Eletech Artistry Series Modello, Cartone, and Fresco

Premium on a budget!

PROs: Budget price; offers unique fine-tuning of IEMs based on cable selection; each cable is lightweight and flexible, with a premium design and look, a durable build, and updated hardware; available with an optional VERSA modular connector.

CONs: Sound improvement varies depending on the pair-up synergy, lack of chin slider.

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

Manufacturer website: Eletech. Available for purchase from authorized retailers, including Musicteck and Bloom.

Preamble.

I’m aware that some people are skeptical about cables’ contribution 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 change in sound, but I do hear it and don’t think it’s a placebo effect, especially in blind testing of various cables with IEMs. It makes sense that a metal wire is a material with physical properties such as resistivity, conductivity, and purity, and that it acts as a filter between your source and earphones. Variations in these physical properties can affect the conductivity of an analog signal, resulting in changes in sound that range from subtle to more noticeable. Additionally, the sound change introduced by a specific cable is not universal, as it depends on the earphones’ design and their synergy with the source.

Intro.

Call me crazy, but I have been waiting for this “Preparatory Act” to be executed ever since early this year, when I had a chance to try these new budget cables at Eric’s Eletech tables during CanJam NYC. Not sure why it took them longer to release it, but given that Eric is a perfectionist about every little detail, regardless of the product’s price, I’m probably not surprised. Why the “Preparatory Act” reference? Because that is exactly how these three cables were showcased, on separate labeled wooden coasters. So why was I excited about it, given the plethora of multi-kilobuck cables, IEMs, and DAPs I usually review? Because I find it refreshing to see well-known audio companies, such as Eletech, balance their high-end product lines (Parnassus and Sacramento Series) with mid-fi offerings (School of Athens) and budget series (Virtues Series), giving you options, putting all of their cables side-by-side at the shows, like CanJam, and letting you decide what difference in sound performance you hear yourself, with your own IEMs and sources, instead of telling you what the best for you is.

But wait, didn’t I mention Eletech has a budget-friendly series already, their Virtues Series, which includes Azrael, Cassiel, and Raphael cables? In the past, that series was also refreshed, with Azrael replacing Fortitude and Cassiel replacing Prudence. It wasn’t clear to me at the CanJam show whether those three new cables will be a replacement for the current Virtues Series cables, too. Thus, it came as a surprise that Eletech decided to push the envelope further down the budget path by introducing an all-new Artistry Series, featuring Modello (Copper, $99), Cartone (SPC, $149), and Fresco (TPC – Tin Plated Copper, $199) cables, also available in VERSA version with 2pin/mmcx and P-ears connectors for an additional fee. I know I’m already getting ahead of myself, because there is nothing about these cables, including their design inspiration by and build quality from the School of Athens series or the effect they have on sound tuning of IEMs, that makes you think it’s a budget product. After spending the last few weeks testing various IEMs with these new Artistry Series cables from Eletech, I would like to share what I found.

From CanJam NYC

Unboxing / Accessories.

Considering the Artistry Series release’s budget nature, Eletech had to cut corners somewhere, and I can only see the results in the packaging. Don’t get me wrong, you are not getting a clear Ziploc bag with a cable; it’s not that bad. You are still getting a small, compact cardboard box with an individual classic artwork theme on each cable box’s sleeve, and detailed information about the release’s inspiration on the back.

And the cable itself was packed securely inside, along with any included accessories, such as additional VERSA tips, if you choose to get them. My review samples were of the VERSA version, came with a 2-pin connector already installed, and mmcx in a separate box. For a small fee, you can also get an optional Pentaconn Ear (P-ear) connector tip, which is gaining popularity thanks to recent Lee’s affiliated releases.

Design.

I’m going to repeat myself: when it comes to budget cables, to keep the price of entry-level cables low, some manufacturers often have to cut corners, such as using simplified designs and cheaper quality wires. As already mentioned above, while you won’t find a fancy unboxing experience here, everything else in the Artistry Series looks and feels premium. As a matter of fact, they (Eletech) refer to it as “The Artistry series marks a new chapter for Eletech, conceived not merely as an entry in accessibility, but as a gateway into the brand’s pursuit of refinement and material exploration.”

The design inspiration of the Artistry Series came from their higher-end School of Athens Series, just not as thick, including some of their other special and limited projects, while experimenting with different wire geometry and materials to study how it affects the sound of IEMs. Each cable features 23 AWG wires, with 2 wires in a double-coaxial structure, a high-dispersion geometry, a Kevlar-resilient core, individually enameled strands, bespoke solder, and traditional FlexiMax insulation. Each cable also has newly updated Eletech customized connectors and a Y-split. Well, they also went back to their “traditional” no chin-slider included here. You can choose either fixed 2pin or mmcx connectors, or go with the VERSA modular connector system, letting you switch between 2pin, mmcx, and other available connectors, such as P-ear.