Nihal evaluations the ddHiFi Eryx, a brand new flagship IEM audio cable with a hybrid quad-conductor wire design and interchangeable connector pin system. It’s at present priced at $499.99.
Disclaimer: This pattern was despatched to me in alternate for my sincere opinion. Headfonics is an unbiased web site with no affiliate hyperlinks. I thank ddHiFi for his or her assist.
You possibly can examine ddHiFi merchandise beforehand reviewed on Headfonics right here.
This text follows our newest scoring tips, which you’ll learn right here.
ddHiFi Eryx Evaluation
Abstract
The ddHiFi Eryx’s laid-back and musical method shines by. Among the many bunch of aftermarket IEM cables in its worth vary, it gives a personality of its personal with a darkish background and a really refined musical sound.
Professionals
Clear darkish background.
Gives wealthy musical tonality.
Spectacular-looking {hardware} parts.
ddHiFi is synonymous with premium high quality with out digging a giant gap in your pockets. Over the previous few years, they’ve constructed a stable repute within the cables and adapters house.
For me, they’re my go-to model for adapters or cable connectors. I reviewed one among their cables final yr, Nyx Internet, and located it fairly respectable. The construct high quality and total packaging made for a great person expertise.
This time, they’ve launched Eryx, a flagship cable priced at $499.99. The pictures of the cable had been already doing rounds on the web, and the rosewood parts certainly appeared elegant.
On this overview, I’ll assess how the cable performs, examine it to the corporate’s Nyx Internet, Impact Audio’s DIONYSUS, and PLUSSOUND’s Copper Fusion Hybrid, and see the place it stands in right now’s market.
Materials & Geometry
The Eryx cable combines 4 premium conductors in a quad-conductor hybrid design: OFC paired with OCC copper, together with pure silver mixed with gold-plated OCC.
The mix is aimed toward attaining higher sign transmission velocity and readability.
The cable additionally will get an in-house interchangeable Nyx-Pin System, which helps you to swap between 0.78 mm 2-pin lengthy pins, 0.78 mm 2-pin flat pins, and MMCX connections.
The 4.4mm termination plugs are provided in two variations: rhodium-plated and gold-plated. On paper, the cable has all of the bells and whistles you’d search for in a premium cable.
Design
Personally, for me, the design has a two-sided story. First, the nice half is that the rosewood and {hardware} look completely different from the standard cables we see round.
The Y-splitter and plug housing are crafted from high-density, wealthy purple sandalwood and aerospace-grade titanium alloy.
This provides to stabilizing the supply, as these parts take up micro-vibrations generated throughout sign transmission. The end may be very easy and does showcase the class ddHiFi needed to convey round. The construct feels fairly premium in hand too.
The opposite half is the insulation, which is American PVC with black braided mesh double insulation. Should you ask me, I’m not a giant fan of this type of braiding. I like the standard wire design greater than this one.
Additionally, so as to add, the construct may be very skinny. The cable lacks a number of the firmness and character in look. I most well-liked the braiding type of Nyx Internet, which felt a bit firmer.
Nonetheless, I perceive lots of people need a light-weight, fuss-free cable, and that’s what Eryx is. It’s tender, light-weight, and really simple to deal with.
One other spotlight of the cable is the right-angled ear hook. That half is sort of well-built. So design-wise, the cable will get full marks.
Dealing with
Dealing with is among the greatest components about this cable. It feels so light-weight, and the wires are fairly skinny, so coming from the standard cables that we regularly use, this cable feels very simple to make use of.
Nonetheless, it does lack some firmness in its construct, like I discussed, so you will have to be careful for slight tangling in between.
The stiffness is nearly negligible, making it simple to roll up and retailer. However I’d not roll it very carefully, as it will possibly tangle rapidly. The opposite good side is that the {hardware} is stored very mild, so there may be hardly any pressure when you’re utilizing the cable.
The ear hooks are very tender and supple, and also you gained’t really feel them when carrying them. These right-angled ear hooks really feel a bit completely different, as I’m extra used to those that wrap across the ears.
Resulting from its sleeve, I discovered slight microphonics throughout my use, however nothing that may trouble me.
General, it’s all the time a breeze to make use of this cable, and for individuals who search for a skinny and light-weight cable, this one is sort of a reduction.
Packaging & Equipment
Like earlier releases from ddHiFi, the Eryx arrives in a well-packaged field. It’s all the time good to see the model going for a great person expertise by together with just a few equipment.
I’ve not seen different manufacturers, equivalent to Impact Audio and Astral Acoustics, embrace any equipment with their mid-fi releases.
If you open the field, you get the cable laid out very properly in a foam tray. Beneath the tray, you get all of the equipment, which embrace a small plastic carry case, a cleansing material, a magnetic cable tie, and a set of interchangeable pins.
This carry case will not be too giant, however it may be used to retailer simply the cable. It doesn’t have sufficient house to retailer the IEMs together with the cable.
Whereas I don’t count on lots of equipment to be included with cables on this worth phase, the inclusion feels simply tremendous, and ddHiFi will get applause for that.
Efficiency Impressions
The next sound impressions of the ddHiFi Eryx had been accomplished utilizing the THIEAUDIO Monarch MKIV, AFUL DAWN-X, and the BGVP Solomon alongside my predominant supply, Lotoo’s PAW Gold Contact.
Abstract
The Eryx arrives with a transparent agenda: including a contact of musicality. And that’s how ddHiFi describes it. It doesn’t promise an overhaul in any approach; reasonably, it kinds just a few issues out and primarily works on the dynamics and cleaner transmission of sound.
The selection of conductors retains the modifications balanced. It provides a way of naturalness to the sound. It really works fairly nicely with tunings that have already got robust technical potential however miss a little bit of naturalness.
For dry-sounding or analytical-leaning IEMs, the Eryx can ease issues down. It provides some smoothness to the highest finish. Together with refining the sound, the darker background it brings helps push the main points in a pure method. That is among the robust traits of this cable.
Even with IEMs that you simply’d put within the hotter class, the cable works nicely. It doesn’t add a lot heat to the combo, and with a darkish black backdrop, the main points really feel extra vivid, which works nicely for a lot of the IEMs you’d pair with the cable.
Timbre
The Eryx doesn’t alter the core tuning of the IEMs, and that’s what I want in a good-quality cable. It shouldn’t noticeably enhance the bass, midrange, or treble; in any other case, the change feels compelled or synthetic.
As a substitute of coloring the sound closely, Eryx improves the general background, smoothness, and circulation of the presentation.
One of many largest contributions of this cable is the black and darkish background it creates. The backdrop feels cleaner and quieter, which permits small particulars to emerge in a extra pure method.
These smaller nuances and micro-details, which you will discover hidden beneath the inventory cables, emerge nicely right here. Briefly, the Eryx gives higher separation and a extra relaxed sense of readability.
The low finish additionally feels extra sorted and managed. When the bass is cleaner, it stops bleeding into the remainder of the combo, bringing extra midrange readability.
The cable additionally helps easy the treble. It is not going to closely cut back element, shimmer, and sparkle, and the sense of openness remains to be preserved. Slightly, the sharp edges and extreme vitality are barely trimmed down.
The Eryx brings this much-needed change to IEMs such because the Solomon, the place the highest finish may be very incisive and fatiguing. I discover the higher frequencies extra refined and fewer aggressive.
I didn’t actually trouble placing Solomon down for very lengthy. It felt extra musical, smoother, and fewer analytical; controlling the vitality is what provides to that natural conduct.
The Eryx retains the tuning balanced, smooths the treble barely, and creates a darker, quieter background. These qualities assist particulars circulation extra naturally. It turns the IEMs emotionally participating with out making the IEMs overly heat or coloured.
Staging & Imaging
The soundstage and imaging additionally profit from the identical qualities that make the cable sound extra natural and pure. The house round devices feels extra open and higher outlined, because the darker and cleaner background helps there.
The stage doesn’t essentially turn into a lot bigger, however it feels extra organized, extra layered, and barely extra holographic. It feels just like the devices have found a newfound house.
Devices now not really feel clustered collectively or blurred. This higher sense of placement helps loads with busy passages the place IEMs could battle a bit.
Vocals and devices have a stronger sense of physique. The result’s a presentation that feels extra three-dimensional, with improved depth and cleaner layering.
Photos turn into cleaner, however not in a pointy or overly etched method. A number of the extreme vitality is toned down on the Eryx, and the tone feels extra composed. It feels musical, pure, and well-shaped. The decision and particulars stay intact.
If the IEMs have further heat, that settles down, and the sound is much less hazy. It doesn’t take away the heat fully, however it reduces the blurry or overly thick character that may typically make the stage really feel crowded.
The separation between devices additionally feels improved. The darker background offers every word some further respiratory room.
Dynamics additionally really feel barely higher. This isn’t as a result of the cable provides further punch, however as a result of the cleaner background and higher management make the transitions simpler to note.
So, total, the Eryx makes staging and imaging really feel much less technical and extra natural and pure. With the darker, blacker background and cleaner conduct, the presentation turns into much less muddy and extra fluid.
Consequently, the stage feels higher organized, imaging turns into cleaner, and the general sound feels extra holographic, musical, and pure.
Synergy
THIEAUDIO Monarch MKIV
The THIEAUDIO Monarch MKIV has a tribrid configuration with two dynamic drivers, six balanced armature drivers, and two electrostatic drivers.
It carries a balanced but extremely refined sound and instantly feels spectacular with its clear, open presentation. The inventory cable, nevertheless, pulls again a number of the goodness, or let’s say the IEM responds very nicely to cable modifications.
If you convey the Eryx into the scene, you recognize you could have swapped to a greater cable inside the preliminary few seconds. The bass has a greater supply with extra texture, together with extra detailed and layered notes.
The opposite noticeable profit is a extra organized soundstage. The silent background and a extra settled low finish assist tidy up the stage.
Within the midrange, the cable additionally provides some heat. Not that the inventory cable doesn’t really feel heat within the midrange, however it has a barely extra impartial method.
With the Eryx, the notes acquire extra element and a greater musical path. This provides a extra emotional really feel to the midrange devices and vocal notes.
With the inventory cable, I did have a criticism concerning the vocals missing a little bit of physique and nuance, however that feels sorted out.
Within the treble area, I may earlier really feel a tad further focus, so the tuning would push extra treble vitality whereas missing an emotional contact.
With the Eryx, the midrange has a extra natural really feel, and the treble notes additionally really feel euphonic. It’s not simply concerning the particulars and shimmer now; it’s extra pleasing and harmonious.
The laid-back method that ddHiFi advertises actually performs off nicely with the Monarch MKIV. You don’t sacrifice particulars or lose out on something; it’s only a good musical therapeutic massage that the notes get, together with a sophisticated low finish.
AFUL DAWN-X
The AFUL flagship has a really loaded quadbrid configuration. Every shell homes a 14-driver quadbrid setup with one dynamic driver, eight balanced armatures, 4 electrostatic drivers, and one bone-conduction driver.
It has a warm-neutral and easy tuning, with a slight U-shaped sound signature. The low finish and treble areas get further focus.
Concerning its inventory cable, personally, I believe it does its job tremendous, however it’s simply not the sort that provides off a premium really feel, and it falls quick in efficiency too. That is the place the Eryx rightly steps in.
To be sincere, a bit of assist from a cable brings noticeable modifications to the DAWN-X. One space the place I personally really feel the Eryx helps is in settling down the surplus treble vitality, which typically could really feel scattered and untidy. For me, this modification kinds out the IEM loads.
The opposite profit it brings is organizing the low finish higher. You get a tighter and extra textured low finish with the Eryx, which hits with higher punch and influence.
Within the midrange too, in comparison with the inventory cable, you get a contact extra participating supply within the sense that the haziness the inventory cable typically brings in is lifted off.
The midrange feels cleaner and neatly organized. The small print are extra outstanding, and that’s completed with a musical undertone. So, it’s extra participating and extra immersive too.
The settling of treble peaks and vitality, together with a darker background, provides higher separation amongst devices. The stage feels extra organized, and the general circulation feels extra pure.
In reality, the DAWN-X, which already feels very succesful, handles busier passages with extra ease. The Eryx has nice synergy with the DAWN-X and makes a really robust case right here.
BGVP Solomon
Solomon is already in a great place with its inventory setup. The Temple Cable does a surprisingly stable job. Adequate, the truth is, to maintain improve ideas away for some time.
Solomon is extremely resolving, and the highest finish is tuned to be further energetic and energetic. Nonetheless, it will possibly typically push a bit an excessive amount of vitality into the presentation.
What it actually wants is a cable that mellows down the peaks and provides extra naturalness. That is precisely the place the Eryx matches in.
With the vitality trimmed down, the treble is much less aggressive. The small print are nonetheless intact; they only don’t really feel compelled or pushed ahead. The notes carry extra element, and the paths land extra precisely. It’s a barely extra relaxed presentation, whereas the core tuning stays the identical.
With Eryx, the variations are extra noticeable on treble-heavy tracks, the place Solomon may be fairly harsh with the inventory setup.
The background polishes the midrange additional. With the inventory setup, it comes throughout as impartial and missing an emotional contact. With the Eryx within the scene, that misplaced musical really feel is regained.
The transition from the higher midrange to the treble feels extra coherent and smoother. Within the low finish, I discover extra element and texture. The dynamic driver’s bass goes further deep, lending a greater basis down low.
Technically, Solomon doesn’t want any assist from cables, however because the presentation is extra relaxed, you recognize the main points flowing extra naturally.
Notes separate a bit higher, and devices really feel higher organized on the stage because the cable provides to the spaciousness. Photos are relaxed however carry the identical glow. General, the pairing strikes the precise chord.
