Preamble
There are usually a few steps into the world of cable rolling. First, by circumstance or by curiosity, one would usually order a cheaper cable off the list of usual suspects being NiceHCK, XINHS or Tripowin. The next logical step would be a more established and well-known manufacturer such as Effect Audio or Eletech. Before you know it, you’re spending the price of a used car on a PWAudio Orpheus Shielding. But today’s review concerns the cheapest cable in the Eletech family, Azrael. And, despite being the cheapest, the Azrael comes in at 279 USD. But what does this price get you? Is it truly something worth upgrading or is /r/headphones right and I’m just a kooky idiot?
The Factual Stuff
The Azrael is a four wire cable consisting of 25.5AWG ultra high purity OCC copper utilising a multi sized strand design and a Kevlar resilient core. The wires are cryogenically treated which intends to ‘enhance audio quality’ by ‘stabilising molecular structures’, ‘improving electrical conductivity’ and ‘increasing durability and reliability’. (All in quotes because I am not a scientist).
The Azrael comes with Eletech’s signature milled hardware, enamelled strands and their “FlexiMax” insulation. The result of this is a rather handsome and lightweight cable.
These also feature Eletech Versa, their proprietary interchangeable connector system that allows you to swap between 2 pin and MMCX.
This cable is part of the Eletech Virtues series, consisting of Azrael (279 USD), Cassiel (329 USD) and Raphael (529 USD).
The Opinion Stuff
Sound
The effects of cable rolling on sound is definitely a controversial topic but I am a believer in its efficacy. The value of this exercise is up to you but I for one can discern subtle but noticeable differences in cables. Call it copium or confirmation bias, you wouldn’t be reading this if you were not curious or a similar believer.
All impressions are taken using a variety of IEMs including UM MEST MK2, UM Multiverse Mentor, CFA Supermoon.
All A-B comparisons were conducted utilising:
- Campfire Supermoon;
- iBasso DC04 Pro; and
- a Campfire Audio Smoky Litz cable as baseline.
Bass
The low-end of the Azrael is symbolic of what one has attributed to copper cables. Bass quantity is heightened creating a more ‘fun’ low-end in that sheer bass quantity is increased. The quality of this bassline is somewhat boomier than stock but presents with greater extension and greater quantity. Sub-bass seems to be less of a focus here with mid-bass punchiness seemingly taking a front-seat with the Azrael. Texture and detail when swapping to the Azrael takes a bit of a hit surprisingly, perhaps due to the nature of the bass boost. I am not saying that the Azrael will turn your anaemic earbuds into an absolute bass-monster but the boost is noticeable.
Overall, the low-end quantity and extension is increased presenting with a more bass-forward sound signature over the stock cable but this is also boomier and less defined than what would be optimal in my mind.
Mids
Moving to the mid-range the Azrael presents the mids with less of an edge and with greater body. Lower-mids receive a slight injection of warmth with male vocals presenting with more throatiness and greater emotional impact compared to the stock cable. The upper-mids present with far less sibilance compared to the stock cable, creating with lesser harshness and providing me with a more smooth and natural timbre compared to the stock cable.
Instruments on the Azrael are far better than on the stock cable, with greater separation and a more natural rendition compared to the cold and sterile reproduction on the stock cable.
These elements demonstrate the value of utilising something like the Azrael to alter the sound of your IEM, in this case, the Supermoon’s quite harsh mid-range became a lot more relaxed and easy to listen to.
Overall, the pairing of the Supermoon to the Azrael and perhaps, whatever similarly thin/harsh IEM you have in your collection, is an excellent one as it appears to bring more body to this region.
Treble
Moving to the upper end, the Azrael provides greater extension in the upper end, presenting a more airy rendition of the Supermoon when compared to the stock cable. There is not much in the way of sibilance which is great and percussion particularly receives an injection of crystalline-quality and greater crispness. This is not a huge amount of change, with the Azrael presenting as a more dulled treble production than what you can achieve with other cables.
There is no tremendous night-and-day difference between the stock cable and the Azrael but unlike other copper cables in my experience, the Azrael does a rather good job of heightening the upper-regions of the frequency response curve.
Technicalities
The Azrael’s most prominent element when compared to the stock cable is the step up in technical abilities. With a wider and deeper stage, there is a sense of immersion provided by the Azrael. With greater separation between regions of the FR curve and notes within the respective regions, there is an increase in the sense of depth to the music that was not seen on the stock cable. Detail retrieval and overall resolution appears to be much better than the stock cable and overall, technical ability of the Azrael present a great value to users looking to step up performance from a poorer quality cable.
Value & Quality of Life
Priced at 279 USD, the Azrael is hardly the bargain of the century. The step up in technical ability is a rather excellent one but the difference between this and free (i.e. the stock cable) is something that cannot be denied. I would advise you to listen prior to your purchase but in the case where that is not possible, there is a need to look at external factors.
The quality of life when living with the Azrael is perhaps its greatest attribute outside of sound. The combination of ergonomics and the lightweight nature of the Azrael present an easily manageable cable for listeners on the go. Four wires of rather low diameter wire combined with the insulation incorporated by Eletech present a cable that is easily malleable and doesn’t weigh you down. The earhooks are well formed and combined with the thinner nature of the wires present comfort that feel like you’re wearing nothing at all. The memory of a cable is a bit of bugbear for many a cable and the Azrael is no exception. With that being said, it is not easily tangleable and can be manipulated and hung out to impart straightness to the cable again.
Where the ergonomics may pose some issues are with the Y-splitter and the hardware which despite being extremely aesthetic, are quite cumbersome considering the thinness of the wires.
The Azrael feature Eletech’s Versa interchangeable connectors which is an absolute godsend for those with a variety of IEMs in their collection. Versa is easy to manage, intuitive to use and when compared to Effect Audio’s ConX system, is a far better option. Utilising screw-down covers to ensure connector security is a much more well thought out idea rather than just using screw down connectors in the case of ConX. This is especially evident with MMCX as I have had instances where EA cables MMCX connectors have just fallen off. Utilising a screw down system with a rotating connector is not a great idea it seems.
Comparisons
Vs EA Ares S
The Ares S is EA’s cheapest cable at 179 USD and for a $100 less you still get some of the hallmarks of an Azrael. Low-end boost and an injection of warmth relaxing brighter IEMs are characteristics that apply to both Ares and Azrael. Where they differ is the perceived improvement in technical abilities that seem to fall in favour of Azrael. These are not huge differences, but the Azrael still presented with greater separation and a more expanded stage compared to the Ares. I am reticent to say it is a $100 difference but there is indeed a difference.
In terms of ergonomics, the lighter weight and the better formed ear hooks of the Azrael make it the more ergonomic choice and the Ares hardware, whilst pretty is even chunkier and more cumbersome than the Azrael.
I still believe that the Ares is a greater value as I do not feel the difference in sound quality and ergonomics warrant the price differential but the Azrael is still a good option if you’re looking to expand your budget.
Vs Eletech Cassiel
The Cassiel shares similarities in its construction with the exception of its utilisation of silver-plated copper versus pure copper. The Cassiel seems to focus on upper mids by bringing forward female vocalists but also suffers from a greater sense of fatigue over time. Cassiel renders greater detail and seems to present with greater resolution as well as a more expansive soundstage. Unlike the low-end focused Azrael, the Cassiel takes a more balanced approach that leans slightly on the brighter side. Ergonomics are essentially the same here and as such it is a pick-em on this front.
Priced at 329 USD, I feel that the uplift in price is definitely warranted and if presented with a choice, I would pick Cassiel for its greater technical performance over the Azrael. This is with the caveat that if you enjoy low-end oomph, the Cassiel will not provide that. It seemed to thin out the bass a little compared to Azrael but also provided an excellent sense of detail and texture ot this region.
Vs Eletech Raphael
The head-honcho of the “Virtues” Series of Eletech cables, the Raphael provides tremendous low-end oomph but balanced with technical capabilities. The Raphael represents the Azrael but with refined to a greater level. There is great resolution here but the stage doesn’t feel as wide as either the Cassiel or the Azrael. There is greater intimacy here and a much greater sense of engagement. It sounds slightly brighter than the Azrael but not to the same extent as the Cassiel. These elements combine to make the Raphael perhaps the best sonically, providing a balanced approach to improving sound but at the cost of being the most expensive cable here. 529 USD is a much larger jump here but you get what you pay for and whether you’re willing to pay that is a question for you and your wallet.
Conclusion
The Azrael is the cheapest cable that Eletech makes and provides a good entry point into the world of Eletech. Its main virtues (pun intended) are its great ergonomics and its low-end boost combined with technical performance. The Versa system is well thought out and provides you with greater versatility with your collection of IEMs but considering the Ares has a similar system for $100 less, I do not believe that the Azrael is the obvious buy here. I would either save up more for Cassiel (if you’re ok with brighter signatures) or just stick with the Ares. The Azrael is good, just not good enough for it to be my obvious choice.
