# TOUR CLOSED - Han Sound Audio Premium Upgrade IEM Cables Head-Fi Tour - Starting May 2018



## Barra (May 23, 2018)

After all the TOTL CIEM tours I have hosted, I have only once seen a cable that matches the quality of the featured TOTL CIEM regardless of price. Some are garbage, some are good enough, but none seem to be premium enough to leave as is. The cable look can make or break the experience. There are a few notable exceptions that offer multiple connectors to fit our assortment of connection needs - thank you DITA - but mostly there is only a 3.5mm option that will not work with our balanced Sony/AK DAPs to hear our toys at their best. Of course, many swear by the improved SQ or signature tuning that premium cables offer. For all these reasons and more, premium cables become an obvious question after a TOTL CIEM purchase.

Music Sanctuary and Han Sound Audio has graciously offered to provide a compelling tour kit that tour members can audition to see just what a premium cable can do for their new CIEM purchase.













PURCHASE AT: https://music-sanctuary.com/collections/han-sound-audio

*US Premium IEM Cable Tour, Featuring:*

Music Sanctuary and Han Sound Audio is providing us with a nice full range of cables terminated in balanced AK2.5 with a 3.5mm and a 4.4mm adaptor so we can listen on all our gear.

*Cables*:

*Venom *(4-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced *($1,999 SGD)*
Mono-crystal gold-silver alloy, together with a high density woven mesh shielding wrapped around the conducting wires that still maintains a high degree of flexibility

*Aurora *(6-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced (*$1,249 SGD*)
24.5 AWG 6 wire OCC Gold-Silver alloy and OCC Pure Silver cable hybrid

*Redcore* (8-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced (*$649 SGD*)
A combination of OCC silver and OCC copper wiring, with double insulation of TPE and TPEE, providing a unique shielding effect of the wiring.

*Agni *(4-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced (*$479 SGD*)
24.5 AWG pure OCC Silver cable with supple PVC insulation

*Zen (*8-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced *($349 SGD) *
Made of single crystal copper in OCC multi-strand LITZ configuration, with DuPont Kevlar 200 wire core

*Zen* (4-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced *($229 SGD) *
Made of single crystal copper in OCC multi-strand LITZ configuration, with DuPont Kevlar 200 wire core

*Muse II *(4-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced *($249 SGD) *
OCC silver plated copper in multi-strand LITZ configuration, coupled with DuPont Kevlar 200 wire core for strength
*Adapters*:

2.5mm balanced female to 3.5mm male
2.5mm balanced female to 4.4mm balanced male

*Tour Kit Pictures:

  

*


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## koven

I'd like to participate!


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## Barra (May 23, 2018)

Tour Participation Rules and Responsibilities  (7 Day Audition)
The participant list is organized logistically for each kit to minimize shipping costs starting from Seattle and the East Coast. The tour will begin with the first in the list for a 7-day audition. Thereafter they will be responsible to deliver or ship the demo kit to the next participant in the list.

*Participant Qualifications*
To be eligible for the tour, all participants need to provide four types of contact information to verify identity and shipping address:

*State Issued Photo ID*: We need a picture of your driver's license or other qualified ID with photo and that reflects your home/shipping address.
*Phone Bill*: We need to verify your phone number and address with a photo of a current phone bill showing your phone number and address which matches your ID.
*Email Address*: We will be managing the tours through email which requires an email that you can respond to within 24 hours.
*Backup Contact Info (Choose One of the Two):*
*Employer*: Name, Address, and Phone - or
*Relative*: Name, Address, and Phone

This information must be emailed to billb@ClearDiff.com before your name will be added to the participant list. 

*Prequalification*: If you have already provided this information to join one of my other tours, you are good for one year prequalifying for my other tours. However, if it has been on file for over a year, you will need to resubmit to remain current.

*Qualification Exemptions (thru @BulldogXTRM)*: If you wish to join the tour, but cannot provide this information - you can contact Mike Brunner (@BulldogXTRM ) at bulldogxtrm@gmail.com with options for equivalent verification options that work for you to receive an exception. Please cc billb@cleardiff.com to keep me in the loop as we work thorugh this exception process. Our goal is to keep you on the tour so we will work with you to make it happen, but we need a way to verify the shipping address and phone number.
*
Information Security*: All personal information will be safeguarded by @Barra and will be deleted by request after the tour or by withdrawing from the tour. The information is stored on my personal computer is will not be shared with anyone other than to provide your contact/shipping information to the participant before you so that they can ship the kit your direction. You will be introduced in an email. Retained information is good for a year to join additional tours hosted by @Barra.

*Individual Responsibilities*
Participants must understand and agree to these responsibilities listed below as well as take them seriously. Those that do not follow through with the agreed upon responsibilities will be blacklisted from all future tours. Please do not sign up for the tour if you feel there is any reason that you cannot live up to this commitment.

*Communicate*: Those in the tour will be expected to be reasonably available to communicate in tour proceedings. Phone, PMs, and email should be responded to within 24 hours maximum. Failure to do so may negate your eligibility and potentially blacklist you from future tours.
*Protect*: Participants are responsible for the value of the kit while in their care and will be expected to reimburse the manufacturer for any losses due to participant negligence. The kits should be handled with care and protected from theft. Each participant is responsible for the kit from signed receipt to signed receipt. While the manufacturer accepts responsibility in the case of shipper losses if you ship signature required, participants are still responsible for managing the shipper loss process to its conclusion until the proceedings are concluded. Providing tracking information and following the rules is critical in determining where your responsibility stops.
*Follow the Rules*: Each participant is expected to follow the rules listed below exactly:
*At Receipt of Tour Kit*: We need to know that the tour kit was received immediately to release the last participant from responsibility.
*Confirm Receipt within 24 Hours*: Please confirm receipt on the existing email thread with myself and the sender within 24 hours so both myself and the previous party knows that the transfer is complete.
*Introduction to Next Participant*: I will then initiate an email thread with you and the next participant to arrange to ship at the end of your seven-day audition. It is your responsibility to remind me within 48 hours if there is no response and I will remove them from the tour and provide you with the next participant’s info.
*Visibility*: Please always respond to emails “Reply All” so that I have visibility into the shipping process.
*Be Ready to Ship on Day 8*: It is also your responsibility to ensure that you have shipped the kit to the next participant on the 8th day, so please be diligent in contacting and communicating with the next participant. Never send a kit to someone that has not responded.
*Communicate Problems/Issues*: If needed, you can always reach me directly at my email me at billb@cleardiff.com .

*Impressions/Review (Optional)*: While optional, to keep things interesting on the tour, any impressions or insight that you can post in the thread would be greatly appreciated. Full reviews are even more appreciated.
*Ship on Day 8*:
*Verified Recipient*: It is your responsibility to verify the recipient before shipping through your communications. If you sense any issues, please contact me before shipping.
*Verified Address*: I will provide you with the verified address in our email. It is important to make sure that you only mail to the verified address unless the two of you get an exception from me first.
*Signature Required*: You must ship signature required (or insured) to avoid the responsibility of shipper mishaps. The manufacturer will assume responsibility if you follow the rules.
*Shipper Confirmation #*: You must provide the recipient and me with the confirmation number within 24 hours of shipping. This will allow the recipient to play receipt with signature required.

*Responsibility Ends on Signed Receipt*: Your responsibility ends when the shipper posts a signed receipt from the recipient.

*Tour Signup*
This is an open tour which we expect to support all requests to participate. To make this possible, we are requiring complete contact info up front. So, to sign up for this tour you will need to do two things:

*Post*: Please post your name, city, and state only – no personal address in the public forum – and then declare that you agree to follow the terms of the tour. 

*Example Signup Post*: *From Barra*_: I live in Anthem, AZ and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to follow the terms of the tour._
*Email*: Please email your complete contact info as detailed below to my personal email - billb@cleardiff.com:
*Head-Fi Name: Please remember to include your Head-Fi alias so that I can match your email to your Head-Fi identity.*
*Subject Line Format: *HeadFi Name - Your Name
*Contact Info*:
*State Issued Photo ID*: We need a picture of your driver's license or other qualified ID with photo and that reflects your home/shipping address.
*Phone Bill*: We need to verify your phone number and address with a photo of a current phone bill showing your phone number and address which matches your ID.
*Email Address*: We will be managing the tours through email which requires an email that you can respond to within 24 hours.
*Backup Contact Info (Choose One of the Two):*
*Employer*: Name, Address, and Phone - or
*Relative*: Name, Address, and Phone



That’s it. We reserve the right to turn down the application if we find a cause but hope to accommodate all those US Head-Fi’ers that are interested. If you follow these instructions, you are in.

Signups begin now, and will remain open during the tour welcoming late comers. However, we reserve the right to end signups at any time so please don’t hesitate or you may lose out. The tour will start when we have enough participants to create a reasonable list. Have fun!


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## Barra (Sep 4, 2018)

*Han Sound Tour Participant List*
We hope to gather our list over the next few weeks to build logistics into our tour order. However, the tour will be starting in Seattle first and may start before we close our participation requests. We may add more as it makes sense, but later logistics will be first come first serve so likely to make postage more expensive. The good news is that we will do our best to accommodate all US Head-Fiers that wish to participate.

*US Tour: (Logistical Order)*

*Name: Location:*

*West Coast Tour Kit*

*@Barra - Anthem, AZ*
*@koven - Santa Clara, CA >>> Received from @Barra : 7/13/18, Introduced 7/17/18, Shipped to @hattrick15 : 7/21/18*
*@hattrick15 - Palo Alto, CA >>> Received from @koven :?*
*@bvng3540 - Bothell, WA >>> Received from @hattrick15 : 7/23/18, Introduced to @Land-O-The-Free : 7/30/18, Shipped to @Land-O-The-Free : 7/31/18 *
*@Land-O-The-Free - East Wenatchee, WA >>> Received from @bvng3540 : 8/3/18, Introduced to @Blueshound24 : 8/7/18, Shipped to @Blueshound24 : ?*
*@Blueshound24 - Sioux Falls, SD >>> Received from @Land-O-The-Free : 8/15/18, Introduced to @lotech : 8/15/18, Shipped to @lotech : ?*
*@lotech - Frisco, Texas >>> Received from @Blueshound24 : 8/24/18, introduced to @San Man : 8/26/18, Shipped to @San Man : 9/1/18*
*@San Man - Honolulu, HI >>> Received from @lotech : 9/3/18*
*East Coast Tour Kit*

*@Barra - Anthem, AZ*
*@BulldogXTRM - Gonzales, LA >>> Shipped to @ngoshawk : 7/6/18*
*@ngoshawk - Warrensburg, MO >>> Received from @BulldogXTRM : 7/14/18, Shipped to @Ike1985 : ?*
*@Ike1985 - Elizabethtown, KY >>> Received from @ngoshawk : 7/24/18, Introduced to @faithguy19 : 7/30/18, Shipped to @faithguy19 : 7/31/18*
*@faithguy19 - Merrillville, IN >>> Received from @Ike1985 : 8/7/18, Introduced to @hung031086 : 8/7/18, Shipped to @hung031086 : 8/16/18*
*@hung031086 - Madison, WI >>> Received from @faithguy19 : 8/17/18, introduced to @doctorjazz : 8/26/18, Shipped to @doctorjazz : ?*
*@doctorjazz - Westfield, NJ >>> Received from @hung031086 : ?*
*@ctsooner22 - Berlin, CT  >>> Skipped due to travel requirements*


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## Barra (May 23, 2018)

Reviews and Impressions

Coming soon!


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## Barra (May 23, 2018)

Example Participation Request

I live in Anthem, AZ and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to follow the terms of the tour. I will have emailed my required ID verification documentation to billb@cleardiff.com.


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## San Man

Count me in B!


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## koven

I live in Santa Clara, CA and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to follow the terms of the tour. 

P.S. Any chance for them to include a 2pin to MMCX adapter?


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## faithguy19

I live in Merrillville, IN and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to the terms of the tour. Information already sent as well.


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## Land-O-The-Free

I live in East Wenatchee, WA and would like to participate! I agree to the terms and conditions.


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## San Man

I live in Honolulu Hawaii and I agree to the terms and conditions of the tour.


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## Layman1

@Barra 
Apologies if this is an annoying question, but would there be any consideration of doing a UK/EU tour for these? 
Am currently on the UK/EU tours for UM Mason v3 and Rhapsodio Zombie, and I've been dying to have a chance to get a proper listening session with some high quality cables allowing me to compare a variety of materials and builds!
No harm to ask, right?


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## Barra

Layman1 said:


> @Barra
> Apologies if this is an annoying question, but would there be any consideration of doing a UK/EU tour for these?
> Am currently on the UK/EU tours for UM Mason v3 and Rhapsodio Zombie, and I've been dying to have a chance to get a proper listening session with some high quality cables allowing me to compare a variety of materials and builds!
> No harm to ask, right?


I personally have limited my tours to the US due to logistics. We even get in trouble crossing the border into Canada which seems silly. However, with all the tours that I am hearing about over there in the EU, someone is likely to be able to manage it if they as directly.


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## Barra

koven said:


> I live in Santa Clara, CA and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to follow the terms of the tour.
> 
> P.S. Any chance for them to include a 2pin to MMCX adapter?


Wasn't aware of any such MMCX adapter, would be interesting but this wasn't offered.


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## BulldogXTRM (May 23, 2018)

I'm in. I live in Gonzales, LA and @Barra has my information.


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## Layman1

Barra said:


> I personally have limited my tours to the US due to logistics. We even get in trouble crossing the border into Canada which seems silly. However, with all the tours that I am hearing about over there in the EU, someone is likely to be able to manage it if they as directly.



@Barra 
Thanks for the swift reply! 
Would you be able to provide an email address for me to contact the appropriate person? 
You're welcome to PM me if that's better for you.
Thanks either way!


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## bvng3540

I live in Bothell, WA and would like to participate! I agree to the terms and conditions, Barra has all my require info from other tours thanks.


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## lotech (May 23, 2018)

I'm interested Live in DFW area texas, I agree to all terms and conditions of the tour. Barra has my information from 64 Audio tour.


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## natemact

Barra said:


> I personally have limited my tours to the US due to logistics. We even get in trouble crossing the border into Canada which seems silly. However, with all the tours that I am hearing about over there in the EU, someone is likely to be able to manage it if they as directly.


So strictly an in house thing? Sucks to be Canadian. It's a rare feeling tho, which is why it hurts so

Looking forward to impressions and curious what shade of itself the Redcore will end up once completed. I assumed it would end up dingy over time and wrote it off as a result.
Then again maybe I'm just filthier than the average man   On second thought, Good thing I'm not on the tour


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## doctorjazz

$2K cable!!!
OK, dangerous, but I'd like to be included.
In Westfield NJ, should have my info from the last tour, thanks!


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## ngoshawk

Yes, please.

As per your posting in 64Audio U12t your thread, you have all of my information.

Thanks @Barra !


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## ctsooner22

I'd love to be involved here if possible. I know you have my info from the other tour.  I can resend if needed. Pete


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## hung031086 (May 23, 2018)

I live in Madison, WI and would like to participate. I agree to the terms and conditions.
Btw, i think you got my info. Do you need ne to send to you again ?


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## Ike1985

I live in Elizabethtown Ky, I agree to the terms of the tour.  The redcore has been on my shortlist to hear along with Janus D for some time.

Thank You


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## tim0chan

Barra said:


> Wasn't aware of any such MMCX adapter, would be interesting but this wasn't offered.


I am sure @Kozato could cook one up


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## hattrick15

I live in Palo Alto, CA and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to follow the terms of the tour.  You have all my info from previous tours.


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## Blueshound24

I live in Sioux Falls, SD and would like to participate in the tour. I agree to follow the terms of the tour and I have emailed my required ID verification documentation to billb@cleardiff.com on the prior tours. Thanks.


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## BulldogXTRM

I received the kit in good condition with the exception of the 2.5-3.5mm adapter having a short in it. Barra was notified and I'm trying to figure out if we're going to hold shipping to the next person while we receive a replacement.

This is my first foray into high end IEM cables, so I only have stock cables as a reference point. Bear that in mind when you read my thoughts.
Initial thoughts... 

These are some amazing looking cables. All of them seem well built and felt very durable.
The cables that stuck out to me were the Aurora, Redcore, and the Agni. The Venom to me was to close to call with the Aurora so I'm lumping them together.

Tested with InEarz Euphoria, 64Audio U10, 64Audio U18t
The Venom and Aurora - full range sound, wider sound stage, increased clarity across the board.
The Redcore was probably my favorite, it was an amazing cable which also seemed to have an added level of durability. The sound was very close to the Aurora and Venom, but with better instrument placement. My Euphoria's low end was tamed a bit and lost a little warmth (they're a very warm IEM so this was a good thing.) I felt like I finally got to hear all of my IEM's they way they were meant to be heard.
The AGNI added a little to the mids and top end of the Euphoria's given me the feeling of pulling back on the low end like the Redcore. The top end was slightly increased with the U10 and U18t as well. 
The last one that I really liked was the Zen 8-wire. I felt like bang for the buck these were the best choice for anyone not wanting to spend $500 on the Redcore. They were an improvement all around over my stock cables. Very balanced sound very similar to the Redcore but just a little bit more veiled in the top end.

That being said, I'm going to be saving some pennies and probably purchasing the Redcore.


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## Barra

Sorry for the slow start guys, we are waiting on the final parts to the kits and we will officially kick this tour off. Hope to be launched officially by next week.

As you can see from @BulldogXTRM 's comments, these are wonderful cables. I am really enjoying all of them for different reasons.    - Bill


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## BulldogXTRM

Good News! @Barra sent me a tracking number for the replacement adapter so things should be rolling shortly. I'll take a couple of days to go through the cables with the new adapter and if all goes well, then I'll be shipping them out to @ngoshawk by the end of next week. Happy listening guys!


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## Barra

Have to say, I am going to have trouble letting these cables go to tour..... have really been enjoying them. But we should be kicking off soon. @BulldogXTRM and I should be shipping out about the same time once we have a chance to play with the full kit.


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## Blueshound24

Hi @Barra and @BulldogXTRM is it too late to join this tour? 
If not, please sign me up. I live in Sioux Falls, SD and agree to the terms and conditions of the tour.


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## Barra

Blueshound24 said:


> Hi @Barra and @BulldogXTRM is it too late to join this tour?
> If not, please sign me up. I live in Sioux Falls, SD and agree to the terms and conditions of the tour.


Of course not, happy to have you. Added to the end of the east coast tour kit.


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## Barra

Blueshound24 said:


> Hi @Barra and @BulldogXTRM is it too late to join this tour?
> If not, please sign me up. I live in Sioux Falls, SD and agree to the terms and conditions of the tour.


Actually, you were already added to the tour with the west coast kit, removing from east.


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## BulldogXTRM

Shipped yesterday to @ngoshawk. I'll email you and @Barra the tracking info. Signature required.


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## ngoshawk

BulldogXTRM said:


> Shipped yesterday to @ngoshawk. I'll email you and @Barra the tracking info. Signature required.



I am in possession of the east coast kit. It arrived while I was out of town. I will still ship Monday, as per tour rules. The only cable I have listened to is of course the Venom. I will do my best to listen to all, but I doubt that will happen. Thank you for setting this up, I have enjoyed all of the tours you have done @Barra.

@Ike1985, PM me your address again, and I will look in my PM’s as we have shipped gear to each other both ways...cheers.


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## bvng3540

Just wondering who have the west coast kit


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## Barra

bvng3540 said:


> Just wondering who have the west coast kit


Sorry guys/gals, this tour has gotten off to a late start, but we have definitely started. @koven has the west coast kit now and @ngoshawk has the east coast kit. Will be properly updated soon.

BTW, these cables are stellar. I have really enjoyed the entire set and will get some impressions up soon. As a hint, they are all awesome.


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## bvng3540

West coast kit received, everything look good and accounted for


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## Ike1985

I have the east coast tour. Havent examined everything yet, will report back on condition-seems fine though.  I can day for sure based on what I've heard here...Han Sound is vastly underrated and under discussed.  The Venom is incredible, the redcore is a guilty pleasure for me but the venom is unbelievable.  It's late so I'll just screencap a private convo.  More detail to come soon.  Venom is definitely getting a formal review.  Thank you so much for this opportunity.  I haven felt this good about a tour since I heard the the U18/Fourte the for the first time.  Wow just wow.


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## koven

I also thought the Venom was amazing. Aurora was my second favorite. They're all beautiful cables and agreed on being underrated.


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## doctorjazz

Can I get on the end of this tour as well  Thanks!


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## BulldogXTRM

The venom and aurora were both phenomenal cables but I fell in love with the redcore. It just to me had something that I felt as well as heard that was a bit different and it worked well with every IEM I own. The Venom and Aurora both were hit and miss for me depending on the IEM.


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## Ike1985

I didnt read anything about the venom and it turns out my impressions match dead on with the product description.  I failed to mention the utterly black background but it's most definitely there.  Cant wait to wakeup and listen in the morning.


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## Ike1985 (Jul 24, 2018)

BulldogXTRM said:


> The venom and aurora were both phenomenal cables but I fell in love with the redcore. It just to me had something that I felt as well as heard that was a bit different and it worked well with every IEM I own. The Venom and Aurora both were hit and miss for me depending on the IEM.



If I had to guess, I could imagine the venom not sounding so good with very airy sounding IEMs-complete guess though.  The redcore is great, such solid images, dense, heavy, thick mid bass, visceral sound, very detailed too.  Very cool. The redcore is sounding like one of the best all around values.  I could also see it matching well with many IEMs.


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## koven

The weird Venom termination did bug me a bit though... the 3.5mm plug just kind of dangles there..?


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## Ike1985 (Jul 24, 2018)

I'd imagine you can order it without both but that would defeat the purpose since the other is a ground.

Is the venom provided in the tour the revised or original tuning?

I am limiting myself to 3 days to keep the tour moving.  Being out of town held everything up.


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## bvng3540

I just don't know what in the venom, but it sounded so good with my iem, sounded way better than EA leonidas


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## Barra

doctorjazz said:


> Can I get on the end of this tour as well  Thanks!


Of course, adding now.


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## Barra

doctorjazz said:


> Can I get on the end of this tour as well  Thanks!


Ops, you are already on this tour. Did you mean you wanted to be moved later or just losing track?


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## doctorjazz (Jul 25, 2018)

Oops, just lost track , my bad...


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## Ike1985

bvng3540 said:


> I just don't know what in the venom, but it sounded so good with my iem, sounded way better than EA leonidas



I'd say its the emi/rf isolation, maybe this is part of the reason Zeus xiv has such holographic 3d vocals, it has isolation technology around the drivers themselves. The venom makes vocals sound holographic and ultra detailed as well.


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## Land-O-The-Free (Aug 4, 2018)

WCK arrived safe and sound!


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## faithguy19

As of last night I finally was able to pick up the ECK from the post office.  Can't wait to try these out!


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## faithguy19

My time with these awesome cables is unfortunately at an end.  As is usually the case with these things you never get as much time with them as you would like but I did come away impressed with what I heard.  Using the cables with my noble sage I particularly enjoyed the Aurora, Redcore, and Zen 8-wire copper cables.  Having had to get rid of my Atlas recently I had been missing the bass presence with the Noble sage.  Thankfully the Zen 8 which I tried first really scratched that itch.  Now, admittedly, I would not classify this as balanced in any way and the bass would have been too overpowering for many audiophiles.  But like I said it put a smile on my face.  I also enjoyed the redcore which I found to be a little more balanced for my Sage than the Zen 8.  It still had a bit of elevated bass compared to stock cable but not as much boost as the copper.  Overall, I found it to be a solid upgrade but not something I absolutely had to have.  My favorite though was the Aurora.  Something about it just paired beautifully with my Sage and believe it or not I think I enjoyed it more than the venom.  The more cables I try the more I realize that finding that right match for your specific iem is really important.  Unfortunately for me, the Aurora is more expensive than the iem I was using.  But it sure sounded beautiful.  Thanks for this opportunity.  I will be shipping the cables today or tomorrow to @hung031086.


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## Blueshound24

Ike1985 said:


> I'd imagine you can order it without both but that would defeat the purpose *since the other is a ground*.
> 
> Is the venom provided in the tour the revised or original tuning?




So how is the other plug supposed to be used as a ground?


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## Barra

Blueshound24 said:


> So how is the other plug supposed to be used as a ground?


It was made for an AK DAP and plugs into the 3.5mm plug for the ground while using the 2.5mm for a balanced signal. You can still use the 2.5mm without the additional shielded ground and it sounds great. The extra plug just dangles in this case. The Venum is my favorite cable to date and sounded good with everything - wish I would have tried the active shielding option on my AK100ii, but never tried given my fascination/preferences for my other daps.


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## Blueshound24

Barra said:


> It was made for an AK DAP and plugs into the 3.5mm plug for the ground while using the 2.5mm for a balanced signal. You can still use the 2.5mm without the additional shielded ground and it sounds great. The extra plug just dangles in this case. The Venum is my favorite cable to date and sounded good with everything - wish I would have tried the active shielding option on my AK100ii, but never tried given my fascination/preferences for my other daps.



That is what I was thinking, but wanted to find out for sure. I will have to try it on my AK 100 II


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## hung031086

I received cables from @faithguy19 today and just opened the box. Everything looks good. The venom looks very interesting. I think i will have some fun time with these this weekend


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## lotech (Aug 24, 2018)

Received kit this morning when I got to work. Appears that everything is here with the exception of the price sheet that's in hung031086's picture above.
I'm starting out with the Aurora which has absolutely gorgeous look and feel for a 6 wire cable, very supple, no microphonics.
I'm not sure about the effect on sound, it's subtle that's for sure. The problem I have with these kinds of auditions is I concentrate so much on the 'sound' that I begin to lose
the music. More to come later.


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## lotech

Cables sent to San Man this morning. Thoughts to follow


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## San Man

Cables arrived today.   Box looks a little smashed but everything inside seems to be ok.


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## lotech

And that was a new box! 
glad it wasn't anything fragile


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## Barra (Nov 24, 2018)

>>> Still a work in process, will complete as I can.
Han Sound Upgrade IEM Cable US Tour Wrap Up
This was a wonderful tour and from what I have been hearing has resulted in a large number of purchases. The lineup performance overall was outstanding and top tier when compared to other manufacturers. It was easy to hear the enhancement in SQ for all my CIEMs. However, it doesn't stop there, the cables have that jewelry-like quality to them that make you proud to show them off.

Prior to packaging them up to ship back, I took some additional time to listen through the lineup to add some final impressions on CIEM pairing. You will notice that I had to cut out the lower end options to have time to run through the lineup which is a shame as they were outstanding as well. Wish I had some review samples and some more time to do these impressions justice. Impressions are ordered top down in order of best pairings.

*Final Thoughts on CIEM Pairing*:

*Venom *(4-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced *($1,999 SGD)*
Mono-crystal gold-silver alloy, together with a high density woven mesh shielding wrapped around the conducting wires that still maintains a high degree of flexibility
*Impressions*: My favorite by far, this wire is the bomb.... it sounds wonderful with everything I throw at it. There is a clarity that is intoxicating which provides an incredibly black background with a significant boost in dynamics. This allows you to hear deep inside your music as well as to have a musical fun factor. If I could only have one cable, this would be the one as it pairs so well with everything I own. 
*A18*: The best pairing...  My A18 scales like crazy and allows you to hear every advantage you provide it. This larger gauge cable with neutral tuning brings power to my 18. It gives weight to even the finest of sounds that allow you to hear them clearly making the soundstage coherent throughout the spectrum. This provides natural sizing to the players on stage and a full sized front row positioning. This cable makes the stock cable feel like it is bottlenecking the 18's performance - especially when scaled to a desktop source or when adding a nice amp.
*Legend X*: Second best pairing... The LX is a hybrid configuration with double dynamic subwoofers that perform better with greater power. Again, the Venom as a larger gauge cable is allowing the power to pass unimpeded so even lower power sources sound better. However, add a powerful amp and this CIEM can sing with the Venom. The Venom makes the LX sound more Zeus like in its pairing with monster low-end prowess. The full-sized soundstage that the Venom exudes enhances the LX large sound stage for an even more full-sized experience. This is a wonderful pairing.
*NT6pro*:  The aging NT6pro is known for its bell-like clarity and being a touch north on its low-end performance. While it has been at the top of the heap with the SE5 for an eternity in HeadFi time, it is starting to show its age with the likes of the 64Ears tia family as well as Empire Ears new offerings. However, the Venom takes the NT6pro back to the top tier performance with a stunning wow... how did that happen. I felt like I had rediscovered my pro after having it sit on the sideline for a significant time.
*A12t*: The 12t sounds good with everything given the LID technology so the upgraded SQ value is not as obvious as with the other CIEM pairings, but there is still an obvious audible SQ improvement. With the 12t pairing, the bass becomes more controlled and the soundstage becomes more full sized. Again, the value is more obvious with proper amplification.  
*Phantom*: The Phantom improves with the Venom as well with an even greater blackness to the background. It also dials the low end up a bit and goes deeper into the sub-bass spectrum. However, I feel the Phantom favors a warmer cable or one that smooths the high end a bit.

*Aurora *(6-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced (*$1,249 SGD*)
24.5 AWG 6 wire OCC Gold-Silver alloy and OCC Pure Silver cable hybrid
*Impressions*: This was my third favorite. While close to the Venom in performance, it was more rich and soothing in performance where the Venom clearly beat it overall. It also didn't pair as well widely with the CIEMs that I tried it with. The Redcore paired better overall putting it ahead in usability and provided a different signature than the Venom adding more variety to cable rolling options. Regardless, this one is very rich and luxurious in SQ providing a nice audible step up from stock cables. It was the second prettiest of the bunch and silk-like in feel. 
*A18*: Large increase in SQ over the stock 64 cables. Added emotion and a euphonic quality. The dynamics were remarkably improved as well, but the Venom was a better match. This pairing felt like I was listening through a nice tube amp.
*A12t*: This color the 12t signature a bit with more weight in the note and made the treble even more enjoyable. While it did not enhance the bass significantly it gave the bass and sub bass more pop and rumble that made the bass even more enjoyable. The Aurora then added the full sized soundstage of the Venom, the dynamics, but with not quite as black of a background. The SQ change was more apparent in the Aurora than the Venom, but I liked the value-add more in the Venom as well as the versatility. However, the Aurora was not far behind. 
*Legend X*: Best pairing... 
*Phantom*:
*NT6pro*: 


*Redcore* (8-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced (*$649 SGD*) 
A combination of OCC silver and OCC copper wiring, with double insulation of TPE and TPEE, providing a unique shielding effect of the wiring. 
*Impressions*: As my second favorite, it as how I imagine a hybrid silver/copper cable should sound. It brought out extension both directions with a dash more integrated treble without ever sounding harsh plus a significantly lower end boost. The important thing about the lower end boost is that it never loses clarity, just adds dynamics so that you feel the pow. It doesn't step into the mids at all, just goes down lower into the sub bass. Of interest with the Redcore was that it increases the size of the soundstage adding to the instrument separation. The venom is still my favorite and beats it in almost every area, with the exception of the bass kick which the Redcore still comes out on top. However, the Redcore is not too far behind. This is the best value in the Han Sound lineup at $649 SGD. 
A18:
A12t: The best pairing... 
Legend X: Second best pairing....
Phantom:
NT6pro: Third best pairing... 

*Agni *(4-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced (*$479 SGD*)
24.5 AWG pure OCC Silver cable with supple PVC insulation 
*Impressions*: This pure silver cable is very interesting. It was wonderful with the Phantom and my 12t as with my NT6pro, but less so with my 18 or legend. Where it worked it was wonderful and otherwise, a miss. I have listened to many silver cables and found them to be very inconsistent in SQ vs. a copper cable. This one varied based on the pairing. The 12 needed more tightness in the bass which it added, the NT6pro strength is transparency which it complemented, and the Phantom can sometimes sound bright, which it added lushness. So again, very different results with different pairings which I have not experienced with a silver cable before to this degree.
A18:
A12t:
Legend X:
Phantom: The best pairing.... 
NT6pro: 

*Zen (*8-wire) - 2pin/2.5mm balanced *($349 SGD) *
Made of single crystal copper in OCC multi-strand LITZ configuration, with DuPont Kevlar 200 wire core 
*Impressions*: This wire is the most beautiful of the bunch. In its 8 wire configuration, it looks very expensive. The build and silk-like feel provide outstanding ergonomics regardless of its girth. You will not forget that you are wearing this one as easily not only given its size but because it will cause a lot of attention from admirers all around. In terms of SQ, this one is very euphoric. Everything is bigger, and the resonance is almost mind-altering... a very alluring experience. My NT6pro has started falling behind the pack now that I have the 12, 18, and legend customs, but the Zen8 brings that pro back to life with top-tier performance once again. This is a wonderful match.
A18:
A12t:
Legend X:
Phantom:
NT6pro: Best pairing...


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## audio123

Hi everyone, here is the Han Sound Audio Cables Discussion Thread!


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## Barra

audio123 said:


> Hi everyone, here is the Han Sound Audio Cables Discussion Thread!


Not a general one that I am aware of..... there should be.


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## audio123

Just updated the Han Sound cables discussion thread with the Zentoo, Zentoo Plus, Agni II, Kimera, Torfa 2 & Torfa 4! 
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/han-sound-audio-cables-discussion-thread.902719


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## Barra

audio123 said:


> Just updated the Han Sound cables discussion thread with the Zentoo, Zentoo Plus, Agni II, Kimera, Torfa 2 & Torfa 4!
> https://www.head-fi.org/threads/han-sound-audio-cables-discussion-thread.902719


Hopefully, we can arrange a tour for them too.


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## audio123

Barra said:


> Hopefully, we can arrange a tour for them too.


Yea hope you can arrange a tour for them. The new cables from Han Sound are really solid.


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