Han Sound Audio Aegis – Surprise under the simplicity
The typical brown color will likely make you assume this to be a pure copper cable, but that isn’t the case. This one is a hybrid cable made with OCC silver-gold alloy and OCC copper Litz cables. Just like Agni II did, Aegis includes DuPont Kevlar fibers in the middle of the core for durability. Also, the solderings are done with materials high in gold content to make sure the intended sound continues all the way to IEM sockets. Aegis is retailed for approx. $599, listed as one of the premium cables from Han Sound.
Matching comparisons
Campfire Audio Andromeda – Bass dives deeper and clearer while keeping the sound solid with very well-controlled reverbs. Slightly lowered center of gravity makes the mids sound more stable as well as creating better imaging. Highs are clearer and more realistic with much air, allowing more space between the mids and highs. Aegis also creates a larger staging and increased liveliness, overall much more rich and brings a desirable difference.
Dunu DK-4001 – Darker background yet increased clarity and richness. Mids are greatly improved, showing a fine and whole lot smoother in texture. Bass is another part that improves as much as the mids. The bass extension is deeper with a much clearer, darker presentation yet never dull, loosen, or excessive in quantity. Especially the details from the ultra-lows are much clearer and prominent compared to the stock cable. There are more air and liveliness on the treble which leads to a conclusion that Aegis improves pretty much everything in the perfectly desired way I’ve been willing to seek.
JVC Victor FW-10000 – Better depth, deeper bass with a cleaner bass presentation. What I truly appreciate from this cable is that the trebles stay crispy and airy while improving every other frequency. So far, this is the only cable that manages to deepen the lower frequencies without killing the IEM’s unique airy and open-field presentation. The atmosphere feels relatively calmer and darker but uncompromising with the treble details.
Not a typical brown copper cable, but a trendy sounding hybrid cable
I’m amazed to find how such kind of hybrid cable could create a delicate and organic sound like this. Deeper bass, darker background, mids packed with density, and airy highs. What’s there to ask more from the sound? Aegis brings multiple improvements so naturally and inwardly, staying intact with the original style the IEM has. Other Han Sound cables are awesome too, but so far this one is definitely my favorite.
Aegis 8 – Aesthetics
So far the cables I’ve presented were all 4 braids though Han Sound provides 8 braids as well. Aegis 8 is the 8 braided version of the original Aegis, having twice the amount of braiding. Aegis 8 is retailed for approx. $999 which is about $400 higher from the original Aegis.
Comparison with original Aegis (4 core)
Campfire Audio Andromeda – I was concerned about matching Andromeda with Aegis 8 as I thought it could be excessive, but turns out it wasn’t really overwhelming after all. Mids are thicker and with bold, large, and meaty bass. The ultra-lows also become pretty darn impressive for a full-BA IEM. Depths and headroom size are visibly larger, creating a serious, immersive sound signature.
Dunu DK-4001 – Even larger and thicker in density. Bass is darker and majestic, but not bloated in reverbs and never gets excessive. The ultra-lows are presented significantly cleaner than the original Aegis and could really feel that “dark force” flooding into the sound. The background is nearly pitch black, resulting in an extremely clean background and clearly focused on the sound itself.
JVC Victor FW-10000 – If you’re absolutely loving FW-10000 only except its somewhat weak bass, Aegis 8 is going to be the very best choice. Aegis 8 perfectly fills up the relatively weak bass power and adds much depth and wideness to it. The mids gain mild thickness to it with a powerful driving force but still stays relatively original in its characteristics. The highs get slightly warmer and thicker too, but still keeps a good amount of air and openness as it originally did.
It actually feels twice as better
I have a handful of experience when it comes to comparing two cables that are same in material but different in braiding amounts – mostly between 4 braids and 8 braids. The more you add the braids, the stronger the characteristics get. Though it usually felt to be more as a matter of preference rather than the performance. If not, it gave me doubts if the sound improvement is justifiable to spend the extra cost for upgrading from 4 braids to 8 braids.
Well, if we’re talking affordable cables then the price gap wouldn’t be too big of a deal, but once we start talking about premium cables, the price difference would be a matter of hundreds and thousands of dollars. As I stated up there, Aegis is not an entry-level cable but deserves a solid compliment to justify its price.
So how’s the Aegis 8? It’s stellar. While preferences would still apply, the overall sonic improvement is undoubtedly better than the original 4 braided Aegis as well as proving enough to justify its extra cost. The deep, dark, and gigantic bass paired with creamy mids and airy highs work out even better with headphones. I’m very enjoying Aegis 8 and it seems to be working out well with headphones and earphones with different driver types.
Next Page: Han Sound Audio Kimera (5/5)