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Josh, the Cable Guru: STE MIX W16 Hybrid Cable Review
Finally a new review from Josh Chan, who has now become a Jedi master of cables. Since Josh discovered the influence of cables on headphone sound a few months ago, he has been meticulously testing every cable he can get his hands on and is even working on his own graphical overview of the tested cables! Thank you Josh for sharing your wisdom with us! 😉👍
Introduction
The use of cables on IEMs is an interesting topic that receives a lot of attention, especially when one wonders whether or not they actually have an impact on the overall sound of an IEM.
With that in mind The experience of using cables on IEMs is highly subjective and depends on many different factors, including: IEM construction and materials (balanced armatures, dynamic drivers, electrostatics, etc.), source (DAP, music player, etc.), earplugs ( silicone, foam, etc.), cable construction and materials (copper, silver, gold, etc.), and your own listening preferences (treble sensitivity, bass sensitivity, etc.).
In my personal experience and opinion, cables definitely and without a doubt have an impact on the overall sound signature of an IEM. This is evident in my own IEMs such as those from Empire Ears, which I will focus on in my review. I don't measure IEMs with different cables and rely on what I hear and perceive.
However, the influence of a cable on the overall sound of an IEM varies depending on the factors mentioned above. It is not surprising if a cable has a large, very little or no impact on an IEM.
See the following review for detailed information about the following STE cable:
STE MIX W16 (silver+copper hybrid cable)
I will focus on how this cable affects the following IEMs:
- Empire Ears Odin (Odin) with standard cable (Stormbreaker)
- Empire Ears EVO (EVO) with standard cable (Genesis)
- Empire Ears Valkyrie Mk II (Valkyrie) with standard cable (Alpha IV Hybrid)
- Kinera Nanna 2.0 with standard cable
The following information is based solely on my thoughts, opinions and experiences listening to IEMs with specific cables. I didn't take any measurements. I was lucky enough to receive several cables from Tom / Audio Essence to test.
In addition, Empire Ears are known to test their cables very carefully on IEMs before releasing them to market, so the improvement or deterioration in sound quality may vary from IEM to IEM.
Depending on personal sonic preferences and what you want to achieve, boosts and cuts at certain frequencies can be positive or negative. For example, lowering the treble can have a positive effect if you want to achieve a more relaxed treble response.
Source and earplugs
For my tests I used the Cayin N6ii Ti with the R01 board as DAP and source. To play music, I used USB Audio Player APP with built-in Tidal function and Bit Perfect mode. For earbuds, I used the Stock Final E earbuds on both IEMs.
Music
I listened to the following titles to gather my impressions:
• Illenium – Fallen Embers (whole album)
• Hans Zimmer – Time (Inception album)
• Hans Zimmer – Why so Serious? (Dark Knight album)
• Alan Walker – Faded
• Dem Franchize Boyz – Ridin' Rims
• Aviici – Wake me Up
• Eminem – You Don't Know
Packaging
Overall, the packaging of the cable is very simple and not excessive. The STE cable comes in a plain white box that includes a card from the company. A carrying case or other accessories are not included.
Processing & Materials
The STE Mixed Cu + Ag Cable (STE Mixed Cable) is made of the purest copper and silver and comes in a 16-wire configuration. Despite the 16-wire construction, the cable is not bulky or heavy and sits comfortably on my ears. There was no cable noise during my test.
The overall workmanship of the cable is of very high quality and you can feel that it is a premium cable. At first glance and when you touch it you can see that the braid is evenly distributed and the cable itself feels soft.
The cable is very, very soft - one of the softest 16-wire cables I've ever encountered. The cable is wrapped in black fabric up to the Y-split. On the remaining part of the cable you can see the copper and silver wires.
The end and the Y-split are made of dark gray titanium tube. The cable slider is made of black rubber.
Detailed sound impressions
The following sound impressions are based on my comparison between the IEM's standard cable, the Stormbreaker (1299 CHF) and the STE MIX W16 cable (499 CHF).
Overall sound signature of the Odin with the STE Mixed Cable
The STE Mixed Cable creates a slightly mid and treble-emphasized sound signature on the Odin. The bass still goes deep and the bass is punchy. The mids and highs are still present and are the focus of the sound signature. There was no sibilance or harshness. The soundstage is narrow in both width and height. The mids sounded crisp and clear, and the highs seemed relaxed.
Compared to the Stormbreaker, the STE mixed cable on the ODIN has pulled back all sound frequencies. The biggest difference was the reduction in the width and height of the soundstage. That's why I still preferred the Stormbreaker cable on the Odin.
Deep bass and bass
Low bass and bass have been reduced. While there was still a strong bass punch, it was obvious that the sub-bass and bass were not as deep and structured compared to the Stormbreaker.
Middle
The mids have been slightly toned down compared to the Stormbreaker, which may appeal to people who don't like the emphasis on the Odin mids. They are still forward facing, but not as far forward as the Stormbreaker. The mids are very detailed and clear, but the reduced soundstage mentioned below makes the sound seem warmer overall.
Heights
The highs were more relaxed and less sparkly than the Odin. Similar to the mids, they weren't as forward compared to the Stormbreaker, but still further forward than neutral sounding IEMs.This might suit those who prefer the relaxed highs of the Odin.
Soundstage
The soundstage was significantly reduced with the STE mixed cable compared to the Odin. The soundstage wasn't as wide and high as with the Stormbreaker. In my experience, this was the biggest difference between the STE Mixed Cable and the Stormbreaker on the Odin.
The following sound impressions are based on my comparison between the IEM's standard cable, the Alpha IV Hybrid (CHF 299) and the STE MIX W16 Cable (CHF 499).
Overall sound of the Valkyrie MK II with the STE Mixed Cable
The sound signature of the Valkyrie MK II with the STE Mixed Cable resulted in a distinctly bass and mid-emphasized or V-shaped sound. The bass is deep and powerful and the bass is powerful. The mids are forward and very detailed. Voices and instruments sounded fantastic and were very detailed with lots of texture. The highs felt relaxed. There was no sibilance or harshness. The soundstage was narrow, not wide.
Comparison with the Alpha IV Hybrid cable
In my opinion, the STE Hybrid cable matches the V-shaped sound signature of the Valkyrie MK II very well. It allows the Valkyrie MK II to maintain its refined V-shape signature with deep sub-bass and crystal clear, slightly forward mids . Compared to the Alpha IV Hybrid, the deep bass is reduced, the basses are equivalent and the mids and highs are less present.
The soundstage is narrower and not as wide. I therefore still prefer the Alpha IV Hybrid cable on the Valkyrie MK II, although the STE Mixed cable is still a very good alternative for reducing the mids and highs compared to the original Empire Ears setup.
Deep Bass & Bass
The bass is still deep and very similar to the Alpha IV Hybrid cable, although it doesn't go as deep. The bass is very similar, but was sometimes a bit more powerful with a shorter decay.
Middle
The mids sounded great and matched the overall V-shaped tuning of the Valkyrie MK II, but were not as forward compared to the Alpha Hybrid IV cable.
Heights
The highs were more relaxed and not as forward compared to the Alpha IV Hybrid cable. I read somewhere on the internet that people find a certain harshness in the treble range. The STE Mixed Cable helps curb these problems if anyone has experienced this hardship.
Soundstage
The soundstage was reduced and was not as wide or high.
The following sound impressions are based on my comparison between the IEM's standard cable, the Genesis (399 CHF) and the STE MIX W16 Cable (499 CHF).
Overall sound image of the Legend EVO with the STE MIX W16 cable
The sound signature of the Legend EVO with the STE Mixed cable resulted in a very bass-focused sound, coupled with emphasized Mids and highs. The bass was deep and the bass was punchy and didn't overwhelm the mids and highs. The mids are still present and retain their high level of detail and smoothness. Voices and instruments sound fantastic.The highs are relaxed and there are no signs of sibilance or harshness. The soundstage was narrow.
Comparison with the Legend EVO with Genesis cable
With the STE mixed cable, the Legend EVO retains its bass-heavy characteristics, but reduces it entire soundstage and allows the mids and highs to recede slightly. Additionally, in my opinion, the influence of the Weapon X-Bone Conduction Driver is also reduced. Overall, I preferred the Genesis cable on the EVO.
Deep Bass & Bass
The low bass is still very present and deep, but it doesn't reach as far as the Genesis cable. The bass is more or less the same and the Legend EVO still retains the same bass structure. Another notable difference was the lower impact of the Weapon
Middle
The mids sounded great, but they weren't as present compared to the EVO with the Genesis cable. You can feel that the mids are now pulled back and lie more evenly in the frequency response curve.
Treble: The highs, like the mids, were a bit more relaxed and not as forward as with the Genesis cable. The highs themselves still felt relaxed.
Soundstage
The soundstage was reduced and was not as wide and high.
Overall sound image of the Kinera Nanna 2.0 with the STE MIX W16 cable
The sound signature of the Legend EVO with the STE Mixed cable resulted in a very bass-driven sound, paired with emphasized mids and highs. The bass was deep and the bass was punchy and didn't overwhelm the mids and highs. The mids are still present and retain their high level of detail and smoothness. Voices and instruments sound fantastic. The highs are relaxed and there are no signs of sibilance or harshness. The soundstage was narrow.
Comparison with the Kinera Nanna 2.0 with standard cable
The STE Mixed cable had the biggest impact on the sound of the Kinera Nanna 2.0 compared to all the other IEMs I tested above.
Compared to the standard Kinera Nanna 2.0 cable, the STE cable builds on the foundations of that cable and makes the Nanna 2.0 even better. The bass was boosted and more detailed, the mids and highs were a little more forward and super detailed.
In my opinion, the STE MIX W16 cable and the STE CU W16 cable had the most positive impact on the Kinera Nanna 2.0. I chose the STE CU W16 over the STE MIX W16 because it offers an even larger soundstage and a slightly deeper sub-bass.
Subbass & Bass
The sub-bass is more extended and deeper compared to the standard cable. The same goes for the bass, which is still punchy but with more power and authority. The overall bass structure is still very detailed.
Middle
The mids have moved a little further forward and have gained more detail.
Heights
Similar to the mids, the highs are also a little more forward and sparkle a little more.
Soundstage
The soundstage has increased in both height and width compared to the standard cable.
Conclusion
The STE MIX W16 is an excellent cable, both sonically and aesthetically. The overall craftsmanship of the cable is excellent and leaves a premium feel. On the Empire Ears IEMs, the STE mixed cable reduced the soundstage slightly and controlled the mids and highs.
On the Kinera Nanna 2.0, the STE MIX W16 boosted the bass and definitely opened up the soundstage a little more, which was a very welcome adjustment for my taste. I preferred using the STE mixed cable on the Kinera than on the Empire Ears IEMs.
Therefore I would like to give it an overall rating of: 8/10
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