Price: 449$
Where to buy: https://www.aresaudiosg.com/product-page/%E9%85%92%E7%9F%B3Sakeishi
Specifications:
28 awg
6n OCC copper, 4n OCC Pure Silver
8-core
PVC + EMI double sleeving sleeving
Standard length 1.25m
Many thanks to Ares Audio for providing this review sample.
Our sample came in 3.5mm gold plated jack and protruded 2-pin connectors.
Premise
Reviewing a cable is not easy. There are myths and unscientific opinions out there and we have to be clear about our method. I’m studying psychology and I know really well how easily we can be biased in our thoughts and impressions. There’s something that science proofs and that’s the limit we’ve decided to put in this review. So, if you are here to know how the sound can be tuned with the Sakeishi, you are in the wrong place. Well, unless you wait until the end of the review.
Unboxing
I never thought a cable could be treated that well in its packaging. The Sakeishi – as well as all the other Ares Audio cables – comes in a metallic branded box, with a bag (also branded) made of juta and some stickers. A leather clip comes already attached to the cable. I love the cure they put in a product which really has that boutique feel that they claim. The cable has metallic inserts (jack cover, y-split) which are now exclusively made for Ares Audio – the previous ones they used were more generic. Amazing choice for a premium brand like that. My only complain is about a missing chin cinch.
Sound
The cable is subtle, but not thin: in fact, there are a lot of braided wires, but differently placed from your usual cables; the result is a larger but lower cable which is nice at the touch and has some personality. The isolation here is great. There are two things about cables which can be heard: microphonics and lower/higher levels of resistance. The Sakeishi doesn’t suffer of microphonics at all, it’s the best cable I’ve ever tried for avoiding cable noise – even directly out of my MacBook Pro, which easily has static noises passing through. The resistance is really low – and consequently is the impedance. Comparing it with other upgrade cables I didn’t feel that much difference (that could have been placebo), but it’s more hearable when compared to super cheap TRN cables, for example (the T90 stock one is so bad you can feel a difference by ear).
Pairing
It might sound stupid to put a 450$ cable onto some cheaper earphones. It’s not. A handmade cable like this is something different from your usual upgrade cable, it is a cuddle for your favourite earphones – and yourself. My IKKO OH1 really paired well with the Sakeishi, matching the palette color (well, at least I think, because I’m colorblind) and not protruding too much – luckily, the Meteor haven’t got extruding 2 pins, so the longer connector of the cable is still acceptable. I liked it too on my BQEYZ Spring 1, yet I regretted not buying the purple version – which would have been amazing with this purple-black cable; the black version is still a looker with it, for sure. The plastic shell of the UFO-112 by UfoEar isn’t the best, and even though those are expensive IEMs, they don’t feel so premium. With a cable like this, they surely give their best – but the cable itself is nicer-looking than the earphones.
… And yet it changes
So, I said the Ufo-112 “give their best” with the Sakeishi. Their stock cable – which is identical to the BQEYZ Spring 1 stock cable – is a nice 8 core which I like in every way. So what did I hear after changing it? The sound I’ve perceived became more analytical and detailed – remember, that’s not something I believe in. For an organic sounding In Ear Monitor, I had the impression of a cable which fed more the balanced armatures than the dynamic driver. That said, I don’t think something like that would be humanly hearable, so take this last paragraph with a grain of salt. The Spring 1 (tribrid piezo/dynamic/BA) didn’t give me any difference.
Let’s keep it respectful
I’m the first to get defensive: I believe in physics (even though I hated it at school), so what I know being physically possible is still my limit – my ears change their perception when I have different moods, but physics always remains the same. That’s because I respect my readers and I don’t want to advertise a product being magical if it isn’t. If you can prove me that my impressions were possible, then we could discuss about it. Until then, I’ll just say that this cable maximizes the volume and darkens the background, which is everything possibly improvable by a cable.
Conclusions
I can’t spend bad words about the Sakeishi. Not everyone would pay hundreds of dollars on a cable, and I’m not here to say that something like this is worth it or not for you. When a product is fully handmade and customized as your preference, it uses the most premium materials and it comes with a cured packaging like that, I’d even say it is worth its price. I’m in love with it. I’ll pair it with future – and more premium – arrivals on this portal, so stay tuned.
Pros
Touch and feel
Connectors
Materials
Short but functional hooks
No microphonics
Cons
No chin slider