Charging forward!

PROs: Finetunes the sound of IEMs with a HUGE soundstage expansion, scales up bass quality and quantity, improves resolution of the mids while keeping them smooth, takes the edge off the treble to make it sound natural, uses exotic wire blend of precious metals, maintains black background, includes ConX Full Set with every available connector tip, supple and comfortable for 8-wire design, premium cable hardware, durable build, custom leather case, and luxurious packaging.

CONs: Price, sound improvement varies depending on pair-up synergy, and the “pain” of peeling the protective cover off the connectors.

The product was provided to me free of charge for review purposes in exchange for my honest opinion.

Manufacturer website:  EA.  Available for sale from authorized retailers, like Musicteck.

---

Preamble.

I’m aware that some people are skeptical about the contribution of cable to the audio chain.  It’s not my intent to start an argument here.  Instead, I would like to share what I hear during my testing.  Perhaps, I can’t fully explain why there is a particular change in sound, but I do hear it and don’t find it to be a placebo effect, especially in blind testing of various cables with IEMs.  What makes sense is that a metal wire is a material with physical properties of resistivity, conductivity, and purity, acting as a filter between your source and earphones.  Variations in these physical properties can affect the conductivity of an analog signal, resulting in a change in sound that ranges from subtle to more noticeable levels.  Additionally, the sound change introduced by a specific cable is not universal, as it depends on the design of the earphones and their synergy with the source.

Intro.

Effect Audio is back!  I mean, they have always been around at the forefront since Suyang Zou (SY) started the company 16 years ago.  However, I feel that over the last few years, EA has taken a step back from ultra-flagship cable releases, focusing more on their popular, affordable Signature Series of cables and numerous IEM collaborations.  I used to get pinged by my readers asking if it was worth buying random budget Chi-Fi cables, while now I’ve noticed that many go straight for the Signature Series, which is thriving in its 2^nd generation.  However, there are still some audiophiles who are looking to move up to the next level of exotic wire materials and more complex precious metal blends, and are willing to pay a premium even for a marginal improvement over their other high-end cables.

That will be the focus of this review, addressing audiophiles who want to expand their collection of premium cables, can afford it, and understand the meaning of diminishing returns, without needing to justify the price difference between the Signature Series II and Ultra-Flagship models of the EA product portfolio.  Overall, EA offers cables in every price tier, and there are still plenty of fantastic, affordable cables available from them, as I have covered in many of my previous reviews.  As a matter of fact, when you visit EA tables at CanJam shows, they always suggest bringing your favorite IEMs and DAPs, and decide for yourself which one pairs up better with their cables, regardless of the price. However, in this review, let’s find out more about their latest Centurion II (CII) Ultra-Flagship cost-no-object cable release.

Unboxing / Accessories.

The unboxing experience of CII is The Grandeur of Elegance, literally, as it was written in script on the outer cover of the big, textured cardboard box.  Inside the cardboard box, there is a hefty wooden black storage box with a golden buckle latch.  It resembled a jewelry box, with soft, felt-lined material inside.  I found it to be clever that the front panel of the cardboard box folded out, providing easier access to remove the wooden box without damaging the exterior packaging.  The wooden box had the Centurion II name and helmet in gold on the cover.  Under the wooden box cover, once a small door panel is removed, you will find a golden metal warranty card, a founder’s note from SY, and a brochure commemorating five generations of EA’s flagship cables.

In the main section of the wooden box, you will find a CII cable displayed in a setting reminiscent of luxury wristwatches, featuring a rounded foam piece with the cable wrapped around it.  Next to it was a cutout hosting a leather carrying case.  This is a custom leather carrying case, according to EA, handcrafted from premium calfskin leather with a distressed brownish color finish.  The case has a very unique design.  From the outside, it appears to be a puck-shaped, rounded leather case.  Once you remove the cover, you will find a matching leather finish cable tie and a small plastic box containing a ConX Full Set, along with a tool for tightening or loosening the ConX tips.  CII already comes assembled with a 2-pin (0.78mm) connector, and you will find additional tips, including MMCX, Ear Connector (Pentaconn Ear), IPX, and A2DC.  There was also the same message, ‘The Grandeur of Elegance,’ scripted along the edge of the case.

When you look closer at the sides of the case, you will see two golden pins with the EA logo, which you can grab on either side to remove the inner part of the case, revealing a hidden storage compartment underneath.  In that hidden area at the bottom, there is a foam cutout to store three sets of ConX connectors, along with a tool, and two small, partitioned areas for other accessories, such as ear tips.  I found this leather carrying case to be a clever idea, something different, original, and practical, as it had plenty of room for a cable and IEMs. Plus, you can store three ConX sets, a ConX tool, and an extra set of eartips, keeping those out of sight until you need to use them.

I recall that when I reviewed the original Centurion, the complete packaging wasn’t ready, but I received their custom carrying case and display set, which were included as part of the accessories.  Those were quite impressive as well, having a unique original design. However, despite being super cool, those accessories were not as practical.  The Centurion II unboxing experience is premium, something you would expect from a flagship IEM.  And, its leather carrying case is elegant, functional, and has a unique design.

Design.

Before I discuss CII design, let me start by mentioning that while I had the cable on the table, both my wife and daughter commented on how it resembles a luxurious necklace.  Indeed, CII’s thicker wiring, made of gold, silver, and platinum materials, and tight square braiding, gives it an appearance reminiscent of a fine piece of jewelry.  But despite it being thicker and with some added heft, the cable was very flexible, comfortable to wear, and non-microphonic.

Unlike the original Centurion, which used only UP-OCC Gold-Plated Gold-Silver Alloy, CII uses UP-OCC Platinum-Silver Alloy, Gold-Plated Gold-Silver Alloy, and Gold-Plated Silver.  There are 8 wires in total, each 24 AWG in thickness, using a proprietary septuplet multi-sized bundles with multi-sized strands geometry.  The transparent sleeve of the cable uses EA UltraFlexi insulation.

The focus of the cable hardware remains centered on its Centurion Helmet design y-split, similar to the original. However, the “helmet” cutout has been slightly modified, and it now features a dual-layer geometry with a titanium alloy golden exterior layer and an aluminum alloy black interior layer, along with mirror-polished and sandblasted finishes.  Additionally, the design of the “helmet” has undergone modifications.  The original Centurion y-split literally functioned like a helmet that you slid out to use as a chin slider.  It was a cool idea, but it always made me a bit anxious, worrying that I could scrape the sleeve of the cable as I slid it up and down.  Here, the “helmet” remains permanently attached to the Y-split, and a thin black chin slider is located at the top, allowing you to bring the wires closer together if needed.

The Y-Split has a golden color, and so do the connectors and the plug housing.  As already mentioned, expect the connector to have ConX interchangeable connector tips.  The 4.4mm plug features a scaled-up design similar to that of the connectors’ housing, including cutouts where it meets the cable.  The termination is dual-plated, featuring palladium and gold-plated copper.  As a matter of fact, the tip (L+) and the 2^nd ring (R+) are gold-plated, while the 1^st ring (L-) and the 3^rd ring (R-) are palladium-plated.  I know some may be skeptical reading the notes behind the design, which suggest that this connector contributes to a larger soundstage expansion.  However, in the past, I have compared the same EA cables with different connectors, such as Rhodium-plated vs PSquare, and was always able to pick the PSquare in a blind test due to its larger soundstage expansion.  CII has a massive soundstage expansion, and I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they tested and experimented with different material connectors to pick this particular Palladium and Gold-plated Copper version as the one with the biggest soundstage expansion.

Page 2 – Pair-ups, Comparisons, and Conclusion w/Sound Analysis.