Eletech Purgatorio Review – The Final Frontier

Pros –

One-of-a-kind soundstage, Gorgeous design and colour scheme, Transparent tonality provides versatile pairings, Sensational fine detail retrieval

Cons –

Midrange errs on the thinner side, Bulkier conductors than most

Verdict –

The Purgatorio is a masterful creation that rightfully earns its flagship moniker in every sense.

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Introduction –

Eletech invigorated the much quieter headphone cable market with the release of the Inferno, a premium copper-based cable for full-size headphones. It was here that we saw how the company was able to translate the impeccable build quality and style of their more compact in-ear cables to the larger form factor with great success. The Purgatorio is the latest addition to the Dante-series of headphone cables and represents the first true high-end headphone cable from Eletech. In tune, it sports OCC pure silver conductors alongside a gorgeous matte black on silver design befitting of a flagship product. Boasting a highly transparent yet technical sound, we put Eletech’s latest and greatest through its paces.

The Purgatorio starts at $2399 USD at 1.5m length and with stock terminations and is $2542 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 Purgatorio. 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, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Sound Breakdown
• Page 3: Comparisons & Verdict

Behind the Design –

Conductors

The Purgatorio makes use of dual 21 AWG OCC pure silver conductors with 2 layers of shielding. This offers high efficiency for both positive and negative signal paths. Moreover, the conductors are cryogenically treated for maximum purity and to reduce oxidation over time. Multiple size stands are used once again to further fine tune the sound.

FlexiMax Insulation

As seen on their other cables, the Purgatorio adopt the company’s FlexiMax insulation. I’ve found Eletech’s cables to be supple and resistant to hardening over time. It subjectively appears slightly softer and more compliant than the Inferno too, perhaps simply due to the different conductor design.

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.

Unboxing –

The Purgatorio offers a premium unboxing with a square box sporting a premium soft touch finish. Inside is a leather Eletech carrying pouch that contributes to a premium unboxing experience. Besides this, nothing else is included with the cable though arguably nothing else is required by the end user.

Design –

Purgatorio employs a design language that pays tribute to past Eletech models. As always, the build quality upholds a meticulous standard all around and the overall look and feel is exceedingly professional. The y-splitter as with most high-end Eletech designs makes a big statement with a clean matte black finish contrasted only by fine Eletech branding on the front face. The splitter is flawlessly milled from a single piece of aluminium and offers an extravagant design reminiscent of Greek architecture, paying tribute to the naming scheme of the company’s products.

I appreciate the clean black and silver colour scheme here as opposed to the Inferno, that provide a much more visually congruent look that suits a wider variety of headphones. The Purgatorio looks right at home on many high-end headphones especially the Meze Elite that shares its palette. Moreover, the FlexiMax insulation impresses with its transparency, providing a window into the silver conductor array below. Despite the simple colour scheme, this all makes for a mesmerizing yet versatile design that feels exceedingly premium and looks undoubtedly TOTL.

Ergonomically, the Purgatorio provides a very similar experience to the Inferno. Though large, it doesn’t feel too cumbersome in terms of weight nor does the cable lack compliance. It isn’t as supple as the thinner cables on the market but doesn’t strike as intrusive to the listening experience either. Despite the single wire design above the Y-split, microphonic noise transmission isn’t a problem either. Intriguingly, the Purgatorio lacks the slight memory of the Inferno making it just a little easier to live with. Overall, the Purgatorio is a larger cable but one that won’t upset the fit or comfort of any full-sized headphone. The size and design lend it an especially sturdy in-hand feel that rewards the buyer’s investment.

Next Page: Sound Breakdown