Eletech Inferno Review – Red Hot

Pros –

Built to last forever, Charming design, Bold and dynamic bass, Good resolving power, Jump in note definition, Excellent soundstaging

Cons –

Warmer voicing leads to a reduction in separation, bulky and heavy wires

Verdict –

If you don’t mind a bulkier cable design and enjoy a smooth, coherent sound, the Inferno is your best bet.

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Introduction –

Headphones have no doubt come back into the spotlight amidst a rapidly evolving IEM scene with the recent pandemic forcing more listeners to reconsider their home setup. Within this space, there has been a distinct lack of aftermarket cable options and, unsurprisingly, the premium market has been dominated by cable makers boasting prior experience with IEMs. If you’ve even been in the market for such, you’ve no doubt come across Eletech. The company has been making some of the most stunning designs on the market for some time and for that, they’ve garnered a loyal following. And who better to try their hand at a quality, high-end headphone cable. The Inferno is Eletech’s first headphone cable that translates their mastery of conductors and geometry into a larger package.

The Inferno starts at $749 USD at 1.5m length and with stock terminations and is $799 USD as optioned in this review. You can read more about the cable and customise a unit for yourself here!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Eric very much for his quick communication and for reaching out to organise this review of the Inferno. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the cables free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Design
• Page 2: Sound Breakdown & Pairings
• Page 3: Comparison & Verdict

Behind the Design –

Conductors

The Inferno makes use of a unique blend of 2 types of high-purity OCC copper with 2 layers of shielding. The inner layer uses a fibre-ceramic shielding whilst the outermost layer comprises of an OFC copper net that rejects EMF.

Geometry

A first for Eletech, the Inferno uses a dual full core design that offers a full 21 AWG signal path for both positive and negative signals. The company takes further advantage of this by using multiple strand sizes on top to achieve their desired sound and quality.

FlexiMax Insulation

As seen on their IEM cables, so too does the Inferno adopt the company’s FlexiMax insulation. I’ve found Eletech’s cables to be supple and resistant to hardening over time. While the Inferno is much larger than their past designs, this means it still upholds an ergonomic experience.

Customisation –

Eletech offer a good range of customisation on their website similar to what you’d find on other custom cables. This includes length which starts at 1.5m but can be custom ordered via email, the headphone connectors and termination, both of which can also be custom ordered. That said, all popular options are present on Eletech’s website. The beauty of a custom cable is that every component can be changed to suit the customer and it’s convenient that the option to contact the company directly is baked into their configurator.

Design –

If you have any experience with Eletech, you know that the company makes quality products. The Inferno is no different, boasting an incredibly sturdy design with an attractive selection of connectors. Unlike their earphone cables, only the Y-split is a custom component due to the adoption of more generic headphone standards (though 1/4″ connectors match the y-split). The splitter is a sight to behold, however, as the company has given it awesome contrast between brushed gunmetal grey and obsidian black. My cable came terminated with a quality Furutech XLR connector and heat-shrunk mini-XLR plugs on the headphone end. The shrink has clear orientation markings and tasteful Eletech branding.

Beyond aesthetics, what first stands out about the cable is its size. Many headphone cables are large by virtue of a bulky fabric sheath, however, the Inferno commands pure conductor mass. Despite using the company’s beloved FlexiMax insulation, the cable isn’t especially supple due to the sheer density of the conductors inside. It’s not unwieldly but certainly one of the heaviest cables I’ve tested. This isn’t as much of a detriment for full-size headphones as on IEMs, that said. The insulation is crystal clear, showcasing the copper shielding below. It has some memory but minimal microphonic noise making the cable quite easy to live with.

In turn, the cable definitely feels built to last and each join feels immensely solid. There’s some strain relief on the plugs and a tough internal sheath aiding this impression. One thing to note, however, is that the Inferno is not braided above the Y-split like many competing cables. This means the cable does not like to be twisted which can put tension through the wires on headphones with rotated connectors. Take extra care here to ensure that the cable is not twisted prior to connecting your headphones otherwise ergonomics will suffer. 

Next Page: Sound Breakdown & Pairings