Satin Audio Hera, Quick Review: Rare Metal Magic
We’re revisiting the Satin Audio Hera, an upgrade custom cable that caused quite a stir when it joined the SA Olympus Series lineup about a year ago. In the fast-paced world of portable audio, where new items quickly overshadow existing ones, Satin Hera is a custom cable that is still more than relevant for several reasons. Let’s go through why Hera is special and how it holds out when paired/compared with different IEMs and competing cables. Hera is the world’s first Palladium Plated Silver Gold cable and is priced at $850.
Overview of Satin Audio Hera
As hinted earlier, the biggest eye-catcher of Hera is that it’s the world’s first cable to employ Palladium-plated Silver-Gold Alloy wires. To elaborate a bit more about the wire properties, Hera is consisted with 4 major material blends:
1) Palladium-plated Silver-Gold OCC
2) SP-OCC Silver-Gold Alloy
3) Palladium-plated Pure Silver
4) Superior Pure OCC Silver
Hera is produced based on SP-OCC technology (Superior Pure OCC), which is the highest purity of silver cable available in the industry. Installed at the center of the wires is a Kevlar Damping Core that offers improved durability and signal transmission. Satin comments that these specific materials were chosen for specific purposes and tuning in mind.
Another notable feature of Hera has to do with the core geometry. Satin’s sophisticated Geōmetria Multi-sized Stranding and the Satin Special Structure II (SSS II) have been exclusive to the Zeus, the flagship cable of Satin Audio, though now Hera is the official child to inherit these signature structures, brought down to a more accessible tier.
The main idea behind Hera’s exclusive techs has to do with the blending of different strand sizes for the inner and outer layers (26AWG / 26AWG+), effectively maximizing the conductor cross-section within the wire diameters, which theoretically allows for a more efficient signal transmission with lower resistance. Besides the normal 26AWG wires, the reason for using 26AWG+ gauged wires is their superior technical properties, as 26AWG+ wires have significantly larger conductor areas and signal qualities than the predecessor.
Handling / Usability
Despite the complex wire materials, Hera is actually a very compliant and pliable cable, being one of the softest cables available from Satin Audio. The rest of the Olympus Series, such as Zeus I/II, are relatively stiffer due to their thicker and springier properties, though that isn’t the case for Hera. This cable is also Satin’s first to feature a specialized fabric shielding, though if you prefer it without the fabric, it’s possible to custom build without it, or only have it applied on the lower half of the cable. Hera is light in weight, and microphonics aren’t an issue, making Hera an ideal cable for everyday carry. The fabric sleeve does cause a mild level of microphonics, like most fabric-finished cables would, though if you’re familiar with fabric cables, Hera is still on the quieter side.
Olympus-Exclusive Parts / Connectors
Satin Audio uses its exclusive connectors for 2Pin and MMCX terminations. It is not just about using a unique barrel design, but they also use conductors or pins made of TeCu/PEEK and TeCu/Teflon. Satin Audio introduces their TeCu (Tellurium Copper) connectors to show superior conductivity ranging between 45-93%, while most other connectors would reach around 45%. For the plugs, Satin made a special advancement for their flagship cable by using Palladium-plated Ultimate Copper, which obtains high conductivity, durability, and sound quality. Satin’s Ultimate Copper plugs are unique as they obtain the strength and durability that is good enough as Brass, while normal copper does not. These plugs are available in 2.5mm or 3.5mm. For 4.4mm, Satin uses Pentaconn OFC plug,s which is certainly one of the very best plugs out there.
How is Hera’s Sound Profile & Performance?
I’ve picked Motivate Ears MSX+ (Review link) for writing the sound impressions. Hera brings overall upgrades to the IEMs while maintaining natural tonal balance and sound signature. The differences are noticeable yet applied carefully. The first noticeable difference I can tell the background noise got more refined, cleaner, and quieter. It’s a subtle but major change; it gives a similar effect as the transparency got boosted, but not actually getting brighter or breaking the original sound signature.
The most noticeable difference would perhaps be the spatial vocals – Hera offers incredibly well-layered, lively mid-frequency, giving a great sense of space and distancing. The application of complex materials and different gauge wires really shines for the vocals. Alongside, as if adding a nice transparent wax layer on a wood surface unveils the true colors and beauty, Hera adds lushness to the timbre without getting too buttery or glossy.
The bass punches are meatier in texture and colorful in tone. The vocals are a nice blend of being organic and rich – unless you’re strictly into flat, reference tones (ex. Astral Acoustics Reference Silver), Hera’s boosting in vocal timbre would be very pleasing and much more enjoyable to listen to. Trebles show incredible agility and micro details. Satin Audio has done a fine job making the details stay crisp and clear while not having treble sound shouty or sharp. Hera also adds “dampness” or moisturizes the treble textures, ensuring the trebles sound smooth in the midst of pulling up airier, expansive high-ends. Hera evenly expands the soundstage, majorly improving the up-down amplitudes and the front-back spatial layerings.
Why You Should Consider Hera, While You Can…
While it’s the general tendency to prefer the newest cable, and while this is a safe measure that usually works for IEMs, yet not quite for cables. Rare metal prices and manufacturing prices have been skyrocketing (now the rare metal prices are 4-5 times higher when compared to before COVID-19). This is why cable brands are struggling to maintain original price tags or to produce rare metal cables. It has become increasingly difficult to find a manufacturer willing to commit to such complex, rare-metal cables without passing on a massive premium to the consumer.
With these considered, Satin Audio Hera is an amazingly good deal to seize while the stocks are available. Surprisingly affordable for those seeking something exotic, both in materials and sound, the Hera delivers a noble upgrade to your IEM’s overall sound, as well as adding a unique hue to the timbre that is typically reserved for cables in the multi-grand bracket. If you’re looking for exotic material cables with a max budget of sub $1k, I doubt there’d be any better choice than Satin Audio Hera.