PlusSound IEM Cables Discussions | Drop

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PlusSound IEM Cables

Aug 19, 2018

For those commenting on the “ridiculous” price of these and other high-end cables, this is an excerpt from glassmonkey’s review of the EA Ares II+ cable found on his audioprimate blog. Granted, I do find EA’s higher offerings to be ”ridiculously” overpriced.
“That was a bit of an aside, but it comes down to this: if you have the time and capability to make cables, you can do it for similar or lower prices than custom-made cables by companies. I personally wouldn’t do this, and I can tell you why. Consumer rates for wire are expensive. If I want to make a 1.2 meter quad braid wire of a quality similar to Effect Audio’s Ares II+ this is what I have to buy from my suppliers in the UK and the USA:
Component Cost
1. 5 meters of Cardas 21.5 AWG OCC Litz wire (cost converted from GBP)1 $53.50
2. WBT 4% Silver Solder (cost converted from GBP)1 $34.60
3. Eidolic 2-pin connectors (model E278PG) (plus VAT)2 $16.35
4. Eidolic splitter (ESX4) (plus VAT)2 $11.75
5. Eidolic 2.5mm TRRS jack (plus VAT)2 $14.75
VAT 3-5 $8.57
Shipping 1-2 $4.35
Shipping 3-5 $11.50
Total $155.37
All of this is assuming that you already have a soldering iron, and sufficient expertise to braid the wire and then solder the ends. This also doesn’t include your labour costs or the difference in quality or sexiness between what you will produce and the professional fit and finish that Effect Audio produces. Since I don’t have soldering expertise, braiding expertise, or a lot of time, buying a cable makes a whole helluva lot more sense. Effect Audio’s costs are surely less than what mine would be, but that is the nature of economies of scale and having the ability to buy wholesale. I don’t begrudge Effect Audio being a successful business, in fact, I’m cheering for them. I consider the price of the Ares II+ very reasonable. Even if I were to get hit with VAT, which may or may not happen, I think the $219.90 price of the Ares II+ is reasonable. The components aren’t cheap, and the labour and overhead costs are totally reasonable.”
I did get in on this drop after reading many reviews. With that said, this is the most I’ve spent on a cable and if the reviews hold true, it will be the most I ever spend on a cable. Compared to other companies, PlusSound cables aren’t “ridiculously” overpriced. Factor in that PlusSound is a relatively small company, heck they have an Etsy shop.

Aug 19, 2018