’’ overall, a merit that I cannot say I have observed in many sub $2000 IEM. There is some hint of warmth in the lower mids as well which adds just the right amount of heft to the otherwise bright neutral sound.
Cadenza 12 has elevated treble response which fortunately remains controlled in most instances. Shrill cymbals or splashes are super rare occurrences. Pairing it with a warm source like iBasso DX320 alleviates these rare oddities as well. Overall I’d say, I am quite pleased with the treble performance.
The bass performance is fine. Extension and texturing are commendable but Cadenza 12 is not a set I would classify as bass-centric. Bass can punch hard when the track calls for it but it remains fairly civil otherwise. Bass from single DD flagships in this range are more fun but then again I would miss the fantabulous midrange, a trade-off that I am not willing to make.
Technical performance is adequate. It is not super detailed like some other IEMs in the similar price category but certain aspects are standouts. The soundstage for example is quite spacious, a trait that is above average I must say. I also liked the sense of space/ isolation it provided between each instrument. Singling out instruments and background notes was effortless without breaking the immersion.
I enjoyed my time with the Cadenza 12. It is a loan from a friend so the price-to-performance aspect did not affect me as much. It is pitted against some of the most revered and well-established behemoths in the IEM world. But given how wonderfully it aligns with my preference, I won’t mind shelling out $2000 for a unit of my own.
The fun has indeed quadrupled, but without the V. I still have my HD 650 that I bought more than 3 years ago and It gets more listening time than both my Audeze LCD X and Meze 109 pro, as I am so much in love with the signature Sennheiser midrange. But that magic was missing among most the IEMs I have come across. Letshuoer Cadenza is something that finally scratches my midrange itch.
Disclaimer: I was sent this unit by my friend @BonGoBiLai as a part of a review tour. I did not get to keep the unit and the IEM was sent to the next reviewer as soon as I was done with the review. Getting to experience the Cadenza 12 was the only reward.
I will only spend a little word on the unboxing experience as previous reviews have already discussed it in detail. I think it was quite satisfactory for the $2000 price tag albeit the presentation is not as chic as Campfire IEMs nor as flattering as the IER Z1R. I have seen other reviewers bashing the stock cable which in my opinion, is fine. I did not find any issue using it but YMMV. Build quality is fine overall; it's a robust metal IEM with hardly visible seams so resin IEMs cannot compete no matter how fancy they look.
I am a big fan of Chi Fi IEMs owing to the value they can provide. But $2000 is a big jump from the sub $200 range, even for a consistent brand like Shuoer which has critically acclaimed products in the kilobuck zone. I was particularly interested in the midrange performance because, from my experience, the midrange is a common ground where Chi Fi IEMs tend to suffer, especially those blindly following the Harman hype.
I simply do not find the lean and glassy Harman midrange to be that appealing. I also do not like the fact that Harman completely ditches midbass in favor of sub-bass boost contributing to its fuzzy, one-note character. I mean subbass is fun and all but the acute lack of midbass simply does not sound right to my ears. I am quite happy that Letshuoer kind of did their own thing instead of blindly following the Harman gold rush.
The midrange performance particularly, is spectacular. It is clean and clear but does not sound thin at all. There is some upper-mid energy but thankfully things never got shouty. The midrange is very pleasant and ‘’right sounding’’ overall, a merit that I cannot say I have observed in many sub $2000 IEM. There is some hint of warmth in the lower mids as well which adds just the right amount of heft to the otherwise bright neutral sound.
Cadenza 12 has elevated treble response which fortunately remains controlled in most instances. Shrill cymbals or splashes are super rare occurrences. Pairing it with a warm source like iBasso DX320 alleviates these rare oddities as well. Overall I’d say, I am quite pleased with the treble performance.
The bass performance is fine. Extension and texturing are commendable but Cadenza 12 is not a set I would classify as bass-centric. Bass can punch hard when the track calls for it but it remains fairly civil otherwise. Bass from single DD flagships in this range are more fun but then again I would miss the fantabulous midrange, a trade-off that I am not willing to make.
Technical performance is adequate. It is not super detailed like some other IEMs in the similar price category but certain aspects are standouts. The soundstage for example is quite spacious, a trait that is above average I must say. I also liked the sense of space/ isolation it provided between each instrument. Singling out instruments and background notes was effortless without breaking the immersion.
I enjoyed my time with the Cadenza 12. It is a loan from a friend so the price-to-performance aspect did not affect me as much. It is pitted against some of the most revered and well-established behemoths in the IEM world. But given how wonderfully it aligns with my preference, I won’t mind shelling out $2000 for a unit of my own.
