PROS: Highly transparent, extends stage dimensions, improves imaging, improves dynamics, build quality and ergonomics are excellent.
CONS: If you have to ask the price…
Disclaimer.
I would like to thank Eric Chong of Eletech for providing me with Sonnet of Adam in exchange for my honest opinion. No incentive was given for a favorable review.
Sonnet of Adam
- 23 AWG, 4 wire
- Triple Bespoke Premium Gold Blend (Gold-Silver Alloy, Gold-Plated Silver, Gold-Plated Copper)
- 9 Interior Core Litz, Kevlar Infused
- Cryogenically Treated
- Eletech Bespoke Solder
- Eletech Customized Y-Split and Connectors
- FlexiMax Insulation
- Price: US$ 2,799
Links
Preamble.
This review has been quite unlike any other I have done before. I have used some experimental review styles in the past, but that is not what I mean here. What I mean is that, initially, I had this grand plan of trying inch out every last bit of performance from the Final A8000, which have mmcx connectors. However, the review units sent to me always have 2-pin connectors because I have more IEMs that fit those. So that plan was not going to work. (As I write this, Eletech has launched its first cable with their “Versa” system connectors that allow the user to switch between 2-pin and mmcx. So, a solution to such issues will probably be more widely available to everyone soon.)
Anyway, ‘best laid plans’ and all. I had received Sonnet of Adam and was contemplating what IEMs to pair first. What happened was both unexpected and beautifully ironic. If you know my reviews, you know that I usually find something I enjoy with every bit of gear I review. That is because I listen to the music, not the gear. It is the image of the music the gear creates that matters to me. I literally “see” the music when I listen. As such, a target curve (for instance) is wasted on me because a different curve on other IEMs might create a very different presentation that has its own charms. That is also the reason I like to try out various pairings for cables because I find differences in synergy can at times lead to wonderful results.
Enter the Vision Ears VE7. These were the IEMs I settled on to try first. I had other IEMs lined up, some considerably more expensive, but I settled on the VE7 because I was already enjoying those with the Eletech Plato. I thought this would give me a good idea of what a new generation flagship cable could bring over the superb Plato (my favourite cable over the past four years). I unplugged Plato, connected Sonnet of Adam, plugged into the Lotoo PAW Gold Touch, pressed ‘play’ and… Bye, bye reviewer objectivity. Hello, subjective audio lover nirvana. The synergy between Sonnet of Adam and the VE7 resonated so strongly with me that 1) I took wayyyy too long with this review because I could not stop listening and kept drifting away in sonic bliss, and 2) as much as I tried other pairings, I immediately gravitated back to the VE7.
I therefore ended up achieving with the VE7 what I had initially planned for the A8000. And, after all my claims of “exploring different synergies”, I simply could not pull myself away from this one pairing. The choice was simple. I would stick with the VE7 and take you along to explore why this pairing resonated so strongly with me and what Sonnet of Adam brings to the table.
Unboxing.
As is usually the case, Eletech has been hard at work to design packaging that offers a highly creative unboxing experience. It underlines that the content of the box is something special.
After slipping off the outer sleeve, the box opens up to reveal a plate with the details of the cable listen on it. Underneath this you find a custom crafted picture frame of the “Creation of Adam”. You know, the one on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by a rather obscure painter called Michelangelo. I kid. Of course, it is instantly recognizable. Showing in no uncertain terms that the cable you are about to see is a very special creation. The cable itself is found in the green leather Companion Case sitting next to the picture frame. Alongside the cable you get a card with the serial number on it and a matching green leather cable band.
Eletech’s round Companion Cases are pretty legendary by now. Eletech makes various types and colors, and they are always immensely popular, often selling out within hours after release. They are indeed very nice and convenient to use. I always have the IEMs I am using in one of these and a selection of my favourite IEMs/cables in the larger square “Luxe” Companion Case that Eletech also offers every now and then.
Of course, the unboxing is nice and all, and it is great to get the Companion Case alongside, but what about the cable itself?
Design.
Sonnet of Adam sits in Eletech’s prestigious Parnassus flagship series of cables where it joined the previously released flagship Ode to Laura. Where Ode to Laura was designed around pure copper and introduced completely new geometry and shielding, Sonnet of Adam moves into more exotic materials. Sonnet of Adam combines a mix of gold-plated silver, gold-plated copper and a gold-silver alloy to make up a 23 AWG, 4-wire cable. By today’s latest trends in aftermarket cables, 23 AWG in a 4-wire cable is not too bad and Eletech have managed to make the cable feel thinner than you might expect.
The cable itself is a gorgeous piece of audiophile jewelry. From the start Eletech has a name for beautifully designed cables and especially intricate custom designs for the Y-split and termination. With Sonnet of Adam the detailing on the Y-split is once again pushed to a new level, the golden accents contrasting sharply against the black background. It is beautiful without risking the gold becoming kitsch. The looks are matched by a very high quality of all the parts. I have always been a huge fan of the connectors that Eletech has designed. These are very solid. Where with other brands I have had issues in the past, the Eletech connectors have held up perfectly throughout my high-intensity use. (Especially Plato has seen a lot of switching for reviews over the past four years).
The ergonomics of Sonnet of Adam are excellent. It is one of the supplest cables I have used and the thickness of the cable is perfect. I much prefer a 4-wire cable like this over 8-wire cables or those with an excessively high AWG. At the same time, the 23 AWG of Sonnet of Adam still offers the advantages of a bigger cable (over the most universal 26 AWG).
Beautiful to see. Lovely to use. How about the sound?
Twister6 Reviews 