Comparisons.

Consistent with my cable testing philosophy, I used the same IEMs (Aroma Jewel, SpinFit W1 eartips) and the same source (LPGT), and only changed one variable at a time to note the sound difference I hear while keeping volume matched.  Keep in mind, I’m describing how a particular IEM sound compares between L and other cables.

Eletech Aeneid vs L – L soundstage is similar.  Very similar bass and mids response as well.  When it comes to tonality, I hear L to add more sparkle in mid treble and more air in upper treble.  But the technical performance is where I hear the biggest difference in this comparison.  To my ears, L improves the vertical dynamics and layering of the sounds.  With more air in the treble, it feels like you have more air between the layers of the sound with improvement in vertical dynamics expansion.  Also, I hear a noticeable improvement in imaging, especially 3D depth.

Eletech Iliad vs L – L soundstage is a bit wider, and imaging of L has more multi-dimensional depth.  Tonality has similarities as well, both have a more natural fuller body mids, but I hear the bass to sound very different between these two cables.  Iliad gives the bass a softer presentation with slower attack and more relaxed definition, while L gives the bass a faster punch with a more articulate definition which tightens the bass.

PWA First Times vs L – L adds more analog texture and body to the sound with fuller lower mids and smoother upper mids.  The perception of the bass is very similar, the same weight of the sub-bass and impact of the mid-bass, except the decay is a touch longer with L, making the bass blend in smoother with lower mids.  Treble has similar extension and airiness, just being a little smoother.  The width of the soundstage is a touch narrower with L, I expected that due to fuller mids, but to my surprise, the imaging has more 3D depth, especially noticeable when you focus on vocals and how they expand in front and away from you.

EA Chiron vs L – Chiron has a touch wider soundstage while L has improved imaging with 3D holographic depth.  Tonality between these two cables is a bit different since Chiron has a more revealing, brighter mids while L has smoother and more organic mids.  Treble sounds very similar between these two models, but bass is different.  L has a bit more weight in sub-bass (elevating the rumble) and noticeably stronger and more articulate mid-bass.

EA Leo II octa vs L – very similar soundstage expansion and imaging in this comparison.  There are actually quite a few similarities in these cable performances.  Paired up with Jewel, I hear a very similar sub-bass rumble and mid-bass punch.  And the same goes for an airy, extended treble with a natural revealing tonality.  But mids/vocals sound different when paired up with Jewel.  Leo II has a more revealing brighter tonality while L adds more analog texture and sweetens up the tonality with a smoother detailed sound tuning.

PlusSound PPH8 vs L – PPH8 soundstage is wider and imaging more holographic.  They also have a similar presentation of bass, fast, punchy, articulate, and with plenty of sub-bass rumble.  The rest of the sound is different.  With Jewel, PPH8 mids are leaner and more analytical while L mids are more natural, more organic, and smoother without losing resolution.  PPH8 treble is brighter and crisper, while L treble has a smoother and more natural treble presentation.

Conclusion w/Sound Analysis.

The official introduction of Eletech Ode to Laura cable happened right before CanJam ’22 London where it was unveiled to the public.  And just as I mentioned in the intro of my review, within 2 days of introduction the cable was sold out until the next batch is manufactured.  I wasn’t surprised because ever since the company started in 2019, it already has a solid fanbase of customers, though I have to give credit to Eric since he has been in this business for a long time, way before 2019.  And also, as I mentioned in the intro, if Ode to Laura eyewatering price is outside of your budget, they also offer a decent quality Fortitude copper cable in their Virtues Series at a fraction of the price.

For those audiophiles who were patiently waiting for L announcement and were able to reserve a pair from the first batch or considering ordering it from the next one, you can see from my pair up and comparison examples a consistent performance of Ode to Laura where I noticed a definite improvement in 3D depth of sound imaging.  We often talk about soundstage width perception, while here the imaging and placement of instruments and vocals had more 3D depth.  Also, the cable fine-tuned the sound of many IEMs I tested with a blanket of natural analog texture over the mids.  But don’t mistake it with veiled blanket because I actually found the retrieval of details to be improved.  Furthermore, L improved the bass performance of a number of IEMs with more speed and better control, making the bass more articulate.

And as I always say in my traditional final thought disclaimer, the cable will not change or transform the sound signature of your IEMs if you are not happy with its tuning to begin with.  There is no magic “EQ” silver bullet or fairy dust behind the cable.  If you are not happy with the sound signature of your pair of IEMs, get another one with a different sound sig.  Also, you have to be realistic, Ode to Laura will not turn $200 IEM into $3k flagship.  It is a pricey cable, but if you can afford it and already invested into a number of flagship IEMs and want to finetune their sound with a more natural analog textured tonality, faster bass response, and improved retrieval of details, Ode to Laura deserves a serious consideration.