Beat Audio Orbit Saga & Valhalla - Fly Me To The Moon

The super flagships from Beat Audio, Orbit Saga and Valhalla occupy a space at the highest point of performance, musicality, resolution and design in the IEM cable world. Offering a unique, and very impressive sonic and visual package, with an eye watering price tag to match.

Pros:

- Amazing technical abilities

- Breathtaking clarity, especially in Valhalla

- Extremely airy and spacious, especially in Orbit Saga

- Superb bass

- Softest flagship 8Ws ever, especially OS.

- Mid/vocal presentation on Val is exquisite and very unique

- Great extension

- Gorgeous hardware, build quality, and attention to detail

- If you value exclusivity, design and exotic looks, these are unrivaled

Cons:

- Insane Price

- Somewhat overstated looks will not be for everyone

- OS can be a touch bright up top, and slightly diffused due to its airiness

- Val’s lower treble accentuation will not pair ideally with some brighter IEMs

Greetings dear music lovers and aficionados, I welcome you to my review of the Beat Audio Orbit Saga and Valhalla cables! This one is a doozy - if you’ve read my previous BA review covering the Billow and Oslo (here) you know that I am a big fan of their cables. Those were top end, but the OS and Val are absolute summit level, cream of the crop, and I can tell you that things just keep getting better and better from here. Take everything you loved about those two, turn everything up to 11, or 17 even, and you’ve got an idea of what’s in store for you. So we’ll be covering what makes these wildly exotic and premium cable tick. But that’s not all, I will be directly comparing them to the best of the best I have ever found: the Nightjar Sovereign Symphony, PW Orpheus, Rhapsodio FC4W, and a new contender, DHC Chimera Mini. I will also include the BA Billow and Oslo, while they are further down the line, they too deserve praise and stand tall on their own. A true battle of the summits, honest, all bared for your reading pleasure. I put together this comparison after several years of reviewing Summit cables, and I feel I am in a position to faithfully share my impressions for these ultra flagships. Truth be told, they are all astounding cables, and what differs between them mostly is their tunings, different tastes for different folks. The BAs do have a secret sauce BA timbre that is as unique as mystifying for me. As soon a I plug in a BA cable I am greeted with a (now) very identifiable and deeply enjoyable sonic presentation unlike others.

A quick TL:DR: Top notch technicals, very large stages, extremely resolving, badass bass, and that special timbre in the top end - BA DNA.

OS: The most airy cable I’ve ever heard, with superb extension.

Val: An enigma of thickness, darkness and extreme engagement. ​

Does unique mean better? How do they keep up with the best of the best? You’ll have to read on to find out.

While I was slightly at odds with the colors and overall bright and shiny aesthetic of the Billow and Oslo, the OS and Val are much more my style, especially the Val. Brooding and mysterious deep dark purple with midnight blue spirals swirling under that moody jacket. Hand carved hardware that is a bit more of a satin luster vs. the shiny gold. Exquisite details, it looks incredible. The OS is dark emerald green and dark brown/black with its own spirals of gold and purple that get more and more beautiful the longer I stare at them. Somehow they are also extraordinarily soft and supple, especially OS. I have never felt a cable so luxuriously supple, and considering that it’s an 8W model, it’s rather stupefying. Val is a big thicker, a bit more stiff, due to its unique construction and material choices. It’s still very soft for a flagship of such complexity, but OS is next level soft. They’re both as impressive physically as sonically, what BA has done here is nothing short of amazing. Really, just gorgeous in all aspects.

One thing that should be covered, as briefly as possible, is the price. These are, as of this writing, the most expensive production cables I’ve ever tried, or even heard of. They are crazy expensive, $7.3k - $8.3k!!. For that reason I am reviewing, comparing and recommending based on SONICS ALONE. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be considering the price, of course you should. I will simply be covering how they sound, and how they make me feel, and then you, and only you, should decide if this insanity is worth it.

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get into it. First off, disclaimer and gear rundown in 3, 2, 1…

- I received the OS and Val directly from BA, 8W, 2 pin, 4.4mm. I will be allowed to keep my favorite of the two at the end of my review process. (An impossible choice) Nothing was asked of me, no promise of a positive review, only to share my impressions, feelings and experience. My thoughts are my own, and I am in no way affiliated with BA or Musicteck.

- I review because I love doing so, it’s a great source of joy for me. 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 I hope 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. Also, considering the qualities of the gear I review, it’s all exceptionally good, so keep that in mind.

These are not cheap cables, summit sound comes with summit cost, so if that offends you in any way just stop reading and go enjoy your music. I’m a firm believer in cables, crazy even. 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 be quite noticeable. It can be a slight change in favor of smoothing or brightening an IEM, adding resolution or stage size, making it more laid back, more punchy or energetic, or anything in between. That’s the fun of cables!

I know some may find this a silly waste of time and money - either not believing in it, or simply not caring - and that’s totally fine. The staggering prices alone give cause for emotional turmoil and even anger, I totally get it. But, quality is quality, and when one is searching for the very best, companies make this stuff for people that want it - if you don’t care then you’ve saved yourself a LOT of cash. Just for kicks I tried both of these cables with some $25 Amazon IEMs, and I was blown away by the upgrade in sonics. If one wished for proof of a cable’s abilities, or needed confirmation that cables do actually change the sound, I urge you to try an experiment such as this one. I hear it, clear as day, but to each their own. That’s my view, and while I would be just as happy with something cheaper if it gave me the same level of enjoyment, I recognize you get what you pay for. At the end of the day, how it sounds and how it makes you feel, is all that matters.

- For source I used my LP6 Ti AE and E7 EE. I also tested with iBasso 320MAX and some portable amps like PD5 and MK475. Much of the time I was running through my SAEQ Morpheus amp with either SAEQ Silver Blade, NJ SS. or Cardas Golden Cross ICs.

IEMs were Traillii Ti, STORM, APX SE, Supreme V3 + V4 Prototype, UM Red Halo, and my 64A 18t for reference. I also tried some lower end IEMs for fun (with amazing results). Both cables were burned in for 200 hrs before listening began.

- 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.

My ever evolving testing playlist for your discovery is available HERE

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

INTRO - ERGO - BUILD

I did a full intro to Beat Audio in my previous review that you can find here. Now after spending even more time with their cables, delving deeper into their tuning philosophy and attention to detail, I have even more respect and admiration for Beat Audio. There is a bit of magic and alchemy going on behind the scenes. They use exotic materials, very special winding and wrapping techniques that offer the most unique and dazzling looking cables I have seen to date. Their build quality is crazy good. My camera is like a microscope, and I can see all the tiny details that are far beyond what the naked eye shows. I can tell you, their attention to minute details and perfection searching is outstanding. The spirals they wind around the base core cable is wrapped perfectly evenly, which is no small feat considering how tiny this all is. The hardware, especially that of Val is hand carved, reminding one more of a samurai sword than an IEM cable. The colors and design of OS is almost serpent like, more like ultra luxurious dragon scales. If they were just jewelry I would be very impressed, but considering they are some of the most resolving, spacious, and technically outstanding cables on the planet puts them in the absolute summit category. You may or not love their color palette, their use of shiny gold and very bright colors, but that’s all deeply personal and I won’t comment further, other than to say it won’t be for everyone. The OS and Val are visually my favorite BA cables by a large margin, and comments and praise abound when I show them off. So people dig it.

In terms of comfort, these are some of the nicest I’ve ever tried. As previously mentioned, the OS is extraordinarily soft and supple, Val a bit less so. The 8W braiding is perfect, and lays softly however you put it, with no memory or stiffness to speak of. Plugs are very solid, cinch holds very tightly. The 2 pins are slightly longer than some of my other cables, and they fit in my recessed sockets more tightly and secure as well. The way BA does their ear hooks looks like Effect Audio, but feels like PW. The only other company (besides PW) to employ the 90 degree bend after the 2 pin connector, keeping the cable nicely low profile around the ears. The shrink around the hook is thin enough not to make much of a hold on the cable, though I prefer them to come closer to the head, and less parallel to the IEM. After a month of use that’s starting to happen by itself, though if one was so inclined, a very light and careful use a hairdryer on low would move that along nicely.

A growing trend in the world of extreme audio is a price ceiling that has gone upwards like mad. What used to be summit at $2k is now closer to $6k, and there’s plenty of options above that too. BA has been known to be at the forefront of this trend, positioning themselves in the top of the upper echelon of summits, a place where it seems anything is possible. What a world we live in, where a single IEM cable could pay for a year of university in some parts of the world. The two I have here could be traded for a nice used new car. It’s absolutely mind boggling. But, people are willing to pay for the best of the best, and when there’s a demand, such is the way of business. The Orpheus, FC4 and SS all occupy a bit lower price range, so there is $2-3K extra for the BAs, and one has to assume that goes into the fancy hardware, or the R&D that must have gone into these cables. They also come with super fancy boxes, and packaging, so you’re paying for the prestige as well, which in this hobby is a big thing for many. For me not so much, but they sound amazing, so that’s all I will say about that.

UNBOXING

The normal presentation for these cables is very fancy. Fancy lacquered wooden boxes, fancy leather cases, booklets, exclusive accessories, the works. They even have rainbow chunks of rock that are the actual exotic materials that make up your exact cable, which is a cool touch. Something similar came with the Mason FS, thought that was just the resin block that was CNC’d, this is, as is the case with BA, a step above. The cables I received had none of that, they came in the same simple green boxes as the previous models I got, which is the base packaging for their lower end cables. I need review units, no need for the exclusivity, fanciness et al. I’m quite happy to not have another giant box I never use in my gear closet collecting dust. I’m sure there are many that love that kind of thing, Effect Audio has a similar approach, for all their SE/LE/AE editions and people gobble them up. If you want to see all that, check out BA’s website here, or the exceptional review by my good friend @gLer here. Not only did he get the full retail packaging, but his review is, as always, fantastically done.

(Getting to) THE CABLES

First off, these are both very, very good cables. Exquisite even. As would be expected, and then some- if you’ve heard anything about these two unicorns I can vouch that it’s probably true. The OS is their top flagship and costs $7300. Val is a 15th Anniversary product with a limited run of units and costs $8300. The Val is not meant to supersede or replace the OS at the top of the pack, they are complimentary and very different in their tunings and approaches. I was quite surprised how different they are, so much so that I can easily imagine owning both. (And would really like to!) And this was certainly what BA had in mind, designing the Val to be something that even OS owners would want, and I can see why.

Before I give my $.02, let’s see what BA has to say about these two summit cables:

THE ORBIT SAGA

Back in 2020, we announced our 10th-year anniversary product, the legendary Astrolabe. It was limited to 10 units worldwide, and naturally, many of our fans were unable to obtain it. So, using the same technology as the Astrolabe, we created the Orbit Saga, a sister product with a different tuning as well as a new color scheme. It was our hidden flagship for the past year or so, and now we have decided to officially launch it on our website.

Although their English names sound apart, they are actually both named among the stars. In China, Astrolabe is called “星盘” and Orbit Saga is named “星环”. As you can see, these two names are very similar, and we wanted them to be similar because the products are related. Regrettably, the similarity is lost in translation.

The Orbit Saga represents the ideal sound that we have been trying to reach for the first decade of our brand history. Even though some may be doubtful, all frequencies are improved with sparkling and airy treble, smooth and sweet vocal, and deep and powerful bass. Moreover, you can experience a whole new level of soundstage and clarity.

THE VALHALLA

It’s been 5 years, and it’s time to update our super-flagship. This cable needs to provide something better, something special, and something irresistible. The Valhalla is now born after three years of design and development.

The Valhalla covers itself in a dark purple hue that continues the legacy of the Astrolabe. The metallic parts, to differentiate Valhalla from other models, are hand-carved with floral designs from the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 B.C.) that symbolize good health and fortune. Each set of metallic parts takes about one to two days for an experienced craftsman to finish by hand. The result is an astonishingly luxurious look.

From the structural illustration, we can see that in the very middle, there are 7 thin threads of copper alloy that form a bigger thread. Around it, there are 6 bigger threads with 7 thin threads of silver alloy in each. So, you can imagine the structure is balanced with 49 thin threads in each wire. The green isolating layer is adhered to each wire at high temperature and high velocity, settling onto the surface of each thread, maximizing the conductive surface area. Around the 49 thin threads, there is a translucent sheath for isolation as well as physical stability. This is very thin and tight, so it doesn’t feel stiff, and this provides a base for the double helix structure to cling on, providing further physical stability. The double helix structure seems to be similar to that of the Orbit Saga, but if one observes carefully, each helix is made up of two tracks, graphene and pure silver, compressed onto each other. The silver spiral ribbon is formed from a thin silver thread (that’s actually a rod), and it is compressed first into a ribbon. The ribbon is then cut into the width that we want, and the ribbon is then sonically polished, giving a very shiny surface and providing better sonic performance. The graphene layer is then attached to the polished silver ribbon, giving the same ribbon another sonic channel. So, there are four tracks rather than two in the double helix structure. As each type of material only conducts signals at a certain speed, and to get balanced sound, the cable needs to conduct signals at different speeds. This idea of the dual-layered double helix comes from the idea of Yin and Yang from Daoism, everything has two sides, which was also borrowed by the scientists in the field of quantum mechanics.

Material-wise, apart from graphene, silver and copper, we also included other rare minerals into the alloy such as Zinc and Bismuth. We tend not to emphasize too much on material because we believe customers should experience our cables in their music, not on paper.

Sound-wise, the Valhalla offers a mesmerizing experience that even surpasses the one offered by Orbit Saga. The background feels completely dark, soundstage is amazingly large, and the speed of each note flies the way they should. All frequencies are enhanced with nuanced details detected. During the summer audio show in Tokyo, many customers tried our Valhalla with their IEMs, and most of them claimed that the cable provided a speaker-like experience that wowed them.​

That’s a lot of info, especially for the Val. I can understand the lengths they went, in an attempt to differentiate it from OS. They really had to pull out all the stops to make something that would even more impressive, or at least more unique on the Val to make OS owners want it too. Did they succeed? Absolutely! Both cables use very complex structures, multiple exotic materials, treated and processed in incredibly complicated and technical ways, and finished with the utmost care for detail, build quality, and SQ. Some of that R&D money must have been spent here, in the (seemingly) exhaustive testing and improvement, to finally choose for the final product. What a crazy build! I know of no other cable using so many different materials. The spiral tech they use is exclusive to BA, and yields very impressive results. Basically they have an inner structure, and an outer layer, plus a rod of material that is flattened and then wound around in a perfectly even spiral. It’s structural, sonic, and visual. On top of that there is shielding, traces of other elements, it’s far beyond my understanding to be honest. I can see it, I can read the text and get it, sort of. But how all that works? No idea. But I can tell you have it sounds!

To clarify, mixing everything and the kitchen sink is not an approach I would recommend while creating, well, anything. And making something infinitely more complicated does not intrinsically yield better results. But this is not that, this is an intensely calculated, researched and tested build whose results speak for themselves.

ORBIT SAGA

The OS is fantastically neutral and crazy transparent. The most airy cable I have ever heard. Ultimate detail and resolution. Like a veil is lifted off the entire spectrum. Everything about the sound is improved, in equal measure. I don’t hear any accentuation, peaks or dips, or changes of any kind. In some ways one could call it subtle, since there is no immediate overwhelming woah coming from extreme changes to the spectrum. But as you listen, you hear more, and more, and more, and more. The fine details, the spaciousness. The deep and powerful bass. Mids that have so much air and space between the layers you wonder how you didn’t hear it before. And a top end that is essentially endless, weightless and effortlessly expanding out in all directions. It’s transcendent. OS was designed to improve all aspects of the frequency range, and I feel it accomplishes this perfectly. The level of details is amazing… the tiniest flecks of information dance around you like a mist. And what makes it the most unique, is how it does this in the mids, not just the top end. I’ve never heard that before. Normally one has a weightless floating top end, but floating and spacious mids? Super cool.

The OS has a very black background too. And the stage is very large. Openness in all directions. I get this feeling of being inside a sphere of musical mist, I am placed in the middle, and everywhere I look, everything I hear, taste and experience, is so fine, intricate and delicate that it almost tickles. Then imagine the floor is filled with sub woofers that shake and tremble, this is the OS.

But, there is one condition for this presentation: the airiness does impact a slight lack of weight to sound, which in some cases offers an extremely spacious and weightless feeling, at the expense of density and power. That is not a bad thing per se, it just means that using the OS with a light-weighted IEM, or a more angelic one, you get more air, and less power and thickness. Especially in the mids and treble, it’s so open and vast that the note-weight can feel slightly diffused. Not cloudy, absolutely not. Just so vast it’s hard to find the center point for slam and grit. For a lot of music this translates to a uniquely mystical presentation that rivals any other. For some denser music, like metal or funk - rock too - I could prefer a bit more weight, especially with a more neutral IEM. To be precise, I mean weight in the lower mids to upper mids, where the meat usually resides. The OS paired with Traillii Ti is almost obscenely spacious, it’s totally wild. But, things like guitars, especially snares, I feel the lightness and lack of thump. Vocals are majestic though.

BASS

As is the case for all BA cables, the OS has fantastic bass. It reaches really really deep, and has lots of texture and rumble. The quantity is quite neutral, perhaps a touch above neutral, very evenly distributed between sub and mid bass. Coming directly from the Val, it might sound like there is less midbass, but alone it is very balanced. The quality is wonderful, providing a deep guttural thump when called for, but also able to get out of the way when the track calls for it to be so. Everything from Avishai Cohen’s acoustic bass full of texture, to Michael League’s 60’s P-Bass spank, to pulsing, gut wrenching electronic sub dives from Kryptic Mind, the OS handles them all with perfect ease. While the OS is amazingly transparent and neutral, one always feels the presence of the bass as a solid foundation the entire frequency range is built on.

MIDS

OS mids are extremely detailed, almost excruciatingly so. I don’t mean it’s uncomfortable, or analytical, they’re just really really detailed. Part of this comes from the lack of weight, and the perceived, and realistically acute, barage of information. Small wisps of information come from the lower mids to upper mids in a way I have yet to experience in another cable. The lower mids weight wise are on the leaner side, with a nice even transition from the upper bass. As you move up the mids it does thin out even a touch more, so while the presentation is very neutral and very very transparent, it also feels sometimes lacking in “realism” for acoustic instruments to me. This is purely a personal thing, I don’t find the mids lean, but just not weighted. An example; I notice between OS and Val the difference in sound and weight of the snare drum. OS is thinner and more neutral, Val (as well as SS and Orpheus) put some extra weight there, which can feel more dynamic, and less effortless.

OS is neutral, so if your IEM is thin, it’ll stay thin, if fat, stays fat. That’s how I would describe the OS mids, effortless detail.

Even with such transparency, OS mids are very musical too. Male and female vocals sound “correct”, without any sense of nasal or overly chesty feelings. Instruments sound real and lively, with great attention to details. The licking of lips, scratches in the bow of cellos, guitar pick attack, snare cracks, pianos, tom thwacks, mandolin strings, I could go on and on. I like how it also handles electronic instruments, sometimes we only get “acoustic” instruments right, like the Mason FS which sounds incredibly vibrant, but much less so with electronic sounds. The OS mids sound great no matter the voice, the instrument, the pad, the shriek. My only concern is the extreme neutrality of the mids lacking a sense of weight in some pairings. They can be sweet and lush, clean and articulate, but fat and thick they are not.

TREBLE

The BA house treble is one of very unique presentation. They aren’t overly bright, or splashy, or even accentuated. Yet somehow they manage to shine a light on the top end in a way that I find beautiful. I find them so detailed, that it feels like there is a touch of extra presence there. With OS there is good attack, clarity and separation, but also a great sense of air and space that float all around you. Similar to the mids, the sound is far more airy than weight full , but that works very well in the upper registers. The extension is as good as it gets, especially with EST drivers that just float into emptiness.

While I wouldn’t call the OS bright up top, I wouldn’t say it’s overly relaxed or dark either. In some cases a few of my friends found the APX SE a touch too bright and treble focused with the OS, but not so with the Val. I will admit that with a brighter IEM it can venture into bright territory, though it’s quite smooth and elegant at the same time. Really, I wouldn’t say bright, since there is so much air and space, and less weight, the treble can feel overly present by a touch. This is totally pairing relevant, and taste specific too. I don’t want anyone to think OS is bright, just know it resolves very highly up top and can be heard as treble indulgent in some pairings.

Stage is equally impressive, as vast and open as anything. Perhaps even more so. So airy and vast, with exceptional layering and space between sounds. It places all instruments out around you, with closer bass, giving you a feeling of being anchored in foundation, with everything else cascading out into space all around you. Very impressive indeed. Continuing with the lighter touch, if you’re into spacious and effortless sounds, the stage of OS is the best in the world. Nothing quite compares really. But, if you like a thicker sound, you may wish for less air, and more power. (Val is perfect for this)

In general I would say the OS is an easy cable to pair with anything, it’s just very neutral and transparent. Nothing out of place, every aspect of the signature is improved with great layering, detail and space. My favorite neutral cable of all time is the Nightjar SS, but it is noticeably more weighted and analog/warm over the OS’ neutrality. BA has a more modern Hi-Fi sound, SS and others are more vintage. Choose your partner, I like them both for different things, on different days.

VALHALLA

The Val is very different, I was quite surprised. I would say technically it’s a step above OS, especially so in the areas of attack, power and engagement. Even stage size, it’s even bigger! But it’s also kind of dark too, taking a moment to adjust. Not dark like muddy, absolutely not. The level of detail and resolution is monstrous. It’s far more weighted, more dynamic and brooding. Bass is fatter and with more mid bass thump, it’s also punchier but a touch less extended. Mids are very detailed, with a slight bump in the lower treble that adds a sense of crispness and clarity that balances out the meatier sound. On first listen it gave me much more of a WOAH feeling than OS, but it too continues to impress and congeal the longer I listen. Somehow the stage is bigger than OS, though it’s hard to explain how. It’s deeper, and wider, though OS feels more airy, and therefore can feel more spacious on top. While OS has the mids in the center and forward, Val seems to create more of a 3D space, all the details and space are ultra wide, but the mids also occupy a wider field. This is super unique, and one of the trademarks of Val’s prowess. An example: Orpheus has vocals dead center and details fly wide to the sides. With Val the center itself is also bigger/wider. I mean the space that houses the vocal is actually a larger and more expansive space, independent of the rest of the stage. Vocals feel like they wrap around you, not just sit in front. Somehow I get the feeling of wearing 3D glasses, where you can see two different pictures, but when they align the whole thing pops out in a sense of depth that you didn’t know was possible before.

It’s like a walking contradiction; fat and thick but this huge stage and spread. Ultra clear, while also being dark. Moodier, more mysterious, more energetic and exciting while being, again, kind of dark. Not like Orpheus dark and fat, totally different. Even though I would explain their sonic design using very similar language, they sound nothing alike. Orphy is analog and warm, with slightly compressed and details mids, with a soft and tapered top end. Val is more modern, with a more extended top end and more intense PRat and transient edges. Orphy is very wide in the mids, Val is that wide pretty much everywhere. In many ways they go for a similar thing, like listening to speakers, wide stage and powerful thick sounds. Comparing Val to OS they both feature the same DNA, but are very different. I can hear the lineage of Oslo in the OS, but Val is NOT a continuation of Billow, with the exception they both have a weightier sound. Billow is more sweet and golden, Val is more energetic and vast. Oslo is neutral and transparent, as is OS. OS simply takes things up some notches.

Val is something very very unique, and I fell in love with it immediately. While I appreciate and love them both equally, I was totally transfixed with the Val and my APX SE - for a week I listened to nothing else, and all day long at that. The mix of thickness, taught and gnarly bass, with extreme detail and engagement is something so good it’s hard to describe. The bump in clarity in the lower treble is something that may not vibe perfectly with some brighter IEMs, also based on personal preferences, but I found it quite fine with everything I tried. The more smooth and thick treble also adds to the feeling of brightness in that one spot, accentuating it a bit. For something like the OG Traillii, which has a natural dip there, the Val would even that out and give the whole presentation a more sultry and dynamic sound. I also found the Val to be stunning with the APX SE and STORM. They both got super flush and powerful low ends, gorgeous, detailed, weighted mids with a hint of extra clarity, and clear and open treble. Lust Worthy, drool...

In some ways, I get the feeling of the LP6 Ti - that sense of density and power, but also extreme resolution, with just a hint of extra bite and thunder and a more soft and vintage top end. I’m not saying the Val sounds like an R2R DAP, or the LP6 Ti (obviously), but the building blocks are arranged in a similar way. Especially going back and forth between OS and Val, OS has a more modern and airy sound, gentle even, compared to the slam and intensity of Val.

BASS

Val bass has a lot of similarities top OS, in that way they are similar. All BA cables share this quality and texture. I hear a bit more mid bass with Val, drawing your attention away from the sub sometimes, giving more grunt and guttural power. The extension is more or less the same, OS simply is more neutral and so the bass is experienced linearly - Val tends to grab your attention and punch you first, and then treat you to belly aching rumbles. There is texture in abundance, more so than OS, and thus the bass takes a bit more of a front stage position. Quantity wise there is a bit more volume to the bass, in terms of gain and physical volume, though it is far from boosted or out of natural balance. Balance is the game here, I simply hear more power and authority. Compared to OS there is more growl, more grit, more punch. That fantastic bass foundation is heavily implied, and god*@!^ does it knock your socks off in the right mix. As is the case in many of the match-ups, OS is more gentle, Val takes the cake for intensity and prowess. They both retain a very refined low end, endless texture and reach; tomato, tomato.

MIDS

Here the difference is the most apparent between the two. Val has amazing mids, amazing. They are exquisitely detailed, weighted and very clear. They are moody and mysterious, while also being very technical in an uber kind of way. Transients are clear and precise, with a touch of extra bite in the upper mids/lower treble. It is as refined as can be, very well done, without a sense of real brightness or crispy vibes. Graceful even. They are more intense, more dynamic, more engaging. If you have a slightly dull IEM this bad boy will waken them up in a hurry. That doesn’t mean they are harsh or aggressive, not in the least. This is one polished, graceful and classy sound to the core. Think velvet and espresso, dark chocolate and a 15 year old scotch. For my personal preferences, the mids of Val pull away from the OS. The weight, the spread, the sense of power and density, while also being more technical and resolving - simply wow.

The aforementioned spread, not only in the stage size, but the way the center is widened gives off this very special kind of feeling. Inside the stage itself, think of a large sphere, floating above you. That’s OS. Now imagine the sphere is pushed in at the middle to create a sort of very mild infinity shape, where the two sides are a touch bigger than the dead center. Like your ear’s placement on your head; each having their own sound field, meeting in the middle, creating that sense of a third dimension. This is Val mids, and they are intoxicating. That means snare and kick are dead center, but their decay moves off away from you and to the sides. Vocals appear much more massive, and appear in full 3D space, completely uninhibited from the rest of the stage.

TREBLE

Val has lovely treble. It is smooth, refined, and a touch less present compared to OS. It still has plenty of sparkle and presence, though OS continues its ultra airy and lightweight vibe, Val stays thicker and perhaps more natural to my ears. For me, treble shouldn’t be thin and wispy, at least to sound realistic. That’s not the way sound occurs in live music. I realize that many, many Head-fi enthusiasts prefer a more airy and out of head experience, and for that OS is KING here. Val sacrifices some upper extension for the added weight and realism. While OS may seem more detailed in the high end, Val has a softer and more analog touch, seemingly less bright up top, while still maintaining very resolving.

The added bite in the lower treble gives a sense of extreme resolution while remaining thicker. The bump is maybe better called a tick, a subtle peak. Sometimes you don’t notice it, but then out of the darkness and meat small details like hi-hats, click and pops, snare thwacks are insanely clear. I find it quite refined, but with certain tracks, with certain IEMs, the added clarity could boil down to overly accentuating this area. It’s also quite track dependent; for something like Tipper’s “Gulch” or Yoshi Horikawa’s famous “Bubbles”, the added clarity and click makes these tracks sound like the best produced thing you’ve ever heard. Jaw dropping. That same click and clarity, when listening to Deftones’ “Digital Bath” or Meshuggah’s “Chaosphere” can be overly indulgent to say the least. For detail heads this just may be your Holy Grail, seriously.

Overall these two cables are insanely good, and you can’t go wrong between them. The OS might pair better with more IEMs, due to the neutral nature and lack of Val’s added bite. But then again, OS can lead to some extra upper treble attention, even becoming a smidge bright in some cases. When AB’ing with APX SE it was quite a different experience with each cable. OS felt more balanced, but could get a touch overly treble focused up top. Val was thicker and added some needed mid weight and attack to APX’s relaxed mids, but lost some of that airy extension. Likewise with Traillii Ti, Val added the weight, but the lower treble could be a bit too much for me in some cases, like distorted guitars or splashy cymbals. OS was so spacious and lightweight the TTi lost some of its power, and became a monstrous vocal/modern jazz machine, but less so for Funk, Rock, Metal and thicker music. The same was not the case with Oslo and Billow, they are less crazy, and therefore easier to handle and pair. Oslo doesn’t have such airiness, and not as much treble sparkle either, so it’s a great neutral option. Billow is sweet and golden, making it a great pairing for TTi, without the added clarity peak. Performance wise OS and Val are quite a step up from Oslo and Billow, more so than the difference between the latter. It’s a whole different level, but, as it is with all things audio, the higher up you go, the more you get, while also being more difficult to match. Synergy is King. Interestingly enough, using STORM I found both cables to be fabulous, and the “negatives” from other pairings to basically disappear. I would have thought the opposite, but there you go.

To sum it up:

OS - Airy, spacious, slightly lean, insanely extended, touch bright up top.

VAL - Beefy, incredible mid range with extra details, darker on bottom and top.

COMPARISONS

Now things will get complicated, as comparing these beast to my other beasts, (and their BA brethren) both in physical size and sonic size, was really difficult. I will mention again, these cables are very good, best of the best. So any discussion of negatives is ONLY in COMPARISON, they’re better than anything else I’ve ever heard. Splitting hairs here, atoms even. Ferrari or Lambo. Chocolate cake or Tiramisu. Strat or Telecaster. Tube or Solid State. Everyone has one they like more, which is why we’re so lucky to have so many choices in audio now. Some will love both, like me, an impossible choice that drives me mad into the night. I simply CANNOT choose. I also love the rest of said summit baddasses, so much so that I bought them all for myself. I’ve lost my mind, I know. Full disclosure, the SS is thus far my favorite cable of all time, which I wrote about ad-nauseum in my review here. My love for the Orpheus burned bright for longer than any other cable, though my tastes have changed a bit over time. I’m moving more reference and less colored, more technical too. The BA duo here will not dethrone SS, but they’re not meant to. I enjoy the BAs just as much, they are simply tuned differently, and appeal to me for certain kinds of music or IEMs. In terms of abilities, they square off very fairly, and can be considered on the same level. The Chimera is 1/4 the price, lacks the fancy design, and a bit of the finesse and maturity of the others. But for the price, it is perhaps the best performing cable in double its range. The RSD FC4W is an absolute beast, the biggest and stiffest of the 5, with an ergo the rivals a garden hose wrapped around your head. But its signature stage spread is amazing, with the deepest mids of anything I have ever heard. The Billow and Oslo share the same great BA DNA as the super flagships, coming in with a much lower price, their performance is indeed less. But, as is the case in cables, diminishing returns is something very real - the further up you go, the more you get, but for the price it’s much, much less so.

And then we come to the Orpheus, something I owned twice in my life and I still consider it one of the finest cables ever made. The widest mids in the business, with oodles of micro details and power for days. Bombastic bass too. Its downfall for me is its imposing nature, and lack of top end openness. Everything you use the Orphy on sounds like the Orphy. Warm, fat, big bass and an overly analog top end that can almost neuter some IEM’s top end. That said, it is insanely good, and in the right combination is pretty untouchable - like with Traillii, one of the best combos of all time. Got a bright and lean IEM? Orphy can fix that.

Whoof, this is a lot! Feel free to take a break, stretch you legs, get some tea, coffee or cake and come back when ready :)

I have reviewed all these cables before, with the exception of the Chimera, so you can click the link to read those reviews in their entirety if you so desire.

Orpheus, the Mid King

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Ultra wide and crazy detailed mids is the main staple of the Orphy. Gargantuan stage too. It manages, in a familiar fashion to the Val, to have both weighty and meaty mids, but also the finest details, micro and macro. Orphy does this in a way the outdoes any cable available, it’s very special. It is also somewhat dark and warm, and doesn’t match well with everything. Amazingly powerful bass that reaches very deep, with a nice mid bass hump that makes some IEMs explode with thunder, and others feel a touch bloated or overly bassy. Mids are extremely detailed, but it does this by slightly compressing the edges, making the details pop out of space, but with a smooth edge. (This of course could be seen as a huge positive) Treble is deeply personal here, Orphy takes the analog approach and keeps things very smooth up top, rolling of the highest frequencies. I’ve said many times this makes the stage ultra wide and deep, cavernous even, but vertically slightly claustrophobic, like the ceiling has been pushed down. That all being said, in the right combination, usually with more neutral or ethereal IEMs, the Orphy is unmatched sonically. Its pitch black background is also legend. How PW manages all of this performance with a pure copper still mystifies me, and haunts my dreams.

Ergo wise the Orphy, with the added shielding, is a fairly thick cable compared to “normal” standards. Below the Y split is black nylon sheathing, above is a twisted pair of dark blue, soft paracord covered wires, ending in shrink wrapped ear hooks that are bent just so. I love the 90 degree thing, it’s awesome. After some time it all softens up a lot, and is very comfortable. I find it beautiful, one of the coolest designs in a cable ever, especially if you’re into the Batman thing. Visually it’s as far from the OS as possible on the spectrum, without starting to come back the other way.

Nightjar Sovereign Symphony

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Sonically perfect, no doubt about it. The SS is huge sounding, both in terms of stage and space, but also in note weight and instrument size. Nothing has a bigger more thunderous sound, and while it is extremely transparent, it has a touch of warmth and musicality for days. Very extended in all directions, insanely defined and resolving, very refined too. The SS has to be heard to be believed. Sense of space, positioning, texture, all best in the world. Very different to Orpheus, bridging the gap from OS’s transparent and neutral ways, with the weight and scaling of Val, sort of. How the SS manages to be so resolving, fat, analog, and transparent, will forever be a mystery.

SS is a big cable, like huge. 4 wires, with many layers of shielding. While the wire themselves are very big, they are quite soft all considered, and I find it very comfortable. One thing I also like, there is no ear hooks at all, no shrink or wire, so the cable just lays there like a piece of beautiful jewelry or garment. The weight, and its distribution, actually make my IEMs feel more secure, and more stable. It seems it would be the opposite, but I find it especially secure and nice. Comparably it is extremely big, and most would be better off with the Sovereign, the two wire version. Or, if you’re a lunatic, like me, you’ve also got the 8 wire version of SS. But that’s something else entirely, and doesn’t really even exist in the real word. We won’t talk more about that one, these aren’t the Droids you’re looking for.

SS, like Orpheus, is a pure copper cable, albeit with some silver strands used on the ground wires. It sounds like pure copper, with a hint of more modern high performance materials, like our BA friends here. A hybrid with an old soul, that’s the SS. Stage size is massive, with lots of space between the layers, like OS. Add the weight of Orpheus while staying more neutral but also very dense. Bass is very deep, but somewhat relaxed compared to Val or even Orpheus who are more punchy, giving a more DD slow decay type of sound. More sub woofers, emanating all around you, even though it can be very punchy when needed.

RHAPSODIO FANTASIES COPPER 4W

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The FC comes in both 2 and 4 wire configurations, but unlike other mega cables, I hear quite a tuning difference between 4 and 2. The 2 wire is very punchy, fast and articulate, with a bit of extra spice and energy in the lower treble. A fantastic cable, that adds a some 6-8Khz energy and clarity into anything it’s plugged into. Like Val, but not as thick or dark, and more crispy. The 4W variant sounds much much bigger, most vast and spacious, and with a more relaxed top end and lower treble bite. More analog, less bright. Bass is less punchy, and neutral in quantity. Mids are very very deep, nicely detailed and with endless space between the layers. Super holographic too, with crazy vocal size, again like Val. Treble is refined and gorgeous, with endless extension like OS. The 2W in some ways feels more detailed, but that’s from its added bite, which can also become overkill with brighter and intense IEMs. Details on 4W are top notch, but slightly less so than Val or SS.

The 4W stage is legendary wide and even more so tall. I liken it to an IMAX theater, where the sound just extends up and up and up, but not just the top end. Mids too, all above you, this is RSD’s secret sauce. And to make things even more interesting - vocals are SUPER forward, almost to a claustrophobic level, but not quite so. Treble is gorgeous, if not a touch accentuated. Like an inverted pyramid, but in 3D space that opens up above and outwards. What we end up with is gorgeous vocals and mids that are very intimate, neutral bass and a top end that extends to infinity. Very unique, and one of the coolest presentations I have ever heard. You may think it sounds a bit incoherent? Not at all, it’s supremely balanced. But it’s not for everyone, or every IEM. It needs to be heard to understand, but a more grandiose cable experience I have yet to find.

But, and this is a big but - the ergo is unforgivably terrible. The wires themselves are very thick, about the same size as SS but far more stiff. They also have shrink on the ear hooks that essentially makes them frozen in shape, to the point they can pull IEMs out of your ears. With very good tight fitting CIEMs, I found it to be tolerable, but cumbersome to say the least. It’s a beautiful purple beast, with sonics to match - but the ergo will be a nail in the coffin for most.

DOUBLE HELIX MINI CHIMERA

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Calling this a mini anything is hilarious, it’s a big cable. Using two coaxial cables side by side, not even connected save for metal clips, it feels more like speaker wire than anything. Easily the thickest cable here in terms of individual wire, but the two count makes it about the same as others in overall thickness. The wires are covered in a soft paracord sheathing that is custom made for DHC. While hefty, it’s also fairly supple if not a touch DYI in styling (The Idolic hardware is hard to miss). I do like the way it looks, black with hints of gold and silver, the covered up look, similar to the Orpheus.

Sonically the Chimera is wild, really. It is extremely resolving, with a very big stage and massive punchy bass. There is at least a few Db of boost to the low end, but what you get is some of the most fun, guttural and bones shaking bass I’ve ever heard from a cable. While the quantity may not match with all IEMs, the quality is fantastic. Bombastic I would call it. Mids are very detailed, powerful and weighted, while also being musical. They spread very wide, it was a repeatable surprise I never quite got used to. I even found myself laughing out loud at just how wow this cable sounds for the price. I mention the price, because while not cheap at $2500, ($1500 used) that’s less than half, or 1/4, of the others here, that performance is monstrous for this sum. Treble is very vast and extended, but there is a touch of extra sparkle and energy that can push certain IEMs into sibilant territory. I wouldn’t call it overly bright, but it’s definitely not dark there. If you like energy, and a sparkly top end, with amazing technicals, the Mini Chimera is hard to beat for the money, or for any budget for that matter. What it lacks, at least in this company here, is the finesse and refinement. It’s amazingly technical, but also a touch aggressive, or intense at least. It’s in your face, it’s extremely detailed and impactful, pushing some IEMs to the limit. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, you just need to keep that in mind, I especially liked it with the Red Halo, it added a lot of clarity and transient speed that I didn’t even know was missing. With Traillii Ti it was too bright up top, even if I loved the bass. APX was great as well, a bit too bright up top as well, but transforming the relaxed mids into fire breathing dragons.

Ergo wise, it’s also close to unforgivable. But, it can be remedied with a few small adjustments yielding vast improvement. Firstly, the ear hooks not only use stiff shrink, but wire too! It’s crazy how stiff it is, you can try and mold them to your ears, but more often than not it would pull my IEMs out enough to break the seal. So, I removed the shrink and wire, and the difference was substantial and immediately apparent. The cable is quite soft, and without the hooks feels quite OK on the ears. Not as soft or supple as the others, but it drapes far better afterwards, and with decent fitting IEMs, became useable for me. The other thing is, Chimera doesn’t have a Y split, instead opting for metal clips to keep the cable together. You can position said clips as you like on the cable, you can even order more and go clip crazy. But, since the clips are flat and really tight, they force the two cable sides to lie flat, which means the whole cable feels very stiff and unwieldy. So, I removed the clips and used cable wrap or rubber O rings, and that did the trick. When the two cables can move independently of each other, while still being held together enough, the whole situation feels much better. I would recommend O rings or wrap to be on the loose side, so there is room for rotation and movement. With these simple “mods” the Chimera was far more useable, and enjoyable too.

OSLO & BILLOW

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The tuning philosophy and DNA are very evidently BA here. If you dig the BA sound, these are great choices. Not only do they possess very good technical abilities, they reach close enough to the stars for most people. I say most people, because spending ‘super-flagship’ money on an IEM cable isn’t a ‘normal’ thing to do. And for decent money, these two are fantastic. I said so in my review, and I stand by that 100%. That said, upon hearing said cables, my very first thought was “oh boy, now I have to hear the top models, I can’t imagine how good they are”. I begged and pleaded with BA, and they agreed. So here we are.

Oslo is tuned much closer to OS than Billow is to Val. The technical crown does indeed go to Billow. They’re family for sure, but not twins. As was the case with OS and Val, Oslo is the easier choice for pairings as it’s so neutral. But I preferred the Billow, for its weight, golden hues and signature emotion. I’m sure you all are getting a clear view of my preferences now!

Oslo - very neutral, detailed and with punch bass and lovely open treble. It has no extra weight, no added coloring, only its trademark nuance. It is clean, clear and very balanced. Deep bass, punchy and clean. Clear mids, forward positioned and balanced. Similar to OS there is a more wispy top over weighted, and so it does “suffer” the same kind of “brightness” that OS does. It’s not bright, just feels that way since it’s so transparent and neutral, your ears are drawn there.

Billow - a golden baby, in tuning and design. It has more bloom, more warmth and weight, more emotion too - but somehow also more resolving and technical too. Similar to Val, it accomplishes a sort of enigma signature, a contradiction that shouldn’t be possible, and yet here we are. Bigger, fatter bass, with more quantity. Mids that are very emotional, smooth transients and a general loveliness pervading throughout. Treble that is more weighted and natural to my ears, and while it has plenty of sparkle to soothe any detail head, it’s very nicely balanced with the rest of the spectrum too - never getting out of line.

They are both very soft, with Oslo being thinner and more flexible, Billow being thicker with more shielding. They have the same luxurious look and feel as their super flagship counterparts. In fact, if you didn’t know the prices, Billow might look more Summit than OS, with its totally golden style. They are the same size, thickness, with same hardware, save for Val’s samurai/Yang look. Same ear hooks, same great build quality, with exotic materials abound.

These are great cables! For the money you get into the BA family with fantastic sound quality. If you are one of those, like me, who require only the best, where the last few percent is very noticeable, then BA has you covered with the ridiculously luxurious, and exclusive, OS and Val. And yes, they are quite the step up, but not 3x better for sure. Don’t sell a kidney for a cable please!

After all that, a very brief overview:

OS - Airy, transparent, neutral, detailed. Vast effortless stage

Val - Dark and mysterious, extra energy, weighted. Very wide speaker like stage and wide vocals.

SS - Transparent, weighted, very resolving with a touch of warmth. Massive spherical stage.

Orpheus - Ultra wide mids, emotional, weighted, great micro-details. Massive oval stage, less tall.

FC4 - Deep intimate mids, neutral bass, very tall and wide stage, IMAX presentation.

Chimera - Resolving, intense, big bass, more bombastic, slightly bright up top. Very big stage.

Oslo - Neutral, transparent, punchy bass, detailed, big stage.

Billow - Golden hues, weighted, emotional, big bass and softer top. Big stage.

And now some choice pairings! :)

Oriolus Trailli Ti

Both OS and Val were great, but as mentioned above OS could be a touch diffused energetically and overly airy, Val a bit overly accentuated in the lower treble, but everywhere else phenomenal. If you’re a detail head, Val and TTi is amazing. If you love space and air, OS and TTi is one of the most grand and airy presentations you’ll ever find in an IEM. Chimera gave the TTi amazing bass and mids, but the slightly aggressive mids made it overly energetic for my tastes. EDM was crazy, but most of my library was too much. Orphy is a fantastic pairing, one of the best ever. FC4 makes a very very grand presentation, with incredible stage depth. My only critique is it’s very neutral in the bass quantity, so TTi’s more neutral bass leads a bit of oomph wanting. the SS is my personal favorite, and still remains basically super glued to the TTi - it balances weight and clarity, space and a touch of warmth, magic synergy there. One of my friends goes back and forth between Oslo and Billow on his TTi, he can’t decide either. (I think the Billow has a bit of an edge over Oslo personally).

My favorites: SS or Val - or for less money Billow.

PMG APX SE

I love the APX SE with Val, I listened to this combo non stop for a week. The magic spread mids, powerful yet controlled lows, and slightly less sparkly treble was perfect for me. OS was also good, and if you prefer a more even and reference sound this is a good choice. SS was great, but could be a touch too bassy and warm, depending on the source. Orphy is a fantastic choice, powerhouse combo. I didn’t try the FC4 because APX has non recessed 2pins, that purple monster is too thick to chance something getting snapped off by sheer mass. Same for Chimera, I tried it very quickly and felt like the cable would break off at the 2pins, so I took it off. After speaking with a lot of people, it has become clear that while the stock cable isn’t the most technically worthy, the synergy and tuning really do match the best over really any aftermarket cable. With perhaps the exception of Orpheus, which is my personal recommendation if you like a more weighted and emotional sound.

My favorites: OS, Val, Orpheus - also Oslo.

Subtonic STORM

This IEM is very picky about everything, especially power. I was happy to find that it sounds amazing with lots of different cables, staying pretty true to its stock tuning, instead just amplifying different traits for a more unique tailored experience with each. OS and Val were both great here, and vs the SS (or SS8) were very soft and light enough to improve the fit for me. Orphy, from memory when I demoed the storm long ago, was also incredible. More smooth treble, very spread mids with lots of micro details, and gigantic bass. More old school, less reference, but super fun. I didn’t try FC4 or Chimera in this instance. The most popular cable for STORM owners is the NJ SS. The fact that it can be included as an upgrade when you buy, and it’s made by the basically the same team as Subtonic, you know they were designed for each other. The SS keeps the reference sound and balance, but increases the stage size, note weight, and extension in a way that’s extraordinary. I found Val to be the closest, it is different but gave me a similar feeling of power and wow.

My favorites: SS, Val, OS

Rhapsodio SUPREME V3

This is a fantastic IEM, but it is a bit bright and thin compared to others. I generally preferred cables that added some bass weight, and sheer volume, while not losing out on the spacial magic that is the V3. Funny enough the Chimera was my favorite here, adding in this massive low end growl that was rather mind-blowing. It really flushed out the bass, full of texture and oomph too. Mids were more weighted and exceptionally wide, as was the height. There was a some added brightness up top, and normally I would say that's a no go, but instead the massive low end matched it nicely. It was brighter, but instead of trying to change the V3, this pushes it more into it's comfort zone. Massive sound. Orphy is another great choice, adding low end and smoothing out the top. Orphy does hace a bit of a upper mid lift which could be a touch sibiant track depending. The FC4 is literally made for the V3, so it's an amazing match. It does however have neutral bass, so this combo is more for vocals, jazz, classical music and ambient, at which it is the best in the world. Staggering. Both the OS and Val were good matches for it, it just depends on which wat you want to go. OS kept the stock presentation, but increased the air and space by a large margin. It sounds more ethereal, more floating, which is awesome if you're into that sound. The Val had more kick, and a crazy amount of energy in the mids, high octane stuff. The V3 has transcendent floating mids, the Val brought that to another level entirely. The SS I thought would have been my favorite, but for whatever reason the synergy just isn't there.

My favorites: Chimera, Val, Orpheus

64A 18t & Kiwi Ears KE4

I include these two because I really enjoy seeing how cables affect things. The 18t is reference tuning (sort of) and seems to show off a cable’s traits very clearly. I always use it, since I know it so well, and I can begin taking notes of how the sound is affected, improved, changed etc. The KE4 is a $200 that wows for such a price, and why not try out $8K cables on a $200 IEM? The results would surprise you - I found the upgrade in sonics on the KE4 to be substantially more noticeable than on the high end IEMs. I used the KE4 to burnin the OS, and I would take a quick listen or two, to make sure the volume was ok during the process. I remember being shocked, I had to actually take the KE4 out of my ears to be sure that I hadn’t forgotten what I was using. It sounded crazy good! Of course the final SQ from the big-boy IEMs was indeed better, the change and upgrade the KE4 received was dazzling.

I will not try to convince anyone to upgrade to cables such as these, but it was very, very interesting to hear what a cable can do for a “cheap” IEM. Normally it is suggested to spend no more than half the IEM’s cost on a cable, but if you’re reading this, and made it this far, chances are you’re not “normal”. Neither am I. While I would never buy a cable like this for a cheap-o IEM, it is fun to try!

CONCLUSION

Wow, that was a lot. I don’t know about you, but I’m out of breath and dizzy. We covered a lot though, an in depth shootout of the best cables on the planet, I tried my best to make it short. (I can also be long winded, Im working on that). What comes to mind after writing this, is just how lucky we are to be in audio at the moment, there has never been more choices, and higher performing gear than now. It’s also never been more expensive. So before recommending these kinds of cables I must say ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Don’t let anyone tell you what you need, or what is best. Try them yourself if you can, research all you can, these are just my feelings and experiences and everyone is very, very different. Buy this kind of gear if you can afford it, or are willing to make some sacrifices in your life budget. But nothing is worth taking a second mortgage for, or selling a kidney, despite what anyone says.

After all that, do I recommend these two BA cables? Yes, they are spectacular. Really, some of the best I’ve ever heard. They go toe to toe with the world’s best, and depending on tastes, take the crown home. If you have the means, they are the most luxurious and exclusive cables on the planet. If you like a vibrant color scheme and fancy hardware, they are unmatched too. They are also the softest cables in this ultra weight category, by some margin. Are they the best? There is absolutely no way I can say anything conclusively, especially given the company they share here. It’s ALL about preferences, tastes, and synergy. What makes one person swoon makes the other cringe, what is bright to one is perfect to another. They are all fantastic.

What BA brings to the table over the others is the design (love or hate it), attention to detail, and a very unique timbre that once you hear it, cannot be un-heard. OS is a ridiculously good neutral cable, Val is one of the coolest and more unique cables I have ever heard. Without consideration to price, and with my personal sonic preferences, I give both the OS and Val my highest recommendations. Now I must choose which one I want to keep. Impossible. They are both special, they are both unique. They are both incredible, with a price to match.

I wish to thank Stephen at Beat Audio for the opportunity to demo these cables, and to @MusicTeck for putting us together and facilitating the whole thing. I also wish to thank you all, for reading to the end. For being passionate enough about music to care about this kind of thing. We’re all crazy together, and I love you for it.

Bye for now!

You can buy these cables directly from BA’s website HERE.

Or from MusicTeck HERE

(I am in now way affiliated with Beat Audio or Musicteck, and receive no compensation for these links - just trying to hook people up!)