I just got into the IEM "hobby" about ten months ago. If you would've said to me a year ago; MMCX, QDC, Simgot, Linsoul, Wan'er, Letshuoer, Spinfit, Spring Tips, Final Type E, Tripowin, Hiby, iFi, Fiio or KZ, I would have had no idea what the F you were talking about. Now, though ...my family thinks I'm crazy and wonders why I need so many earbuds, cables and eartips lol! Thanks for the great review!!
Nice review as always, might I just say based on your video, the connectors (both the 2 pins and the jack termination) look more of tin cans if you get what I see which personally diminishes the entire look for me. Otherwise it seems a nice cable if you want to color match cables with certain iems like the aful p5. To more iem cable reviews to come definitely a great review!
I used this for being thinner on my monarch mk2, but found the bass dive lot less deeper and the voice becomes thinner. So i went back to the original cable.
is there any technical benefits for the Petrichor vs Amber, or only if you like the visual designs more? Im looking to upgrade to modular cable from my Zonie, and been loving the Zonies 16-core feel and softness wich is in design same as the amber, right?
Yes the Zonie and the Amber have a similar feel. Both cables are good. The Petrichor’s build is a little more solid in my opinion, but it really doesn’t make any real difference in the end. If you are looking for that 16-core softness, get the Amber.
Just my opinion, but I'm skeptical that IEMs benefit much from balanced cables. Theoretically, if you are using a source device that is "fully balanced" at the 4.4mm headphone out while simultaneously keeping the output impedance and noise floor both very low, there may be a very small increase in audio quality for IEMs. However, I would say in many cases a fully balanced source device has an increased output impedance and noise level vs. its single-ended output which, in theory, makes it worse for IEMs. I also think that when people claim they hear a noticeable difference in sound, they may be actually hearing how the increased output impedance changes the response of the IEM as the impedance mismatch now falls outside the rule of eights (your source output impedance should be 1/8 or lower than the headphone's impedance). For example, the Fiio K11 has a single-ended output impedance of 1.2 ohms, which means it's ok for IEMs with impedance above 1.2 x 8 = 9.6 ohms. Most IEMs are above that. The K11 balanced 4.4mm output is 2.4 ohms, so now your IEM needs to have an impedance greater than 2.4 x 8 = 19.2 ohms. It isn't rare for certain IEMs to be 16 ohms or lower, if you plugged one of these into the K11's 4.4mm, you're going to get an unintended change in response, usually increased bass and decreased mid/treble. Not to mention almost double the noise as well on the K11 example (2.8uV vs. 4.9uV). My guess is that some people like the way the impedance mismatched IEM/source sounds better than what the IEM "normally" sounds like, and then say things like the balanced connection "opens up" the sound of their IEM, or that it "comes alive" from the extra "power". Again, that's just a guess and my opinion. For myself, I don't really hear a benefit. You can test this yourself by getting an impedance adapter and seeing how it changes the way your IEM sounds. Personally, since I mostly use IEMs and not hard-to-drive headphones, I try to use sources with very low output impedance and noise. That's just me, and if people prefer balanced, for whatever reason may be behind it, that's perfectly fine too, since what only really matters at the end of the day is what sounds better better to you. Other people just like the 4.4mm connector, or maybe they have hard-to-drive headphones that benefit from the extra power in their collection alongside IEMs, and want to use 4.4mm exclusively on all their devices for convenience. So yeah, I think there's a good number of people in the hobby using 4.4mm.
@@IEMCableReviews Sir, there is some serious business in here with this comment and all the info you give. As a new watcher of your channel, is great to see how you take the time to make an answer so elaborate to someone's question. Something that others would have dispatch with a short and simple answer, you turned it into a nice technical lesson. I know that maybe is too soon to think about it, and you need to review some more cables, but would be great to see a list of the best ones or the ones you would recommend above all. I'm so new to the hobby that I still wating for my Hiby R4 to arrive and today I just receive my first pair of (pretty cheap) IEMs. I've found your channel looking up for a good cable to buy too. Specially modular to have more options and I can't decide. The Lyre mini looks great for the price, but the microphonics worry me. Although I could use it only to the momenta that I can relax and hear music without much movement. The Kinera ones looks a bit expensive in comparison but they seem to have a great quality. So I still looking up for the right decision. What would be your recommendation based on your experience? Thanks for your work and the help you give with your reviews. 😊
![5 BEST RGB PSU CABLES of [2024]](/img/n.gif)
I just got into the IEM "hobby" about ten months ago. If you would've said to me a year ago; MMCX, QDC, Simgot, Linsoul, Wan'er, Letshuoer, Spinfit, Spring Tips, Final Type E, Tripowin, Hiby, iFi, Fiio or KZ, I would have had no idea what the F you were talking about. Now, though ...my family thinks I'm crazy and wonders why I need so many earbuds, cables and eartips lol!
Thanks for the great review!!
Lol! Variety is the spice of life!
Nice review needed someone for cables 👍🏼
I just got an artti a5 and a9, those are some really nice thicc two wire cables. I have one on my supermix 4 and ea500lm.
Nice review as always, might I just say based on your video, the connectors (both the 2 pins and the jack termination) look more of tin cans if you get what I see which personally diminishes the entire look for me. Otherwise it seems a nice cable if you want to color match cables with certain iems like the aful p5.
To more iem cable reviews to come definitely a great review!
Yeah I agree, I think the silver anodized color makes the hardware look cheap. Thanks for the support!
Hey sir, thank for the review if you remember me hahaha
😊Your suggestion was a good one.
I used this for being thinner on my monarch mk2, but found the bass dive lot less deeper and the voice becomes thinner. So i went back to the original cable.
is there any technical benefits for the Petrichor vs Amber, or only if you like the visual designs more? Im looking to upgrade to modular cable from my Zonie, and been loving the Zonies 16-core feel and softness wich is in design same as the amber, right?
Yes the Zonie and the Amber have a similar feel. Both cables are good. The Petrichor’s build is a little more solid in my opinion, but it really doesn’t make any real difference in the end. If you are looking for that 16-core softness, get the Amber.
@@IEMCableReviews Thank you for your opinion! and keep up the good work, really nice to see someone specializing to cables!
@@Lopiasd Thanks for watching!
Great review. Any chance you can review the Tripowin Noire?
I’ll see if I can get my hands on one.
Will you review the Tripowin Jelly at some point? interested to compare.
I thought the Jelly was just a color of Zonie. Is it a different cable than the Zonie?
I'm curious how many people in the hobby actually used 4.4mm balanced
Just my opinion, but I'm skeptical that IEMs benefit much from balanced cables. Theoretically, if you are using a source device that is "fully balanced" at the 4.4mm headphone out while simultaneously keeping the output impedance and noise floor both very low, there may be a very small increase in audio quality for IEMs. However, I would say in many cases a fully balanced source device has an increased output impedance and noise level vs. its single-ended output which, in theory, makes it worse for IEMs. I also think that when people claim they hear a noticeable difference in sound, they may be actually hearing how the increased output impedance changes the response of the IEM as the impedance mismatch now falls outside the rule of eights (your source output impedance should be 1/8 or lower than the headphone's impedance).
For example, the Fiio K11 has a single-ended output impedance of 1.2 ohms, which means it's ok for IEMs with impedance above 1.2 x 8 = 9.6 ohms. Most IEMs are above that. The K11 balanced 4.4mm output is 2.4 ohms, so now your IEM needs to have an impedance greater than 2.4 x 8 = 19.2 ohms. It isn't rare for certain IEMs to be 16 ohms or lower, if you plugged one of these into the K11's 4.4mm, you're going to get an unintended change in response, usually increased bass and decreased mid/treble. Not to mention almost double the noise as well on the K11 example (2.8uV vs. 4.9uV). My guess is that some people like the way the impedance mismatched IEM/source sounds better than what the IEM "normally" sounds like, and then say things like the balanced connection "opens up" the sound of their IEM, or that it "comes alive" from the extra "power". Again, that's just a guess and my opinion. For myself, I don't really hear a benefit. You can test this yourself by getting an impedance adapter and seeing how it changes the way your IEM sounds.
Personally, since I mostly use IEMs and not hard-to-drive headphones, I try to use sources with very low output impedance and noise. That's just me, and if people prefer balanced, for whatever reason may be behind it, that's perfectly fine too, since what only really matters at the end of the day is what sounds better better to you.
Other people just like the 4.4mm connector, or maybe they have hard-to-drive headphones that benefit from the extra power in their collection alongside IEMs, and want to use 4.4mm exclusively on all their devices for convenience. So yeah, I think there's a good number of people in the hobby using 4.4mm.
@@IEMCableReviews Good to know 👍
@@IEMCableReviews Sir, there is some serious business in here with this comment and all the info you give.
As a new watcher of your channel, is great to see how you take the time to make an answer so elaborate to someone's question. Something that others would have dispatch with a short and simple answer, you turned it into a nice technical lesson.
I know that maybe is too soon to think about it, and you need to review some more cables, but would be great to see a list of the best ones or the ones you would recommend above all.
I'm so new to the hobby that I still wating for my Hiby R4 to arrive and today I just receive my first pair of (pretty cheap) IEMs.
I've found your channel looking up for a good cable to buy too. Specially modular to have more options and I can't decide. The Lyre mini looks great for the price, but the microphonics worry me. Although I could use it only to the momenta that I can relax and hear music without much movement.
The Kinera ones looks a bit expensive in comparison but they seem to have a great quality. So I still looking up for the right decision.
What would be your recommendation based on your experience?
Thanks for your work and the help you give with your reviews. 😊
which is better between this and tripowin noire?
I haven’t reviewed the Noire yet although I am planning to soon.
The best sounding cable! Zonie adds too much thickness/bass.
Which IEM did you notice this on?
@@IEMCableReviews Q1 Pro, EA500LM, MP145, PR2, Hola, Heyday, OG Olina.
I wish the hardware was black or “gun metal”