Introducing the Astral Acoustics cables is exciting because not only do they sound great, they are affordable too! Clean Reference or Sweet Spacious, dealer's choice.
Pros:
- Great sonics for price
- Very soft and supple
- Detailed and musical
- Nice braiding on S6
- Titanium hardware on Silver Ref is awesome
- “Affordable” audiophile cables
Cons:
- Braiding on Silver Ref could be more even
- Standard hardware leaves something to be desired
Welcome dear friends and fellow audiophiles, I bid you welcome to my review of the Astral Acoustics Reference Silver and Stage 6 Palladium Plated Silver X6 cables! This is my first review of AA cables, I was contacted directly by their owner Henry Tik, who nicely asked what I would be interested to review , and promptly sent over two fully burned in beauties, ready to go. Seeing as I am normally more of a reference guy, Henry recommended the aptly named Silver Reference, AA’s take on a neutral reference cable, as well as their 6 wire Palladium plated silver cable, sitting at the top of the price range and occupying a more exotic materials space. I think between these two cables I got a really good idea of the AA house sound, and their materials and craftsmanship. I also had a good deal of chatting with Henry who is a delight, such a nice guy. I enjoy products just that little bit more when the designer is a nice person, who takes their work with great pride, and has some humility too. Henry has all that, and was very eager to have my impressions and ideas, which is always a nice feeling too. For brevity I will now call them Ref and S6, but let’s not cinch things up too tight just yet, these are fantastic cables that beg to be discovered in full.
For those that might have read my other reviews, I normally focus on summit level gear, usually in the stratospheric price ranges. It’s fun to try to the best of the best, and after the last couple of years I have grown a seriously intense appreciation for what is possible in a cable. AA cables are more in the lower price ranges, at least compared to the TOTL of other brands, but that’s not to say they perform this way. Coming in at $750 for the Ref, and $1480 for the S6, these are not cheap cables by any stretch, but they are “affordable” compared to the skyrocketing prices of other company’s top offerings. The Ref is a really great pure silver cable, with a shocking amount of detail and balance for a “mere” $750. When Henry and I spoke, I remember him saying I would be very surprised from the Ref, he knew my preferences and suggested it for that reason. When I heard it, I was indeed deeply impressed, it is really good at what it does. The S6 is double the price, but adds more refinement, stage size and overall maturity. Adding in palladium gives the presentation a relaxed softness that pairs nicely with more energetic IEMs. Also, despite the S6 having 6 wires, it is one of the softest and most supple cables I have ever used. While I wasn’t familiar with Astral at first, I did some research and they are quite known in Asia. And, to no surprise, during my review process MusicTeck now carries the whole brand, so AA is making a big shift into western popularity. I’m happy to know that AA will become more well known, they make great stuff.
Cue my usual disclaimer and testing rundown:
- I received the Ref and S6 directly from AA, with 2 pin and 4.4mm configurations. These are demo units, and will be returned to AA at the end of my review process. Nothing was asked of me, only to share my impressions, feelings and experience. My thoughts are my own, and I am in no way affiliated with AA.
- I review because I love doing so, it’s a great source of joy for me. I don’t do this for work, and I spend an enormous amount of time on these. I take it very seriously, as I know people rely on reviews before they shell out cash for their gear, just like I do myself. For that reason I only review things that interest me, things I would maybe buy for myself. That doesn’t mean my reviews are slanted or influenced, I pride myself on being very neutral and sharing my thoughts in a way that will benefit the community. Honesty and no fluff. If I recommend something, it’s because I genuinely loved it, and I think you may too.
These are not cheap cables, thought they are in a lower price bracket than my usual fare. I’m a firm believer in cables, and while not as important as your IEM or DAP, I believe the cable plays a vital, and sonically recognizable role in your signal chain, one that should not be overlooked. While not having a sound of their own, the increased “potential” and “ability expanding” effect of cables can indeed be quite noticeable. I know some find this a silly waste of time and money - either not believing in it, or simply not caring - and that’s totally fine. I find it to be not only worth the time and money, but a great source of fun and inspiration as well. At the end of the day, for me at least, how it sounds and how it makes you feel, is all that matters.
- For source I used my LP6 Ti AE and E7 EE. Some of the time I was running through my SAEQ Morpheus amp with either SAEQ Silver Blade, NJ SS IC or Cardas Golden Cross ICs. I used these cables all over the place, on trips, the park, in trains and planes, and at home. IEMs were Traillii Ti, APX SE, Supreme V3 + V4 Prototype, TSAD Model2, UM Red Halo, my OG 64A 18t for reference and a few low end single DDs for fun. Both cables were burned in for 150hrs from the factory.
- I start out with a very varied playlist of testing tracks to form my initial thoughts, and then spend several weeks/months with the review sample simply listening to whatever inspires me, like I normally would. I then come back to the testing tracks to solidify my impressions before sitting down to write the review. I also listen while I write, one of my favorite parts.
- I love all kinds of music, and to form an honest opinion for any piece of gear I think it absolutely necessary to test with lots of different kinds of music. If you’re taking a reviewer’s word about a piece of gear you want to spend your hard earned cash on, in my opinion, you absolutely should take into consideration how their musical tastes match or differ from your own.
A few excerpts from my latest listening roster, in no particular order:
Jazz: Mathias Eick, Pat Metheny, Snarky Puppy, GoGo Penguin, Nubya Garcia, Mathew Halsall, Robert Glasper, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Hunter, Avishai Cohen, Kandace Springs, Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Esperanza Spalding, Gregory Porter, Julian Lage, Aaron Parks, Funky Knuckles, Ghost Note, Lettuce, Mark Littieri, The Comet is Coming.
Rock: Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Mark Knopfler, Rage Against The Machine, Eric Johnson, Michael Landau, Fleetwood Mac, Them Crooked Vultures, Tom Petty, Jackson Brown, Jethro Tull.
Vocals/Modern: Jordan Rakei, Tom Misch, Lianne La Havas, Asgeir, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Glass Animals, Jacob Collier, Hiatus Coyote, RY X, Vulfpeck, Fantastic Negrito.
Electronic: Joe Armon-Jones, Hidden Orchestra, Om Unit, Yosi Horikawa, Archie Pelago, Arovane, Tipper, Emancipator, Kryptic Minds, Bonobo, FKJ, Djrum, Synkro, Moonchild, Little Dragon.
Heavy Music: Animals as Leaders, Tool, Gojira, Polyphia, Leprous, TesseracT, Meshuggah, Trivium, Sevendust, Periphery, Sepultura, Intervals, Plini.
BOX, PRESENTATION, BUILD
I received the cables in simple black boxes with AA’s logo in silver, and inside, small grey velvety bags embroidered with their logo. On the other side “sample unit not for sale” is written in big letters. It is my understanding this is the normal retail packaging, without the “sample” text written on the back of course. I’ve always said simple packaging is my favorite, I have no use for fancy boxes or display cases. They end up quickly in my closet full of other gear boxes, and even more quickly forgotten. For the price range I feel this packaging is more than sufficient, the velvety bags are soft and nice, plus small enough to hold the cable and still fit inside a VanVuys/Eletech style case or similar. Basic, functional, ’nuff said.
Build quality seems good. They are sturdy, well made, using custom made parts and hardware. Braiding even and clean, the wires are soft and supple, and in these configurations the cables are small and thin enough to make ergo a thing of the past. I know the Ref will be available in the future as a larger/more extensive version, but for that we’ll all have to wait and see. The S6 has six wires, but they are individually thin enough, and soft enough, to negate any feelings of stiffness or burdensome weight. In fact, as I already said, the S6 is extremely soft and a joy to wear. It has a very unique braiding pattern that is quite lovely, especially the way it reflects light and feels super high end in your hard. The Ref uses only 4 wires, but they are of larger gauge, with more stiff sheathing so the weight and ergo is not on the same level as S6. It has a bit more of a “standard” look to it, but I don’t mean that in a bad way at all.
The Ref uses titanium hardware which is really cool, the S6 uses the standard AA style hardware that consists of black with silver accents. The Ref’s titanium is polished to a nice luster, and engraved with a T in textured font that separates it nicely from the shiny yet glowing and soft barrels. The 2 pins, Y split, chin cinch and 4.4mm plug all match nicely, creating a very cohesive look. One thing I will say, the length of the Ti hardware is a bit longer than the stock, or other brands as well. I asked Henry about this, and he said due to the construction that was the smallest they could make, so there you have it. It’s not a negative, but it bears mentioning, and it does feel a touch oblong to me. The standard AA hardware is matte black with silver accents and a white AA logo. These parts feel more like plastic, standard fare, though they are well made. It’s interesting AA chose to use custom Ti hardware on the Ref, and not their flagship S6. I’m sure Henry has a reason for this, he is the man after all. Both types are prone to scratches on the shiny bits, but this is to be expected of reflective surfaces.
The Ref wire sheathing is clear and you can see the pure silver wires inside - the whole presentation is very clean and clear, with a sense of high tone design. It is bright and clean to look at, almost like a piece of surgical equipment, or platinum jewelry. I really like the visual presentation of the Ref. The S6 has a different look, using palladium plated silver the whole vibe is more warm, sleet grey over surgical clean. The wondrous look of palladium clearly evident here, the cable looks a bit more flashy and high end, even though I personally prefer the look of the Ref. Accentuated with black hardware with shiny silver accents, this is the “standard” AA look, all their other cables have this type of hardware.
Let’s check out what AA has to say about these two cables:
Reference Silver
A lightweight, ergonomic audio cable for monitoring usage or people who want a neutral and transparent sound.
- Clean, transparent sound
- Enhancing resolution, separation, and clarity without introducing brightness
- Great extension on lows and highs
- Extracting the purest sound and technicalities without adding extra color.
- Comes with premium TA4 Titanium accessories. (higher grade titanium than the iPhone 15pro max!)
Material: 4x 23.5 AWG Type 6 Litz 5n Silver
Length: 120cm
Stage 6 - Palladium plated Silver x6
Our best cable yet. Great musicality and natural presentation.
We find palladium-plated silver has great synergy with Ultimate Ears IEMs.
The stage series is focused to create a precise stage image and spaciousness while still being portable and rather lightweight.
Other than the traditional 4 or 8 wire configuration, we find that the combination of 6 wires actually "outdid" the 8 wires in almost every way.
Material: 6x 25.5awg Multisized Stranded Palladium plated 5n Silver
Length: 120cm
SOUND
How do these cables sound? They sound great! Keeping in mind that these are in fact medium price range cables, they sound awesome! For the money Astral Acoustics has surpassed the mark for price to performance ratio, giving us far for our money, and then some. I previously reviewed the (great) Lavricables Grand, which is a fantastic pure silver cable that sells for around $400. The AA Silver Ref, selling for $750, is a BIG step up in all ways, setting the bar quite high for the under $1k mark. The S6, also a pure silver cable, but with more expensive palladium plating, brings a wholy different tuning that is more vast, delicate and silky over the punchy and very mid centric Ref. They both have nice resolution, good stage sizes and a nicely musical presentation that will pair with just about anything you have. If you lean towards a reference tuning, and like more punch and forward details, the Ref is your baby. If you prefer a more delicate and spacious presentation, the S6 is it. They have different strengths, different sounds, but both encompass the AA house sound. They are certainly complimentary and not really comparable apples to apples. Worst case scenario? Buy them both :)
For testing I listened to a ton of music, but this time I put aside some time just going back and forth between a few songs that I think demonstrate a varied tonal, spacial and resolution based sphere of sound. Firstly to test vocals and textures, then heavier/busy tracks, and finally electronic highly produced spacious stuff. These tracks I AB’ed for hours, and hours, it was a lot of fun. I know, super nerd here, I own that.
- Agnes Obel - Dorian
- Asgeir - Snowblind
- Kandace Springs - Don’t Need The Real Thing
- Animals As Leaders - Physical Education
- Tigran Hamasyan - The Curse
- Ghost Note - JB’s Out!
- Archie Pelago - Navigator
- Yoshi Horikawa - Swashers
- Tipper - Gultch
Let’s get into it!
SILVER REFERENCE
I may be biased, as years of my life were spend in the studio either playing or sitting behind the console, but I love reference tunings. I think a lot of people tend to have an aversion to this term, they think it means boring or flat, but not so! Reference, if you ask me, simply means “accurate”. Meaning, if the track is banging to begin with, bang it shall. If it’s flat or lacking depth, nothing will be added to fix it. Like the difference between Hi-Fi and Head-Fi. IEM lovers tend to prefer something a bit more out of head, bending the laws of physic a tad. The Ref cable seems to be able to do both, providing a great linear presentation that also has great engagement, and a nicely holographic stage. It is quite a mid centric presentation, though not at the expense of other frequencies. It simply puts the mids forward, giving a more intimate and immediate presentation, letting the space and reverbs fly of into space with the instruments close. Not so dissimilar to the PW 1950s in fact, though the Ref is more silver while the latter is a very copper cable, even if it’s quite clean and clear. The Ref is nicely detailed, with fast but smooth transients, meaty body in the mids, good bass that is slightly more mid over sub, and extended treble. There is a touch of extra upper mids energy/clarity, but it is very very slight and improves perceived resolution more than altering the tuning.
When I listen to the Ref I am often reminded of Yamaha NS-10 studio monitors. They too are mid forward, where detail is pushed forward and clearly discernible. I always used them to mix, they were super fun to listen to, and the most honest way to see how the mix would sound on a great stereo, or, more likely, in a car, AirPods, or through someone’s Bluetooth speaker if they were to do so. Guitars and acoustic instruments sound lively and direct, sub bass pulsed but didn’t take your attention away from the center either. Nice open top end, but not adding extra sparkle or energy. The Ref does all this really well, while remaining a very engaging, enjoyable and vibrant presentation that always lets you enjoy the music more than expanding into its inner layers non-stop.
Bass is punchy, with a great thumb in upper bass. I hear great texture over rumble. Sub bass is there but not featured as much as the slam. Quantity is more neutral here, with a nice even transition to lower mids. Mids are quite forward, with good weight and naturalness. They are detailed, clean, and with enough bite to create a very engaging listen without being overly sharp or bright. There is a soft lift in the upper mids, but it doesn’t create any shouty vocals or screechy guitars. Treble is nicely extended, though not the tallest. I don’t hear brightness or excessive sparkle, just a very natural and clean treble that is as bright or dark as the IEM was to begin with.
Ref’s stage is decent sized, with a more evenly spaced circular space. I hear good holography actually, while the spread might not be the widest, there is a great sense of sounds emanating from behind you. Especially in the upper mids, the levels of engagement and detail were very enjoyable. I have found pure silver cables to be quite holographic, even in the lower price ranges - the ref is no exception. It is actually quite impressive.
Overall I find the Ref to be a wonderfully balanced and neutral cable that has great detail, with a mid centric presentation that pushes instruments and vocals forward. Nothing is out of place, nothing accentuated, just a great reference sound.
STAGE 6
Coming from the Ref, the S6 seems more relaxed, and more vast, bordering on U shaped. This is of course influenced by the comparison, but mids are slightly pulled back. This gives a very spacious feeling to the sound, and would be nicely mated with something like Mason FS where the forward mids preface the presentation so much. There is more extension, wider sound field and deeper - albeit - a bit less punchy bass. I hear more micro details off to the sides and top in the mids, and because there’s more room to spread, there is more space between layers and the sound filed is deeper too. This is a mature sound, more Hi-Fi and modern. The presentation is fairly relaxed, but I don’t mean slow, just everything has this gentle and silky touch to it. Something like the Beat Audio Billow, where there great detail and spread, but all the accents have this soft, golden, gentle touch. Palladium has a more crisp tinge to it over gold, so you get less golden and more, gentle yet precise feelings. Because the mids are somewhat recessed, the level of details may at first seem less than Ref, but it’s not the case. There is more detail, more space between the layers, and micro details in the treble and upper mids. If the Ref is a set of Yamaha NS-10s, the S6 is more Dali-esque, with a more Hi-Fi and spacious sound. S6 has very nice upper extension, with a touch more sparkle and effervescence to its top end.
Bass is deep and rumbly, I feel the rumble more than I get washed away with punch. It has good texture, but is more thumpy focused over the grippy and quick Ref. The mids are a touch pulled back, so the transition between bass and mids is more apparent, or at least less linear. Mids are nicely detailed and quite spacious, with more air and layered details. Body is less thick, but the entirety of the mid range is very even. There is no lift in the upper mids, even though I hear even more details over the Ref. Treble, again like the sub bass, is further extended and I hear an extra sense of attention put on the upper treble over lower treble. It is tastefully done and in no way bright, I simply mean you are more aware of the extended parts of S6 over the mid range at first listen. It always took me a few minutes to adjust to the S6, its slightly U shaped placement made me think the mids were too far away and wished them closer. But after a bit I came to really appreciate and enjoy the spacious staging, and the way panned heavy guitars were very spacious and wide. Vocals sat more in space, feeling less big but perhaps more realistic. I liked the treble extension, and that bass rumble too. In fact, If I did a longer session with the S6, when I went back to the Ref I found it almost congested and in your face in comparison. But again, after a few minutes, it all clicked and I loved it for the same reasons I initially found it too much.
The S6 stage is quite wide, with good height as well. The pulled back mids really give a sense of space in front of you, and the extension above you is very open. I would call the stage a wide oval, where parts of the spectrum are further from you than others. The Ref is more holographic in terms of sound emanating from behind you, though the S6 is far wider and deeper.
Part of my feelings towards these cables comes from the intensity of the AB’ing that I did. How they differ from each was a great experiment and lots of fun. But when I dedicated a full listening session, or a couple of days with one cable, I really enjoyed what each of them offered and found very little complain about. And so, on the whole the S6 is a nicely spacious and detailed cable that has a sweet and soft sound that rolls you in its gentle, but not un-engaging embrace. Some would call it the more mature and perfected AA offering, and I would be inclined to agree. Where the Ref is very neutral and up front, the S6 is more modern and subtle. On the whole, it all comes down to taste and preferences.
COMPARISONS
I have two silver cables to compare here, I was able to AB these directly. As the two AA cables are vastly different in their tunings and approaches I found it better to compare each to a different cable so as to make a more clear and useful picture. I also tried to adhere to a more even pricing comparison.
Lavricables Silver Grand vs Ref
My previously favored budget silver cable king has been replaced! I really loved the Lav, which I reviewed very positively, it’s a fantastic pure silver for $400. It does everything well, and matches with everything. Soft, lovely looking, a steal for the money. While the Ref is more expensive, it outdoes the Lav in every way. It is more detailed, bigger more holographic stage, more weight and punch. It is also more reference, more transparent and neutral which is what I would want and expect from an aptly named ‘reference’ silver cable. They both have forward mids, good detail, and lots of fun. The ref is simply more of that stuff, with the burden of an additional $350. The ref is thicker wire, and the Ti hardware, which feels like a step up in terms of build and parts. The Lav is a bit less intense and engaging, so if one prefers to save some dough, or be more relaxed then the Lav is still fabulous.
S6 vs Rhapsodio Luxe4
The S6 is pure silver plated with Palladium, the Luxe4 is pure silver with additional gold wire mixed in. The Luxe4 is ~$600 more money, owing to the gold. It has only 4 wires and is exceptionally soft, the S6 has 6 wires and is also extremely soft, though it has a different feel to it. Interestingly, in this case the RSD is noticeably brighter and more shiny sounding over the softer and more smooth S6, despite the Palladium vs Gold statements I made earlier. This comes from the very different tuning philosophies of AA vs RSD, where RSD tends to be more treble focused in general. The S6 is more even, more relaxed, and with more bass quantity. The bass is slower and more deep, where the Luxe4 has very punchy bass but with quite neutral, or even sub neutral quantity. Mids are also very different, on the whole the Luxe is more sharp and focused, the S6 more gentle in its approach. Both are on the leaner side, but the Luxe5 brings the mids closer despite feeling like it still has a bit more space and layered presentation. Luxe4 has more treble energy throughout, the S6 is more even and natural. The Luxe4 also reaches very tall, more so than almost any cable I’ve heard, so it takes the edge there. While the S6 is even and open, the Luxe4 stage is immense and opens up above you like a telescope to the heavens. It can almost be otherworldly, which is can be perceived as a positive or negative depending on what you’re going for.
CONCLUSION
I really enjoyed my time with these two cables, and getting to know Henry and his work better in the process. What struck me about him was his openness to ideas and even criticism, which is a great sign for a builder of boutique audio equipment. He really listened to me, really wanted to know how I felt, as opposed to just looking for praise and positive feedback. I think what he’s done here is great, giving us all very good options in the mid-fi segment of IEM cables, a space that is overflowing with obscenely expensive stuff that defies pricing logic, and frankly is insulting to buyers. AA offers quality cables for prices that reflect what I think, we all think I would imagine, a good upgrade cable should cost. Even if we didn’t talk about price, both the Ref and S6 are great cables! They offer great sonics, lovely design and soft supple feel, in a package that brings you what you need and nothing else. The cable, the sound, and the enjoyment of using it with your prized gear. The Ref is as good a neutral silver sound as I’ve heard for less than $2k, or even above, really! (The inclusion of Ti hardware seals the deal) The S6 is a very open and spacious sound, which is lovely and detailed, mature and subtle. While I personally prefer a more mid forward sound, it will certainly appeal to many of you and is a great value all on its own.
I heart-fully recommend these cables if you’re in the market for a cable that doesn’t cost as much as a nice used car. And I know most people want a cable in this price range, you all far outnumber my kind. My fodder is for the crazies and ultra nerds that enjoy squeezing the last minutia of sound out of all their gear, and with diminishing returns at an all time high in this hobby, the AA options are a better choice for most. If you have a chance to try them, I absolutely recommend it. For a blind buy the Silver Ref gets my seal of approval for a neutral cable that improves anything you use it with, at a lovely price of only $750!
Thanks so much for reading! I want to thank Henry for all his help, and for sending me these lovelies to play around with for so long. So long for now my audiophile friends 😊
If you’re interested to get one for yourself you can do so via AA’s website here:
You can also purchase these cables, and the rest of the AA line-up via MusicTeck here: https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/astral-acoustics
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