Han Sound Audio cables review: Twisted with a twist
Han Sound is a Taiwanese cable brand that’s been hitting many markets hard with a good, consistent impression. They were established back in 2010 but started to grow fast since 2017. My first time bumping into Han Sound cables was with a cable called Red Core. Well not actually getting them in my hands, but on Facebook. I’ve been much into fabric cables and those red sleeves were something that sparked my interest in Han Sound since then.
And earlier this year, I finally got to meet them and try various cables they were offering. The qualities lived up to the expectations very well. It felt to be a matter of time until they get even bigger in popularity and thought it would be a good time to do a round-up review for these. So here comes another large scale review. More to follow in the future, but now we’ll be covering 6 cables – Muse II, Solar Ray, Agni II, Aegis, Aegis 8, and Kimera. And both I and my fellow reviewers had an impression that Han Sound cables have their own unique “twist” to the sound, heading against the commonly known biases.
Packaging
The cables come in with the usual black box similar to the ones from PW Audio. The model name and serial codes are printed on the side as well as the Han Sound logo on the top. Other than the cable itself, it includes a leather cable tie with a Han Sound logo on it.
Muse II – Feelin’ blue, but in a good way
Muse II is a silver-plated OCC (24 AWG) cable with eye-catching, sky-blue color shieldings. The color doesn’t look cheap or excessive and blends in well with pretty much any IEMs. This one is retailed for approx. $299, meant to be one of the affordable choices Han Sound offers. The cables are very smooth and soft, not causing any microphonics or tension.
Matching comparisons
Campfire Audio Andromeda S – Muse II presents a better layering and extends the background space, especially on the upper frequencies. It also brings out more clarity on the upper frequencies, but not drastically. Mids gain more color as well as a sweeter tone. The headroom size shows a proper amount of improvement, but not loosening the reverbs.
AZLA Horizon – The bass quantity stays without weakening the details, actually darkening the bass expression. Trebles gain the crisp and small amount of that silver-tone shiness in a very gentle and cautious manner. Mids takes a step closer with a glimpse of shininess added while keeping the copper-like tonality.
TFZ No.3 Ti – This one already comes with a bold and solid cable, but Muse II still steps up the game for the No.3 Ti. The bubbly upper frequencies still have a good crunch on the texture but with more refined surface and smoothness. This change is applied to pretty much all frequencies, but mids especially show great improvements in terms of naturality and finer texture.
Crispy sound while keeping the texture smooth.
Muse II adds a natural yet crispy bite to the upper range. A pinch of coloration is added to spice up the fun too. What I really like about this cable is that these changes are applied without degrading up the tonality or the bass.
It appears that Muse II especially works well with hybrid or dynamic driver IEMs and would ideally bring a good crisp and brightness to your sound without getting the trebles all harsh. This one will be a reasonable yet perfect choice for replacing stock or cheaper custom cables, not only an upgrade in sound quality but also the looks with its gorgeous blue colored shielding.
Next Page: Han Sound Solar Ray (2/5)