Eletech Inferno Review – Red Hot

Sound –

Pawel from Ear Fidelity makes a solid argument in his review that cables are all about synergy and that is a sentiment I’d very much agree with. Where previously I’ve tended to assess a cable in isolation then discuss select pairings, I felt it more apt to go directly into pairings with less emphasis on general comments. Also, seeing as this is a high-end cable, it makes most sense when complementing a high-end headphone. There simply aren’t that many options out there with the same termination and, moreover, these headphones tend to ship with curated cables from factory of various conductor design. This makes general comments more difficult to provide when compared to an IEM cable review. With that said, my thoughts follow.

Meze Elite: The Elite comes with two OFC cables out of the box and, for the sake of fairness, I used the XLR cable for this review. The Inferno is definitely providing a warmer, smoother sound as compared to the stock cable. At the same time, this comes at no loss to technical ability. The Elite isn’t an overtly warm headphone like the bassier Empyrean so this strikes as a sound pairing albeit those wanting more clarity than stock will want to investigate a silver-based option instead.

I was pleasantly surprised by the changes in the low-end. Though the Elite already has a warm leaning low-end, the Inferno serves to even out the note presentation by increasing sub-bass. In turn, notes become less rounded and more structured. In addition, dynamics have been improved with a keener attack and a more palpable slam. Notes are, altogether, more defined and textured albeit slightly thicker and larger. Still, due to the increase in note definition, the Inferno pairing has similar if not slightly better separation than the stock cable in addition to a hearty jump in dynamics and PRAT.

Above, the stock cables provides a slightly clearer voicing with less density and a slightly more open upper-midrange. This is not a bad thing as it helps to balance out the warmer low-end. On the contrary, the Inferno provides a slightly more structured voicing but also larger, more intimate vocals. Although the voicing has less clarity, this means the presentation doesn’t suffer from congestion or veil either. Resolving power is notably improved and the Inferno pairing is noticeably more articulate too. This aids definition and small detail retrieval. Another key change is layering which are far more delineated with the Inferno. Though I wasn’t entirely a fan of the more full-bodied presentation here, I do think this is a fairly innocuous effect due to the aforementioned changes and still represents a good jump in technical performance.

As below, the top-end on the stock cable does sound more pronounced but also less defined. Accordingly, though the Inferno is a smoother pairing, it is also more detailed. This is mostly noticeable in the lower-treble that has more bite and a more defined leading edge on the Inferno. Notes are more clearly resolved and fine textures come through clearer and without sharpness. Above, the stock cable is providing a more prominent mid-treble giving the presentation a thinner but also higher-clarity voicing. Some may prefer this in tandem with the cleaner midrange voicing. The Inferno does make a strong case for itself with the cleanliness of its background. It is darker, yet equally strong in extension. Micro details are even more clearly resolved and sparkle remains, however, there is a marked reduction in glare and splashiness in favour of a more damped, focused note presentation. While you do lose some air in so doing, this works much to the benefit of sound staging and general organisation of the image.

Speaking of which, the soundstage is indeed slightly wider and also a touch deeper, but it’s not a night and day difference as observed on some of the other headphone pairings in this review. The most notable difference to me was layering and general imaging. Direction was sharper on the Inferno and layers were both more defined and delineated. I enjoyed the increase in contrast between background and foreground which draws focus to small details. The cleanliness of the background plays into all of these attributes as it showcases foreground elements in greater focus. Separation is similar to stock for though the voicing is slightly fuller, the note presentation has been tightened up with greater definition.

Audeze LCD-5: The LCD-5 has a quality OCC cable from factory. Immediately, the Inferno provides a warmer tone with a more robust bass. It provides the impression of a slightly smoother presentation as bass takes a step forward making the mids and highs less dominant. Given that the LCD-5 is already a relatively lean headphone, this is welcome and represents a strong and highly recommended pairing.

As aforementioned, bass appears more present in general and assumes a warmer character due to relatively greater enhancement in the mid-bass. Extension was already excellent on the stock cable and the same quality is upheld here. The difference lies in the increase in note size and punch alongside a slight improvement in note definition. In turn, despite notes being slightly more rounded, the presentation comes across as more dynamic and textured. Where the stock cable pulls ahead is with regards to separation due to its leaner nature. Beyond this, the Inferno provides a noticeably more insightful and engaging listen.

I was then quite surprised that I preferred the midrange on the Inferno by a good degree. The stock cable is indeed transparent but the Inferno is noticeably more resolving with improved layering and slightly larger, more wholly resolved vocals. The presentation is more coherent yet with no loss to either articulation or extension, achieving higher definition on top. There’s a hint of warmth but unless you absolutely need a dead neutral tonality, the Inferno is simply more pleasurable to listen, It represents a more forgiving yet also more resolving sound that sounds more liquid and effortless overall.

Up top, things aren’t so clear cut. The stock cable provides the impression of greater clarity with what I perceive to be a slightly more forward but also more brittle character. It has a more mid-treble dominated presentation that gives it a pristine sense of clarity but also saps body and texture from notes. The Inferno offers a bit more balance with the lower-treble, it has a sharper, more defined leading edge that aids fine detail retrieval. While the stock cable is brighter, I find the Inferno pairing to offer immediately superior resolving power. In addition, the background is darker and cleaner with less mid-treble bias, and this draws further attention towards small details.

Without a doubt, the biggest improvement comes in the form of soundstaging in all aspects. The Inferno offers superior expansion alongside improved layering. I noticed much improved depth, in particular, contributing to a more evenly proportioned stage relative to stock. In addition, as the background is darker and cleaner, there is superior foreground/background contrast providing the impression of a more composed, organised stage. While notes are larger, so too is the stage and this means separation remains a strong performer. In fact, due to the better isolated foreground, small details are easier to perceive and the ether surrounding each note is more palpable. This gives the headphones a lovely sense of holography and a more multi-dimensional character.

HEDD Audio HEDDphone: The HEDDphone comes with a cable that was specifically designed for it. The company quotes low resistance but doesn’t state the exact conductor material. I don’t have too many complaints with the HEDDphone out of the box, it’s a good match for my tonal preferences. However, its core weakness is surely in the bass as it lacks the power of competing headphones of other driver types. The Inferno is an intriguing pairing, it further increases attack and general definition whilst noticeably aiding bass performance.

The HEDDphone doesn’t have a huge bass colouration or boost, but some deep-bass emphasis giving it a bolder note presentation. The Inferno further enhances extension giving this headphone some real power and dynamics that I felt were lacking on the stock combination. Bass becomes tighter, harder-hitting and slightly more present. It retains a bold over rounded character with thick yet well-paced notes. In turn, definition remains excellent and texturing is noticeably enhanced. Dynamics represent a large improvement without upsetting balance. The greatest compliment I can provide is that this pairing feels like how the headphone should have been out of the box.

Within the midrange, the stock cable provides quite a bit of room and density which provides a coherent and well-resolved but also slightly boxy sound. The Inferno cleans up the roominess by a noticeable amount. It isn’t a bright cable by any means but surely is providing a more extended sound on this pairing. I especially enjoy the reduced boxiness around the lower-midrange, this gives the headphone a much clearer and more natural expression. At the same time, the lauded technical traits remain very much present if not enhanced. Layering is immediately improved as on the other pairings, benefitting from superior contrast.

I have similar thoughts in the highs which benefit from a noticeable tonal improvement alongside a slight technical bump. The HEDDphone has a slightly sucked out lower-treble and a very crisp middle-treble alongside an especially fast decay. This gives it excellent separation and clarity sans sharpness but also an especially thin note body. The Inferno helps to balance this out a bit as seen on the LCD-5 pairing. Lower-treble has a bit more bite and notes are more defined in general. Texture and percussion are generally better resolved and presented with a more accurate timbre. While the presentation is still upper-harmonic biased, it comes across as sparkly and a little floaty rather than overtly thin. The enhanced lower-treble focus gives the headphones a more nuanced presentation as previously, these two layers became blurred.

Once again, the soundstage is noticeably larger on the Inferno and well-proportioned. In addition, contrast between layers is enhanced which provides a more separated, organised stage. On the HEDDphone, however, I felt that part of the charm is its tightly-knit yet exceedingly speedy presentation that makes it sound very holographic. You do sacrifice some of that focus with the more spacious Inferno pairing. In return, separation is notably enhanced. The timbre is generally more accurate and, altogether, the headphone assumes a more normal presentation similar to what you’d see on a very good planar yet whilst retaining that additional speed.

General Remarks –

The Inferno offers a generally smooth, downwards tilting signature and a well-structured presentation. Bass is moderately enhanced and extension is improved if not already sufficient. A common trait is a step up in dynamics and texture as the cable serves to both improve sub-bass power and general note definition. This results in a presentation that is simultaneously more nuanced and more engaging. The downside to this is separation which was often superior on the stock cable if to minimal detriment to total detail retrieval.

Vocals are the star of the show within the midrange that benefit from increased size and extension. The Inferno enhances warmth and body but also clarity to some degree, forming a slightly higher contrast sound. This suits veiled or roomy headphones well without pushing intensity on already more forward headphones due to the more robust sense of body and bass. The cleaner background plays a large roll in this, serving to decreased intensity and fatigue whilst improving focus in the foreground. I was also consistently seeing a more defined character in the treble, especially around the lower-treble.

This manifests in the form of a more defined leading edge giving notes more bite and crispness. Where a peak here may incite sharpness, I didn’t find the Inferno to provide this effect nor any increase in brightness as you may see on a silver cable. Rather, it is simply note attack that is more emphasized as treble is usually less present overall as compared to most stock cables. Thankfully, this is mostly within the mid-treble which also contributes to the lovely sense of background darkness and cleanliness. Sparkle and top-octave micro details are left untouched.

While extension wasn’t overtly improved on the already excellent pairings I tested, I still enjoyed the sizable difference the cable made to soundstage size. This was especially noticeably with regards to depth projection. Furthermore, layering is improved with far greater delineation between foreground and background. This is vital to strong instrument separation and leads to a sharper, keener sense of direction and location. There is a more palpable ether surrounding notes which highlights fine details. The Inferno doesn’t yield a more revealing sound, but it is certainly more resolving and organised.

Next Page: Comparisons & Verdict